Do you wear a mask in public?

[dave8383]

Yeah, I am the one with the un-thought out opinion. See that only applies if your sick. You and I would wear a mask when we're sick, because we have a higher than average rate of transmission. A mask brings this back to base. A healthy person wearing a mask does not protect grandma, it prolongs the needed herd immunity that will keep her alive. Your killing grandma, or just don't care she has no quality of life because she'll have to isolate longer....eace

You might not know that you're sick. People can spread the virus unknowingly. Everybody is aware of that, aren't they?

 

[anatta]

I wear a mask around people , outside no -unless it' gathering
but yu have to also not touch your face after touching the mask. I need a better mask.
lava tus manos por 20 segundos

 

[TurtleDude]

Yes. Where I live there's a $300 fine for not wearing one, although I would wear one anyway because it's a really easy thing to do and it helps protect other people.

that law probably would crumble if challenged.

 

[AJG]

I am not worried about my health. Although it has effects, they are minor. It’s a principled stand on the fact it makes our population unhealthier. If you would like to debunk that for me: it sure would save me a lot of time and energy. So, I am all ears… keeping in mind, masks even have psychological implications, which is to say, even a harmless act that’s done for benefit, that’s not better than nothing, is in fact dangerous. A principle by the way we use for all of medicine, hence why a placebo despite being effective is not prescribed.

If covid-19 was indeed a highly-contiguous high-mortality virus, or even if there was a chance it was, I would have no issue at all. The reduction in catastrophic risks outweigh the minor but not insignificant costs. Covid-19 is only a risk to a small portion of the population, the general risk is less than that of the common flu! Like the common flu, the best approach is for people like me to get it asap and there to be herd immunity.

I think the main arguments I've heard about masks being dangerous is that it reduces oxygen going into the body and circulates carbon dioxide back into the body. I can't say I'm an expert on this, but from the articles I have read on it I believe these claims to be false.

I know that many people here don't consider sources like wikipedia, the WHO, or snopes to be reliable, so excuse me for using them. But I think snopes article summed it up nicely:

Is It Dangerous to Wear a COVID-19 Protective Mask for Too Long?

What's True
Breathing in excessive carbon dioxide is dangerous for the body. Some people with preexisting respiratory illnesses may face health issues only with prolonged use of tight-fitting masks, such as respirators.

What's False
However, people wearing cloth or surgical masks are in little to no danger of breathing in unhealthy amounts of carbon dioxide.

Here's another article on the subject:

Some people think face masks are dangerous. Can that be true?

As for oxygen and CO2, infectious disease specialists said there's no evidence to support the idea that cloth and surgical masks—the blue rectangular masks typically worn by nurses and doctors—lead to breathing problems. They don't fit tightly enough to impede air flow or trap carbon dioxide.

"We don't have ERs full of people who wore a mask and became sick because they were wearing a mask," said William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Tbh, I have a hard time finding sources these days that can't be accused of being politically motivated in some way, so I don't always know what criteria people use to determine if a source is trust worthy or not. Feel free to tell me why my sources are crap.


I'm guessing, based on your desire to get the virus quickly, that you're young and don't have any underlying health conditions. That's true for me as well, so I'm not particularly afraid of the virus. I am however in contact with family and friends who do have health conditions, so it's still in my interest to not get the virus in order to not infect other people. And when you're out in public you can't tell what strangers you might encounter that also have health problems, so out of respect for them I wear my mask when I get in close contact with anyone.

 

[AJG]

that law probably would crumble if challenged.

Maybe, but people are pretty good about following the rules where I live, at least when they're close to people and when they're indoors. I haven't seen anyone openly challenge it, so I couldn't say.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

Yeah, I am the one with the un-thought out opinion. See that only applies if your sick. You and I would wear a mask when we're sick, because we have a higher than average rate of transmission. A mask brings this back to base. A healthy person wearing a mask does not protect grandma, it prolongs the needed herd immunity that will keep her alive. Your killing grandma, or just don't care she has no quality of life because she'll have to isolate longer....eace

For **** sakes. How do you even know you have it? Look, man, I am 44, been a fanatic about my training and diet my whole life. 44 years old and still rocking abs. I am not worried about it for me. Hell, if I get it, it's quite possible I won't even know I got it. I am not at all worried about getting it myself. What I do worry about is having it, not knowing I have it, and giving it to someone with health issues that are at risk. So I wear a mask when I run into the store and other public places indoors. I don't like wearing a mask when I go to stores. It's hot as hell out right now. I hate wearing the damn mask, but I still wear it because I don't to risk getting someone else sick.

How the **** wearing a mask became political is beyond me. When you go to the store and other public places indoors, wear the ****ing mask. Tell your friends and family to do the same and wear the ****ing mask. Give a **** about your fellow Americans and wear the ****ing mask.

 

[TurtleDude]

Maybe, but people are pretty good about following the rules where I live, at least when they're close to people and when they're indoors. I haven't seen anyone openly challenge it, so I couldn't say.

what state?

 

[Lovebug]

Yes, proudly.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Yes.


I know it won't keep me from getting infected. But if I'm a carrier, it could keep me from spreading the virus to others.

I don't think people really understand or believe this.

 

[Divine_Wind]

For **** sakes. How do you even know you have it? Look, man, I am 44, been a fanatic about my training and diet my whole life. 44 years old and still rocking abs. I am not worried about it for me. Hell, if I get it, it's quite possible I won't even know I got it. I am not at all worried about getting it myself. What I do worry about is having it, not knowing I have it, and giving it to someone with health issues that are at risk. So I wear a mask when I run into the store and other public places indoors. I don't like wearing a mask when I go to stores. It's hot as hell out right now. I hate wearing the damn mask, but I still wear it because I don't to risk getting someone else sick.

How the **** wearing a mask became political is beyond me. When you go to the store and other public places indoors, wear the ****ing mask. Tell your friends and family to do the same and wear the ****ing mask. Give a **** about your fellow Americans and wear the ****ing mask.

Trump politicized it just like Al Gore politicized global warming. Now both are a hot mess in the US while the rest of the world passes us by.

 

[Lovebug]

Maybe, but people are pretty good about following the rules where I live, at least when they're close to people and when they're indoors. I haven't seen anyone openly challenge it, so I couldn't say.

We have very few people wearing masks. Some chain stores are still making their employees wear them, but that seems to make very little difference. As a result, positive cases have doubled in one week alone.

 

[JMR]

It isn't growing in my area. It is required but very few people in my city actually do it and very few businesses even try to insist people do. Last week i would have put the number of masked people at a third. this week, a quarter would be generous.

That's crazy. In my area I'd say it's 99.99 percent wearing masks in public.

 

[JMR]

Yes, but I have a bad habit of pulling it down to talk, and it falls off my nose as I work. I'm working on it.

I observe social distancing when possible, but I work in a crowded store.

Stores here have limited the number of people inside. Why is your store crowded?

 

[AJG]

what state?

Massachusetts. We had the lowest transmission rate in the states as of a few days ago, so I think we're doing something right.

Instagram Founders' Website: Mass. Has Lowest COVID-19 Transmission Rate In The Country

 

[Mongidig]

I don't think people really understand or believe this.

It's terrifying how little people know. We have a coworker who said he received a negative test result for Covid about a week ago. He said he's good to go as if he will be virus free forever. Even the other coworkers are saying "We don't have to worry about Nathan now that he has tested negative".

I'm thinking of moving to the mountains!

 

[Conaeolos]

You might not know that you're sick. People can spread the virus unknowingly. Everybody is aware of that, aren't they?

Asymptomatic people have not been shown in any significant way to be a major method of transmission. So very little worry there. If you're talking the day or so before I get sick, sure it's possible but unlikely. I also can hit a pedestrian with my truck, doesn't mean I don't drive. When 99.9% of people are not-vulnerable and the public is aware to the point where vulnerable people are likely doing precautionary steps(n95), that risk is extremely low.

If we followed what I am actually advocating(not likely), which isolates and takes strong steps for the vulnerable for say 2 months and let these things go wild. The risks would be essentially zero, the deaths less than now, and that is even after we begin to phase back in the vulnerable.

I am not saying here, we should just ignore the thing. There are places like Huston, which show spikes in hospitalizations, this is an indicator for public officials to contact trace and find where the outbreaks are hitting high-risk vectors. Like what happened in new york but a lot faster. I do personally avoid more high-risk vectors without consultation with them. You don't just randomly die or get hospitalized with COVID-19. It's extrmely particular expect in extremely rare cases. Herd immunity is key in this scenario. The worse case is isolated pockets of condensed vulnerable people and a general population who avoid ever being exposed, the virus does not spread the same in recovered/exposed populations. Even with universal masks and a lower transmission rate, you are still creating the worse case, betting on a commercialize vaccine which is essentially offered by nature. You don't need to be vaccinated to be protected by the principles of how they work. The clusters of vulnerable people - that is the danger, not little old me, my wife and daughters, who might develop a slight cough.

 

[Hari Seldon]

It's terrifying how little people know. We have a coworker who said he received a negative test result for Covid about a week ago. He said he's good to go as if he will be virus free forever. Even the other coworkers are saying they don't have to worry about Nathan, he tested negative a week a go.

I'm thinking of moving to the mountains!

Its getting a bit lax here in NY. Masks around chins or just hanging around their neck when in stores. I just try and stay away. Still most adhere although I do find it funny to see people wear them while driving.

 

[AJG]

We have very few people wearing masks. Some chain stores are still making their employees wear them, but that seems to make very little difference. As a result, positive cases have doubled in one week alone.

I've only been to a few stores, but everyone had to wear a mask on entry. An electronics store I went to even had a guy spraying people's hands with something on entry. The checkout line was also socially distanced, with markings on the floor for where to stand.

 

[calamity]

This has become bizarrely politicized, but with more states imposing mask-wearing requirements hopefully the number of mask-wearers is growing. Are you wearing one in public?

I wear one in grocery and other stores, auto plants and other various venues I attend for work, but I do not wear one at the office, the house, walking the dogs or when just hanging out in the outdoors.

 

[Lovebug]

I've only been to a few stores, but everyone had to wear a mask on entry. An electronics store I went to even had a guy spraying people's hands with something on entry. The checkout line was also socially distanced, with markings on the floor for where to stand.

Markings here as well, even 'one way aisles'. No one pays any attention. We live in a southern state where everyone seems to be ignorant of facts, few exceptions noted.

 

[dave8383]

Asymptomatic people have not been shown in any significant way to be a major method of transmission. So very little worry there. If you're talking the day or so before I get sick, sure it's possible but unlikely. I also can hit a pedestrian with my truck, doesn't mean I don't drive. When 99.9% of people are not-vulnerable and the public is aware to the point where vulnerable people are likely doing precautionary steps(n95), that risk is extremely low.

If we followed what I am actually advocating(not likely), which isolates and takes strong steps for the vulnerable for say 2 months and let these things go wild. The risks would be essentially zero, the deaths less than now, and that is even after we begin to phase back in the vulnerable.

I am not saying here, we should just ignore the thing. There are places like Huston, which show spikes in hospitalizations, this is an indicator for public officials to contact trace and find where the outbreaks are hitting high-risk vectors. Like what happened in new york but a lot faster. I do personally avoid more high-risk vectors without consultation with them. You don't just randomly die or get hospitalized with COVID-19. It's extrmely particular expect in extremely rare cases. Herd immunity is key in this scenario. The worse case is isolated pockets of condensed vulnerable people and a general population who avoid ever being exposed, the virus does not spread the same in recovered/exposed populations. Even with universal masks and a lower transmission rate, you are still creating the worse case, betting on a commercialize vaccine which is essentially offered by nature. You don't need to be vaccinated to be protected by the principles of how they work. The clusters of vulnerable people - that is the danger, not little old me, my wife and daughters, who might develop a slight cough.

Better safe than sorry until we know more.

WHO clarifies comments on asymptomatic spread of Covid-19
Andrew Joseph

..............................snip..............................

“The WHO created confusion yesterday when it reported that asymptomatic patients rarely spread the disease,” an email from the Harvard Global Health Institute said Tuesday. “All of the best evidence suggests that people without symptoms can and do readily spread SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. In fact, some evidence suggests that people may be most infectious in the days before they become symptomatic — that is, in the presymptomatic phase when they feel well, have no symptoms, but may be shedding substantial amounts of virus.”

Their point: People not showing symptoms can spread the virus, whether they ultimately feel sick or not. That’s why wearing masks and keeping distance are so important to limiting transmission.

Van Kerkhove acknowledged Tuesday that her use of the phrase “very rare” had been a miscommunication. She said she had based that phrasing on findings from a small number of studies that followed asymptomatic cases and tracked how many of their contacts became infected. She said she did not mean to imply that “asymptomatic transmission globally” was happening rarely, because that has not been determined yet.

Determining which routes of transmission are driving most of the spread of the virus is crucial so health experts can develop the right strategies to combat the virus. At the WHO event Tuesday, officials stressed that even as scientists are still learning more about the virus and how it spreads, countries have demonstrated that the best tactics to address the pandemic include isolating cases, contact tracing, and quarantining contacts — as well as hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.

With those measures, “We won’t stop all transmission, but what we do is, we suppress transmission,” Mike Ryan, the head of WHO’s emergencies program, said Tuesday.

WHO clarifies comments on asymptomatic spread of Covid-19

 

[TurtleDude]

Massachusetts. We had the lowest transmission rate in the states as of a few days ago, so I think we're doing something right.

Instagram Founders' Website: Mass. Has Lowest COVID-19 Transmission Rate In The Country

Mass also has some of the best medical schools and Hospitals. Harvard Medical school is arguably the best in the Nation. BU is very very good.

 

[Welkin]

Stores here have limited the number of people inside. Why is your store crowded?

I'm a stockperson at Wal-Mart. We officially limit numbers, and we supposedly keep track, but I don't buy it. There was a period where the store was less populated, but for the past few weeks, It's been as crowded as it's ever been, and less people are masking up. One old man even tried to tell me that the virus was a liberal hoax---I didn't hold my tongue, and I'm glad he didn't report me; he must have been a proponent of free speech.

It's really difficult to change out the water pallets in a timely manner. People wait at the same four-foot section as if the available product is going to change if they just stare at it long enough.

 

[maxparrish]

This has become bizarrely politicized, but with more states imposing mask-wearing requirements hopefully the number of mask-wearers is growing. Are you wearing one in public?

Only when I have too. I refuse to wear one outdoors, in parking lots, on sidewalks, or in the car. I put on a flimsy something when in a store but often lift it or place it around my neck while shopping.

And of course it is political. This isn't Germany or Japan where people always follow government orders, and whose collectivized mindset limits self-identity to that of servile citizen. And after going three months of an unending lockdown (which it is in the SF Bay area, in spite of the bogus claims they are opening up) being forced to wear a homemade, hot, moisture laden "mask" that is likely irrelevant is not acceptable.

F em'. If some a-hole wants to ticket me in a parking lot, so be it.

 

[EnigmaO01]

Yeah, I am the one with the un-thought out opinion. See that only applies if your sick. You and I would wear a mask when we're sick, because we have a higher than average rate of transmission. A mask brings this back to base. A healthy person wearing a mask does not protect grandma, it prolongs the needed herd immunity that will keep her alive. Your killing grandma, or just don't care she has no quality of life because she'll have to isolate longer....eace

I have a medical background. Do you? Obviously not.

Good night.