News Forum - Health Ministry refutes claim that cloth masks don’t protect against Omicron

[Thaiger]

The Public Health Ministry has insisted that cloth face masks can provide protection against the Omicron variant – provided they’re worn correctly. Dr Supakit Sirilak was responding to a statement from the Covid-19 Information Centre which cited data from Dr Leana Wen at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. Wen, who is a medical doctor and professor of health policy and management at the university, says cloth masks are all but useless against the highly-contagious variant. She recommends people wear 3-layer medical face masks instead. But Thailand’s Health Ministry disagrees. According to a Thai PBS […]

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[Prosaap]

Same as holland in the beginning they say mask not work it turn out they don't have masks so they lie to the people and now they are surprise that nobody belief them any more  

[Guest1]

However, Supakit points out that in order to be effective, cloth masks must be worn correctly and cover both the nose and mouth.

It is not, what they wear. It is IF and HOW they wear them.

And the picture above is, often, the best, what you can see from tourists, these days. More often, even, you see them wear nothing in their face. On Phuket, walking in bath pants/bikini,  pushing their baby stroller on their way to the 500m distant beach! But I have to admit, for a 'fresh mum', the russian ladies are often in really good shape (easy to spot, the bikini, you know ;-)

KUDOS!

[AlexPTY]

IMHO, face masks will protect enough against Omicron, unless you are wearing a full face mask

[astro]

Clothes masks have a far lower barrier function than FFP2 masks.

Furthermore, it's almost impossible to wear them correctly - they leak and are not tight.

[Ynwaps]

1 hour ago, astro said:

Clothes masks have a far lower barrier function than FFP2 masks.

Furthermore, it's almost impossible to wear them correctly - they leak and are not tight.

And anyone claiming otherwise is a murderer, making the weak or immunocompromised think they are safe 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Ynwaps

[Ynwaps]

And they aren't making FFP2 masks mandatory either because those are reserved for the first world. Along with their 4th booster. 

[Cabra]

Masks mitigate the spewing of respiratory droplets (that's why doctors wear them in operating theaters)... It's fairly simple really. Certain masks (like KF94) do a better job of actually filtering intake of particles (again, a fairly simple concept). If you want to keep junk (like pollution and airborne pathogens) out of your respiratory system, you wear one of these. Nothing halts covid, all you can do is dodge it the best you can. 

[Janneman]

Cloth masks dont really prevent you from GETTING covid. The virus can also enter through the eyes. So a face mask plus a face screen is better. Cloth masks do prevent SPREADING covid. If you are infected, and you sneeze (or just breath) the mask will catch most of the droplets containing virus.

So, for a single non-infected person a facemask is rather useless. But for the population as a whole they are useful since they slow down the spreading of the virus.

[Anan]

Any mask is better than no mask !

You can e.g compare the covid death figures in Sweden with Thailand.

In Thailand it is mandatory and in Sweden it is a weak "recomendation" to wear it in crowded situations.

Even if Sweden is a highly developed country the Covid death tolls is a sixfold of Thailands.

 

[DiJoDavO]

“The Omicron (variant) is not smaller than the other variants and it does not just hang in the air."

Sooo.... Why the masks? Only to cough or sneeze in it? 

I sometimes get dizzy from not being able to breathe properly through one mask... How to breathe properly with 3 masks? 

[DiJoDavO]

2 hours ago, Janneman said:

So a face mask plus a face screen is better

You forgot the red nose and the rainbow clown wig. 

[Rain]

5 hours ago, AlexPTY said:

IMHO, face masks will protect enough against Omicron, unless you are wearing a full face mask

Double or triple masking - keeping the highly invented COOTIES at at bay. 

Only the officially medical approved [high profit return] masks will do. 

[Jason]

The type of mask each person can get is tied to their income. For the rich...N95.... or  better. For middle income surgical masks. For the poor...whatever you can cover your nose and mouth with.  It's sad....truly sad...

[Freeduhdumb]

6 hours ago, Anan said:

Any mask is better than no mask !

You can e.g compare the covid death figures in Sweden with Thailand.

In Thailand it is mandatory and in Sweden it is a weak "recomendation" to wear it in crowded situations.

Even if Sweden is a highly developed country the Covid death tolls is a sixfold of Thailands.

How do you know this? Could you provide the death tolls for each country respectively please. I am not disputing your claim here, because I don't know, but it would be good to see your sources... thanks. 

[Freeduhdumb]

Can the old advice of cover your mouth when you cough and/or sneeze keep you from getting sick? No it cannot. Can it minimize your chances of getting sick? Who knows... we now know there are many "studies" for either side of that argument. But one thing cannot be disputed, if you're working with a highly contagious, deadly viral organism that results in pandemics, the experts are not wearing surgical, cloth, or even the N95/99 masks... 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Freeduhdumb

[Freeduhdumb]

47 minutes ago, Freeduhdumb said:

Can the old advice of cover your mouth when you cough and/or sneeze keep you from getting sick? No it cannot. Can it minimize your chances of getting sick? Who knows... we now know there are many "studies" for either side of that argument. But one thing cannot be disputed, if you're working with a highly contagious, deadly viral organism that results in pandemics, the experts are not wearing surgical, cloth, or even the N95/99 masks... 

To adequately protect yourself from Covid19, you need to be fitted for a respiratory protection device beyond a simple surgical/paper/cloth mask... This is what healthcare workers are required to wear. And if we are being honest about this guidance, then everyone should also be wearing. 

CDC guidance for Covid19 has always been full respiratory fitted protection due to the high transmissibility of Covid19 being like that of Chickenpox... See slide 15 image and link attached.

Slide 15 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/cdc-breakthrough-infections/94390e3a-5e45-44a5-ac40-2744e4e25f2e/?_=1

CDC guidance... 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/lab/lab-biosafety-guidelines.html

Example Respiratory Fit program... U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA)

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.134AppA

[Stonker]

8 hours ago, DiJoDavO said:

I sometimes get dizzy from not being able to breathe properly through one mask... How to breathe properly with 3 masks? 

I've seen a few people wearing two masks - but never three!

[riclag]

1 hour ago, Freeduhdumb said:

Can the old advice of cover your mouth when you cough and/or sneeze keep you from getting sick? No it cannot. Can it minimize your chances of getting sick? Who knows... we now know there are many "studies" for either side of that argument. But one thing cannot be disputed, if you're working with a highly contagious, deadly viral organism that results in pandemics, the experts are not wearing surgical, cloth, or even the N95/99 masks... 

A sneeze will never be the same any more ,certainly not from people who make no attempt to cover up in public.

They won’t be getting a buda or god bless you from me, thats for certain !

Its a sad situation socially.Ya have a birthday party  and some 7 year old walks around spreading droplets ! So you try to teach them to cover up as their parents are stuffing their faces pretending not to hear your lectures to their kid and others!

 

[Rain]

This is what I currently wear.

You know how that is - never can be too safe and paranoid.

 

 

 

[Soidog]

4 minutes ago, Rain said:

This is what I currently wear.

You know how that is - never can be too safe and paranoid.

Best news I’ve read all day  Does it also cut out the sound of your voice? 

[resetamy]

8 hours ago, Stonker said:

I've seen a few people wearing two masks - but never three!

On the flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok in September, there was a guy sitting next to me wearing 3 masks, and everyone was constantly sanitizing their hands every five seconds. When I got to Suvharnabhumi, EVERYONE was wearing 2 masks. Flew to Korea transit, everyone there was only wearing 1 mask. Got to California/Oregon...people wearing masks in stores but not in bars or other places. Got to Colorado - haven't worn a mask in 3 months. 

Thailand's fatal flaw is that it has a "herd mentality". I miss the country pre-2019, but now I dont even recognize it anymore. The government has made it abundantly clear its going to completely devastate and starve out its populace through these extreme and ridiculous measures. I mean...schools and tiny bars closed, but all Central Festivals packed to the brim??? 

[AlexPTY]

you know how much i like infographics. full disclosure: i do wear mask for people to leave me alone :) 

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, AlexPTY said:

you know how much i like infographics. full disclosure: i do wear mask for people to leave me alone :) 

Bear in mind, though, that's protection for the wearer - that's not what masks are for here, which is to protect others (in case anyone's still unaware ).

Where protection for others is concerned, valved masks such as the 'professional respirator" and 'reusable mask' shown, give close to 0% protection while surgical and active carbon masks are actually pretty good.

[Stonker]

5 hours ago, resetamy said:

Thailand's fatal flaw is that it has a "herd mentality". I miss the country pre-2019, but now I dont even recognize it anymore. The government has made it abundantly clear its going to completely devastate and starve out its populace through these extreme and ridiculous measures. I mean...schools and tiny bars closed, but all Central Festivals packed to the brim??? 

I think your view may have been influenced by losing your job here as a teacher, and losing your income.

Why would any government want to "completely devastate and starve out its populace through these extreme and ridiculous measures" ?  How, rationally, could anyone gain anything by doing so?

Don't you find it just a little odd that no-one*'s complaining about "these extreme and ridiculous measures" even though despite your "herd mentality" they've protested about pretty much anything and everything else?

... and schools haven't been closed for a while, BTW.

Edit:

'no-one' apart from some here, some who want to be here, and a very few in the tourist industry.