All Things Coronavirus (Part 2)

[Dashinka 24,421]

Not entirely certain there is a direct causal effect, but I expect there is some connection.

 

US overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year
 

https://apnews.com/article/overdose-deaths-record-covid-pandemic-fd43b5d91a81179def5ac596253b0304

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

On 7/3/2021 at 8:04 PM, Dashinka said:

The study I posted seems kind of obvious, Re breathing exhaled carbon dioxide seems unavoidable, and given the huge amount of complaints that appear associated with elevated CO2 levels, it seems there is a cause and effect.  The second study did not measure CO2 concentration but rather relied on partial pressures which seems incorrect.  

One need only to have a basic understanding of the human respiratory system to understand that wearing masks for long periods of time is not good for us.  If it were, then people would have been doing so even before covid came along.

 

Recently visited a new doctor.  Asked her why she was wearing a mask during my visit.  She said "company policy".  I told her I was comfortable with both of us removing our masks, but she couldn't due to "the walls having eyes", so we kept them on.  But I asked her how effective she believed the masks were in reducing spread, and she chuckled.  "Not much at all.  It's mostly virtue signaling."  In fact, she refused to send her kids back to school when it opened last year because they are required to wear masks all day in class.  She said she will continue to school them at home until the health risk of daily mask wear is removed from schools.  

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

16 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

Not entirely certain there is a direct causal effect, but I expect there is some connection.

 

US overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year
 

https://apnews.com/article/overdose-deaths-record-covid-pandemic-fd43b5d91a81179def5ac596253b0304

Logic would dictate that there is.  Ditto alcohol abuse, suicides, and domestic violence.  Covid has to be much worse than all those combined though.

[laylalex 7,284]

My mom's a primary care physician. She sees patients nearly every day. She wears a mask at work because even though she has been fully vaccinated for some time, breakthrough COVID is a real thing. She sees people who are unvaccinated, and the risk of potentially passing it on to a patient is too high in her opinion to justify not wearing a mask. If a patient refuses to wear a mask, they are asked to do a telehealth appointment. I'm glad you found a medical doctor whose values match yours, we all should be so lucky.

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

Doesn't matter if her beliefs are in line with mine or not if the idiots making the rules won't open their eyes.  A hospital is probably the only setting I can see where masks are prudent before covid, and certainly now.  But there are much worse bugs than covid lurking in the halls of hospitals.  

[laylalex 7,284]

I'm going to trust my mom on this one. You can trust your doctor (trust is very important in a doctor-patient relationship), but I'm going with my mom who's pretty up with the science on this one. I'm no scientist, but she is. I might ask her if masks are harmful to human health when she gets back from vacation tomorrow.

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

Or just put on a mask and go for a 3-mile run in the heat, and evaluate how you feel.  I have never worn one for long enough to make a difference, personally, but have talked to many people who claim they get headaches and trouble breathing from them.  

Edited July 14, 2021 by LIBrty4all

[Dashinka 24,421]

48 minutes ago, LIBrty4all said:

One need only to have a basic understanding of the human respiratory system to understand that wearing masks for long periods of time is not good for us.  If it were, then people would have been doing so even before covid came along.

 

Recently visited a new doctor.  Asked her why she was wearing a mask during my visit.  She said "company policy".  I told her I was comfortable with both of us removing our masks, but she couldn't due to "the walls having eyes", so we kept them on.  But I asked her how effective she believed the masks were in reducing spread, and she chuckled.  "Not much at all.  It's mostly virtue signaling."  In fact, she refused to send her kids back to school when it opened last year because they are required to wear masks all day in class.  She said she will continue to school them at home until the health risk of daily mask wear is removed from schools.  

I recently had my annual physical, and of course masks are required in the clinical setting so I complied.  When my Dr. came in to review everything, she said we could remove our masks as she knew I was already vaccinated, and she was as well.

[Dashinka 24,421]

1 minute ago, LIBrty4all said:

Or just put on a mask and go for a 3-mile run in the heat, and evaluate how you feel.  I have never worn one for long enough to make a difference, personally, but have talked to many people who claim they get headaches and trouble breathing from them.  

My wife had to wear one for 27-28 hours straight twice as she traveled back and forth to visit her mom.  Not very comfortable.

[laylalex 7,284]

Why are you shifting goalposts here? We're not talking about three mile runs. We're talking about the close confines of a doctor's office where people may be exhibiting symptoms of a variety of illnesses. I don't wear a mask outdoors now, whether exercising or not. Let's stay focused. My mom has worn a mask at work throughout the pandemic and is very much still alive. She is currently in New England with my dad on vacation (MA/CT/RI) and the vaccination rates in these states are very, very high. She and my dad haven't worn masks there, even at places like supermarkets. We have a massive spike happening right now here, the Delta variant is ripping through unvaccinated people. I wear my mask indoors in places where I don't know everyone's vax status because we're not yet at 70% or more vaccination levels in the county. I could have breakthrough COVID and not know it, so I'm looking after my community. Two of the cleaners at my husband's office were diagnosed with COVID over the weekend and they were both vaccinated; his office is closed for the week until everyone has tested negative.

 

Wearing a mask in certain places where it is not required is my choice. You have yours. That's fine. I do not harm you by my choice, nor do I harm myself. I seriously cannot believe that we are here in July 2021 arguing about this.

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

Yeah, the argument is moot.  Some will never understand the reality that masks do virtually nothing to protect the healthy.

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

2 hours ago, laylalex said:

Wearing a mask in certain places where it is not required is my choice. You have yours. That's fine. I do not harm you by my choice, nor do I harm myself. I seriously cannot believe that we are here in July 2021 arguing about this.

To be clear, I am not suggesting otherwise.  You don't hurt anyone by wearing your mask, so if it makes you feel better, then you should.  I don't hurt anyone by not wearing one.  The only part where I think the virtue signaling of mask wear is when it is used to try and shame or force others into wearing one.  It's the mandates that I disagree with, not one's personal decision on the wear (or not).

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

you can split hairs about running with a mask or a virtual signalling

Summer setback: COVID deaths and cases rising again globally
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/summer-setback-covid-deaths-and-cases-rising-again-globally/

 

COVID-19 deaths and cases are on the rise again globally in a dispiriting setback that is triggering another round of restrictions and dampening hopes for an almost normal summer of fun.

The World Health Organization reported Wednesday that deaths climbed last week after nine straight weeks of decline. It recorded more than 55,000 lives lost, a 3% increase from the week before.

Cases rose 10% last week to nearly 3 million, with the highest numbers recorded in Brazil, India, Indonesia and Britain, WHO said.

The reversal has been attributed to low vaccination rates, the relaxation of mask rules and other precautions, and the swift spread of the more-contagious delta variant, which WHO said has now been identified in 111 countries and is expected to become globally dominant in the coming months.

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Crtcl Rice Theory

[Neonred 3,551]

5 hours ago, laylalex said:

My mom's a primary care physician. She sees patients nearly every day. She wears a mask at work because even though she has been fully vaccinated for some time, breakthrough COVID is a real thing. She sees people who are unvaccinated, and the risk of potentially passing it on to a patient is too high in her opinion to justify not wearing a mask. If a patient refuses to wear a mask, they are asked to do a telehealth appointment. I'm glad you found a medical doctor whose values match yours, we all should be so lucky.

In my office, I and my hygienists wear masks.  We do not require our patients to wear masks.  Let's face it, the moment they sit in my operatory they need to take the mask off for me to work, and my face is less the two feet from their open mouth.  I work on primarily an older population and many if not most have been vaccinated.  

 

Of note is the fact that dentists have among the lowest incidence of COVID among healthcare providers.  Think about that for a while.

[laylalex 7,284]

5 hours ago, LIBrty4all said:

Yeah, the argument is moot.  Some will never understand the reality that masks do virtually nothing to protect the healthy.

Um, yes they do. They protect healthy unvaccinated people who refuse to wear a mask from getting COVID. As I mentioned, and as is well known, vaccinated people can get breakthrough COVID. Wearing a mask in higher risk environments protects those people. I wish no ill on people who choose to be unvaccinated (as opposed to cannot be vaccinated), even if I think they're doing themselves and their communities a disservice. My mask protects healthy unvaccinated people who refuse to wear a mask because I care that they stay healthy. I wouldn't wish COVID on anyone, having lost two people I knew to the disease. No one "deserves" to get COVID.