Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

Face mask or no face mask?

1568101119

Replies

  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,023 Member
    edited August 2020
    I wear a bandana in stores right now because of mandate. Most face masks are worthless anyway except the real N95s....after the mandate is over this month, I will be back to NO mask. And I am definitely not wearing goggles like Fauci now recommends.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    threewins wrote: »
    Back in mid March I bought some wool and a sewing kit to make some cloth masks. However the lockdown was going so well and my lack of sewing skills meant I never got around to making them. Occasionally I see someone wearing a mask but since it's been months since anyone died here most people don't bother.

    Asians are more likely to wear masks by my observations, both this year and previously. At the peak of lockdown about 1/4 of people were wearing masks at the supermarket.

    I can relate to your situation - a few new cases but no deaths. We feel really good about that, but still wear masks whenever entering public places.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    freda78 wrote: »
    Lots of people here seem convinced that face coverings will protect them from covid19 - why? I have no idea as it really won't. Where does this delusion come from????

    CNN have an interesting piece on this today too.

    Lots of people seem convinced masks will protect the patient in the operating room, why? Doctors don't need to wear masks to operate and everyone should demand they don't because it's a delusion.

    People die in car accidents despite wearing a seatbelt. We should ban seatbelts because in some cases it makes it hard to get out of the damaged car.

    Everyone should sneeze in other people's faces because sneezing into your elbow will not protect others if you're sick.

    Hearing protection devices don't filter out all the noise, so they're useless and everyone operating loud machinery should stop wearing them.

    Don't wear sunscreen, it won't protect you from sunburn 100%, some people are allergic to it, and many people don't apply it correctly.

    Interesting points listed there. My worse vehicle accident was before seatbelts were mandatory, and I would've been in worse condition if I wasn't thrown from the vehicle. Now it is the law so I wear them, even though it goes against my own experience.

    So if masks are the law, wear the masks!!

    pmxotpv5hzvd.jpg
  • mynameisnobody1990
    mynameisnobody1990 Posts: 71 Member
    Without getting into super detail, let me just say I'm super compromised health wise. However, I consider my community. I wear a mask every time I'm indoors at shops, doctor's offices - anywhere indoors. My family does the same thing and they are more social than I. We feel it's just the proper and respectful thing to do.

    There's next to NO social distancing where I live even though it's recommended before one walks into an establishment!

    I've had no symptoms thus far. BUT!What if I'm one of the asymptomatic ones?? When I'm at the Doctor's office for my issues, I'm a little surprised people who have the same issues I have - do NOT wear masks. I just shake my head. There's no mandate for them yet here. I'm waiting on that. BIG time.
  • hist_doc
    hist_doc Posts: 206 Member
    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.

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited August 2020
    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
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    Again, I'll say it. All those signs and mandates are great but what good are they if no one is going to do anything about them when people enter the establishment, ignoring it all?
    You'd think, in a country as intelligent and advanced as America, there'd be a way. :(
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    Again, I'll say it. All those signs and mandates are great but what good are they if no one is going to do anything about them when people enter the establishment, ignoring it all?
    You'd think, in a country as intelligent and advanced as America, there'd be a way. :(

    Shame they can't build just build more jails for those that don't care about killing others.
  • stargirlhorse
    stargirlhorse Posts: 45 Member
    Wear a mask when you're with someone you don't live with. Period. I don't wear them in the car with my family, but I do wear them into restaurants. And I don't take them off until the food arrives at the table AND the server left.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,091 Member
    mockchoc wrote: »
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    Again, I'll say it. All those signs and mandates are great but what good are they if no one is going to do anything about them when people enter the establishment, ignoring it all?
    You'd think, in a country as intelligent and advanced as America, there'd be a way. :(

    Shame they can't build just build more jails for those that don't care about killing others.

    Don't give them any ideas. Once the pandemic is over they'd have all this empty jail space, and institutional thinking being what it is, they would just lower the bar even more for incarceration, or criminalize more behavior, just so they could fill them.

    If you want jail space for people who won't obey social distancing and masking orders, let out some of the people who are there for non-violent offenses.

    But I doubt that will matter. I heard a report on the local TV news this evening of a would-be customer who entered a restaurant without a mask, in violation of a state-wide mandate, and when an employee asked him to put on a mask, he spat on the employee. Police arrived but would not arrest him. The police just told him he couldn't come back to that restaurant for a year (which is really weird -- it seems outside the police powers to unilaterally issue what amounts to a restraining order, as opposed to having a judge do it). That doesn't seem like much of a deterrent for the next person who wants to come along and do his best to infect an employee.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    mockchoc wrote: »
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    Again, I'll say it. All those signs and mandates are great but what good are they if no one is going to do anything about them when people enter the establishment, ignoring it all?
    You'd think, in a country as intelligent and advanced as America, there'd be a way. :(

    Shame they can't build just build more jails for those that don't care about killing others.

    Don't give them any ideas. Once the pandemic is over they'd have all this empty jail space, and institutional thinking being what it is, they would just lower the bar even more for incarceration, or criminalize more behavior, just so they could fill them.

    If you want jail space for people who won't obey social distancing and masking orders, let out some of the people who are there for non-violent offenses.

    But I doubt that will matter. I heard a report on the local TV news this evening of a would-be customer who entered a restaurant without a mask, in violation of a state-wide mandate, and when an employee asked him to put on a mask, he spat on the employee. Police arrived but would not arrest him. The police just told him he couldn't come back to that restaurant for a year (which is really weird -- it seems outside the police powers to unilaterally issue what amounts to a restraining order, as opposed to having a judge do it). That doesn't seem like much of a deterrent for the next person who wants to come along and do his best to infect an employee.

    That's not a bad idea really, anyone that spits at someone right now should be locked up for sure. Some police officers in Victoria had a woman spit on them and release her dogs on them when they came to her home for some reason and then informed them she is waiting on Covid test results. Poor cops.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    edited August 2020
    Maybe they need to slap a heavy fine on people who refuse to mask up in public areas? Not a puny 9 bucks, that's laughable. And for anybody who spits(wth is wrong with people these days???) slap a really heavy fine. If they don't pay it, throw them in jail with Covid positive inmates. I'm sorry but people, come on. Whatever happened to the word civilize in civilization??? I had a 4 yo daycare boy spit at me before and that was bad enough. Do some people not grow up at all??? If people are going to act like that, they need to be treated like the child they are.
    Heavy fines can buy metal detectors for the establishments' doorways to protect the workers from weapons entering the building. THEN enforce your signage.
  • LockdownLoser23
    LockdownLoser23 Posts: 93 Member
    edited August 2020
    I wear a mask solely because it is mandated, even though it has been stated repeatedly that it isn't effective.
    I am in the high risk category, as I have breast cancer. While I was in treatment for 3 weeks, I had multiple discussions with my oncologist. He always wore a mask and repeatedly stated that he hated them. He said they gave people a false sense of security. They aren't effective, and took his off when it was just the two of us talking. He said the only effective way to stop the spread of the virus is social distancing. He said to imagine the 6 liters of air expelled from the lungs as an aerosol, potentially containing a virus, hanging in the air like smoke. If smoke can get around the mask, the virus can.

    Because oncology is the study of airborne disease and the spread of it...

    Sure about that? Oncology is study of tumors - Virology is study of diseases
  • will_it_go_round_in_circles
    will_it_go_round_in_circles Posts: 985 Member
    edited August 2020


    I wear a mask solely because it is mandated, even though it has been stated repeatedly that it isn't effective.
    I am in the high risk category, as I have breast cancer. While I was in treatment for 3 weeks, I had multiple discussions with my oncologist. He always wore a mask and repeatedly stated that he hated them. He said they gave people a false sense of security. They aren't effective, and took his off when it was just the two of us talking. He said the only effective way to stop the spread of the virus is social distancing. He said to imagine the 6 liters of air expelled from the lungs as an aerosol, potentially containing a virus, hanging in the air like smoke. If smoke can get around the mask, the virus can.

    Because oncology is the study of airborne disease and the spread of it...

    Sure about that? Oncology is study of tumors - Virology is study of diseases



    My point exactly
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    I wear a mask solely because it is mandated, even though it has been stated repeatedly that it isn't effective.
    I am in the high risk category, as I have breast cancer. While I was in treatment for 3 weeks, I had multiple discussions with my oncologist. He always wore a mask and repeatedly stated that he hated them. He said they gave people a false sense of security. They aren't effective, and took his off when it was just the two of us talking. He said the only effective way to stop the spread of the virus is social distancing. He said to imagine the 6 liters of air expelled from the lungs as an aerosol, potentially containing a virus, hanging in the air like smoke. If smoke can get around the mask, the virus can.

    Because oncology is the study of airborne disease and the spread of it...

    Sure about that? Oncology is study of tumors - Virology is study of diseases

    actually, virology is the study of viruses. Disease can be caused by bacteria (bacteriology), genetic disorders, and a whole host of other things.
  • AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I wear a mask solely because it is mandated, even though it has been stated repeatedly that it isn't effective.
    I am in the high risk category, as I have breast cancer. While I was in treatment for 3 weeks, I had multiple discussions with my oncologist. He always wore a mask and repeatedly stated that he hated them. He said they gave people a false sense of security. They aren't effective, and took his off when it was just the two of us talking. He said the only effective way to stop the spread of the virus is social distancing. He said to imagine the 6 liters of air expelled from the lungs as an aerosol, potentially containing a virus, hanging in the air like smoke. If smoke can get around the mask, the virus can.

    Because oncology is the study of airborne disease and the spread of it...

    Sure about that? Oncology is study of tumors - Virology is study of diseases

    Pretty sure that was sarcasm - said because the PP was taking virology advice from an oncologist.

    Correct, thank you.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Smoke knows no boundaries. Remember those old imaginary no smoking areas in restaurants and hotel lobbies.
    'Rona is similar. Everyone pitched a wild-eyed fit when No Smoking became the norm but eventually that's just the way we all roll now. We are creatures of habit.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    ShredWeek1 wrote: »
    I wear a face mask just the same way I would put on a seat belt when I get in a car...probably I won't get in an accident, but if I do I want to know that I took every precaution.

    The virus is an airborne virus. It travels in the air, it lands on surfaces. We don't know exactly how far it travels, how long it lingers on surfaces.

    Given that we know so little, I'm taking every precaution that I can.




    Not disagreeing with you, but apart from face masks we need to remember a lot more about touching those surfaces the virus lands on. Constant hand washing was taught to me as a child growing up, but I'm seeing lots of people who don't wash their hands even after using the washroom/toilet/loo/lavatory!!
  • pandry15
    pandry15 Posts: 11 Member
    Read an article today that said COVID might be able to enter the ear canal. Shall we include ear muffs in this discussion or should I create another thread?
This discussion has been closed.