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Face mask or no face mask?

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Replies

  • hist_doc
    hist_doc Posts: 206 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    hist_doc wrote: »
    amart4224 wrote: »
    Will you continue to wear your mask every year during flu season (which also kills hundreds of thousands of people each year), or do you only feel obligated to protect them from the "special" diseases?

    edited by a MFP moderator

    Hundreds of thousands of people do not die every year from the flu.

    Worldwide deaths are certainly in that magnitude so are you talking about just one particular country?

    "Influenza remains one of the world’s greatest public health challenges. Every year across the globe, there are an estimated 1 billion cases, of which 3 to 5 million are severe cases, resulting in 290 000 to 650 000 influenza-related respiratory deaths"

    Source WHO - https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/11-03-2019-who-launches-new-global-influenza-strategy

    I was replying to the statement made in reference to the U.S.
  • Hollis100
    Hollis100 Posts: 1,408 Member
    My friends son is a plain clothes police officer and he was behind someone refusing to wear one and giving the store assistant loads of attitude. He stepped in and said can the person just do what they are asked. He got loads of 'What are u gonna do about it' etc so he got his warrant card and and said he would arrest them. Just a coincidence he happened to be there

    Good for him. Unfortunately, this only works where police are willing to do this.

    I work in retail and see or hear about crap like this every day when employees remind customers to wear masks -- employees called Nazis, gestapo, told what are you going to do about it while the person walks off, customers deliberately coughing on employees, etc. Tells you a lot about people.

    https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/08/06/new-jersey-woman-assault-staples-store-eg-orig.cnn
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    Hollis100 wrote: »
    My friends son is a plain clothes police officer and he was behind someone refusing to wear one and giving the store assistant loads of attitude. He stepped in and said can the person just do what they are asked. He got loads of 'What are u gonna do about it' etc so he got his warrant card and and said he would arrest them. Just a coincidence he happened to be there

    Good for him. Unfortunately, this only works where police are willing to do this.

    I work in retail and see or hear about crap like this every day when employees remind customers to wear masks -- employees called Nazis, gestapo, told what are you going to do about it while the person walks off, customers deliberately coughing on employees, etc. Tells you a lot about people.

    https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/08/06/new-jersey-woman-assault-staples-store-eg-orig.cnn

    UGH!!!! People like this need to have the book thrown at them. And they should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
    (...) Even if we look at worldwide deaths, covid 19 deaths worldwide have surpassed the highest estimates for flu related deaths in a little bit over half the time, and that happened despite lockdowns, mask mandates, some countries not having it as bad as others, closing airports, and all the other measures. Imagine what the numbers would have been if no action was taken.
    As a quick note, here's an article comparing excess mortality with official covid death tolls.

    While in developed countries there's a pretty clear correlation between excess deaths and official death tolls, some developing countries might be undercounting (though there are, obviously, other factors).
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Slacker16 wrote: »
    (...) Even if we look at worldwide deaths, covid 19 deaths worldwide have surpassed the highest estimates for flu related deaths in a little bit over half the time, and that happened despite lockdowns, mask mandates, some countries not having it as bad as others, closing airports, and all the other measures. Imagine what the numbers would have been if no action was taken.
    As a quick note, here's an article comparing excess mortality with official covid death tolls.

    While in developed countries there's a pretty clear correlation between excess deaths and official death tolls, some developing countries might be undercounting (though there are, obviously, other factors).

    Yes, I'm aware, but I wanted to give the flu argument all the juice by comparing the highest flu estimates with the current covid 19 confirmed deaths without even mentioning excess mortality, that even at its best it can't even compare. That argument sounded silly when the pandemic started, and it's proven itself silly.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    Hollis100 wrote: »
    My friends son is a plain clothes police officer and he was behind someone refusing to wear one and giving the store assistant loads of attitude. He stepped in and said can the person just do what they are asked. He got loads of 'What are u gonna do about it' etc so he got his warrant card and and said he would arrest them. Just a coincidence he happened to be there

    Good for him. Unfortunately, this only works where police are willing to do this.

    I work in retail and see or hear about crap like this every day when employees remind customers to wear masks -- employees called Nazis, gestapo, told what are you going to do about it while the person walks off, customers deliberately coughing on employees, etc. Tells you a lot about people.

    https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/08/06/new-jersey-woman-assault-staples-store-eg-orig.cnn

    UGH!!!! People like this need to have the book thrown at them. And they should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.

    Seems there are a lot of sick people out there.. in the head I mean. That is disgusting.
  • hist_doc
    hist_doc Posts: 206 Member
    hist_doc wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    hist_doc wrote: »
    amart4224 wrote: »
    Will you continue to wear your mask every year during flu season (which also kills hundreds of thousands of people each year), or do you only feel obligated to protect them from the "special" diseases?

    edited by a MFP moderator

    Hundreds of thousands of people do not die every year from the flu.

    Worldwide deaths are certainly in that magnitude so are you talking about just one particular country?

    "Influenza remains one of the world’s greatest public health challenges. Every year across the globe, there are an estimated 1 billion cases, of which 3 to 5 million are severe cases, resulting in 290 000 to 650 000 influenza-related respiratory deaths"

    Source WHO - https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/11-03-2019-who-launches-new-global-influenza-strategy

    I was replying to the statement made in reference to the U.S.

    Even if we look at worldwide deaths, covid 19 deaths worldwide have surpassed the highest estimates for flu related deaths in a little bit over half the time, and that happened despite lockdowns, mask mandates, some countries not having it as bad as others, closing airports, and all the other measures. Imagine what the numbers would have been if no action was taken.

    My thoughts exactly. Yet, the federal government remains stagnant. It is disturbing the degree to which the human instinct for survival can be so suppressed.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,133 Member
    hist_doc wrote: »
    hist_doc wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    hist_doc wrote: »
    amart4224 wrote: »
    Will you continue to wear your mask every year during flu season (which also kills hundreds of thousands of people each year), or do you only feel obligated to protect them from the "special" diseases?

    edited by a MFP moderator

    Hundreds of thousands of people do not die every year from the flu.

    Worldwide deaths are certainly in that magnitude so are you talking about just one particular country?

    "Influenza remains one of the world’s greatest public health challenges. Every year across the globe, there are an estimated 1 billion cases, of which 3 to 5 million are severe cases, resulting in 290 000 to 650 000 influenza-related respiratory deaths"

    Source WHO - https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/11-03-2019-who-launches-new-global-influenza-strategy

    I was replying to the statement made in reference to the U.S.

    Even if we look at worldwide deaths, covid 19 deaths worldwide have surpassed the highest estimates for flu related deaths in a little bit over half the time, and that happened despite lockdowns, mask mandates, some countries not having it as bad as others, closing airports, and all the other measures. Imagine what the numbers would have been if no action was taken.

    My thoughts exactly. Yet, the federal government remains stagnant. It is disturbing the degree to which the human instinct for survival can be so suppressed.

    The human instinct for survival (in a long sweep of history sense) was mostly framed by consideration of the individual doing the surviving, and his/her immediate band of interdependent humans. Theoretical people, ones we don't see and interact with, still don't affect our guts (or actions) in the same way people we know and care about do.

    Human webs of interdependency have gotten larger and more complex pretty steadily across history (band => confederation => city/state => nation => global, simplistically). Our guts really haven't kept up. If someone is part of a quite-insulated class, the large death/illness counts for people we don't know are just sad (mostly non-emotional) facts (maybe even considered to be fake or a conspiracy), not an urgent kick in the gut to take action.

    Friends and family getting sick and dying has more impact on our individual perception of survival threat. I'm not saying those less affected are uncaring; I'm saying how I think human wiring works, mostly, when it comes to *instinct* for survival.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    @shaumom Here here!
    And what's even more mind-boggling is, after someone has been asked to don a mask, still refuses and actually spits/screams/curses, etc. THAT is what I don't understand whatsoever.
  • thechessking1
    thechessking1 Posts: 6 Member
    Wear a mask since it is mandated otherwise I would not. I have worked out in the public since it has started and have seen the the trend with people wearing them up until it was mandated. The fall into two groups with little middle ground. Either100% for it or 100% against it. The fear people have of other people in public not wearing a mask is sad. If you are that afraid, please shop online and have it delivered.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,493 Member
    Wear a mask since it is mandated otherwise I would not. I have worked out in the public since it has started and have seen the the trend with people wearing them up until it was mandated. The fall into two groups with little middle ground. Either100% for it or 100% against it. The fear people have of other people in public not wearing a mask is sad. If you are that afraid, please shop online and have it delivered.

    Thanks for being out there. Take care of yourself.
  • jonason62
    jonason62 Posts: 15 Member
    Regarding comments about masks not being effective, in the 1918 epidemic people wore masks made of gauze, but flu transmission was lower where masks wearing was adhered to. If people touch their face more wearing a mask, well, get used to using sanitising gel after each touch!
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    Unless everyone properly wears a mask, there is no point.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,590 Member
    Hollis100 wrote: »
    Wear a mask since it is mandated otherwise I would not. I have worked out in the public since it has started and have seen the the trend with people wearing them up until it was mandated. The fall into two groups with little middle ground. Either100% for it or 100% against it. The fear people have of other people in public not wearing a mask is sad. If you are that afraid, please shop online and have it delivered.

    If you are so fragile about your freedom that you can't respect public health recommendations in the middle of a pandemic, please shop online and have it delivered.

    ^^^ Yes to this comment a hundred times. Thank you.
    Some of us can’t get delivery slots and don’t live in cities with loads of shops. What do you want us to do - starve? I have no option but to go out and buy food.

    Except for cucumbers - my greenhouse is over-run with the blasted things and I need cucumber recipes!
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,493 Member
    edited August 2020
    Wear a mask since it is mandated otherwise I would not. I have worked out in the public since it has started and have seen the the trend with people wearing them up until it was mandated. The fall into two groups with little middle ground. Either100% for it or 100% against it. The fear people have of other people in public not wearing a mask is sad. If you are that afraid, please shop online and have it delivered.

    If you are so fragile about your freedom that you can't respect public health recommendations in the middle of a pandemic, please shop online and have it delivered.

    The poster said they wore a mask were it was mandated, otherwise they do not. In my area masks are mandated in public indoor spaces as well as outside when social distancing isn't possible, maybe the same is in their area. I wear one religiously in these cases, not in other cases like when I'm running by myself in my subdivision at 5AM.



  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    Unless everyone properly wears a mask, there is no point.

    That's absurd. There are very few problems that require 100% perfect compliance to avoid eliminating all value of any compliance. Nuclear deterrence is arguably one. Reducing disease transmission is not.
  • PWHF
    PWHF Posts: 221 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    I wear one when there are local mandates for use and/or businesses that say you need one to enter.

    Other than that it's going in my pocket.

    This is my position as well.

This discussion has been closed.