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> The great incoherent idiocy of anti-* Americans on the issue of masks has always been that they say "cloth masks are ineffective" and propose a solution of "d

> The great incoherent idiocy of anti-* Americans on the issue of masks has always been that they say "cloth masks are ineffective" and propose a solution of "do nothing" instead of "get effective masks." I think the "no nothing" solution has more to do with a desire to return to normal than it is a refusal to "get effective masks" and just wear them forever or until some agency says not to anymore. There is a valid point to be made that once you're vaccinated and most people around you are vaccinated it's time to start learning to live with the reality of covid being a mild disease you get once in a while. I suppose a masked up future is one of better public health for some, but for many it is psychologically exhausting to see your friends and coworkers as potentially dangerous vectors of contamination. This is especially dystopian when the government forces you to do this whether it's sensible or not.

gotoeleven 5y ago
Wearing a proper mask that actually substantially reduces the chance of contracting or spreading covid is uncomfortable. As many of us have been saying from the beginning (including the CDC initially!) the cloth masks are just the medical equivalent of TSA security theater. Right now they just function as a little badge to indicate which "team" you're on.
- chitowneats 5y ago
  I cannot understand why this is being downvoted. We would have all been wearing N95's long ago if they weren't difficult for frontline workers to use 8 hours a day. People care about their own health by and large. They will use reasonable strategies for mitigation and reject those that are cumbersome. The people pushing N95 mask requirements are not the same people required to wear them 40 hours a week. The people pushing non-N95 mask requirements are confused about the effectiveness of non-N95 "masks".
YZF 5y ago
I mostly agree. The problem is mostly with populations that have a large number of un-vaccinated people. If we could separate those unvaccinated people from the vaccinated people then the vaccinated people could go back to normal and I agree the impact is probably small (not quite sure about "mild disease you get once in a while" but something we could live with). However when you have a 50/50 mix of people who have mild disease you get in a while and people who get a serious disease that leads to hospitalizations and death at a relatively high rate you now have a problem. And it's a problem for the vaccinated 50% who would not be able to get into the hospital when they have a medical emergency, or can't get their scheduled medial procedure done, or bearing the costs associated with those other 50%, or even just having a higher likelihood of getting sick with something they obviously prefer not to get (mild or not). So the governments are optimizing for this (forcing us to do X) ... not for the individual but for public health and public (general) concerns. Just like they're forcing us (and fining us, darn!) not to drive through red lights, or exceed the speed limit. Are they always doing a great job? nope, but hey we voted for those guys (at least in functioning democracies)... So here we are.

gotoeleven 5y ago

Wearing a proper mask that actually substantially reduces the chance of contracting or spreading covid is uncomfortable. As many of us have been saying from the beginning (including the CDC initially!) the cloth masks are just the medical equivalent of TSA security theater. Right now they just function as a little badge to indicate which "team" you're on.

chitowneats 5y ago
I cannot understand why this is being downvoted. We would have all been wearing N95's long ago if they weren't difficult for frontline workers to use 8 hours a day. People care about their own health by and large. They will use reasonable strategies for mitigation and reject those that are cumbersome. The people pushing N95 mask requirements are not the same people required to wear them 40 hours a week. The people pushing non-N95 mask requirements are confused about the effectiveness of non-N95 "masks".

YZF 5y ago

I mostly agree. The problem is mostly with populations that have a large number of un-vaccinated people. If we could separate those unvaccinated people from the vaccinated people then the vaccinated people could go back to normal and I agree the impact is probably small (not quite sure about "mild disease you get once in a while" but something we could live with). However when you have a 50/50 mix of people who have mild disease you get in a while and people who get a serious disease that leads to hospitalizations and death at a relatively high rate you now have a problem. And it's a problem for the vaccinated 50% who would not be able to get into the hospital when they have a medical emergency, or can't get their scheduled medial procedure done, or bearing the costs associated with those other 50%, or even just having a higher likelihood of getting sick with something they obviously prefer not to get (mild or not). So the governments are optimizing for this (forcing us to do X) ... not for the individual but for public health and public (general) concerns. Just like they're forcing us (and fining us, darn!) not to drive through red lights, or exceed the speed limit. Are they always doing a great job? nope, but hey we voted for those guys (at least in functioning democracies)... So here we are.