Tag Archives: masks

Masks Part 2 – They’re not Political!

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mask

(See Part One)

(Quick edit – Most of the Republicans I know wear a mask and most of the Democrats I know wear a mask for the right reason, but there are so many out there…)

A couple of weeks ago I was in a team meeting.  My manager was talking about new policy for reopening facilities and ended by saying (paraphrased), “I still want you all to telecommute full time unless there is an emergency that demands your on-site attention.  Your health, and your families’ health, are more import than a job.  And I don’t care about your personal politics, wear a mask!” It was a very nice statement, but a little strange that he had to say anything about politics.

A couple of days later I had to go into a gas station.  Even though I was the only customer in there, I put on my mask before entering.  A minute later a few other people came in, and by the time I left there were maybe six others.  Not a one had a mask.  Several gave me dirty looks.  One stared at me with complete hatred.  I tried to ignore him, but prepared myself for violence.  He followed me around with clenched fists and gritted teeth. This person wasn’t just refusing to wear a mask for political reasons, he was taking me wearing a mask as a personal attack.

This is just such odd behavior, like nothing I have experienced in my life.

Why is a safety device a political statement? Continue reading →

Masks

44 Replies

mask

I’ve been seeing tables showing the effectiveness, or ineffectiveness, of different types of masks on Facebook lately.  Some have been taking it the right way: A mask is not a “Get Out of Jail Free” card, you need to self-isolate, social distance, wash hands etc., etc even if you were a mask.

But then others ask, “Why bother?”

There are two reasons.

The first is simple: the mask helps to remind you to not touch your face and limits the places that your hand actually touches.  Just remember to consider your mask contaminated after you have been in public.

The second is much more complicated.

Every time you breath, you release a lot of water vapor in hundreds or thousands of tiny water droplets. These can hang in the air for hours and will settle on objects.  If you have the virus, those water droplets will have the virus.  This is the main way it spreads.  Sure, the mask won’t filter individual viruses, but it will stop a lot of water droplets.

Wearing a mask will help keep the virus inside of the mask and so away from other people.  Fool proof?  No.  Put on sunglasses with your mask and breath.  Yes, the glasses fog up.  Fog = water droplets….

Remember, you might have it at this time and not know it.

And if you don’t have it, the mask limits the amount of water droplets getting to your mouth and nose, thus into your respiratory system.  Is a mask foolproof?  No way.  Does it help?  Yes.

What this comes down to is that if everyone wore a mask and continued to wash hands, social distance, etc., it will put another layer in to slow the spread of the virus down.  It is not a magic bullet, but it is a big help.

Anyway, that is “why bother”!

I hope this helps.

Oh, and I hope nobody mistakes me for a gangster in my mask ;)