Does anyone agree with me? (About wearing masks)

[ApatheticNoMore]

I have my doubt about the usefulness of masks outside where you keep 6 feet away or more, such as walking or going to the gas station. Though I haven't walked trails, they are too crowded for my taste, I walk surburbia, which has people walking of course, but it's less hard to distance.

I mask up for the grocery and even the apartment laundry room, even though the laundry room is just a rather drafty shack with only one person allowed in at a time, you never know. Otherwise this apartment building doesn't have any other shared indoor space. And I have literally been in no public places inside but the grocery and the laundry room in 2 months. One day I might have to go to the bank and I can (actually must) wear a mask to the bank now! Most everyone is wearing masks to the grocery, it's the law.

[ToomuchStuff]

I've posted a link before by a doctor, which notes that cloth masks not only don't block covid particles, which are small, but give people a false sense of security so they don't social distance. Are you a doctor?

While not a Doctor, I expect his training is similar to a relatives of mine. He had training by medical/biohazard specialists before being allowed to do the work he was hired for, on a military installation. Things like, how long does x virus, last outside the body, in a dry environment, in stasis, and reactivate with moisture and still be contagious. (can't believe spell check didn't get me on that word, as it is one I normally screw up)
Had to wear full gear in sections, and his equipment had to be decontaminated and checked before he could handle it again.

[ToomuchStuff]

I have my doubt about the usefulness of masks outside where you keep 6 feet away or more, such as walking or going to the gas station.

I think masks are as much a placebo, as a reminder to do other things (wash hands more, etc), because there will be so many contact surfaces that one comes in contact with, and I don't know exactly how long and on what the virus can survive, that I believe the odds are I will still come in contact with it. I think there use in other countries has shown they are effective, certainly with other contagions, but with shortages, what qualifies as a proper fitting mask, that is effective, is not what we see in use, often.

[frugal-one]

I wear a mask when going into the grocery store. When hiking the trails outside and able to maintain social distancing I do not wear a mask.

[happystuff]

Any more, I always have a mask with me. Walking, shopping, etc. - I have a mask ready for use, if/as needed.

[Alan]

We keep several in each of our cars for use when shopping. I don't kid myself by thinking it provides us with much protection but wear them so others feel better if I should sneeze.

We also ordered several face gaiters which should be here in a few days, I like the idea of being able to clean them easily for extended use.

[Yppej]

And I've posted several times that the kind of mask and the kind of filter (HEPA is good) determine the effectiveness of your mask. And masking is just one tool in your pandemic shed. If you have breathing issues, you might try a protective shield. More options become available all the time. I agree there are several advantages to wearing a mask, including likely protection during cold and flu season.

I know of people whose masks have a pocket for a coffee or other filter, but no one is putting filters in them. Other people are using bandanas. People touch the mask part of them not just the straps, take them off and leave them on dirty surfaces, never wash them, etc. At work we all were given one nonwashable mask a few weeks ago.

[Tammy]

I’ve discovered that infectious disease experts know a lot more about these things than regular doctors. Daily leadership conference calls 7 days a week since early March - the only day we skipped was Mother’s Day. The calls have to do with infection control in our 300 plus bed psych Dept. We had about 30 patients with covid at one point last month and now we are down to zero. You don’t accomplish that without massive time spent on learning all this stuff and making daily and hourly adjustments to workflow practices as new info comes in from the infectious disease experts.

I’m exhausted but wow is it ever true that the experts know what the hell they’re talking about.

[Yppej]

Wearing masks can trigger trauma:

https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/l...auma-for-some/

I never like anything near my face. I do not wear cowl neck sweaters and even in the dead of winter do not use scarves. I think it goes back to when I was a young child. If my mother thought I was being too noisy in church she would clap her hand across my mouth and I would panic that I would not be able to breathe.

But yeah, if people who don't want to wear a mask, despite its doubtful efficacy, they're inconsiderate, selfish disease spreaders ... according to some judgmental folks.

[bae]

I just spent three hours in a nice Zoom conference with the US Navy's Head of Microbiology responsible for biowarfare detection and training, and another fellow who is Harvard Medical Schools Emergency Medicine guru/Mass. General's Head of Emergency Medicine (who only has 250+ peer-reviewed publications), and a lady who is the leading expert on Ebola, and a few other similar idiots, cowards, and fear-mongers. Oddly, all people known to me personally for decades.

Wear a face covering, folks, if you can. And don't listen to the Russian-generated "resist" memes and such that useful...folks...like Yppej pass along.