The Danger of Masks

According to Hoyt ^ | May 13, 2020 | Sarah A. Hoyt

[Texas Fossil]

Over and over, everywhere, they’re out in force. “I wear a mask because I care.”

The fact this phrase is always used tells me it’s not original. They heard it somewhere, and it sounded good to them and they’re going to use it buckle and tongue whenever anyone challenges the UTILITY — or the sanity — of their wearing a mask.

In fact their wearing a mask is tying a yellow ribbon in their front yard during the Iran hostage crisis. It is flying the flag after 9/11. It’s a way of showing their feelings, their emotions. It’s also a way of feeling part of a crowd. (Yes, I flew the flag after 9/11. But my dears, I fly the flag all the time, up to and including when I get a wild hair.)

They don’t even TRY to argue it does something useful. They just view it as a symbol to tie to their faces, to show they “care.”

The problem is that it isn’t a gesture without a cost.

Flying the flag or tying the ribbon, or wearing the AIDs ribbon also did bloody nothing, except perhaps lend comfort to other people in the same situation. Like your neighbors who wanted the hostages back already and wanted life back to normal. Or your friends who wanted a cure for AIDS. Or other people grossly infuriated by the attack on the twin towers, who wanted to do something when there was nothing they could do.

Yes, I DO understand the need for solidarity and a psychological feeling of doing something, even if it doesn’t mean much in the real world. I’m a writer. I deal in symbols. Of course I understand.

But wait, there’s a problem with the mask as the chosen symbol of “I care.”

I’ll admit if we’d done it INSTEAD of locking down I’d probably have done it (or tried to do it. For me there are costs greater than for most people. More on that later.)

For now let’s talk about the danger of masks.

No, not psychological dangers, though those exist too.

We’re going to talk about the CLOTH masks most people wear, which someone on facebook was insisting “cut your risk by 25%”. I’m fairly sure those numbers are PFA or refer to the N-95 and surgical grade masks.

Because the cloth masks are about as good for stopping a virus as a window screen for stopping smoke.

You can’t, at the same time, say this virus is so tiny it hangs in the air, OUTDOORS for 10 hours, waiting for people to pass by, and that it is so big that it’s stopped by regular fat quarter cotton weave. Or think that those who refuse to wear the mask are trying to kill you, but advice asthmatics like me, or those who have panic attacks with something in front of their mouth and nose that they must wear it “under the nose” or “really loose.”

It’s one or the other or it’s nothing. In this case it’s nothing. The mask is solidarity, a symbol, a badge of “I wear it because I care.”

But you don’t care. Because what you’re doing when you not only wear the fargin magic mask, or tie it to your poor kids’ faces, or act like anyone not wearing one is trying to kill you is going to make people very sick. Or kill them.

So, let’s talk about what those cloth masks do.

On the PLUS side, they keep you from sneezing at people. I don’t know about you but since the swine flu years ago, I have been sneezing into my elbow and facing downwards. This means any extra particulate is going on the ground. Unless you’re licking the ground, you’re probably safe.

But let’s say you’re a rudesby who likes sneezing in people’s faces. Okay then, the mask keeps you from doing that.

But let’s talk about what the mask IS: a cloth medium that holds on moisture and particles you exhale.

Now let’s talk about cold viruses: you’re full of them. No, not just Coronavirus. LOTS of Corona Viruses. Rhino (from nose, not the animal) viruses too. Even when you’re not sick, a certain amount of viruses live in you. They might just be too few to infect anyone, and besides, your immune system keeps them in check.

I had a friend who used to yell at me that my sons getting soaked to the skin in a snow storm was no reason to be scared they’d get sick, because you “get sick from viruses, not getting cold and wet.”

She was right and also woefully wrong. Her understanding of biology is such that though we’ve not spoken in years I’m sure she’s gone full frontal Karen and yells at people in public not wearing masks.

You see, the reason our ancestors, who weren’t dumb as rocks, called colds “colds” is that they were often brought on by a shock to the system. Like getting soaked and cold. The virus was already there, but not in quantities to cause a horrible illness. Until, of course, your defenses went down.

Also for the record, viruses mutate extremely fast and can interchange DNA and create super mutant viruses. This is why animals and people living in close proximity is a big issue and why we have swine flu, chicken pox, etc etc.

So when you tie a piece of nice — kept moist by your breath — fabric in front of your mouth and wear it EVERYWHERE you’re going to give those viruses an ideal place to grow and mutate.

Your caring is so GREAT you’re cultivating new viruses, just there for people to catch from you. Isn’t that nice?

On top of which, because the pieces of fabric don’t fit well and are uncomfortable, everyone I’ve seen fumbles with them constantly,thereby bringing whatever viruses they just picked up on their hands or gloves near their faces …. and adding to the petri dish.

This goes double for little kids, who are AT BEST little petri dishes, anyway, and I say this as someone who loves kid. They’re going to lick the inside of that mask, you know they are. And continue wearing it.

A friend who is a nurse says under no circumstances should you wear a mask — the same mask — longer than half an hour. Another friend who is a biologist says no, leaving the mask in the locked car in the sun is NOT enough to disinfect it. You need to run it through a bleach cycle on hot. (I’m not sure about the bleach, but the hot cycle is a good idea, I think. AND loads of detergent. And a hot dryer.)

And guess what? We’re already seeing pneumonias and strange viral things not Winnie the Flu from the mask mania.

In fact, I predict a very hard season ahead. And these people are doing it to themselves, because they “care” so much.

Look, disengaging your brain is always a bad thing. Disengaging your brain and playing with biology is a horrible thing. But go right ahead and tell us how much you “care.”

Oh, and by the way, there are people who simply can’t wear the mask. So when you go on an unhinged rant about how everyone who goes unmasked wants to spit in your face and kill you, not only are you an ignorant moron (being a moron is not your fault, but you could at least inform yourself, assuming a) that everyone is infected and b) that this virus is lethal in every case — which is so far from the truth it’s not even on the same planet. –) you’re also wanting to kill everyone who has asthma. Mine came out of remission with a vengeance within ten minutes of having a mask on. And, yes, asthma CAN kill you. So can panic attacks. So can about a hundred other respiratory illnesses, chronic and not, that say ANYTHING blocking your airway is a bad idea.

And for the love all that’s holy, don’t jog with a mask on. You’re giving yourself hypoxia and brain damage, and trust me, you need every brain cell you have. They’re lonely as is.

Also don’t drive in a mask. You might not notice and depending on what you made your mask of you might become extremely hypoxic and crash.

If you have to wear a mask for work because your governor is a moron (Hi Jared Polis!) change them every half hour, and wash them in REALLY hot water with plenty of detergent when you get home. If you don’t want to bleach them, color bleach might AT LEAST help some. Dry them in a hot dryer. IRON them. Do your best to sanitize them if you can.

Oh, and before you bleat that Asia wears masks, and look how much better….

You know what else Asia, or at least Japan, did? NEVER SHUT DOWN. And as for masks, friends there inform me that they do INDEED wear them: If they’re sick, and are in a place where they might not be able to cover before they sneeze on strangers two feet away. So, if you ride the NYC subway and are feeling punk? DO WEAR A MASK. If not? You’re not doing what they do in Asia. It’s a courtesy thing, not a “this protects me” thing. Stop taking badly interpreted bits of other cultures and trying to graft them on like magic talismans. It only hurts you. And those around you.

On top of that, btw, since Winnie the flu is asymptomatic in about half the people and MILD in most people under 60 unless there are other conditions present, by wearing the mask, supposing it worked — it doesn’t, but let’s suppose it did — unless you’re one of the at risk, you’d be delaying herd immunity. Which means you’re giving the virus a chance to get to more VULNERABLE people and kill them.

A mask doesn’t show you care. It shows you don’t think. Or if you think, it shows you want to kill asthmatics, those at risk, and want to inflict us with some plague that’s much, much worse than winnie the flu. Your need to belong to the herd will kill people. But don’t let that stop you. Go right ahead. Why not? Evolution finds a way.

Oh,and on belonging to the herd: Masks are apocalyptic cosplay.

One of the earliest needs of humans is to see human FACES. We are in fact programmed to see human faces in everything. Ever stared at a stone wall long enough? the random tracery will become a face.

In public, a smile diffuses tense situations, and strangers often give each other a vague smile meaning “you’re not a threat.”

Instead, we’re going out in public into a faceless landscape, often with angry eyes. It prolongs the sense of fear, heightens the back brain panic, and in general makes everything worse out there. It holds people in terror.

So, go ahead. You want to wear a mask? Wear a mask. But don’t tell me you care. Tell me you want to belong, and are either selfish or a dumb ass.

Because there’s a price for everything. And the price for mask mania is way too high.

[Texas Fossil]

You wrote: “If 80% of people wear a mask the transmission of the virus goes way down”

Show me the study that had that statistic.

[Texas Fossil]

Yes. The author had a valid reason not to wear a mask. She admitted it.

I don’t have a reason to not wear a mask. Perfectly healthy. But my 94 year old father and my wife have reasons to be in the high risk group. (I do too, if you believe everyone over 70 is high risk)

[goodnesswins]

If I see an older person with a mask, I think they are being careful..but unless an younger person has an immune problem or is sick (which I’ll try and assume is their problem) masks seem stupid. My son is operations Mgr for fairly large construction company. ..they are having to wear them...and gloves. Outside.

[hal ogen]

Would you reference where you got that idea? Did you just make it up?

[hal ogen]

Paranoid? However , didn’t quo more and other DIM guv do that by forcing Chinese Wuhan death virus sufferers into nursing homes? Many were murdered by this psychopathic decision .

[hal ogen]

I think that person got that number out a dark, wet very private place.

[jonrick46]

Must you ask a question about something one should know through common sense?

[Texas Fossil]

My only point.

The numbers put out by the CDC are admittedly over stated because of classification of cause of death.

The numbers in the press every day and most of them on the web are a mixture of fruit. Apples, Oranges, Persimmons, Plums and 50 other fruits. All blended together and run through many spread sheets.

Outcome?

False conclusions based on nonsense data.

So how do we determine where we really are? Number of hospitalizations are way down. The Deaths are declining.

If they had approached protecting the vulnerable this would never have been a crisis. It was know who was susceptible, but that was not part of the agenda.

[Yosemitest]

B.S. !

The left and "Establishment Republicans" are using the virus as an excuse to attack our economy by trying to make Trump look like a failure.

Why don't you listen to a REAL Medical Doctor, and Neurosurgeon ?

Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report newsletter, is a nationally recognized board-certified neurosurgeon, health practitioner, author, and lecturer.
He attended the Louisiana State University School of Medicine and completed his internship and neurological residency at the Medical University of South Carolina.
For 26 years, practiced neurosurgery in addition to having a nutritional practice.
He recently retired from his neurosurgical duties to devote his full attention to nutritional research.
Dr. Blaylock has authored four books,
Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills,
Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life,
Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients,
and his most recent work, Cellular and Molecular Biology of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Now about the virus, read the following two articles:

Blaylock: Face Masks Pose Serious Risks To The Healthy



‘Social distancing’ is not the answer; it’s the problem

[hal ogen]

Apparently...yes. After all, I admit I asked the question . As to “should know through common sense “...shouldn’t you have more common sense?

[hal ogen]

Apparently...yes. After all, I admit I asked the question . As to “should know through common sense “...shouldn’t you have more common sense?

[jonrick46]

You remember that the vortex of America’s pandemic started in Washington State. It was the Evergreen Health Medical Center, two miles from the Life Care Center of Kirkland where patient deaths were first linked to the virus. The state’s reaction to this outbreak was derelict as 37 residents fell to the plague. I see it as a way to blame the virus while benefiting from the deaths. When you answer this question, where the the money go from the dead resident after their death?—and you will see what I am thinking.

[jonrick46]

I guess engaging in Ad hominem arguments substitute for logical reason. Your need for me to defend common sense is a straw man which I have no desire to defend anyway.

[Texas Fossil]

I was already am aware of what happened in NYC.

I knew about Washington State, but not the details.

I also read about the nursing home in Houston, TX, who’s director had over 50 patients and staff infected. He pushed for and got all of them on HCQ and zinc and antibiotic. All survived except 1 patient. He saved their lives.

In NYC it was denied to any of them. They simply put them on the ventilator and let them die. Cuomo showed 17% of deaths in Nursing Homes until 2 weeks ago. Now Cuomo is lying about that. He is trying to avoid being blamed for what he caused.

[absalom01]

The vulnerable I was referring to is the population in SNF's, ALF's etc. How, exactly, is a resident of one of those facilities supposed to protect himself, if the governors keep moving covid positive patients into those facilities?

We can, and should, spend resources to protect those at risk who cannot protect themselves.

You've come up with a novel objection to wearing a mask. But you're more clever than I, because I can't figure out why it would give anyone a "sense of security". In any event, as you must well know by this point, the mask idea is not about people's emotions, or feelings, or virtue signalling, or any of the other rubbish reasons people give. It's to greatly reduce the spread of respiratory droplets, which transmit the virus, and provide a solid answer to those who insist that the "lockdown" must continue. If you have the slightest interest you will find compelling information here and here.

[absalom01]

The left and "Establishment Republicans" are using the virus as an excuse to attack our economy by trying to make Trump look like a failure.

That is, of course true, and is one reason that the "lockdown" must be ended.

The libertarian argument against masks as a mechanism for ending the lockdown is, like most libertarian arguments willfully blind to the complexity of the world, and the fact that the libertarian, no matter how contrary and independently minded, not an island of his own.

But I'm not really trying to convince you, since you've obviously made up your mind on the topic. I wish you a good Memorial day and good health.

[Chgogal]

And yet they survived.

[Chgogal]

Think Black Plague and rats. The human race survived that.

[Chgogal]

That is the point. The human race survived much worse without wearing masks.

[hal ogen]

Bye. Bye.