@thejenniwren @cmclase I think the data are less important than the narrative, and we've allowed uninformed people to control the narrative. In the US the same playbook has been used by #ClimateDeniers - muddy the water with misinformation not to prove a counter factual, but to sow enough doubt that people don't feel compelled to act. So what stories can we tell that promote social responsibility, that resonate with everyone, that teach rather than preach?

@thejenniwren @Brad_Rosenheim

Thank you! Totally admirable teaching around this!

We started the website to put the evidence at people's fingertips, so we could say 'there is evidence, it's summarized here':

Filtration evidence: https://maskevidence.org/mask-types

Evidence in practice:
https://maskevidence.org/why-masks-matter

But you are right, people continue to summarize all this as 'no evidence'. Public health could help here with ongoing information campaigns but this is not happening widely.

I think persistence and #kindness will get us there in the end. We are social animals and it is not normal in many countries to wear a mask. The opportunity to normalize this for everyone was lost early in the pandemic because of academic and public health dissent and disagreement. So now it may be a long haul; as you know, behavioural and social change is hard.

Or maybe we will #CleanTheAir instead and masks will be less important.

Did you see this paper on game theory? In their models, either everyone or no-one ends up wearing masks

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/risa.14093 (sorry, paywall)

@cmclase @thejenniwren Thank you for the paper, and the optimistic outlook! I will take a look at the paper.

@cmclase @Brad_Rosenheim
Here in the U.S., I don’t know if we can achieve kindness. The right wing extremists don’t respond well to kindness. Or logic. Or facts. Of course, the CDC’s failure to present a strong public stance isn’t helping either. I will definitely read your data and use your site. Thank you for taking the time to reply! 💙

@thejenniwren @Brad_Rosenheim

we will not change fringe opinions but the majority of people in Canada and elsewhere say they support mask mandates if necessary. It requires public health to say it's necessary.

https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/coronavirus/2022/11/9/1_6144419.amp.html

@cmclase @thejenniwren @Brad_Rosenheim

The 'p' in public health stands for politics, most certainly in all the provinces, except Quebec, which has been the only province not to fiddle with the stats.
PHAC and Dr.Tam have Dr.Tara Moriarty, working with her team to bring Canadians the facts!

https://covid19resources.ca/covid-hazard-index/ Beta

@Moriartylabs yes yes, l know, but Dr.Tara is staying to deliver the facts!!

@nancylwayne Thank you! great to be here!

@cmclase (one of many citations for the value of elastomeric P100s : https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/03/health/covid-ppe-masks-health-care.html )

@neroden Good point, I agree. They aren't front-and-centre in our writing because the up-front costs and the appearance are barriers. Hoping to normalize mask-wearing for as many as possible

@barney6063 thank you so much, very nice to meet you

@auscandoc @nancylwayne I did a lot of lurking and learning before I posted. Maybe a bit over-the-top :) but very much appreciate all the people I've just met.

@cmclase @nancylwayne no modesty required. 😉

@allthingspit thank you! I feel very welcome!❤️🙏

@noam interestingly in medicine single-masking (anonymized reviewer) is the norm, with the odd high-impact journal using signed reviews.

@mur2501 I have to say it is very civil here! Thanks to all who've boosted and said hello!

@cmclase
Yeah in general mastodon has approachable people compared to birdsite

@lydiaschoch thank you so much for the warm welcome!

@cmclase you’re welcome. 😊

@cmclase You’re welcome.

@cmclase You’re welcome.

@Miragee thank you!