It was just announced that a third COVID vaccine has been created, this one in Europe, with a rollout expected in weeks to months.  The average American must be breathing a sigh of relief thinking that by getting vaccinated, he can return to his life, or whatever is left from what their government has taken in terms of work, money, or joy.  Well, I hate to tell you, but...not so fast. Studies on mask usage in the general population have not shown a statistically significant benefit in preventing infection.  But let's be honest: life isn't lived in a bubble, so there probably won't ever be a study that can give a firm conclusion either way.  Then there are those other pesky issues that supplement using a mask such as how far to stand from people (3 feet, 6 feet), how long the virus lives on surfaces (minutes, hours, days); how long it lingers in the air (seconds, minutes); how far it flies in the air from a sneeze or...(Read Full Post)