[OK, this post is to ask a question because I don't know the answer...not take a stand on the issue one way or the other. I'm a layman, not a doctor]
We are exhorted (if not required) to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID. Yet in May, the CDC published an article on the spread of influenza saying that masks are ineffective in preventing its spread.
I know influenza isn't COVID but the physical process of disease transmission is the same for both diseases: aerosolized water droplets from one person's nose or mouth get into the nose or mouth of another person.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/spread.htm
So if a mask is ineffective in preventing the spread of influenza, why is it being touted as effective in stopping the spread of COVID ? Most people I see are NOT wearing N95 masks. And many people I see aren't wearing a mask properly anyway...including those in what appears to be N95-type masks.
Here's the CDC info from May re influenza:
"Although mechanistic studies support the potential effect of hand hygiene or face masks, evidence from 14 randomized controlled trials of these measures did not support a substantial effect on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza."
"Disposable medical masks (also known as surgical masks) are loose-fitting devices that were designed to be worn by medical personnel to protect accidental contamination of patient wounds, and to protect the wearer against splashes or sprays of bodily fluids (
36). There is limited evidence for their effectiveness in preventing influenza virus transmission either when worn by the infected person for source control or when worn by uninfected persons to reduce exposure. Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza."
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article