i love how anti-maskers are always like "do you think we should continue wearing masks forever?" when people talk about the dangers of covid, as if thats some kind of game-winning gotcha

well, the alternative to masking is catching covid 2-3 times a year, a disease which gives you cardiovascular damage, strokes, brain damage, nerve damage, diabetes, chronic fatigue, lung damage, and dementia. among many other things. and the risk of all of those goes up geometrically the more times you get infected

so, idk man, should we continue to wear masks for the foreseeable future? yes, because i think wearing a mask when out and about is a lot less harmful than any let alone all of those

@eniko

I am not an antimasker, dont care if you wear a mask and wont give you a hard time if you do. But I have had COVID 7 confirmed times so far, and like the rest of society, dont wear a mask most of the time... Yes I think the risk of COVID is worth it for the freedom of not wearing a mask for my entire life.

@freemo
How many chronic conditions can you afford to live with? Mine costs about 1/3 average salary before taxes, and I'd rather not add more, especially ones that affect my ability to pay for that, which neurological ones very well may do.
@eniko

@viq

Not many, and thats the risk you take. Is the small but real chance of long term symtoms worth the comfort of not wearing a mask socially or the other negative aspects of masks (such as its harm to the deaf community).

For me that trade offnis worth it. And with 7 confirmed covid infections i can say so far it remains worth it for me.

@eniko

@freemo
Do you drive without seatbelt as well? It's quite uncomfortable.

Is the small discomfort of wearing a mask really such a burden and too high a price to pay for giving people who can't afford to catch it a better chance of avoiding it?
@eniko

@viq

Sometimes, when i deem the risk to be low compared to tbe discomfort. For example if all im doing is adjusting my car to mover a few feet uo, then no i wont buckle up. On a highway in the rain most certainly.

Same for masks,i will wear one in, say, a hospital or old folks home where the risk is high and its warranted. But you also have to keep in mind masks are significantly less comfortable than a seatbelt, that effects the equation a bit too.

@eniko

@freemo
And protect others, not just yourself. I guess better analogy would be driving after a couple of beers.
Sure, masking while sitting outside may not be necessary. But most indoor places don't provide sufficient ventilation to be safe. Unless you test yourself every morning to make certain you're not asymptotically contagious, in which case I apologise.
@eniko

@viq

Yup, and to protect others. Clearly the vast majority of the population agree with me and find the discomfort not worth benefits.

So I will take their cue and conclude that most "others" likewise dont want people to wear masks either in our day to day.

I would be ok encouraging people to improve ventilation, no issues there. Assuming we can prove conclusively ventalation is an issue and can find reasonable guidlines to get reasonable results.

@eniko

@freemo
I'll just live this here
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1700553395051110572.html
@eniko