As part of Draft Amnesty week. I would do more in-depth research if this creates valuable discussion that warrants further investigation!
I went to EAG in the Bay Area and wore an N95 mask. There were not many of us wearing masks, despite it being near the peak of one of the worst flu seasons in the US in two decades. And we're all used to wearing masks already from COVID. Sure, you're tired of wearing masks, but think of the cost-benefit.
Why did I wear a mask?
I don't want to get sick. I have gotten sick after 4/7 EAGs I have gone to. I am fairly certain from whom I got it in two cases. It sucks! I'm tired of getting sick
The costs of wearing a mask: the cost of the mask + the inconvenience + the lost social benefits from facial expressions.
How can these be overcome? If you want to take it off for a 1:1, you can do that away from the crowd or go walk outside, if the weather allows. If you have to take it off for a talk or for tabling for an event, you can do that! It's not mandatory.
On the other hand:
The cost of getting sick is high! Let’s say you’d get sick for a week on average.
If I value my work week at a simple $1000 for the money I make, not even accounting for the impact, it's about $1 to wear a mask and prevent potentially losing $1000 of income.
For me, getting sick 4/7 times means if wearing a mask reduces my chances of getting sick even by 50%, the EV is that I’ll save $285 for wearing a mask.[1] Not including the costs associated with suffering, caretaking, potential costs of getting someone else sick & continuing a chain of illness, etc.
If other people wear masks, it reduces your need to, if you can't wear a mask. Especially in large crowded spaces, we should be doing this at conferences!
I saw at the end of the EAG, we were giving away boxes of masks. I didn't see those available during the conference. I would love if it were more openly available. This could be my shortcoming in not noticing them.
I encourage you to wear a mask when you can at EAGs. One of our cause areas is pandemic prevention. This is part of that as well. Thank you :)
Thanks to Finan Adamson and Caitlin Walker for quick review
- ^
Expected cost without a mask:
(47)×1000=40007≈571.43(74)×1000=74000≈571.43
Expected cost with a mask:
(414)×1000+1=(27)×1000+1=20007+1≈285.71+1=286.71(144)×1000+1=(72)×1000+1=72000+1≈285.71+1=286.71
Courtesy of AI
Intuitively, it's all been very clear (to me, at least!) - but thanks for spending time on making those calculations. An extra argument to convince sceptics is always useful.