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Originally Posted by Opie
Lots of assumptions here, lol. Love the righteousness you portray. But as typical in discussions these days you cannot state your viewpoint without name calling, very childish. Multiple, credible studies have called into question the effectiveness of masks. Just because your viewpoint differs doesn't make those studies any less important.
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Not nearly as many "assumptions" as you want to believe. If you know of studies indicating the ineffectiveness of masks, Great. Cite them. Then we can all read them and give our critical thinking caps some of that exercise you promote.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Opie
Last I checked our immune system need "exersize" to remain strong against biological attacks. The more we are exposed to things the better the immune system is at fighting them. Same reason you send kids to daycare/school when young, to expose their immune systems to threats. Herd immunity works through exposure including vaccines. The longer the "healthy" portion of our society hides from this virus, the longer herd immunity will take, and the longer we'll have to deal with this.
Common sense over fear.
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You guys throw the "fear" critique around a lot. Over a half million people are dead. Does that scare me? I'm not sure. I don't lose sleep or wake up in a sweat. I don't refuse to venture out of my house to go to the store. I do wear a mask, in part to protect me, but mostly in an attempt to contribute to stopping the spread of an evolving pathogen that is still infecting and killing people. Does that make me righteous, self or otherwise? I don't think so. I think it makes me considerate. That appears to be an increasingly rare attribute.
I am in the part of the population the CDC labels "fully" vaccinated. Two doses plus two weeks. I still wear a mask? Why? 1) I know with certainty that I can still contract the virus. The odds are long, but it can happen. It won't make me as sick and almost certainly won't kill me, but if I catch it I may still be able to spread it. A mask lowers the chance of my giving it to others in the event I unknowingly contract it. 2) I want others who are not yet vaccinated to keep wearing masks because I really want to beat the virus down. My wearing one a) may make others who do not know I'm "fully" vaccinated more comfortable because my chances of infecting them are reduced. 2) hopefully serves as an example. If you see me parading around without one basking in my immunized glory you may decide "fuck it, that asshole isn't wearing a mask and toss yours. I'll repeat what I've said a dozen or more times.
I WANT TO BEAT THIS VIRUS.
I am willing to endure some inconvenience and discomfort to do that. The studies I've seen of the effect of masks on aerosol dispersal patterns, and empirical studies on the infection rates with and without masks convince me they will help do that.
You are mimicking the Swedes in your penultimate sentence. Those who study immunology say that natural immunity is much less potent than that conferred by the vaccines. Is that true? I have made a conscious decision to trust those who know more than I do about that question. Why? Because I, as me, don't have expertise in that area. Remember, each new case is a chance for the virus to mutate and circumvent everyone's immunity regardless how acquired. Do you want to get this thing behind us or not? Do you want to get past the acute phase of the pandemic to the stage where we can manage the disease?
If you do, wearing a mask is a relatively effective and low cost way to contribute to that goal. That looks like buckets of win to me.
Now, trot out those studies the demonstrate the ineffectiveness of masking. Full citations, please. APA format.
Common sense over pig headed obstinance.