Under construction
There is some nuance here, both depending both on what is meant by “don’t work” and also by what is meant by a mask. A typical cloth or surgical mask doesn’t provide much protection for the wearer, but they are useful at helping contain aerosolized particles. A respirator on the other hand does provide protection for the wearer, such as a N-95. Their effectiveness also depends on how good of a seal is formed on the face and why fit testing is conducted for healthcare settings. Respirators that use ear loops will not form as good of a seal as elastic head straps.
Denial and Misinformation/Lies
First, let’s look at some of the problems being promoted by large organizations that are downplaying mask use by picking apart their articles one by one. There are separate pages for each organization and I’ve listed the articles I’ve responded to below. To find the rebuttals, click the name of the organization.
Universal Masking in Health Care Settings Is Unnecessary
Long Covid Could be Mask Induced Exhaustion Syndrome (MIES)
How Zeynep Tufekci and Jeremy Howard Masked America
