The Masking Conundrum

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

I kinda stopped pretending it wasn't a political wank for specific demographics and just moved on. By every metric (economic per capita, death per capita) those societies which masked up and distanced outperformed.

I've had so many weird conversations that would go in this circle Why Should I->What Evidence -> Ok Masks work but what about distancing -> ok masks and distancing work but what about the economic cost -> Ok so masks and distancing help with the economic cost I grant you, but its a right -> Ok so I grant you the government has the right to regulate clothing given a compelling interest (areas around schools, hospitals, etc.) -> Why Should I?

I'm pretty much just resigned to staying away from the crazies and saying attaboy Japan. There probably other times in our history the US could have better weathered this, but now is not that time. You desperately needed part of the conservative movement to not use this as a political tool and that's just not how they're built right now.

[jackfaire]

What really concerns me is this move by the cheeto to bypass the CDC completely when it comes to reporting numbers. In what universe is that ok?

And that has gotten handed back to the CDC after the agency that it was handed to COMPLETELY mucked it up. Praise be to good thinking.

On the mask front I quit my job because my employer refused to enforce it for our customers. They said the instant it was required "Well we won't be enforcing that we're not law enforcement" guess who stopped caring about shoplifters all of a sudden after that. Then later after the assaults they tried to reframe it as "well we don't want you getting assaulted that's why we didn't enforce it"

Bull. They didn't enforce it because paying customers whined. They know the ones that wear masks will still shop there and they know the ones that don't will stop shopping there if they enforce it. Their only goal is profit and to do security theater.

They put the Plexiglas barriers IN FRONT OF the PIN pad so customers were constantly poking their heads around the barrier to use the PIN pads. They put up physical barriers to force people to social distance but the instant someone was all "I don't want to walk that far" down they came. We never limited the number of people in the stores either and we were doing more sales than Christmas.

My managers spreading BS about masks not working, our Governor not having the right to declare emergency rules in a health crisis, etc was the last straw and saw me quitting.

[NorthernZel]

Just refreshing this thread by posting a "funny" story:

One of my coworkers came down with Covid, and notified our boss immediately.

Boss went quickly: "Y'all MUST take 2 consecutive tests, and abide by all goverment guidelines!!!"

Us: "But Boss, the guidelines also tells us to isolate and work from home while we wait for the test results...."

Boss: "Uh yeah, well, those are GUIDELINES and not MANDATES, hurrr......"

So yeah, that was one (but not the only one) reason why I'll be on the job market next week (And both my tests were negative, thanks FSM).

[Gravekeeper]

The few anti-maskers around town here are of the "it's all a conspiracy to control us" type. They insist masks are government oppression and the pandemic is all fake. They never seem to be able to articulate what the end game of having a fake pandemic to make people put on a face mask is though.

The loudest one in town here rants constantly about it and insists everyone else are sheep (and makes baa baa noises at you). After being piled on every day on Facebook she's selling her house and moving to somewhere "where she's appreciated" and "no one are sheep". She had a huge rant in our town's facebook group as she flounced.

My personal opinion is for fuck sake's its literally the bare minimum you can do to not kill other people you fucking moron.

[Pixelated]

And seriously, what is the WORST that can happen if it turns out masks weren't actually all that helpful? You wore a square of cloth over your face for several months. (And in my case, spent a ridiculous amount of money on masks ... "Oh look, there's a nice one! *click* "Oh look, there's another nice one!" *click* )

We're getting people around here ranting about how people are "tired" of the restrictions. Well, you just tell the virus that; I'm sure it'll back right off.

[jackfaire]

We're getting people around here ranting about how people are "tired" of the restrictions. Well, you just tell the virus that; I'm sure it'll back right off.

I no shit saw someone on the news at a protest who said, "We didn't sign up for this long term shut down" NONE OF US DID! But if you go out and ignore it then get sick and die I'm making as much fun of you as I do the idiots that refuse to evacuate during a natural disaster. No one signs up for this crap we weren't all hoping 2020 was gonna be the year of the Homebody. It kind of trashed my plans for my 40th birthday but those people need to get the hell over it.

[jedimaster91]

I am tired of the restrictions. And it's the people who won't follow the gosh darn diddly dang rules that keep stretching it out.

[catcul]

Somebody said that the virus spreads quickly thanks to two main factors:

1. The density of the population.
2. The density of the population.

[NorthernZel]

I'm getting in a kind of a tizzy with Mr Zel. He's kinda getting his own conspirancy theory that the pandemic is not like "made up", but rather "exaggerated" by face mask producers since the numbers in Europe do not add up in his mind (like, Italy has had mandated masks for months and they're still considering lockdowns at the moment due to a surge in cases). I don't mind him wondering whether our newest mask mandate is relevant or not, but I feel like he's going down the wrong rabbit hole...

[Pixelated]

I've developed a cough (and yes, am going to get tested tomorrow), which a fellow tenant says is "probably because you're inhaling your own carbon dioxide because of those masks ..."

[Gravekeeper]

I've developed a cough (and yes, am going to get tested tomorrow), which a fellow tenant says is "probably because you're inhaling your own carbon dioxide because of those masks ..."

I admire your restraint in not immediately stabbing him in the arm with your keys.

[NorthernZel]

Quickly pitching in:

Now that a mask mandate is looming over here, our Gub'mint advises that plastic/plexiglass visors are recommended as well, especially for citizens that have respiratory issues (though, of course, type IIR surgical disposable masks are the best).
What are the recommendations over the pond regarding that?

[Pixelated]

I admire your restraint in not immediately stabbing him in the arm with your keys.

Thank you

It's a her, and I wasn't terribly surprised by this as I've heard some of her conspiraloony stuff before (breast cancer is due to "mommy issues" being one). I went to share a coffee with her once, in one of the building's atriums, and towards the end of the conversation she began trotting out a lovely collection of conspiracy theories about COVID. Whoops, sorry, it's past my bedtime ...

I'm surprised she wears a mask around the building, TBH, even though it's mandated.

[Gravekeeper]

Thank you
I'm surprised she wears a mask around the building, TBH, even though it's mandated.

My building doesn't even allow guests / non-residents inside except for care workers. As there's a number of vulnerable seniors in the building.

[Kittish]

And here we are, halfway through 2021, and Covid is kicking up AGAIN, because idiots won't get their jabs, won't stay home when they're sick, and won't wear their goddamn masks.

Me and mine are all vaccinated (though admittedly with the probably less effective J&J version since it's a one dose- I am severely phobic toward hypos; it was all I could manage to allow the one jab, no way would I be able to do it twice), and we're all still wearing masks anytime we go out.

The day the CDC changed their mandate to "you can stop wearing your mask if you're fully vaccinated", damn near every single person in this town stopped wearing one. I know full fucking well these people ain't all vaccinated. And this is a big part of why I'm going to keep on wearing my mask. Quite possibly for the next few years.