Coronavirus and You - Page 394

On June 20 2021 09:42 JimmiC wrote:

It poses a threat to me as I am a member of society and I pay taxes and so on. I don't want additional costs to the system that are not needed, and not just the health care but all the other costs that are involved when people get very sick. Often they have dependents that require care. You not wearing a seatbelt does not pose any threat to me and yet the rule is there because it is a simple way to reduce death and injury which reduces the cost to the entire system and there are 1000's of other examples. It is strange that people make it out like this is somehow different.

If people choose to not do it the lose some of the benefits of collective societies which is fair because they are creating extra burden.

On June 20 2021 15:13 Geisterkarle wrote:

You should come to Germany; especially Bavaria! Because you probably will be thrown out of many places with your meager hospital mask! FFP2 masks are mandatory at most places!
And: no, we are not doing especially better than other parts...

On June 20 2021 18:34 Slydie wrote:


Denmark just scrapped mask mandates for everything except public transport, but they were never mandatory outside.

Spain will FINALLY dropp the mask mandate outdoors next weekend. If someone can find a study confirming that a general mask mandate for outdoors is effective, I will be very curious to see it! Afaik, random transmission outside is extremely rare, so masks are not worth bothering with, 1m of distance does the trick, and briefly passing someone else at a closer distance is also not dangerous.

Curiously, a whole range of strange mask-wearing social norms have been formed where I live, and most of them have nothing to do with proper use. They include:
-When having a drink, take your mask on and off between each sip, without washing your hands ofc. When food is on the table, remove the mask. Strangely, shared plates and snacks are acceptable, so the masks usually make no difference what so ever in this setting.

-When walking outside, a lot of people either hold the mask in place with their hands or open open one strap. It probably make them feel less guilty for giving their face a little air.

-Most faces you see on the street are by people who are smoking, which is the only thing you can legally do without a mask outside... for health reasons.

I think all of this is absolutely absurd, but after having been bombarded with the moral importance of face masks, all critical thinking seems to have disappeared, even among doctors.

On June 20 2021 23:00 JimmiC wrote:

If some one was publicly and purposefully continuing to break that law to virtue signal to a bunch of people, in an attempt to encourage them to also not wear them, it would go down the same way.

The thing is when you get sensationalized news from a source that is trying to sell a narrative and not give the news story. You end up with their narrative instead of the truth.

+ Show Spoiler +

On June 20 2021 19:11 Ghostcom wrote:


I am intrigued by how you think the critical thinking has disappeared - I think you might be overestimating the effect of correctly worn masks compared to incorrectly worn masks.

Fact is, masks in themselves never served much function in the general public. They served as a reminder for people to distance which was from where we saw the actual protection when utilising I and II(R) masks. FFP3 masks obviously offered protection, but few to none wear those in public.

On June 21 2021 03:28 Slydie wrote:


What I mean is that the social norms and plain superstition dominate how people use and think about masks around here. If I mention how countries which never introduced mask mandates outside dealt very well with the pandemic, people either don't answer or rush to some far fetched explaination. It feels like debating religion.

I have to admit, the social norms are extremely powerful! I gave up even trying to use them correctly myself a long time ago, even having studied the subject from various sources.

On June 29 2021 07:49 Lmui wrote:
We're moving to masks recommended on Thursday it seems for public spaces (although some places may keep the mandate). We're under 50 cases for the province (5m population, so 1 case/100k/day), and our public health officer says that as the balance of people vulnerable to the virus have had two doses, and enough time for the doses to take effect, and as cases have fallen dramatically, the chance of a mask being required to stop transmission has dropped to a low level. We're going to have guidance on where masks are recommended, but the path is towards "least restrictive measures" needed to keep spread, and risk low.

Locally, data shows our Rt is between 0.5-0.6 in BC, so we're in a good place to drop restrictions and keep people happy with the few remaining restrictions.

My second dose is some time after July 6th so I'll be good by mid-July. The end is in sight for me.

On June 29 2021 08:31 Slydie wrote:


Here in Spain, most people still wear masks outside even it is not obligatory anymore. Of the ones who don't, most have them available and visible. I think it is puzzling, as walking around outside should be considered a very safe activity, the danger of infection is mainly theoretical. I feel the social preasure, though, it is a bit like walking around naked!

I would love to see more smiles soon, but it makes a major difference for me to know people cover their faces because up they choose to and not because they are afraid of fines.

On June 29 2021 15:01 Acrofales wrote:

I bumped into quite a lot of people wearing a mask only covering their mouth and not their nose. It doesn't make any sense. You don't have to wear a mask outside anymore. Either wear it properly if you feel it's still necessary, or don't wear it at all. But wearing a mask badly now that it's no longer required seems like a really dumb fashion statement or something?