Why are so many masked faces spewing racist invecitves? They're scared

First some context, I live in Northumberland County which is in Eastern Ontario.  It's farming country, orchard land.  If you've been out this way you not doubt have seen The Big Apple complete with it's yellow mask as you drive along the 401.  It is also overwhelmingly white, and we have our share of racists out here.  

Maybe the mask on that Apple should be replaced with a white hood?

Like everywhere Northumberland County has a lot of frightened people, terrified of catching this Covid bug.  They're easy to identify, they're the ones walking alone outside, nobody within 100 metres and they're masked up.  That or they're driving alone in their cars with a mask on, even if it's a convertible.  

And you see them at the dog park, something of a local gathering place out here, although now it's restricted to no more than 5 people at a time.  When the conversation invariablly turns to Covid, because it always does, you can bet that some masked up face will start complaining about "those people" from places like Brampton, Mississauga, or some other part of the GTA.  

This is what fear does to people, they show off their true colours.  Those who either refuse to wear a mask, or who only put one on when absolutely required are a far more tolerant bunch.  That's because we're not irrationally afraid, not of Covid, and not of "those people" from the GTA.  

They do it politiely, they don't use blatantly offensive terms, but we all know the dog whistles they blow.  It's because "those" people don't share our values about health and safety, how "they" live differently with so many generation in one household.  

Please save it, if you're frightened of Covid stay in your basements and spew your hateful garbage at the wall.  If it wasn't for the trucking and warehousing industry where many of "these people" work there wouldn't be food on the grocery shelves, even out in the lily white parts of the province.  

Be kind, and if you can't be kind...then stay home. 

Large Danish trial could put an end to the masking debate...

A large randomized control trial could finally put an end to the whole masking debate.  Three Danish hospitals as well as the Technical University of Denmark have conducted what may very well be the largest ever clinical trial looking into the efficacy of community masking on reducing rates of viral infection.  It's certainly the largest such trial in the Covid era.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04337541

6,000 participants were randomized into a masked and a control group, 3,000 participants in each.  All were tested and determined to be Covid free at the start of the trial.  The study was completed back on June 2nd, now we're simply waiting on the results to be published.  

Public health officials have had a dearth of information on which to base policy decisions.  Canada's own McMaster University conducted a review of over 100 years of research into masking and the most that they could conclude is that community masking might provide a small benefit, maybe.  As published in the Annals of Internal Medicine here is their conclusion.  

No direct evidence indicates that public mask wearing protects either the wearer or others. Given the severity of this pandemic and the difficulty of control, we suggest that the possible benefit of a modest reduction in transmission likely outweighs the possibility of harm

This Danish study could finally provide a large dose of definitive proof about the value of community masking mandates, after all Randomized Control Trials are considered the gold standard of science.  If the results show that the unmasked arm had a statistically significant higher rate of infection, then in my opinion we should be all in on community masking mandates and the anti-masking horde should suck it up and shut up.  

If the results show similar rates of infection in both arms, then we're basically status quo with evidence pointing to a possible small benefit.  In that case I would expect the anti-masking crowd to continue their complaining and protesting.

There is potential for controversy however if the results show that the masked arm experienced higher rates of SAR-Cov-2 infection than the unmasked arm in a statistically significant way.  Not only would this put winds in the sails of the anti-mask protesters, it could also serve further erode public confidence in public health officials.  

Science should never be controversial, it is what it is.  But sadly, with this pandemic the science has become increasingly political.  Educated people know that science is a process, it doesn't stop when a politically desired result is indicated.  

I know many people who think they're certified epidemiologists with their internet and youtube degrees.  And I don't doubt that if this study does in fact show that masking increases the risk of viral infection, that some dim bulbs will dismiss the results out of hand because it doesn't affirm their predetermined conclusions. Confirmation bias is rampant in today's world and everyone is guilty of it to one degree or another.

My bias leans toward community masking being ineffective and potentially increasing infection rates, but if this study shows a benefit to masking I will keep my ego in check and acknowledge what the highest level of science has to say.  

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Duke university research shows masks can be worse than no masks....

I know for a lot of people the debate over masking is over: "Its been proven scientifically that masks help limit viral spread" they'll say.  Often it's because they read a headline somewhere that says masks can be an effective tool.  Of course science is always evolving, research goes on and on and what was true on Monday can be proven false on Tuesday.  

That's certainly been the case with the debate over masks.  We've gone from hearing that they offer no real utility, to that they are vital in the battle against viral transmission.  

Now Duke University has come along with a new study that basically says that the devil is in the details, or rather in the material of the mask and how it's worn.  While N95 masks were judged to be most effective, that is not what the public in Canada is being told to wear, our rules stipulate any type of fabric over the face is all that is needed.  

If Duke's research is on the money, then that is wrong.  

Their study certainly vindicates my own opinions based on what I see day to day, both before masks were required and after.  There are all types of masks out there, the tight fitting N-95s, looser fitting procedural masks with folded material, neck sleeve type gaiters, simple kerchiefs, I've seen people pay for gas simply pulling their shirt up over their mouths.  

And of course beyond the types of masks being worn there's the manner in which they're handled.  Pulled out of dirty pockets and then returned, constant touching of the outside material, some worn without covering the nose and even half the mouth at times.  

Duke's research was aimed at trying to determine which masks work best, and what they found is that some of the masks people wear are actually worse than wearing no mask at all.  

I should note that it is not my desire to trigger people, I know many had hoped this issue was settled, but true students of science know that is not the way things work.  Science is a process, and that process doesn't stop when it reaches a point with which one agrees.  Trump loving mask supporters  won't appreciate the fact that I'm going to share the link to CNN's reporting, I can already hear the cries of "FAKE NEWS"!!!  But whaddyer gonna do, sadly many people won't believe anything unless it confirms their preconceived bias.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/us/duke-university-face-mask-test-trnd/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2sHouSHFTvGkjURz_b0ip6u9sha9S8WuM3WknvDoPnt7CjSGqIpM4GUOE

To briefly summarize what is in the article, not surpisingly N95 masks were deemed the most effective, but of course the general public is not being told to wear those, but rather to use some type of cloth material instead.  

The article goes on to say that three layer surgical and cotton masks performed "well".  The least effective were neck fleeces sometimes called gaiters, like what runners use.  In point of fact the researchers found these fleece gaiters increase the number of droplets because the material breaks larger droplets into smaller particles that will hang in the air longer and are more eaisly carried away.  

We've gone from being told that masks offered no real benefit, to being told everyone must wear one in indoor public places.  Now the science is saying that only certain types of masks should be worn.  Are we going to create a mask police to check on material and number of layers now?  At this stage nothing would surprise me.

For the moment those with single layer neck fleeces, bandanas and the like, you're all still good and probably risk being attacked by some terrified Karen if you dare go shopping without a mask on, it's already happening.