Wearing a mask cuts own risk of novel coronavirus by 65 percent, experts say

[Cyber Liberty]

I don't consider that 'being considerate'. I consider that to be exactly the same as being asked nicely to wear a 'black lives matter' hat. I consider it rude, and an intrusion. Protect yourself, fine. Leave me the hell alone. If you don't like it, you are perfectly welcome to 'social distance' yourself. 

Nobody is making you stand by me.

I see your point, but I don't share it.  There's a slight difference OBLM hat and a plain paper mask.

[Bigun]

Just to make things perfectly clear, I support the right of a private business to impose any requirement he chooses for potential customers to do business with them.

I do not, in any way, support any blanket government mandates.

[Cyber Liberty]

Nah. Then why the moves to outlaw HCQ and penalize doctors for prescribing it off-standard? There was never a shortage of HCQ, and it is the easiest and cheapest and quickest to manufacture.

This is nothing but a giant political game of 'hide the sausage' tied to a gargantuan political, grant, and civil monetary pinata.

And in the mean time, the virus does what a virus does... Not a damn thing is stopping it.

There may be nothing that is stopping it as it runs its natural course, but there is no shortage of charlatans claiming it was their efforts making the death rate go down.  The "I told you so brigade."

[roamer_1]

I see your point, but I don't share it.  There's a slight difference OBLM hat and a plain paper mask.

None at all... both are nothing but a political statement. Neither is effective for its stated purpose.

[Cyber Liberty]

Just to make things perfectly clear, I support the right of a private business to impose any requirement he chooses for potential customers to do business with them.

I do not, in any way, support any blanket government mandates.

As do I.  The final go/no go decisions may differ, but the core philosophy of "let the business owner decide" remains the same.

[Cyber Liberty]

None at all... both are nothing but a political statement. Neither is effective for its stated purpose.

I am generally not in the mood to have to explain to low-information people why I think they're FOS.  Sometimes I will, but not often.  It's more to do with my normal interactions in life than it is because of the man-made crisis underway.

[roamer_1]

I am generally not in the mood to have to explain to low-information people why I think they're FOS.  Sometimes I will, but not often.  It's more to do with my normal interactions in life than it is because of the man-made crisis underway.

*Shrugs* No diatribe from me IRL either. I am old and grumpy, short and to the point... In a curt but civil "Kindly GFY" kinda way.

[txradioguy]

My perfectly functioning brain tells me if there is even the slightest chance that a mask helps I have no problem wearing one.  Do I trust any supposed "research", from the CDC, the WHO, Fauci and others?  Absolutely not.  Doctors, nurses and medical personnel are wearing masks -- you can't get into many places without one -- so, I wear one and have been wearing one for months.  I've had antiviral masks on hand for years -- so I'm using them.

So you're going to start wearing a mask during every cold and flu season for the rest of your life?  And if so why haven't you been doing this n the past if masks work so well?

[roamer_1]

So you're going to start wearing a mask during every cold and flu season for the rest of your life?  And if so why haven't you been doing this n the past if masks work so well?

Lord knows how we ever made it this far, right? How did all those folks survive? You know, way back in 2019 and all those centuries befroe... 

[libertybele]

So you're going to start wearing a mask during every cold and flu season for the rest of your life?  And if so why haven't you been doing this n the past if masks work so well?

Actually I have worn masks during flu season.  During flu season especially I carry hand sanitizer on me as well.

[txradioguy]

Actually I have worn masks during flu season.  During flu season especially I carry hand sanitizer on me as well.

Ok so you do that because you make the choice...not because someone is forcing you.  Good for you. 

Do you see the difference?

[txradioguy]

Lord knows how we ever made it this far, right? How did all those folks survive? You know, way back in 2019 and all those centuries befroe... 

I'm wondering now how we ever survived every single cold and flu season in the half century I've been on this rock.  Much less SARS, Seine Flue and H1N1 without the overlords of the Federal and State governments forcing us to do things against our will.

[libertybele]

Ok so you do that because you make the choice...not because someone is forcing you.  Good for you. 

Do you see the difference?

??? Of course I see the difference.

[Cyber Liberty]

??? Of course I see the difference.

I'm sure you do.  You've been posting on this issue for some time, and you've been perfectly consistent about that.  You are more cautious than most, you have good reason to be, and you're clear others can reasonably choose differently.

Did I get that about right, @libertybele?   

[libertybele]

I'm sure you do.  You've been posting on this issue for some time, and you've been perfectly consistent about that.  You are more cautious than most, you have good reason to be, and you're clear others can reasonably choose differently.

Did I get that about right, @libertybele?   

Yes.  It is my opinion that IF we were to ALL wear masks it would cut back on the spread of this virus and I think wearing a mask at this point is just being considerate of one another.  It IS a PERSONAL CHOICE though. There are those who can't tolerate mask wearing for whatever reason. I've seen people wearing masks while jogging or walking the park. Frankly, I think that's a bit extreme, but to each his/her own. I don't wear a mask as I walk the parks, as I don't see a reason to, nor do I wear a mask in my vehicle or through the drive-thrus.  I wear one inside businesses; banks, grocery stores, retail, medical facilities, etc.

[Cyber Liberty]

Yes.  It is my opinion that IF we were to ALL wear masks it would cut back on the spread of this virus and I think wearing a mask at this point is just being considerate of one another.  It IS a PERSONAL CHOICE though. There are those who can't tolerate mask wearing for whatever reason. I've seen people wearing masks while jogging or walking the park. Frankly, I think that's a bit extreme, but to each his/her own. I don't wear a mask as I walk the parks, as I don't see a reason to, nor do I wear a mask in my vehicle or through the drive-thrus.  I wear one inside businesses; banks, grocery stores, retail, medical facilities, etc.

 

We're together on this.  I should have your baby.... 

[libertybele]

We're together on this.  I should have your baby.... 

 

[roamer_1]

Yes.  It is my opinion that IF we were to ALL wear masks it would cut back on the spread of this virus

I would consider this (and I truly would), except in that everywhere it has been tried (mandated, imposed), it hasn't worked. It hasn't worked at all. At the same time as draconian impositions in big cities back east, testing extrapolation suggests that the virus grew in the wild to a 25% infection rate or more. And in time, those extrapolations proved to be true.

It doesn't work. And, I might add, to the degree that it does work, it only serves to suppress, and in that suppression, presumably causes the virus to linger. And the longer it lingers, the more vectors intrude upon those like you that need protections. To protect the frail and the elderly, the sooner it is over, the more likely their quarantines will be successful.

I am opposed for real and vital reasons. This, all of this, is exactly the wrong thing to do.

[DB]

Yes.  It is my opinion that IF we were to ALL wear masks it would cut back on the spread of this virus and I think wearing a mask at this point is just being considerate of one another.  It IS a PERSONAL CHOICE though. There are those who can't tolerate mask wearing for whatever reason. I've seen people wearing masks while jogging or walking the park. Frankly, I think that's a bit extreme, but to each his/her own. I don't wear a mask as I walk the parks, as I don't see a reason to, nor do I wear a mask in my vehicle or through the drive-thrus.  I wear one inside businesses; banks, grocery stores, retail, medical facilities, etc.

Frankly the virus needs to spread. The more we hide out from it the longer this is going to last. Short of a vaccine it is pretty much inevitable that nearly everyone is going to get it.

The key consideration is hospital utilization. As long as the hospitals are not near triage then it needs to spread so we can get it behind us. The hospital utilization measure and response if near triage should be a local issue short of the state and federal government helping to provide additional resources. It varies widely from location to location. One size does not fit all. If the hospitals are not overloaded dragging this out only causes additional economic damage without any benefit.

[roamer_1]

Frankly the virus needs to spread. The more we hide out from it the longer this is going to last. Short of a vaccine it is pretty much inevitable that nearly everyone is going to get it.

The key consideration is hospital utilization. As long as the hospitals are not near triage then it needs to spread so we can get it behind us. The hospital utilization measure and response if near triage should be a local issue short of the state and federal government helping to provide additional resources. It varies widely from location to location. One size does not fit all. If the hospitals are not overloaded dragging this out only causes additional economic damage without any benefit.

Precisely right. You can't 'flatten' the curve. The way through is to beat the curve. Stay ahead of it.

[libertybele]

Frankly the virus needs to spread. The more we hide out from it the longer this is going to last. Short of a vaccine it is pretty much inevitable that nearly everyone is going to get it.

The key consideration is hospital utilization. As long as the hospitals are not near triage then it needs to spread so we can get it behind us. The hospital utilization measure and response if near triage should be a local issue short of the state and federal government helping to provide additional resources. It varies widely from location to location. One size does not fit all. If the hospitals are not overloaded dragging this out only causes additional economic damage without any benefit.

Oh, the virus is indeed spreading at warp speed.  ????  The hospitals ARE overloaded.  They are bringing in nurses and doctors from other areas to help.  Elective surgeries and procedures continue to get cancelled -- so those people aren't getting the help that they need.  TX is seeing triple digit deaths in one day.  FL hospitals are overwhelmed as well; we have over 60 hospitals that don't even have an ICU unit -- so critical patients are having to be transported to wherever.  My county today reached 100% bed capacity and they are now scrambling to get staff to take care of those patients.  God forbid if you have any kind of emergency right now.

Both of these states have huge populations and not enough hospital rooms,  beds, or medical personnel. 

[txradioguy]

Oh, the virus is indeed spreading at warp speed.  ????  The hospitals ARE overloaded.  They are bringing in nurses and doctors from other areas to help.  Elective surgeries and procedures continue to get cancelled -- so those people aren't getting the help that they need.  TX is seeing triple digit deaths in one day.  FL hospitals are overwhelmed as well; we have over 60 hospitals that don't even have an ICU unit -- so critical patients are having to be transported to wherever.  My county today reached 100% bed capacity and they are now scrambling to get staff to take care of those patients.  God forbid if you have any kind of emergency right now.

Both of these states have huge populations and not enough hospital rooms,  beds, or medical personnel.

@libertybele

You have a credible link to the part I bolded right?

As for your last statement...that is patently untrue.  You've clearly bought into the panic porn being pushed about this virus.

[txradioguy]

Yes.  It is my opinion that IF we were to ALL wear masks it would cut back on the spread of this virus and I think wearing a mask at this point is just being considerate of one another.  It IS a PERSONAL CHOICE though. There are those who can't tolerate mask wearing for whatever reason. I've seen people wearing masks while jogging or walking the park. Frankly, I think that's a bit extreme, but to each his/her own. I don't wear a mask as I walk the parks, as I don't see a reason to, nor do I wear a mask in my vehicle or through the drive-thrus.  I wear one inside businesses; banks, grocery stores, retail, medical facilities, etc.

The masks are useless in stopping the spread.  IF they were useful the people telling us to wear them now would insist on them being word EVERY cold and flu season.

We've had flu outbreaks with higher death rates.  We've had worse pandemics in the past.

None of them have seen the governmental over reach and purposeful subversion of our freedoms and liberties that this one has foisted on us.


All of these moves have nothing to do with stopping the spread of a virus.  If that were true it would be done every time there is a bad outbreak of any virus.

[Cyber Liberty]

I refuse to panic.

[txradioguy]

Alex Berenson
@AlexBerenson
Update from a physician in a large Texas city: hospitals have capacity, some high-acuity patients, fear complicating treatment, especially in very old patients. Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, this doc asked for anonymity, citing fear of administrative retaliation.