I think the last 3 weeks of protests have been one of the most important and beneficial uprisings in the US in decades. People have the absolute right to participate in them despite the COVID-19 risks. But those risks shouldn't be minimized, and others should have the same right.
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Glenn Greenwald Retweeted Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D
Look at this viral thread - not from January but from late March - in which someone self-identifying as a scientist warned that not only do not masks not help, but "that they could be *increasing* their risk" by wearing them. Claims like this were fatal:https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1241454649758056450 …
Glenn Greenwald added,
Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D @RVAwonkI honestly think we need a nationwide public education campaign to help people understand why they should stop buying masks to wear to run errands. You’re not helping anyone, including yourself, by doing that, & you’re contributing to a critical shortage among healthcare workers.Show this thread36 replies 52 retweets 217 likesShow this thread -
Replying to @ggreenwald
Also look at the CDC’s guidance from that time period. That’s where the info came from.
8 replies 1 retweet 8 likes -
Replying to @RVAwonk @ggreenwald
Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D Retweeted Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D
And the surgeon general. https://twitter.com/rvawonk/status/1241493278173868038?s=21 …https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1241493278173868038 …
Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D added,
3 replies 1 retweet 5 likes -
Replying to @RVAwonk @ggreenwald
Happy to discuss the evolving nature of science, poor communication from government & medical orgs, & the lack of consensus surrounding mask usage. But I’m not sure what you’re getting at by pointing to a thread (based on CDC guidelines) about the need for clear communication.
4 replies 2 retweets 11 likes -
Replying to @RVAwonk @ggreenwald
That's why I didn't single you out but you realize every single thing you claimed in that viral thread (and I tried to tell you otherwise) was wrong? The alleged increased risk, false sense of security, lack of benefit? Every single claim you made except shortage was 100% wrong.
2 replies 3 retweets 36 likes -
Replying to @zeynep @ggreenwald
Just to be clear: Those claims claim from the CDC. And yes, most turned out to be wrong. Also, at the time, there was little (if any) distinction between protecting self vs others. But do we have research from US showing that mask usage doesn’t confer a false sense of security?
1 reply 0 retweets 7 likes -
Replying to @RVAwonk @ggreenwald
Yes, they came from the CDC and they were all wrong. That's my point, and I kept trying to talk with people like you to point to the evidence that they were wrong. And for lack of false sense of security? Yes, we have decades of evidence from many other safety devices.
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As I very publicly argued back then, false sense of security is trotted out against every safety device/intervention (seat belts, helmets, safe sex) and has been researched to death. You can find individual examples, but it never overwhelms the safety benefit. But that's not all.
3 replies 2 retweets 30 likes -
Replying to @zeynep @ggreenwald
Those behaviors (helmets, seat belts, etc) are primarily aimed at personal protection, not protecting others, though. The research may very well translate, but I don’t know if we can say that yet?
1 reply 1 retweet 2 likes
zeynep tufekci Retweeted zeynep tufekci
We already have experimental confirmation. I'm not saying we shouldn't keep an eye out, but what are they going to do with this false sense of security that will override the benefits? It's a very similar argument to ones made against seat belts.https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1269364962213990401 …
zeynep tufekci added,
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Plus, wear masks if you are sick, um, of course that won't work. Stigma and solidarity are very well-understood concepts of social science. Masks only sick=stigma. We have a lot of research from TB. Everyone wears them=solidarity and signaling of the emergency.
1 reply 0 retweets 9 likes -
It's terrible because it's so consequential. I think our evidence for benefits of masks has greatly increased since March but, even back then, lack of evidence for harms should have meant we should have gone ahead. Fewer cases=less PPE needed so helps shortage, too. Alas.
2 replies 1 retweet 8 likes - Show replies
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