That all depends on the news cycle. Doesnโt make much difference anyway the standards for what qualifies as an effective face mask for the virus are so loosely defined they mean nothing.
Yes I know a honest cotton N-95 mask is what is closest to effective and has an honest chance of doing the job.
Beyond that though there are no standards. All the surgical mask you see people wearing are almost exclusively made of synthetic materials not cotton. CDCโs only recommended the cotton because the synthetic material does not trap particulates adequately. Synthetic material tends to just delay the droplets as you continue to breath them through the material. Itโs just a Dr. Feelgood policy at this point.
Every variant has been airborne to one extent or another from day one of the pandemic. This was obvious to people monitoring the initial reports coming from people on the ground in China. Several of those people who were considered trusted sources disappeared without notice and we found out later some had died while others had been arrested by the Chinese government for broadcasting to the world what was really going on in their country.
China, the US, and other governments delayed reporting on the airborne factor for as long as possible to avoid a panic. This backfired as it led to credibility problems later down the road.
As far as masks are concerned, again, the government has no one but themselves to blame for the controversy surrounding the wearing of masks. Fauci's statements early in the pandemic that masks would not protect anyone against the virus were patently false and he later admitted he only said that to prevent American civilians from panic-buying masks that were needed for health care workers. I knew he was lying, but fortunately I had already stockpiled several commercial-grade N-95 and N-100 respirators for my wife and myself while they were still available. Keep in mind I was first notified of the virus in mid-January of 2020 and began monitoring it then, although we had no idea it would go global as fast as it did. Still, that early warning allowed my wife and I to purchase some supplies before they disappeared from the shelves.
So here is the skinny on the wearing of masks:
Cotton or Homemade Masks: Will help protect others somewhat if you are infected, but will be largely ineffective at protecting you.
Surgical-Grade Masks: Same as above, but with a
slightly higher level of protection.
Disposable N-95/KN-95 Masks: Much better protection than the previous two, but still relatively weak since most people don't get a good face seal. The disposable masks with the exhalation vent do not filter outgoing air, so only the wearer is protected.
N-95/N-100 Half-Mask Respirators: Much higher protection for the wearer, but only the wearer. Exhaled air is not filtered. 95% - 99% effective against contaminated particles 3 microns or larger; roughly 60% effective against the virus particles themselves. Again, the wearer has to know what they're doing to achieve a proper face seal. Without a proper seal, wearing these is pointless.
N-95/N-100 Full-Face Respirators: Best protection available to most civilians. The percentages are roughly the same as the half-mask respirators, but it's easier to achieve a proper face seal and it protects the eyes as well.
Beyond that you get into self-contained breathing systems which are expensive and require training to use properly.
Essentially, wearing something is better than wearing nothing, but masks tend to lead to a false sense of security, and half of Americans are too stupid to wear them properly. The number of people I saw wearing masks only over their mouth but not their nose was ridiculous. It's no wonder the US leads the world in number of cases. In the event of another wave of this virus
(which I think might possibly have started two weeks ago - too early to tell for sure yet), especially if a variant achieves vaccine breakthrough, the best defense is to stay home. Going outdoors unmasked is fine as long as you stay away from other people, but if you're going into a public place you should wear the best mask protection you can find.
My wife and I are not currently wearing masks because we have both been fully vaccinated, but we still limit our exposure by rarely going out to eat in public and still having our groceries delivered to us. I am closely monitoring newly reported variants for any indication of vaccine breakthrough, at which point masks will probably become necessary again.