Posted on 07/23/2020 6:57:37 AM PDT by Kaslin
I have, for most of my adult life, been a practicing hypochondriac. So, it will come as no surprise to you to hear that I am a zealous reader of the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA. I find something of interest in practically every issue. Recently, I found myself engrossed in the thoughts of Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who is also, if I am not mistaken, a noted bird watcher. I, of course, know very little about the birds. Yet, thanks to Redfield and the JAMA, I am now very much up to date in my knowledge about the wearing of masks and the controversy surrounding them during this pandemic.
You might recall that, some weeks ago, I wrote in this column about what I saw as a looming conflict between those who advocate wearing masks to protect themselves from the Wuhan virus (also known as the coronavirus) and those carefree Americanos who think that they might take their chances and go about their business maskless. Well, not surprisingly, the conflict has continued to heat up, and now it has led to full-fledged warfare, with each side taking up arms against the other and blood being spilled.
In my column, I vowed to remain "absolutely neutral" in the coming warfare between those who have advocated masks and those who would go maskless. I even offered a little joke hoping to get the contending sides to lighten up a bit. I wrote that, for the sake of public health, both the mask-wearers and the maskless should wash their hands at every opportunity and also wash their feet and blow their noses. I am told that Dr. Anthony Fauci did not think my joke was particularly funny.
I hope that he and the pulchritudinous Dr. Deborah Birx will take note of this column. I have changed my tune. I have been won over by the advocates of masks. It was Redfield and his argument in the JAMA that convinced me. He believes the pandemic can be brought under control in four to eight weeks, if "we could get everybody to wear a mask right now." In a signed editorial, he said there is "ample evidence" that masks assist in reducing transmission of the virus. Think of it! We could limit this horrible plague to a few weeks -- if we all worked together.
As things stand now, Americans are awaiting the arrival of therapeutic drugs or of vaccines, thanks to the ingenuity of our great pharmaceutical companies. I have no doubt the medications will be at hand someday soon. But Redfield says if we all wear masks, we will overcome this plague in a matter of weeks. I say, give masks a chance. (And I do hope the good doctor will not follow the example of the Washington Redskins and change the first syllable of his last name. That would be excessive.)
Even if the American pharmaceutical industry has some medications ready by the fall, it will take months, probably years, to vaccinate everyone. There will be those who refuse to take the medications because of religious scruples. There will be those who refuse them because of constitutional concerns. Probably, there will be some hypochondriacs who will dream up some dread diseases attendant with the medications. Believe me; I know about these types of kooks. And there will be the congenital ornery.
In fact, all of these uncooperative types who I have imagined as opposing future vaccinations have already appeared on the scene. They compose a large number of those who refuse to wear masks today. Actually, I was refusing to wear a mask before I read the cogent thoughts of Redfield.
Which brings me to the nub of the matter. Redfield has convinced me that if I wear a mask, we can beat this plague. Or, rather, if millions of my fellow Americans wear masks and are as reasonable as I am, we can beat this plague. But how many millions of Americans can be relied upon to follow Redfield's prescription? How many Americans are reasonable? Consider the protests in Portland, Oregon. Consider the hotheads in New York City and Washington, D.C. How about the angry young men in Chicago?
After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that only the giant pharmaceutical corporations will save us. Though for me, I am wearing a mask henceforth.
There’s one “small” problem with your theory. It’s called “FLOYD-19” and consists of mass riots in precisely those locales where COVID is spiking IN SPITE OF the “imposition” of mask orders. THE RIOTERS AIN’T WEARING MASKS!
Nice propaganda save-try, though.
If you wear a mask, you’re an idiot.
What actual scientific studies show is that a) masks do nothing to protect anyone; and b) masks inflict health damage on those who wear them.
Moreover, as the supply of PPE is limited, you wearing a mask means that’s one less where they would be actually useful in the real world - in hospitals and other health care facilities.
“consists of mass riots in precisely those locales where COVID is spiking”
Nope. Arizona has had the same lack of progress, even after shutting down bars and gyms. And no, we didn’t have much protest action going on here.
“Nice propaganda save-try, though.”
One of us is peddling the idea masks help in spite of clear evidence to the contrary. You mask-lovers are like the global warming crowd or the ‘spend more $$ on schools’ crowd - no evidence of failure is admitted. It only becomes proof we need to follow your failed policies HARDER.
No thanks. We have evidence from multiple states that masks do not slow, let alone cut, the rate of infection as they would IF THEY WORKED.
‘Shop somewhere else.’
thanks for the brilliant response; but since I wasn’t asking you, I’ll give it the attention it’s due...
I wash it with soap. Soap kills covid virus better than sanitizers. Because soap dissolves the protective fat layer on the virus cell. I have a dozen or more masks.
Please don’t get mad if I cough in your direction without wearing a mask.
Oh hah! There was a part of it where I THOUGHT it was going to resolve into satire ... but it never did - and frankly satire is so close to truth these days that it can be hard to tell... OK GOOD ... left me in an odd sort of way. Thanks!
They all look like those bandits in those old westerns
The DC mask exemptions include every lawmaker and government employee. So tell me again that the same science experts that said the hymalayas would melt by 2020, are trustwothy.
Wear a damp body temperature cloth for the virus particles to have a spa day on. Not just no. Then those same virus particles remain infectious longer. While you breathe them in.
Subject a virus to dry cooler temps and it will not be infectious. It will be dead.
Ludicrous. I am required to wear one at work. I have never felt so drained and unhealthy.
I won’t. I work in a hospital ER. I have people doing more than that all the time, the entire staff does. You can’t believe the stuff you’ll see in a hospital ER. Where do you work? This mask bullshit is just that, bullshit. We’ve been wearing these damn things for three months now. Are they working? Apparently not.
I repeat....SHOW ME THE DATA, not unsubstantiated commentary. I’ve studied the science of masks, and that shows that they work. You claim otherwise. Prove it.
To give benefit of doubt to masks, in countries where everyone is wearing masks are dropping new infections significantly.
Again, best use of mask is to trap a lot of your exhaling virus cells instead of throwing them out in the air to float around for several minutes.
But yes I agree masks do not protect you much. Wearing a mask partially protects others from you.
“I repeat....SHOW ME THE DATA, not unsubstantiated commentary.”
I have shown you the data. California and Arizona. But you IGNORE nearly 50 million people, wearing masks in public for 6 weeks with increasing cases, because YOU don’t like it!
I’ve seen the studies and they do NOT “prove” masks work. Prior to this becoming a political issue, all the studies showed masks were nearly worthless for viruses. But we no longer need to guess based on ANY studies. 50 million people have been required to wear masks in public, and it did NOT slow the spread, let alone stop it.
I claim they do not work and have 50 million people actively PROVING my point. All you have is bluster.
In all the seasons of the flu we’ve had in America we’ve never worn masks.
They tell us that if everyone wears a mask, we can beat this thing in 2 weeks. However, they know for a fact not everyone will wear a mask. It’s an unreachable goal. So what is the real message?
Sorru, bucko, but that ain't DATA. DATA requires NUMBERS, CHARTS, and REAL SCIENCE. I've read both sides, and the hard science backs the effectiveness of masks.
I've been doing more research, and found a BYU study on the SCIENCE, and the money quote is the following:
“When we went through the studies that mask skeptics were sharing on social media, we found that literally every one was being taken out of context or blatantly misinterpreted,” Abbott said.
I'll post links in a follow-up.
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