Photo Marketwatch.com. Supermarkets are the leading location to catch the virus in towns where most businesses are closed.

4/4/20:    This video and text  is by Joe Schwarcz, PhD from the McGill (Canada) Office for Science and Society:

“The current COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example of how rapidly evolving observations can impact conclusions. Studies about micro-droplets in the air visualized by special photographic techniques, coupled with observations of disease transmission among asymptomatic people in indoor environments, are causing scientists to reconsider the value of masks for the general public.

“One impactive episode that has come to light is that choir practice in Washington state in which 45 of 60 people became infected despite no physical contact with each other.

“The issue is not about wearing a mask when out for a walk. Contracting the virus in that situation is virtually impossible as long as you exercise physical distancing.

‘However, being indoors with a significant number of people, such as in a supermarket, may be a different story. In such a case a mask may reduce the risk since there are two factors that seem to be important: the concentration of viral particles in the air, and the contact time with these particles. In the Washington choir episode, the singing, which does involve more expectoration than just talking, went on for more than two hours.

“So, as we stretch towards that finish line, we are making changes in our stride and it is likely that we will hear recommendations that wearing masks in indoor commercial spaces offers some protection. But remember that science rarely has a final word and what we say today may change by tomorrow. Or in this instance, an hour from now.

“As that great philosopher, Yogi Berra, said, “you can observe a lot just by watching.” And now I’m watching Zorro and wondering if a bandana mask is of any use. At least it doesn’t take a mask away from a health care worker.”

Editor’s note: Paul Goldfinger, MD:  April 4, 2020.

I have discovered that nearly everyone I talk to in the last few days is a medical science expert.  And they care little about my opinion, even though they are aware of the MD after my name.  Of course they are merely spouting information that they heard, some of which is gibberish, on the Internet, radio, and/or cable news.

For some reason Dr. Oz is suddenly the prime expert for everything medical.  I think he is a quack—a celebrity doctor; an entertainer.  When he was a heart surgeon at Columbia P&S he was already famous as a purveyor of nonsense as he promoted all sorts of alternative and complementary medical  advice including a study he did on the power of bedside prayer to improve post-op. survival.  (Does it work?  He said, “Yes.”)

The current mask story is a bit bizarre;  it boils down to a home remedy, since the home-made cloth masks currently recommended are of unproven value.  The idea that it would block the outgoing virus-loaded droplets but not the incoming droplets makes no sense. Nevertheless, if you imagine tiny germ-bombs enclosed in micro-drops of spit, it makes sense that a mask might be helpful, so go for it, but don’t expect the expert scientists to be very enthused*.

You Tube is full of  “how to make masks” to combat the Coronavirus. Some say that you can do it using a sheet for material and without any sewing—done in 10 minutes.

The Internet is full of all sorts of baloney such as washing your hands with Listerine will kill Corona bugs, but Listerine only has about 20% alcohol, an inadequate dose of virus killer.  In this regard we will have more to say about antimalarial drugs for Coronavirus.

*The World Health Organization and the CDC have continued to stand by their recommendations from earlier in the coronavirus outbreak. They argue that mask usage should be limited to people who have COVID-19 or may have contracted the illness and their caregivers, including health-care workers.

But on April 3, the CDC said to go ahead and wear masks when out and about, but do not use the most effective masks (N95 and surgical) which are to be reserved for healthcare workers.  The advice is not mandatory at this time, but there are some nations that have done it for the entire country  (like South Korea and Singapore.)