There is more to this than just buying the mask. We were all taught to put them on properly (and remove them without contaminating your hands; they are intended to catch the virus so may be externally contaminated). We also were fit tested* to make sure that the masks fitted our faces so that they worked and you weren't just breathing around them. Particularly for women (and hirsute men) many masks don't fit. So I have my own personal supply of masks because the standard hospital FP3 (N95) mask does not fit my face. They are also only effective for a few hours so you have to be changing at least daily, and have an effective cleaning policy if reusing them. As pointed out some masks have an exhale valve which means they are poorly effective at the intended purpose for the general population - to protect others. There is also a resource issue if all older people were encouraged to use N95 masks then this would lead to competition with health care facilities, and care homes where staff need them for protection against definite infected people they are looking after. In most of Europe the risk of infection for older people in activities such as shopping is low; the major risks are in more prolonged work place exposures or within the family.
* I got fit tested by someone from the army trained for NBC warfare!
Isn't all this stuff about how to touch the mask and whether or not it is fitted properly somewhat beside the point?
Put the masks on. And do it YESTERDAY!
First get people wearing them as a matter of course.
Make them available. Start producing them at a massive rate.
Yes, then add more details and nuance as you go. Make it better and safer, but at least bloody start from wearing the ******* mask!
Seriously!
I get bothered by all of this "but what if people feel too safe?" and "what if they touch the outside?" and "What if the masks get too wet?" etc...
These are details.
There is a plausible mechanism and plausible prima facie evidence that wearing masks, and yes, that includes surgical masks, seem to reduce overall spread of the virus.
Isn't that what basic epidemiology is about? Do we fret about "Oh, but if someone has a vaccine for X, and they forget to get a booster they might catch the disease so I wonder if we should give the initial vaccine in the first place"?
Do we say, "Oh, but if we tell people to wash their hands, they might not wash their hands properly. In fact, most people still don't so maybe we should tell people that washing their hands is ineffective, just like we tell people that masks are ineffective!"
There are two steps:
1. Get everyone in the ******* masks!
2. Then educate them some more.
2 might be difficult but at least do 1 first!