4 ms·

It seems reasonable to suggest that masks reduce disease and save lives. This may be a scientifically provable fact. If you want to save lives, you're welcome

by csense 4y ago

It seems reasonable to suggest that masks reduce disease and save lives. This may be a scientifically provable fact. If you want to save lives, you're welcome to wear a mask. Nothing stopping you. Should the government be able to force people to wear a mask? Iran's currently hanging people for not wearing government mandated head coverings. I personally don't regard that as positive or something I want to be implemented in any country where I live. During the early days of COVID I personally wore a mask but also wrote against government mandates, here and elsewhere. Mask mandates were never acceptable, and are now less so than ever: Hospitals aren't overwhelmed anymore, vaccines are available and the population has decent immunity.

seydor 4y ago
> Should the government be able to force people to wear a mask? The government runs some institutions like schools, which are even mandatory. If people can be forced to go to school wearing a mask is a rather mild requirement
krapp 4y ago
>Should the government be able to force people to wear a mask? All the time? No. During a pandemic? Absolutely, yes. One of the legitimate purposes of government is to manage emergency situations that affect the public at large, by marshaling resources, coordinating response systems and, yes, sometimes forcing people to give up individual liberties for the greater good. Being forced to wear a mask during a pandemic, all things considered, is a small ask and it baffles me how many people consider even that small thing to be an unacceptable, unforgivable violation of their very being. >Iran's currently hanging people for not wearing government mandated head coverings. I personally don't regard that as positive or something I want to be implemented in any country where I live. That isn't really the same thing. Governments weren't mandating the use of masks for religious reasons, but to stop the spread of COVID.
logicalmonster 4y ago
> It seems reasonable to suggest that masks reduce disease and save lives. This may be a scientifically provable fact. When masks are worn correctly by trained people as intended (form fitted N95s used for one short task in one room and then safely discarded), there seems to be a reasonable argument that masks are somewhat effective for reducing the spread of disease. But in the real world; the masks are the wrong types and aren't form-fitted, people are constantly adjusting them and moving them around and touching them, many people are basically walking around half the time with their nose hanging out, people wear them not only for many hours at a time but often for days/weeks at a time without being washed and breathing in their own moist bacteria colonies, etc. I'm not sure if real-world mask usage results in a significant net-positive: they could actually have a net-negative effect when you consider the amount of bacteria people are inhaling from their own mask.

by csense 4y ago

seydor 4y ago

> Should the government be able to force people to wear a mask? The government runs some institutions like schools, which are even mandatory. If people can be forced to go to school wearing a mask is a rather mild requirement

krapp 4y ago

>Should the government be able to force people to wear a mask? All the time? No. During a pandemic? Absolutely, yes. One of the legitimate purposes of government is to manage emergency situations that affect the public at large, by marshaling resources, coordinating response systems and, yes, sometimes forcing people to give up individual liberties for the greater good. Being forced to wear a mask during a pandemic, all things considered, is a small ask and it baffles me how many people consider even that small thing to be an unacceptable, unforgivable violation of their very being. >Iran's currently hanging people for not wearing government mandated head coverings. I personally don't regard that as positive or something I want to be implemented in any country where I live. That isn't really the same thing. Governments weren't mandating the use of masks for religious reasons, but to stop the spread of COVID.

logicalmonster 4y ago

> It seems reasonable to suggest that masks reduce disease and save lives. This may be a scientifically provable fact. When masks are worn correctly by trained people as intended (form fitted N95s used for one short task in one room and then safely discarded), there seems to be a reasonable argument that masks are somewhat effective for reducing the spread of disease. But in the real world; the masks are the wrong types and aren't form-fitted, people are constantly adjusting them and moving them around and touching them, many people are basically walking around half the time with their nose hanging out, people wear them not only for many hours at a time but often for days/weeks at a time without being washed and breathing in their own moist bacteria colonies, etc. I'm not sure if real-world mask usage results in a significant net-positive: they could actually have a net-negative effect when you consider the amount of bacteria people are inhaling from their own mask.