Coronavirus/Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[victoria foxton]

I hope your relatives all make speedy recoveries Ron. 

  

  

Edited June 24, 2020 by victoria foxton

[xtr]

I saw today that Governor Roy Cooper of my state of NC mandated that masks be worn in public starting Friday at 5pm. A couple of months ago, I got a new job working for the federal government/military. Many of the departments/facilities associated with them are requiring people to wear masks and started doing that before I started working. So I've been wearing a mask for at least 42.5 hours a week for work and more than that (including when I wear it to public places like grocery stores). So in total, I probably a mask like at least 45 hours a week in total.

 

I've seen a lot of people in support of the masks and several oppose them. Based off of my experience of having to wear masks for a long period of time these past couple of months,  I had wanted to add my perspective about this. I want to highlight what I think the good, the bad and even some of the dangers of wearing masks/face coverings. (Especially for long periods of time).

 

I'll start with the good. I do believe that masks can go a good way of helping limiting the exposure people have when other people are doing things like coughing/sneezing. I do feel better having a mask on when this is happening at work. And  the new job I have deals with a lot of people (largely military personel). And people do cough/sneeze quite a bit. I tend to notice that even more now during the pandemic. I do think that masks can offer at least some protection to those types of things, to what degree, I'm not sure.

 

Now here is some of the bad and even dangerous things that can happen regarding masks/facial coverings. (Especially for those of us who have to wear them for extended periods of time).

 

I have noticed several people coughing/sneezing even more since they have worn masks. There have been people who have been working at my job longer than me , who state that they have been sneezing coughing/quite a bit more since they've had to wear the masks. For some people the masks actually cause them to exhibit even more bodily fluids than they normally would without them. Also, there are people that will actually sneeze/cough through the masks without coughing into their elbows. I believe that masks/facial coverings do give some people an overstated sense of security and they feel free to just sneeze/cough right through them. I've seen several people do this without even attempting to sneeze/cough into their elbow. (which is what I think they should do regardless of whether they are wearing a mask or not. You can still feel/get droplets even with masks.)  Some people also halfway wear them, because many of them are uncomfortable with them. I've seen many people especially lately wear them incorrectly.

 

They can cause people to have runny noses and sweat more/shedding even more bodily fluids. They can also contribute to bad breath and adult acne. I've been around multiple people who have dealt with these things. They can also make people feel very tired/fatigued.. They can have an negative impact on people's respiratory systems. I'm healthy and I have felt the negative impact on them, because at times they have caused me to feel more tired, and have an impact on the respiratory system.  People who have to wear them for longer periods of time, (like for work) have to learn to breathe in them for longer periods of time, and that can take a toll on people. Some people can't even do this for 30 minutes let alone several hours a week. I have gotten more used to wearing them now, but I can definitely understand people who say they are difficult to breathe in/uncomfortable. 

 

They can also cause people (especially those with health issues/weaker systems to pass out.) An elderly man at work came up to me a few weeks ago, asking for water, saying he couldn't breathe in his mask. By the time, I had reached him with some cold water, he had fell out. But thankfully, he ended up being okay, but there is the danger of this happening for some people who wear masks. 

 

They can help mitigate the spread, but there are downsides to wearing them. I do think if most people just wear them incidentally like going to the grocery store, doing errands they would be okay. But there could be some negative effects for at least some people who have to wear them longer term. I'm interested in seeing how many people obey the governor's orders, especially since it looks like he might fine people for going against them.  I think that a lot more people will be wearing them in places like grocery stores, and I do believe places like stores will enforce his orders. 

Edited June 24, 2020 by xtr

[victoria foxton]

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2020 by victoria foxton

[Soapsuds]

Thanks!  It's not only going up in Houston but San Antonio and Austin too. There is a no travel to both places because of the rise in cases. 

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Wow. I'm sorry to hear that. Whatever ails them, hopefully your aunt and cousin have mild to no symptoms and recover very soon.

[Soapsuds]

Thank you

 

My mother was trying to get in touch with her sister and she didn't answer her phone. Later in the day she called my mother saying she was feeling ill and so was her son. 

 

I talked to her tonight and she didn't sound good but she told me she had no fever. I haven't found out yet how my cousin is doing. 

[Faulkner]

Sending good thoughts to your family, @Soapsuds. 
 

 

[Soapsuds]

Thank you

 

 

[Taoboi]

Sending positive energy your way. I hope it is nothing.

 

Same here. People are starting to get a little too lax. I continue to see people having them down  on public transits when they are suppose to have them on. 

 

Then I saw an article where the majority of head of different counties and law enforcement have gone on record as saying they have no intention of enforcing the mandatory wear a mask in public order that the Governor here in California gave.

 

I just feel it is all about to hit the fan. And My boss just told me we are not enforcing it enough at work. So le sigh.

 

 

I don't see why she would WOW when given how the whole world is reacting poorly to controlling this pandemic heading by a man who told his followers to drink Lysol. I am not at all surprised. Nor should she be.

 

 

[Vee]

 

[Taoboi]

I think that is an apt perspective.  Where it becomes a problem...which I can understand since my sinuses have always been problematic and get messed up due to quick changes in climate or just being in mostly cold places...is when people realize that this is new and that it might be difficult to breathe or feel uncomfortable. Like you and like me...this is a new living situation and the fact is like most new things in life...we as people have to LEARN how to cope.  Retrain how we breathe. Retrain how we sneeze. Retrain where we put mints if it comes to that (and trust me I know what you mean about bad breath in masks).

 

Hopefully, a vaccine might make its way to us all sooner rather than later so this is not TOO MUCH of a burden. But people just can't  seem to keep it on their face for 2 minutes-5 minutes maximum as a problem...and that can as well be a problem. 

 

Even if it was a hoax...which it isn't...Even if downsides...which it does like all things do...Even if they look/feel uncomfortable...which tbf I am not sure what uncomfortable looks like there, but here it seems people are worried about how it makes them look here rather than uncomfortable breathing...but is it not better to be safe rather than sorry. Or do we need nightly showings of the aftereffects of people who survive Co-Vid in order for people to understand how serious this is and why they should do what they can to NOT get it with no vaccine on the way?

 

It definitely is not easy here. And I do feel like I am reaching my limit and I am somewhat fair with people who come in the store and attempt to be nice about it. But like some of my other co-workers even I mentally (not outside thank God) get a look when I see a no mask when both of my jobs and main places I frequent have signs all over to have one. 

 

RTA: Every time I see anything that says 'Is Trump a Killer?' I think about that picture on Twitter floating around showing Trump being carried off by troops/policemen the day after he officially stops being president, arrested for all the days caused over this...and wonder is that why they are letting him hang himself so spectacularly?

Edited June 25, 2020 by Taoboi

[DramatistDreamer]

And 20+ million living people still wait for their stimulus checks.  What a disastrous rollout!

 

[Vee]

 

 

 

[Taoboi]

 

[Juliajms]

So true.