How are you dealing with Covid-19 (Novel Coronavirus) ?
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Here's the article I referenced earlier:
It's all good information, but here's the piece that stuck out to me:
"We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection. Public health authorities define a significant exposure to Covid-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with symptomatic Covid-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes (and some say more than 10 minutes or even 30 minutes). The chance of catching Covid-19 from a passing interaction in a public space is therefore minimal. In many cases, the desire for widespread masking is a reflexive reaction to anxiety over the pandemic."
It's all good information, but here's the piece that stuck out to me:
"We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection. Public health authorities define a significant exposure to Covid-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with symptomatic Covid-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes (and some say more than 10 minutes or even 30 minutes). The chance of catching Covid-19 from a passing interaction in a public space is therefore minimal. In many cases, the desire for widespread masking is a reflexive reaction to anxiety over the pandemic."
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JAMA – The Latest Medical Research, Reviews, and Guidelines
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There are a couple good articles printed yesterday on masks.
I have zero interest in trying to persuade others to wear masks ( or seat belts, motorcycle helmets etc. ) ....I can only control myself . From what I've read I believe masks provides some level of protection for both the person wearing it and those around them......and some level of protection is better then no level of protection.
I'm perfectly OK with people doing what makes them comfortable. But the idea that somehow we're all walking around shedding a virus that magically floats through the air and infects everyone we pass on the street is just contrary to everything we know about viruses. Transmission happens when you are in close contact with an infected individual for a sustained period of time who is doing the things a virus needs you to do - coughing and sneezing. Me passing by you in the grocery store isn't a problem.
From the article you shared:
"In the absence of such data, (i.e., actual science) it has been persuasively argued the precautionary principle be applied to promote community masking because there is little to lose and potentially much to be gained." Not exactly compelling science, but at least it's honest.
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This more or less echos my husband's & my feelings on the matter - Might help, can't hurt. It's not a huge inconvenience or problem for me to simply wear a mask when I'm inside in a public place, so why would I NOT do it? And, yes, I realize that the 2 seconds it takes me to scoot past someone in the Walmart aisle will probably not expose me to a load of virus large enough to cause infection (or vise-versa, if I happen to be carrying it) but again - wearing a mask does absolutely no harm, so why wouldn't I do so?JAMA – The Latest Medical Research, Reviews, and Guidelines
Explore the latest in medicine including the JNC8 blood pressure guideline, sepsis and ARDS definitions, autism science, cancer screening guidelines, and more.
There are a couple good articles printed yesterday on masks.
I have zero interest in trying to persuade others to wear masks ( or seat belts, motorcycle helmets etc. ) ....I can only control myself . From what I've read I believe masks provides some level of protection for both the person wearing it and those around them......and some level of protection is better then no level of protection.
Now, I do admit that when I am outdoors hiking, I don't wear a mask (even though the trails are technically 'public') But I also don't linger around talking to people at close range - I step off the trail & maintain distance (turning to face away from them if necessary) If I were to go to a more crowded outdoor location, such as a farmer's market, I would wear my mask.
I agree that wearing a mask while I pop into Costco is doable... but I'm facing going back to school and being required to wear a mask all day long. There's a big difference between 30 minutes in a store and 8.5 hours at work. And yes, I know medical people have worn masks for years - but they don't wear them for hours on end, day after day after day. They take them off whenever they get a chance. And I just have a hard time believing that blocking air flow to your face and breathing back your own exhalation for 1/3 or more of the day isn't going to have some effect on your health, but that's just instinct.
Ultimately my feeling is if the science were clear and the directives were consistent from the beginning, the mandates would be unnecessary. No matter how or what people believe about COVID-19, I have yet to talk to anyone who hopes they GET it. But we went from shaming people who WERE wearing masks (remember that? People were "hoarding" them and medical people couldn't get enough?) to shaming people who AREN'T wearing a mask - basically overnight.
I had a nice email exchange with the CEO of Costco when they first instituted the mask mandate in their stores and shared with him my concern that they were going to have heated exchanges between customers - we live in an area where the self-appointed Mask Police like to go after anyone who isn't fully masked. He said "oh I don't think that will happen. I think customers will continue to treat each other with respect and recognize that if you are in the store without a mask it' s because we all understand you can't wear one". Then just last week, one of the Costcos near us had an encounter between two customers. A male shopper wore his mask the entire time, but started to remove it after he passed the receipt checking station. A female customer rammed her cart into him and demanded he put it back on until he was out of the store. He continued walking and she followed him, screaming that "I'm a teacher and I have COVID-19". At that point she removed her own mask and spit in his face. Police were called - she had already left the store so they arrested her later at her home. She was indeed a teacher, but I don't know if she was actually infected. (If she were, then why is she out shopping would be the salient question I guess.)
But the biggest irony of the story - and all of the "mask confrontations" is, if you're SO AFRAID that someone who isn't wearing a mask is going to give you the virus, then why approach them and engage in a screaming match? Just keep your distance (remember "keep six feet of distance OR wear a mask"?) and move on. For the militant minority, the mask isn't really about health and safety - it's a signal that they believe tells them something about you and your politics. I sent the article to the Costco CEO and he replied that yes, they have had a number of similar issues around the country. While we are being scolded for not being courteous and respectful of others when we don't wear a mask, I wonder where the idea of just basic courtesy and respect has fled from the scene.
Ultimately my feeling is if the science were clear and the directives were consistent from the beginning, the mandates would be unnecessary. No matter how or what people believe about COVID-19, I have yet to talk to anyone who hopes they GET it. But we went from shaming people who WERE wearing masks (remember that? People were "hoarding" them and medical people couldn't get enough?) to shaming people who AREN'T wearing a mask - basically overnight.
I had a nice email exchange with the CEO of Costco when they first instituted the mask mandate in their stores and shared with him my concern that they were going to have heated exchanges between customers - we live in an area where the self-appointed Mask Police like to go after anyone who isn't fully masked. He said "oh I don't think that will happen. I think customers will continue to treat each other with respect and recognize that if you are in the store without a mask it' s because we all understand you can't wear one". Then just last week, one of the Costcos near us had an encounter between two customers. A male shopper wore his mask the entire time, but started to remove it after he passed the receipt checking station. A female customer rammed her cart into him and demanded he put it back on until he was out of the store. He continued walking and she followed him, screaming that "I'm a teacher and I have COVID-19". At that point she removed her own mask and spit in his face. Police were called - she had already left the store so they arrested her later at her home. She was indeed a teacher, but I don't know if she was actually infected. (If she were, then why is she out shopping would be the salient question I guess.)
But the biggest irony of the story - and all of the "mask confrontations" is, if you're SO AFRAID that someone who isn't wearing a mask is going to give you the virus, then why approach them and engage in a screaming match? Just keep your distance (remember "keep six feet of distance OR wear a mask"?) and move on. For the militant minority, the mask isn't really about health and safety - it's a signal that they believe tells them something about you and your politics. I sent the article to the Costco CEO and he replied that yes, they have had a number of similar issues around the country. While we are being scolded for not being courteous and respectful of others when we don't wear a mask, I wonder where the idea of just basic courtesy and respect has fled from the scene.
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@Lisak1 I feel for you, I really do....having to face wearing a mask all day in a classroom. I was just discussing this with hubby, as many of our local schools are without ac and I can't imagine the difficulty of wearing a mask all day in the heat ad humidity.
I'm glad to be retired ! I think if I was still working, in my un air conditioned school, I would have had to look into wearing a face shield. My heart goes out to all teachers, administrators and students as they do their best to figure this out.
I'm glad to be retired ! I think if I was still working, in my un air conditioned school, I would have had to look into wearing a face shield. My heart goes out to all teachers, administrators and students as they do their best to figure this out.
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@Lisak1 - Yeah, it seems that people are just looking for some reason to flip out & go all bat-crap crazy these days. When I'm doing my shopping I go early when the store is less busy & if I see someone wandering around without a mask I simply keep that 'social distance'. In our small town there haven't been any 'confrontations' (that I'm award of, at least) I'm sure it's way different in more heavily populated areas. And I absolutely understand your reluctance to have to wear a mask for a full work day, not to mention trying to keep the kids in theirs for the entire day! It boggles my mind, it really does. So grateful to be retired & that my hubby has been able to work from home since the beginning. That is scheduled to change in the Fall, but... since nobody knows how things are going to continue to play out, that change might change as well. I can't keep up anymore!
Just last year we made a significant change to our dress code - mainly because our deans were tired of fighting with kids and finding that parents weren't really interested in hearing about dress code violations either. (And to be fair, this is pretty much a national move toward eliminating dress codes in schools, so we're just moving with the trend.) Now we will no longer be sending kids to the dean for wearing hats or showing off their bare bellies, but instead for refusing to keep their mask on. Plus we'll have kids wearing mask, hats, hoods, sunglasses... good luck trying to ID anyone! I'll be curious to see if this can hold up in court - can we deny a student the right to attend school if the parent says they will not wear a mask? The issue is scheduled to be heard in court before we go back to school, so I guess we will find out.
I am not dealing too well with the Covid. I am a mover. Ever since I started working, my sights were set on retiring. My working life was working all day, coming home and remodeling our house. The house is done. My backyard is my oasis. I have a few hobbies, but this staying home sucks. We had so many plans for this summer with the grand kids. Can't do any of them. I feel tired all the time when I don't go anywhere. And when I do venture out, going to a lake and just walking around or the corner store, I feel so much better. My hubby does all the grocery shopping. He's still working. I just want this to go away so I can get back to being retired and just taking off and going places when I want to.
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I am srry to hear about this, hopefully covid can move on soon though
You all can see the anger in my words. Trust me lisa i know what your talking about but on steroids. As you know i work in construction and we are building a large commercial building it has been 90 degrees here everyday for the last month and being on the shore line the humidity is off the scale. i have guys poring concrete floors and driving piles all day. 75 PERCENT OF PEOPLE WOULD WORK FOR AN HOUR AND SAY SCREW THIS these guys earn there money and now i have to enforce and insist they wear masks on top of the already unbearable work. The eyes are the most vulnerable think about how many times you adjust that mask. that is touching your face right up to your eyes. Who grabs a new mask or is faithful about washing the mask every day? If the politicians were serious about making a dent in the virus we would stop touching the key pads at the store . we would walk up to a person who would scan our items that WE hold up to them. whats the first thing most do the second they are out the door take the mask off without washing there hands. Its pointless
I hear you @GBBUDD. Even our maintenance and cleaning people at school - working in an air conditioned building - sweat behind the masks. I don't know how you guys do it. I think now stores - Walmart and Sams are the last two in our area to require "face coverings" - are starting to mandate the masks for fear of liability. The first "I caught COVID in your business and you didn't do enough to prevent it" lawsuit is bound to hit the courts soon. And now the states are all falling into line, too. I'm all for suggesting, recommending, encouraging - but I don't think they have a leg to stand on legally if it comes to that. In fact the governor of Georgia said exactly that today. So we'll see.
People say "well no shirt no shoes no service" is a law. Guess what? No it's not. A business can enforce a dress code if they choose to, but no state has that actual law on the books. And have you ever wondered why it doesn't include pants?
People say "well no shirt no shoes no service" is a law. Guess what? No it's not. A business can enforce a dress code if they choose to, but no state has that actual law on the books. And have you ever wondered why it doesn't include pants?
@[B]Lisak1[/B] I travel through 7 states on my trips home and i see all rules vary from place to place. Most walmarts have a sign Suggesting the use face covings it's the state that changes that mandate. Look at the walmarts out there EVERYONE HAS BEEN TO A WALMART since this began . there workers have all been exposed numerous times. And if there was headlines to be made from hundreds of walmart employees get covid they would most certainly use it .