We are very lucky to have masks that work to protect our lives. The reality is that a mask, while not an N95 mask, is still preferred to nothing.
That blue mask in the picture is exactly the same mask that surgeons and operating room nurses wear or better said, did wear into surgery. The reason was to protect the patient's surgical wound from contamination.
Now, the PPE for nurses and doctors is far more complicated because the virus is easily passed on to others from patients. In the light of SARS-CoV-2 the need by hospital professionals is different and they have added goggles and a face shield.
But, before this particular virus, that blue mask was the "go to" mask for surgeons and the operating room staff. It worked well and now it is still working well to protect the American people. Whoever made the original suggestion was genius. It is a perfectly good barrier to infection and no one should ever doubt it.
Anyone, including the president, that contradicts Dr. Redfield is committing a criminal act that endangers Americans. The American people need the full approval of the FDA before they will trust a vaccine. There is a lot of apprehension among Americans because they feel their president is cutting corners that will lead to their health problems and they are correct. All this time the people that have contracted COVID-19 could have been safe from it if mask wearing was as widespread as Trump's propaganda.
President Trump claimed (click here) at a press briefing on Wednesday that CDC director Robert Redfield was wrong when he testified to Congress that a coronavirus vaccine won't be available for widespread distribution until the second or third quarter of 2021.
Why it matters: Trump has already faced criticism for allegations that his administration has politicized the coronavirus response and is seeking rapid approval and distribution of a vaccine in order to boost his re-election campaign.
Trump went on later in the briefing to say Redfield was wrong when he said that masks are "more guaranteed" to protect against the coronavirus than a vaccine: "As far as the masks are concerned, he made a mistake."
The president's contradiction of Redfield, who he said was probably "confused," may further erode public trust.
The big picture: A vaccine has not been submitted for the FDA to review, and even that may not happen by Trump's aggressive October estimate for distribution. Whenever a vaccine is approved, it will take several more months to manufacture enough of it to even begin vaccinating the general public....
