General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I'm going to make the Covid / Flu comparison... [View all]Ms. Toad
(34,069 posts)and COVID is more highly transmissible via aerosolized matter.
So combine highly effective means of transmission + masks below the nose/mouth + masks that gap at the sides or around the nose + a whole bunch of people not wearing masks and no one enforcing the mask orders. That leaves a lot of gaps for a disease whose primary means of transmission is by aerosolized matter.
On the other hand even ill-fitted masks are far more effective against droplets, which drop like little rocks rather than floating about on the breeze.
And - the social distancing does play a role (colds and flu are more transmissible via fomites - so staying home has an added impact of fewer hands touching shared surfaces).
Bottom line - when masks are properly fitted and consistently worn, they are highly effective at dramatically reducing the transmission of all 3. But because air flow plays a much larger role in transmission of COVID than it does for colds and flu the impact of even poor masking on transmission of colds and flu will be greater than on COVID.