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Another anti-masking argument that keeps coming up is that it gives people a “false sense of security” and causes them to touch their face more. I’m sure they’re basing that on a whole pile of peer-reviewed data and not just conjecture, right?

Yes, that’s right. There’s no real data to show that the downsides of masking outweigh the benefits; the WHO just kind of assumed it did. And hey: Newsflash, there’s a whole bunch of things we do for our health that can backfire if you don’t do it correctly. You can still get AIDS if you’re using a condom. You can still get the flu if you get the flu shot. You can still die in a car crash even if you put on your seatbelt. In all those cases, we just tell people to use the technology with caution: We don’t tell people not to do it because it might give them a “false sense of security.”

And let’s be clear: It takes some training to wear a mask. If you’re not donning and doffing it correctly, while also keeping your hands clean, you’re going to get just as sick. Which is why, if we can return to Taiwan for a second, they have this crazy public health policy called “teach people how to wear masks.”

Okay, so maybe I’ve convinced you to wear a mask. But we’re back again to the problem about a lack of supply. The answer is: You make your own. The plans already exist: Here’s a proactive Indiana health authority who released guidelines on how to sew washable, CDC-compliant face masks.

There are thousands of Canadians trapped at home right now with working sewing machines and stores of fabric who are desperate to help. You put these bubbies on a war footing and we could have masks on every single Canadian in a matter of weeks.

That’s what the Czech Republic did, and that’s part of why you don’t hear the words “Czech Republic” all that often when we’re talking about coronavirus deaths. But in Canada and the US authorities just outright dismissed masking as something that only Asian countries can do.

So the good news is: Hey, there’s this super cheap and easy way to combat this horrible disease ruining everything. The bad news is that a lot of trusted authorities kinda sorta lied to you about why you shouldn’t be doing it.

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