It really is that simple: Wear the damn mask

This essay in NEJM is a bit technical, and has that usual scientific tone of reserve, but I'll lay it out for you in simple terms. In places where everybody wears a mask while in proximity to other people -- including situations such as cruise ships and work places where contact is unavoidable -- not only does the rate of transmission go down dramatically, but people who do become infected are more likely to be asymptomatic, and much less likely to have severe disease. 

The reason is that disease severity depends in large part on the number of virus particles that a person is exposed to. If some do get past the mask, it's likely to be very few, and that means your immune system will have time to mount an effective response before the virus can replicate sufficiently to cause disease. If a lot of particles get in, it can get out of control. So by wearing a mask, you aren't only protecting other people, you're giving yourself a chance for a get out of jail free card, the equivalent of being vaccinated without experiencing symptoms. 

That mask wearing has become politically controversial in the United States is just insane. That political leaders are telling people not to wear a mask as a symbol of commitment to some bizarre concept of "freedom"  -- often accompanied by factual lies about effectiveness -- is homicidal. That not wearing a mask has become a marker of tribal identity is a profound sickness in society.

While we're on the subject of homicidal lies, The Resident is now claiming that doctors are overstating the number of deaths from Covid-19 in order to make more money. This outrageous slander has of course outraged just about everyone in the profession. Let me tell you the truth. It is a fact that a provision of the CARES Act gives additional Medicare reimbursement to hospitals for treating people with Covid-19, for the obvious reason that they are more expensive to treat. However, this depends only on the diagnosis, not on whether the people die, nor on the cause of death. Furthermore, the doctors are salaried employees of the hospital, the money does not go into their pockets. And further furthermore, the diagnosis must be documented, and misrepresenting the cause of death on a death certificate is illegal. In fact, the death toll from Covid-19 is universally considered to be understated because some people die without being tested, i.e. they never make it to the hospital. 

Wear the damn mask. And don't vote for that asshole.