MASK OBSESSIONS
July 21, 2020
There's so much going on right now: Black Lives Matter demonstrations, the (probably illegal) detention of protestors by unidentified federal agents in Portland, Oregon, with threats by the White House for more of the same in other cities, and of course, the nation-wide spike in Covid-19 cases. The controversy over wearing masks is probably the issue that affects most of us the most directly.
In spite of record outbreaks of the virus and way too many deaths, some people have disregarded the warning to stay home and not gather for social events. And don't mention masks! In a previous blog I listed some of the reasons people give for not wearing masks. Now on social media there are many approaches to explaining why people SHOULD wear masks.
Some of the notices from public health and medical sources give the facts in a straight-forward way. Some use humor, irony, or sarcasm. In one, a doctor illustrated that a mask (or several masks) did not affect his blood oxygen level as some anti-maskers claim. He spoke with a pulse-ox meter clipped to his finger, and tapped the display screen that was recording his pulse and blood oxygen level. His oxygen level remained normal while his pulse became elevated because, he said, he was pissed off at the people who would not wear masks.Some use cartoon characters or celebrities to emphasize the message. There was one with former Califoria governor and movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, getting tough and manly about wearing masks. The meme from Hamilton said "Raise a glass and wear a mask." Other verbal memes rely on sarcasm like: "Don't let anyone tell you not to put a fork in an electric socket. It's your right. More people are killed by the flu anyway."
Some anti-maskers don't seem to realize that it's not all about them, that wearing a mask protects other people. For example: "If you were driving sober would you care if I was driving drunk?" "Yeah." "Why? Your air bags and seat belts work."
Many nation-wide business have publically announced that they will not admit people to their premises without masks. This brings up the issue of how to prevent anti-maskers from barging in. Should security guards use physical force, or merely issue a warning? One asthmatic clerk in a convenience store finally locked the door and opened it only for people wearing masks. That's also the approach now used at medical establishments.
Some anti-maskers have gong to the extreme of carrying fake cards stating that they have legal permission not to wear masks because of a condition or disability they are not required to disclose. In the end, we probably can't force everyone to wear a mask. "In life it's important to know when to stop arguing with people and simply let them be wrong."
The mask controversy is strong in Canada too. I agree it is more comfortable to go maskless.
ReplyDeleteYesterday we were at a Provincial Park that had very few other people visiting; we were outdoors and it would have been hard to get less than 2 meters from others. Yet a few groups were diligently wearing their masks. A Canadian doctor on CBC (national public radio) answered the question as to when it is necessary to wear a mask. His advice was that it is not necessary to wear a mask outdoors in most situations. The air movement and distance between people makes their use irrrelevant. So, we wear our masks when indoors and closely interacting with those outside our "bubble"; and the rest of the time we enjoy our "freedom" and the wonderful summer and outdoor places to visit.
I’ve also read that runners should not follow each other since they’re breathing hard and the stream of air goes back to the person who is following. Instead, run parallel. And in this case, wearing masks might be a good idea. Also, I wouldn’t make fun of people who wear the masks outdoors even if it doesn’t seem necessary to you. They may have their reasons, including setting a good example.
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