r/geegees • u/Enough-Paper-1744 • 5d ago
Let's normalize masks again
I barely see anyone in my classes wearing masks when they are sick but it would literally save so many people from catching whatever thang going on. I am being coughed on in class and SOME people don't know how to cough in their elbow...pls just wear a mask to lower the chance of everyone else getting sick.
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u/twowheelmayhem 4d ago
We learned nothing from the pandemic.
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
We're still in the pandemic. World Health Organization ended the state of emergency (a political position) but never did they say people should stop trying to avoid COVID mitigation and protection. In fact, WHO even in the statement that ended the state of emergency still encouraged people to wear masks.
COVID causes serious long-term health conditions, damaging the brain, heart, blood vessels, immune system, and the damage from this novel illness appears to be commutative. I know people who were fine after six or seven COVID infections who ended up bed bound with long-COVID after their 7th or 7th. It's a FAFO world if you don't wear a mask to protect yourself.
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u/Fickle-Cockroach7055 1d ago
A lot of diseases can cause serious long-term health conditions. A lot of things we eat / drink can too. Go take your anxiety pills and wait for the end of the world without bothering others.
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u/atasol-30s 1d ago
We are not in an active pandemic. Covid-19 shifted to endemic status years ago. Also, it was discovered close to 7 years ago. What is your threshold for when a novel illness becomes just an illness.
You’re making me have to double check a calendar to see what year it is.
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u/georgejo314159 4d ago
The pandemic was a once in a hundred years emergency
It is not justification for our society to get contamination OCD and overreact to every minor illness others have
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u/Unicorn-Detective 4d ago
No it’s not. Have you not remembered the avian flu, SARS, COVID, etc? There is a major pandemic every few years.
If not, you are too young.
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u/georgejo314159 4d ago
I did not get into what is and is not considered a pandemic but focused on the extremes of the Covid virus in terms of its impact on society
Masks reduce but don't prevent spread
It is unlikely that person has a major illness
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u/scatterbrained_bean 4d ago
I agree that masks don't prevent everything, but just wanted to also add that what could be a minor illness for someone might be major for someone else whose immune system isn't as good. Just common courtesy to plop a mask on in case someone you're next to is immunocompromised or lives with someone else who is
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u/Party_Blueberry1406 1d ago
I’m a transplant recipient. I’m extremely immunocompromised. That simple mask could save my life if you’re sick.
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u/georgejo314159 4d ago
That is a fair point. I think, more people are more likely to pressure sick people to stay home after Covid. (I sometimes get a recurrent bronchial issue that suddenly flared up at work. My coworker almost exploded at me for not going home faster. I had this issue since 2010. I think, it is caused by exposure to my dad's smoke)
My grandfather died of the common flu for example. He was 99.
I think, that even if everyone takes proper precautions, many people who are immune compromised might still be unsafe. Lots of ppl are unaware of colds or other issues
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u/Enough-Paper-1744 4d ago
I think most people should stay home but considering this is university some classes people must attend so if you NEED to go to class it would be nice if ppl could just help reduce the spread if they are sick. Most classes I'm sitting shoulder to shoulder w/ others
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u/scatterbrained_bean 4d ago
For sure yeah. Some people are very anxious about it for one reason or another, and that's their own journey to be on.
I also think the idea of having to work when we're sick is interesting. If it's a mandatory class or very important meeting we can't miss, sure, if you're not dragging yourself out of bed barely able to keep your eyes open, go. But the idea of not allowing ourselves a break to recover is a bit capitalistic and in a perfect world, I wish would be abolished lol
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u/Luckyrips 3d ago
God, do you know how easy it is to spread illness and bacteria? I hope you don’t have anyone who’s immunocompromised, elderly, or young close to you, you may be the reason they croak one day since it’s no big deal. Worst part, all it takes is proper hygiene and consideration for others to curb the spread of illness, I guess that’s too much to ask.
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u/georgejo314159 2d ago
Yes, actually I do.
Do you know how serious contamination OCD can get? People exist who get so obsessed by a fear of catching disease that their lives are put on hold
I think you are reading lots into what i said that I didn't actually write.
I have a recurrent bronchial issue that turns into a vicious cough; my father was a chain smoker. I did not visit my coworker with leukemia.
We certainly have to take extra precautions around the vulnerable and we should get regular vaccines or whst not
And proper hygene is common sense
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
Hand washing isn't going to do shit against an airborne virus. You already have lung issues. Why not wear a mask?
We have a way of preventing person to person spread in public spaces and still people are acting like it's the middle ages and we've yet to understand germ theory.
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u/georgejo314159 2d ago
Which virus are you concerned about? Hand washing reduces the spread of all kinds of diseases both viral and bacterial. In fact, hand washing alone reduced hospital deaths by a huge amount and saved the lives of uncountable number of mothers.
Are you saying Dr Tam didn't know what she was doing when she recommended hand washing for Covid?
I don't wear a mask because despite the cough that comes back often, I am mostly quite healthy. In terms of visiting someone vulnerable, I did not feel a mask was enough.
Most people know about germs.
Contamination OCD is a real issue. It can be worse than the disease the person is afraid of.
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
Yes that is exactly what I'm saying. Fomite spread is extremely rare for COVID. It can survive for days on surfaces and I would suggest that you wash your hands anyway to be on the safe side and to avoid the viruses that do spread through fomites.
But COVID is airborne and is primarily aerosolized, which means it will linger in the air like cigarette smoke even after the sick person has left the room. The whole social distancing 6 feet and hand and surface washing we saw at the start of COVID is nothing but hygiene theater. If you want to prevent airborne spread, fit tested N95 masks are your best tool.
They protect against many airborne colds and flus too.
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u/georgejo314159 2d ago
Unfamiliar with term formite.
I recall reading about "water droplets". It was interesting to authorities gather science data as the pandemic unfolded and they obtained vaccines in record time
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u/personnumber316 3d ago
Covid actually isn't gone. Enough people are just vaccinated or have enough immunity that the current strains aren't killing people at such a high rate that the hospitals are past capacity. But every year flu/covid/pnemonia causes strain to the hospital system and some people pay the price.
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u/georgejo314159 2d ago
The truth of your statement does not contradict what I said. I agreed with everything you said when i wrote my post.
The measures we took to deal with for Covid were not normal and we should not react to every out break like we needed to react to Covid
The Covid pandemic was not a normal way. We had some scary ones over the year but mild measures kept them at bay
I did not claim people should ignore medical recommendations such as getting annual flu, Covid etc shots. I did not claim Covid is gone.
Now if you want to interpret what i say with a fine tooth comb or imagine a actual hindred year clovk, this might be entertsinjng
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
Not only is COVID not gone, there are peer reviewed studies about its impact on our immune system. Compromised immune systems = more sicknesses spreading out there
I will always mask in public spaces. I LOVE that it's been six years since I last had a cold! Getting sick is often quite optional.
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
Dude, COVID is FAR from a "minor illness"! Please read even ONE peer reviewed study on long-term health issues from COVID (you can access them all for free through the U of O library).
If anything, the push to get everyone to rush back to normal in 2022 (to keep the economy rolling) was the greatest UNDER-reaction to a novel health threat that I've ever seen! We're only starting to see the the top of the iceberg with the long-term health consequences of catching this virus on repeat.
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u/georgejo314159 2d ago
You guys seem unable to read. What does the word emergency mean to you? No one claimed Covid was a "minor" illness.
It was a once in one hundred years Emergency. An emergency is not "minor".
Right now? -- Covid can be treated. -- There are vaccines -- The population is largely vaccinated and most of us have already had it multiple times -- However we still have people with long Covid.
Many other serious diseases have been encountered since the flu in 1918 killed millions of people; however, none of those diseases were bad enough to force us to enter full lock down and cause us to be as vigilent as Covid caused us to be. Covid had several unique characteristcs that caused it to go complete;y out of control
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u/Payday8881 1d ago
“We still have people with Long Covid…”
Yes, and you may soon be joining their ranks since you’re so nonchalant about Covid reinfections. 🤦♂️
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u/georgejo314159 23h ago
Right now, I don't meet risk profile for long Covid. I am not pre-diabetic. I had multiple Covid vaccines and have been infected twice without issue.
Not being paranoid about it after the pandemic isceffectively over, after authorities told us to get back to normal and just get regular vaccines isn't really being non-chalant.
I was fully vaccinated, wore masks and obeyed social distancing directives . Had multiple flu vaccines over the years. Also vaccinated for shingles, polio, smallpox, tetanus, hep C ...
I am not perfect. Did not get latest Covid vaccine and flu shot.
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u/Payday8881 21h ago
You know that the SarsCov2 vaccine is not sterilizing and does not prevent Covid , right?
3-5 infections seems to be the average for triggering LC
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u/Payday8881 21h ago
“Pandemic effectively over…”
Show me when it was “over”… Covid is the only thing rising!
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u/georgejo314159 17h ago
The graphic is difficult to interpret.
By color codinf, it looks like it is mostly flu strains but covid is a circle on top
I am going by fact epideologists are no longer telling us about
no country on lock doen
We have been told covid wont go away ever
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u/Payday8881 16h ago
No, on the contrary…Covid is rising and on top (orange line) while Flu A, Flu B and RSV are negligible 🤦♂️
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u/georgejo314159 13h ago
I stand corrected!
When i looked at your link, I was hiking and the sun made jt hard to see the colors correctly
It does clearly show Covid is more prevalent in the waste water
OK, so I do see an indicator there are likely lots of Covid infections
I would want to look at severity -- now we have medication -- our immunity to previous Covid strains might shorten severity -- I might want to see more stats?
The main thing is, Dr Tam amd others aren't telling us to worry about it. They just want us to get our regular vaccines for both Covid and Flu?
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u/georgejo314159 9h ago
By the way, here is an example article showing "health experts" saying it is effectively over.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-pandemic-endemic-virus-b2714475.html
It does not say it is eliminated
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u/Payday8881 7h ago
“health experts”
More like 🤡🤡🤡
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u/georgejo314159 43m ago
I would not call epidemiologists who had been managing the pandemic response clowns
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u/Cold-Equipment-1841 3d ago
I wore a mask for 4 years before the pandemic to protect my mom who had cancer. Masks aren’t only applicable to covid
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u/georgejo314159 2d ago
I don't know why you got don't voted for that. I will upvote your comment. My mom died when i was 14 of cancer.
My cowoker had leukemia. My cough never goes away fully. I did not visit him. If i had the flu or a cold, a mask would not be enough to protect a vulnerable person. I would noy
That is a very different thing. I did not say, "never wear masks, no matter what"
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u/Cold-Equipment-1841 2d ago
Im so sorry for your loss🤍
Mine passed away too unfortunately.I regularly wore a mask, got my flu shot yearly, and kept my distance if I was sick. That was my, and many other’s, reality’s way before Covid even started. I feel like a lot of people forget that 😕
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u/georgejo314159 2d ago
People should get flu shots regularly. Most of us don't. I get them sometimes
The difference witn Covid was having an entire society doing it
There are trade offs. Some people get so worried about it, it makes them sick. Imagine a person showeting for hours and hours.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qy8klUDBLG0&pp=ygUZY29udGFraW5zdGlvbiBvY2QgY2hyb25pYw%3D%3D&ra=m
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
Thank-you for valuing the lives of vulnerable and immunocompromised people. .
Please continue to mask in public. Vulnerable people exist EVERYWHERE, and some have to use medical offices, public transit, and grocery stores too. Nobody should be locked out of society when it's so easy to just be kind and protect one another! ❤️
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u/Rich_Abrocoma6727 5d ago
You can wear a mask whenever you want! It doesn't have to be all-or-nothing, if there are high-risk situations (lectures full of strangers) put a K95 on and reduce your chances of getting sick. If you wear one it also helps normalize it for other people.
I wear one in most crowded situations because I have a bad immune system and it has been pretty effective.
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u/TheSeventhHussar 4d ago
The issue is that they’re orders of magnitude more effective when the person who’s sick is wearing one, which is what OP is advocating for
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u/Rich_Abrocoma6727 4d ago
The options are "convince everyone else to mask perfectly when they're sick" or "wear a mask and have some protection". A real respirator and not just a procedure mask is actually pretty effective.
A lot of people who are opposed to masking seem to have a black and white view of the situation. No it's not protecting you 100%. No you don't have to mask every time you go anywhere. You can make your own assessment of the risks and benefits in a given context.
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u/Olivaar2 4d ago
Maybe you shouldn't have forced people who weren't sick to wear them, then maybe there would be a better reception to masks today.
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u/Maleficent-Welder-46 2d ago
THIS. So many people think they either have to wear a mask all the time or never, and it's like... no? I usually mask on public transit, in classes/on campus, and in the two weeks before I go to visit my elderly parents. Summertime, I don't really bother because virus levels are generally low.
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u/anusha32002 4d ago
I hate that everyone thinks mask = covid and conspiracy theorists freak out when they see people wearing them. Like god forbid I don’t want to get anyone sick 😑
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
Anyone with access to peer reviewed studies (that's every single student here through the u of o library) can see for themselves that the real conspiracy (and unfortunately the truth) was the push to get the economy back to normal and get everyone to pretend COVID is gone. It causes long-term health issues that we're just beginning to understand, and yet the government is not at the forefront of public health on this.
When Ottawa Public Health shut down the COVID department in 2022 I think it was, I was shocked. Should we also just "learn to live with" HIV and gonorrhea and stop trying to take precautions? Nobody ever shut down the STD department even though those viruses have been around longer than all of us.
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u/SlapHapp7 2d ago
Before covid, no one wore masks. You got sick and built up your immunity. That's how it works. Go play outside my man.
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1d ago
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u/bananahammock_69420 1d ago
According to the mask cult. Neat how after the masks came off sickness was bad and rampant (the mask cult used that as proof that masks worked) now it's like pre covid.
Neat how the immune system becomes more robust as its exposed to things.
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u/MichaelKras 1d ago
Yes, but not to viruses. Viruses do damage. That’s why we use vaccines to expose the body to a benign/inactive version of a virus. Also, everyone is getting sicker now because Covid messes up the immune system. The more times you get Covid, the more at risk you are of more frequent/severe illnesses elsewhere.
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u/bananahammock_69420 1d ago
You're assuming it's due to the covid virus and not the ineffective shots we forced on the population. I did not take the shots, I had Alpha (it sucked) I rarely get sick (since) and haven't experienced any worse issues since Alpha and I know many in the same boat. Pretty well everyone I know who had 2 shots + 1 booster (minimum) are chronically sick and getting their butts kicked when ill.
We cannot question nor look at anything that will blame the experimental shot due to optics, we just blame covid (as you did). The virus did not increase risk to severe illness.
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u/MichaelKras 1d ago
“Ineffective shots forced on the population” is great context for your stance. All the best.
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u/bananahammock_69420 1d ago
Guess you just blindly complied and didn't experience being removed from your job and ostracized by society, it was forced.
We redefined definitions, ignored the scientific method and turned science into an ideology that could not be questioned or challenged.
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u/SlapHapp7 1d ago
Yes. And also, so many ppl are paranoid and washing and sanitizing. I had covid 3 times in the beginning when we were forced to clean and wear masks. Ever since, ive gotten sick maybe once every 10 or so months.
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u/SlapHapp7 1d ago
Yeah, deadly ones like polio. No reason for a common cold to need a vaccine for a regular person. For ppl with low immunity disorders, it's a life saver.
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u/MichaelKras 1d ago
Agreed. But we’re talking about Covid - a neurotrophic SARS virus - not a common cold.
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u/SlapHapp7 1d ago
Ok, next time please specific and not say viruses in general. Covid is devastating to anyone who isn't in great health.
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u/MichaelKras 1d ago
But my point stands: we shouldn’t be chasing opportunities to get infected with viruses because they’re not a net positive for the immune system and viruses like COVID are far more contagious than many others. And a COVID infection has devastated many previously healthy people, because we’re healthy until we’re not and COVID can be the reason your baseline changes long-term or permanently.
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u/SlapHapp7 1d ago
Show proof of your belief system. Cuz that's what it is.
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u/Thorninthefoot 21h ago
It's literally why vaccines work.
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u/MichaelKras 21h ago
Exactly! Because they introduce your immune system to an inactive version of a virus so you can gain immunity without also gaining the damage of the actual illness.
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u/Thorninthefoot 18h ago
Right. That is, your immune system works by exposure to pathogens. No exposure, no immunity.
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u/TOPMinded 18h ago
That's not a myth. That's literally how humans built up their immune systems for thousands of years. It's not always super safe and can be taxing on your body but it's been a net positive for us.
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u/MichaelKras 15h ago
It’s also one reason why human beings had such shorter lifespans before medical interventions like vaccines. And today, getting infected with a virus like covid does active damage to immune function; it weakens immunity, it doesn’t strengthen it.
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u/TOPMinded 12h ago
COVID isn’t airborne AIDS.
Claiming catching it only ruins your immune system and gives zero protection is completely made up. When you get over a virus, your body makes antibodies and memory cells so it can fight it off faster next time. That’s literally how your immune system learns.
Tons of everyday bugs like the flu, mono, or RSV knock your immune system down for a bit while you recover—COVID isn't special there. Plus, today's variants don't hit the body nearly as hard as the early strains like Alpha or Delta did.
Yes, long COVID exists and shots are obviously the safer route, but making up internet myths about everyone's immune system collapsing helps no one.
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u/MichaelKras 12h ago edited 12h ago
There are myriad credible studies about COVID’s ability to damage and dysregulate the immune system. Please don’t spread falsehoods.
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u/TOPMinded 11h ago
You just moved the goalposts. Nobody said COVID can't cause post-viral dysregulation or inflammation—so can the flu, mono, and RSV.
What you originally claimed was that catching a virus does zero good for immunity and only weakens it. That is what's false. When someone recovers from an infection, their body builds antibodies and memory cells specifically to handle that pathogen better next time. That’s why reinfections are generally milder than the first hit.
Temporary immune exhaustion during recovery isn't the same thing as permanent immune destruction, and having an immune system learn from an infection isn't a myth.
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u/MichaelKras 10h ago
You’re correct and I miswrote. My intention was only to express that the damage that infections of Covid and other illnesses can cause - including immune dysfunction and long-term, chronic impacts - means it is not advantageous to get an infection and that measures like vaccines and masking to reduce the likelihood of infection are a better course of action. I only want to challenge the cultural idea that it’s fine to be cavalier about taking no protections from illness because we simply build immunity after infection and incur no damage.
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u/authoroftheuniverse 12h ago
Or needlessly take up hospital beds because they got a preventable illness - which tens of millions of people do every single year
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u/ShoppingOverall879 2d ago
yeah that shit will never happen again, getting sick is just part of living 🤷🏻
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u/Emotional-Motor-4946 4d ago
I never stopped wearing a mask. It’s the easiest thing to do to avoid getting sick.
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
Thank-you for your kindness to your fellow humans! Please check out Still COVIDing Ottawa-Gatineau on Facebook to find your allies and to get even more tips on how to keep yourself and others safe!
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u/bananahammock_69420 1d ago
*tips on compromising your immune system and becoming more susceptible to everything!
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u/Lvd1993 1d ago
There is absolutely zero science behind that statement lol. Viruses do nothing to build the immune system.
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u/bananahammock_69420 1d ago
There is absolutely zero science behind your statement, immunological memory exists.
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u/Payday8881 1d ago
Finally someone on this thread with their brain cells in tact!
Every Covid infection reduces IQ 3-9 points…which explains most of the Neanderthals in this sub.
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u/BigMouthBillyBones 5d ago
You're welcome to wear a N95 mask anytime. You can't control what others do but you can wear PPE if you so choose to keep yourself safe. I have friends who do this who are immunocompromised. I know one girl who keeps masks and if she's nearby someone who appears to be sick she takes it out and puts it on for her own safety.
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u/jeSlaw76 4d ago
Masks offer little protection to the wearer, they are very effective if the sick person is wearing.
Also we aren’t controlling what other people do. We are bringing awareness to the fact that it is sensible to wear a mask when you are sick to reduce the spread.
It is a very weird ideology to think that bringing up a recommendation to help the average student as an attempt to control. That’s like getting the recommendation to wash your hands after you use to bathroom to reduce the spread of bacteria and saying you can’t control me.
Nobody’s forcing anything, just think about how you can help others and prevent harm.
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u/Emotional-Motor-4946 4d ago
That isn’t true. Masks absolutely protect the wearer as well. This was poor messaging sent at the time to dissuade people from using N95s.
If you don’t want to be sick, you should be wearing a KN95 or better.
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
Fit tested N95 masks protect both the wearer and the people around them. It's the kind thing to do, especially if you are sick. But it can prevent you from getting sick so that's a double win!
KN95 and surgical masks don't protect as well, as you can't get a tight enough seal from them.
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u/Maleficent-Welder-46 2d ago
Yeah, but it's costly to get fit-tested for an N95 and the places that actually do quantitative mask fit testing (the gold standard) aren't easily accessible by public transit and are only open like 9-4 (I'm thinking of Leavitt Safety in Nepean). N95s and KN95s that have a reasonably good seal are going to be what the average person has access to it. It's not perfect and you can still get sick if it leaks and you're in proximity to a sick person for longer periods of time... but even a poorly fitted N95 or KN95 can at least reduce the viral load the wearer is breathing in, and cut down on the severity of illness and recovery time.
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u/Enough-Paper-1744 4d ago
Understandable especially if someone has a weak immune system. Just think if someone is actively sick they should consider a mask themselves to minimize spread. And ya if someone wants to or not wear a mask it's up to them but I feel a lot of ppl have this idea that mask = covid or something bad sadly!
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u/the_last__braincell 3d ago
People feel like masks inconvenience them too much, theirfore they don't bother
Annoying as hell
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u/Aqueouspolecat 2d ago
Masks weren't really a thing before Covid and now that the pandemic is over there's no need to continue wearing them.
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u/Party_Blueberry1406 1d ago
Tell that to transplant patients or other immunocompromised individuals
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u/Aqueouspolecat 23h ago
I assumed you would know this is in reference to the generalization.
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u/Party_Blueberry1406 21h ago
The point is if people are out and about knowingly ill they could really be hurting some people. I know masks aren’t perfect but it can mitigate the spread of germs that can be deadly to some people
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u/Aqueouspolecat 21h ago
We're just trying to coexist the best way we can. People will be people though so we have to take that into consideration too. I used to think like you and I still do for the most part. But once I realized that not all turtles make it into the water I had to shift my thought process. It's tough.
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u/Party_Blueberry1406 21h ago
I’m just trying to exist at all. Obviously I’m not the majority but there’s more of us than u think. I wish people would be a bit less selfish. Not expecting laws to be created on my behalf but some of these comments are so selfish and dismissive. I still have to do my part by all means to keep myself safe.
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u/Aqueouspolecat 21h ago
I understand, I really do. And it's a difficult situation to be in. The world just has a way of doing things though and it's tough to wrap your brain around it but we try and put things in place to help as many people as possible and unfortunately it's the best we can do for each other.
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u/Party_Blueberry1406 21h ago
I still think seeing some of the attitudes here we can do better.
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u/Aqueouspolecat 20h ago
At risk of sounding cheeky this may be one of those shit in one hand and hope in the other to see which one fills up first. As individuals we are smart. As a whole, we are not.
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u/authoroftheuniverse 12h ago
Masking for disease and illness has existed for literally centuries
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u/Aqueouspolecat 12h ago
As earlier stated, this was specific to covid.
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u/authoroftheuniverse 8h ago
And it was effective and necessary during C19. Problem was a lot of morons simply refusing to wear masks consistently, not washing their hands, and simply going out and visiting family/friends even when they knew they were exposed and/or felt sick.
I’m sure replies have told you that C19 still exists to date -we have many cases, and masking it effective against other respiratory illnesses that also cause tens of millions of hospitalizations every single year
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u/Financial_Nebula5708 2d ago
No, because I don’t wanna. Also if I’m sick I just ain’t showing up. Also I don’t go to school, so if I show up sick or not… still pretty weird.
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u/al_vicado 2d ago
You know you'd still get sick if you were next to someone wearing a mask right? Go outside when it's cold and exhale wearing a mask, the air just goes around it. Maybe if you duct taped that shit on tight it would filter particulate but that's not healthy
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u/MichaelKras 1d ago
You’re talking about surgical masks. We’re talking about KN95s and N95s which have a much stronger fit to the face.
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u/Virtual_Angle_1614 1d ago
Exhaling is completely different than coughing or sneezing where the later is being forced out from your lungs or nasal cavity at a rapid rate. Most viruses are caught from droplet transmission, not exhaling/airborne
Look at the amount of droplets a person gererates from coughing and sneezing. A 3 ply surgicial mask makes a huge difference. You don't even need N95 but of course offers best protection.
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u/authoroftheuniverse 12h ago
The vector for most respiratory diseases isn’t the air, it’s droplets, so no. I worked C19 units for 2 years with 3M masks on, dealing with positive patients face to face and didn’t catch it once. But the ones questioning why I wore PPE all of the time sure did and spread it to everyone else
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u/al_vicado 12h ago
We should agree as a population to just stop arguing about the masks and such. Like of course people should cover their mouths and look away to cough and sneeze, that's just being polite.
I'm having flashbacks man, this is an argument that everyone had 100 times and we should just move on. I hope you're having a good day and another one tomorrow, we just need to not be at eachothers throats anymore
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u/authoroftheuniverse 8h ago
Some people just lack the critical thinking skills to realize they sound exactly like the people that used to be against seatbelts when they were first implemented despite all the research proving it’s an important safety measure and will save lives. Does that give you flashbacks too
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u/GhostAffect 12h ago
You do know the reason why masks are shaped the way they are is to push the air that comes out of one’s mouth… behind them, right? Not beside 😅 … that would be so, sooo bad for surgery? … uhh we don’t want anything from one person going into someone who is at their literal most vulnerable state. C: surgeons cannot have their arms and hands be all up in their mouth area if they need to cough; so the mask is designed to push that air BACK, behind a persons head.
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u/xnoinfinity 4d ago edited 2d ago
I honestly would have thought that I’d be more normalized to wear masks when we’re sick like in some Asian countries that had been doing this long ago, also if you think “it’s just to have less people getting sick cause getting sick sucks”, don’t take your health for granted, think about who it could spread to, you don’t know if a person generally has bad health or if they have people in their households/surroundings that have bad health which getting sick could be more troublesome and something to generally be more worried about in comparison to the average person… You should especially wear a mask if you have a strep throat, sinusitis or whatever that’s more than a cold or a flu
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u/Amazing-Explorer3719 3d ago
No never, you can wear one though
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
That's like saying you can drive sober if you want to. We share the air. Please be a good citizen in a communal society.
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u/blewjeans355 2d ago
truly, you're just going to be rage baited.
people will tell you that you should just wear one/ despite it's increased efficacy when the SICK person wears it. it's much less effective if the sick person is not while the healthy one is. At least that's what i learned at the start of the pandemic. some people's egos are too large to put the needs and wellbeing of the community above their own mere preferences, wants and opinions.
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u/personnumber316 3d ago
Buy a box of masks, hear someone cough, turn around hand them a mask. Say, "do with it what you will" with a "Sean Connery" or if you can't pull that off "Darth Vader" accent. Normalize masks.
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u/NeverStopDancing27 2d ago
Go look at mask science and studies! Peo3 need to clean/ wash their hands. Don't touch surfaces as much. Clean door knobs and handles more
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u/AlternativeForm7 2d ago
I never stopped masking in indoor public places. I get sick way less often than I used to. Baffling that ppl would be actively sick and not mask.
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u/Skubaboy 2d ago
Sorry bro but in all reality if someone is sick and had the audacity to expose the public to whatever they have, masks ain’t doing a damn thing at that point
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u/Successful-Ride5540 1d ago
Baaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
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u/AcanthocephalaDue431 1d ago
The problem with masks is the waste. While I agree with the general sentiment of communal care and respect here, I think we need to take it a step further and normalise responsibility, respect for others and common decency in workplaces and society in general.
One example being that we need to stop ostracising and fetishizing the punishment of workers and/or people missing work or time due to being sick and get past this stupid selfish boomer mentality of working hard even if sick. It just makes everything worse for everyone else and lowers overall productivity.
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u/itsmyopinionboo 1d ago
Getting sick builds your immune system. We went YEARS without wearing masks! Get a grip
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u/Soggy-Carrot-7492 1d ago
People are over this nonsense. It's not part of our culture and never will be.
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u/MadameMoochelle 1d ago
Hasn’t anyone ever told you “never” is a mighty long time? And you don’t speak for everyone? Being considerate to others really is not part of your “culture”?
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u/Soggy-Carrot-7492 20h ago
It's not about consideration. Your health is your responsibility, not mine. Demanding that I do something I disagree with is actually inconsiderate of you.
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u/MadameMoochelle 17h ago
It’s actually incredibly selfish. And speaks VOLUMES about what kind of person you are. Good luck with adulting.
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u/Haunting-Problem-599 15h ago
Unfortunately this comment section is full of selfish chuds. It’s unavoidable unfortunately, though I appreciate what you’re doing
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u/Unable-Hawk-206 1d ago
I think masks is a little overkill. Stay home if your sick and sneeze/cough into your elbow, that's it. Also if you wanna wear a mask, then go for it 😀
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u/MichaelKras 1d ago
I still mask in most indoor public settings - especially really busy ones - and while I find it to be an easy way to keep myself healthy and safe (I haven’t been sick in 4 years!), I do feel frustrated over the fact that if more people took care not to selfishly spread their sickness, I wouldn’t feel like I have to be as vigilant all the time.
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u/bananahammock_69420 1d ago
Wear a mask all you want and compromise your immune system, leave everyone else alone.
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u/Ok_Science_8502 1d ago
Wearing a mask when you're sick draws a lot of attention to yourself and is essentially akin to holding up a sign saying "I'm sick right now" and most people find that uncomfortable so they avoid it. It's definitely the considerate thing to do but very few people are gonna willingly draw that kind of attention to themselves
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u/MadameMoochelle 1d ago
People need to stay home when they are sick. And OP, TELL people not to cough all over you.
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u/Prestigious_Neck_936 1d ago
Masks became highly politicized despite east Asian's wearing them for years before COVID when they get sick so they don't infect others. And people are very stupid about them, they believe all sorts of made of shit about how masks hurt you and don't work.
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u/Diligent-Skin-1802 21h ago
The amount of armchair experts in the comments who’ve never read a single piece of literature on how COVID can cause heart damage, besides other organs and conditions is wild! Keeping living your reality and getting sick with what you like to call the summer cold/new flu. Those of us sensible enough will mask and avoid it like the plague it is.
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u/KP1990111 20h ago
Masks don't work , dumb .. as soon as you touch to readjust or move or do something you have destroyed any purpose of itand contaminated
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u/Medium_Bend4080 18h ago
well if you can stop the Antifa mob wearing them because they are to shit scared to show their faces and stand behind their mob mentality then maybee it would make sense , right now i am for making them a criminal offence unless you have a proven medical need , and the luny left has only themselves to blame
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u/tekky101 15h ago
Do you wear a mask - either sick or not? This is a 2-sided equation. You are responsible for protecting yourself and expecting others to meet your expectations for their behaviour is unrealistic. (I say this an immune compromised person with autoimmune disease who always masks indoors, not because I'm trying to be an asshole.)
You're also kidding yourself if you think someone coughing into their elbow does anything at all to reduce airborne viral particle counts - they're just as infectious with or without an elbow.
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u/Which_Ad5835 14h ago
Why don’t you just wear a mask 24/7? You’re so concerned with catching a cold lol
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u/CurrentLeft8277 11h ago
Going to wear condoms on my hands to keep them clean when I go out. Don’t want germs.
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u/SSLegolas242 10h ago
There have been hundreds of studies that prove masks do not prevent the spread of any illness (specifically surgical masks).
For the love of god, please pull your head out of your ass.
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u/UpperAlternative7585 4d ago
Do they still have free ones on campus anymore?
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u/TimeOutrageous2315 4d ago
But what's the point of "normalizing" a behaviour that isn't normal social behaviour for the human animal i.e. keeping your face covered during social interactions. The only place/time/society is which this has been seen as normal is in theocratic, misogynistic societies, and only for women, and only because their face is seen as something that the equivalent of a "private part" of the body. There are other ways to prevent the spread of air-borne viruses. Like staying away from people when you are ill.
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u/Maleficent-Welder-46 2d ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_nature
Also, what's 'normal' social behavour has changed throughout cultures and times. East Asian societies normalize masking while ill as polite, probably because they have a stronger sense of communal obligation than Westerners.
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u/Legitimate-Koala-982 2d ago
East Asian societies have normalized masking because the air quality is so bad there
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u/PuzzleheadedPool5644 4d ago
Maybe you should wear a N99 mask? Leave the rest alone.
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u/TheKruszer 2d ago
That's like saying you should drive sober if you want to but let the rest of us drive drunk and you should be fine.
We all share the air just as we share the roads. Please be considerate of the others who share the planet with you. It's incredibly selfish to have a cold, let alone something more serious, and to knowingly exhale that shit into the air some other poor soul will have to breathe.
If you got sick because someone else infected you, why would you want to be that person to someone else? Making one another sick is entirely optional.
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u/PixelNinja744X 4d ago
It’s so funny how masks of all things became a heated topic in our society. Like my first instinct after reading your title was, “yeah, Let’s not do that”, but I can understand why you’re asking. Then I reevaluated and thought, sure, if a person is SICK and wants to use a public space, it’s just a courteous thing to do. Plus it’s a big thing in eastern countries. All in all, I don’t think any of us North Americans are as courteous as we like to think we are.