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Official misinformation continues. Getting everyone to wear even imperfect masks all the time is an intervention we could quickly and cheaply deploy at scale. There are dozens of papers on the topic. Need to find the people responsible for this and have them post a retraction.

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World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific

@WHOWPRO

Mar 26, 2020

If you do not have any respiratory symptoms, such as fever, cough, or runny nose, you do not need to wear a medical mask. When used alone, masks can give you a false feeling of protection and can even be a source of infection when not used correctly.

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You think this is a mistake? These claims are phrased deliberately to quell the massive demand for masks for non-healthcare workers, first responders, etc.

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Instead of misleading people about it, we should be producing enough to meet the demand and encouraging everyone to use them. The solution to a shortage of masks is ramping up production especially with the amount of time that was and still is available to prepare for this.

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A substantial portion of people with the virus have little to no noticeable symptoms and yet they're contagious. If people wear masks, they reduce the chance they'll get the virus or spread it to others if they're already infected. It's harmful misinformation and reduces trust.

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The WHO and many governments chose to downplay the severity of the crisis. There was ample time to ramp up production of masks and ventilators along with other ways of preparing for this. Instead, very little was done with the time available to prepare due to downplaying it.

5:56 AM · Mar 28, 2020Twitter Web App

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They could instead explain the shortage of N95 masks and explain that lower than medical grade masks provide better protection than nothing. Give instructions on how to make and use basic masks. The intent behind the misinformation doesn't matter. It's wrong and it's harmful.

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I'm NOT defending in ANY way the idea of effectively lying about (or grossly distorting) the evidence of mask efficacy. In fact, it reminds me of Christie Todd Whitman's Machiavellian statements about air quality safety at Ground Zero.

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