Masks optional by spring break

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is a courtesy to others.

Those that don't are just displaying their contempt for anyone but themselves.

That was true in 2020.

Things that have changed since 2020:
- We now have vaccines, which prevent the vast majority of serious harm
- We now have strong evidence that cloth masks and regular surgical masks don't do much to prevent spreading omicron
- We now have widespread testing available, with rapid tests becoming more available by the day

There's more, but that seems sufficient to overcome your outdated presumption of "contempt for others." Hardly.

We also no longer focus on hand-washing or social distancing or wiping down surfaces. Know why? They don't do much to prevent serious harm.

Reasons people don't wear masks (especially N95's)
- they're expensive
- they're a child, and finding well-fitting N95s, KN95s, or KF94s can be challenging -- and if they don't fit well, they're not effective
- they're less comfortable than not wearing a mask. some people get rashes and acne and just don't like them
- they're outside or in a well-ventilated space
- community spread is low
- they are vaccinated and have reason to believe that the people around them are also vaccinated

Covid-conservatives should congratulate themselves on keeping themselves and others safe throughout 2020 and 2021. Seriously: thank you.

And, while we may again need mandatory masking policies, at this point, it looks like we won't be needing them any more in schools this year.

Yes to all of this! Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is a courtesy to others.

Those that don't are just displaying their contempt for anyone but themselves.

That was true in 2020.

Things that have changed since 2020:
- We now have vaccines, which prevent the vast majority of serious harm
- We now have strong evidence that cloth masks and regular surgical masks don't do much to prevent spreading omicron
- We now have widespread testing available, with rapid tests becoming more available by the day

There's more, but that seems sufficient to overcome your outdated presumption of "contempt for others." Hardly.

We also no longer focus on hand-washing or social distancing or wiping down surfaces. Know why? They don't do much to prevent serious harm.

Reasons people don't wear masks (especially N95's)
- they're expensive
- they're a child, and finding well-fitting N95s, KN95s, or KF94s can be challenging -- and if they don't fit well, they're not effective
- they're less comfortable than not wearing a mask. some people get rashes and acne and just don't like them
- they're outside or in a well-ventilated space
- community spread is low
- they are vaccinated and have reason to believe that the people around them are also vaccinated

Covid-conservatives should congratulate themselves on keeping themselves and others safe throughout 2020 and 2021. Seriously: thank you.

And, while we may again need mandatory masking policies, at this point, it looks like we won't be needing them any more in schools this year.

Some cloth masks are fine, it depends how they are made. There are also different kinds of surgical masks and your ant level 3. The issue is fit mostly.

Community spread is not low.

Being vaccinated helps with severe symptoms only. You can still get and spread covid.

We absolutely need to focus on hygiene. It also helps with colds/flu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wearing masks is a courtesy to others.

Those that don't are just displaying their contempt for anyone but themselves.

BS

I don’t need you to wear a mask to display your faux ‘courtesy’. I’m vaccinated and I wear my mask when I think it’s a good idea. I don’t give a rat’s a$$ what you put on your face.

Courtesy is holding the door for the person behind you, letting someone merge in front in traffic and most importantly, respecting other people’s wishes.

Not only is it BS, imagine 'mandating courtesy'

Stores will be required to enforce that men hold let women enter first. It is now mandated by the county to sent thank you notes within 5 days of receipt of a gift.

If its just 'courtesy', then that's the best reason I've heard to eliminate the mandates

Completely agree. Why don't we start by "mandating courtesy" here on DCUM? Most of these pro-mask posters would never make it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone looked at the Urgency of Normal website? They advocate for removing masks… We watched the Zoom presentation last night and some interesting points were made. There was a danish doc saying they never masked any kids under age 12 in her country. She also said in her line of work she’s been collecting data from neighboring school districts in the U.S., one with and one without a mask mandate. There were similar rates of covid reported within the schools.

I understand the need to keep vulnerable people safe… but if the kid masks are providing little to no protection… what’s the point? Esp for pre-K and early elementary school kids. I’m not anti-mask but I am pro-face.

+1. There is no point. It is pure virtue signaling.

This is unhelpful. I'm sure there's some asshat out there sending their kids to school in a mask in order to send a message to others about who and what they are -- i.e. virtue signalling or mere performance -- but for the most part people wear masks because they believe it keeps them and others safer.

Does it? And how much safer? These are open questions.

There are studies that suggest strongly that community masking reduces transmission rates. THere are studies that do not reach the same conclusion.

There are no randomized controlled studies on the efficacy of mandatory masking policies for schoolchildren with any-and-all-masks during an omicron surge. SO people are doing the best they can with imperfect and incomplete knowledge.

My own read is that masking policies do keep the community at-large safer -- but only incrementally so. Maybe 10% safer? (which makes the question 10% of what pretty important.) And it's unclear that masking specifically in schools is needed in order to achieve this kind of improvement -- it may well be that it is not.

Since the costs of masking policies are non-negligible to the community, masking should only be mandated when the benefits are clear and the need is urgent. And I also believe that we know well enough at this point that kids are not a primary driver of community spread; Covid rates are more likely to reflect community transmission rates than drive them.

So we should make masking voluntary ASAP.

My two cents.

Yes, especially now with plentiful supply of N95 and KN95 masks, those who wish to protect themselves can do so. Those who have had covid, are fully vaxed, etc., can choose to not mask if desired. This is the way it needs to be. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/01/25/schools-safely-make-masks-optional-new-cdc-guidelines/

The responses are getting more embarrassing by the moment. I have to stop reading this. I'm losing faith in humanity.
Science can be hard for the intellectually challenged Republicans but the selfishness that is emerging is overwhelming

Science can be hard for the ideologically driven Democrats but the selfishness that is emerging is overwhelming

For sure. The Democrats rejected science early on and have been riding that train for a while now while our kids suffer because of it.

Cute. And conservatives have been denying science since Copernicus.

There is nothing "cute" about it. You know as well as I do that masking has turned into a political struggle and nothing more.

The current Biden administration chose to double down on the political rhetoric and make it all about divisiveness. Biden had the chance to bring the country together. Instead of trying to unite the country, Biden and the media has focused on putting the blame on the ‘others’ - the unvaccinated.

Masking is just another part of that. If you support mask-choice, you’re automatically evil and selfish.

We need leadership that is willing to follow the science.

Go figure! The unvaxxed are responsible for the vast majority of covid hospitalizations, occupied ICU beds, and deaths.

[Anonymous]

I think it will soon be time to rethink mask policy. Unless there is any evidence that areas with optional mask policies have higher rates of COVID, after accounting for vaccination rates, than compulsory masking areas, then we should remove the requirement when this wave dies down.

That is following the science.

There must be enough variation between regions and counties now to do the statistical analysis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it will soon be time to rethink mask policy. Unless there is any evidence that areas with optional mask policies have higher rates of COVID, after accounting for vaccination rates, than compulsory masking areas, then we should remove the requirement when this wave dies down.

That is following the science.

There must be enough variation between regions and counties now to do the statistical analysis.

There is definitely data! Strong enough data to show that it doesn’t make enough of a difference.

Mask optional by Spring Break, regardless of whether numbers go back up or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it will soon be time to rethink mask policy. Unless there is any evidence that areas with optional mask policies have higher rates of COVID, after accounting for vaccination rates, than compulsory masking areas, then we should remove the requirement when this wave dies down.

That is following the science.

There must be enough variation between regions and counties now to do the statistical analysis.

+1,000, We need to follow what the Europeans are doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it will soon be time to rethink mask policy. Unless there is any evidence that areas with optional mask policies have higher rates of COVID, after accounting for vaccination rates, than compulsory masking areas, then we should remove the requirement when this wave dies down.

That is following the science.

There must be enough variation between regions and counties now to do the statistical analysis.

There is definitely data! Strong enough data to show that it doesn’t make enough of a difference.

Mask optional by Spring Break, regardless of whether numbers go back up or not.

I still remember when the DCUM trolls posted the no-masking in summer 2020.. then Fall 2020.. then Spring 21, then Summer 21, then Fall 21, and now again!!!

Just goes to show that Idiocracy is not sci fi, it's a documentary of our future!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it will soon be time to rethink mask policy. Unless there is any evidence that areas with optional mask policies have higher rates of COVID, after accounting for vaccination rates, than compulsory masking areas, then we should remove the requirement when this wave dies down.

That is following the science.

There must be enough variation between regions and counties now to do the statistical analysis.

+1000
Same for opening schools--we had enough data long ago to know that schools were opening successfully in other parts of the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it will soon be time to rethink mask policy. Unless there is any evidence that areas with optional mask policies have higher rates of COVID, after accounting for vaccination rates, than compulsory masking areas, then we should remove the requirement when this wave dies down.

That is following the science.

There must be enough variation between regions and counties now to do the statistical analysis.

+1000
Same for opening schools--we had enough data long ago to know that schools were opening successfully in other parts of the country.

Uhh. Schools are open in the US? You must be in Russia where everything is shut down because Sputnik is seltzer water?

[Anonymous]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/anthony-fauci-against-more-virus-161610320.html

The same people are here on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone looked at the Urgency of Normal website? They advocate for removing masks… We watched the Zoom presentation last night and some interesting points were made. There was a danish doc saying they never masked any kids under age 12 in her country. She also said in her line of work she’s been collecting data from neighboring school districts in the U.S., one with and one without a mask mandate. There were similar rates of covid reported within the schools.

I understand the need to keep vulnerable people safe… but if the kid masks are providing little to no protection… what’s the point? Esp for pre-K and early elementary school kids. I’m not anti-mask but I am pro-face.

+1. There is no point. It is pure virtue signaling.

This is unhelpful. I'm sure there's some asshat out there sending their kids to school in a mask in order to send a message to others about who and what they are -- i.e. virtue signalling or mere performance -- but for the most part people wear masks because they believe it keeps them and others safer.

Does it? And how much safer? These are open questions.

There are studies that suggest strongly that community masking reduces transmission rates. THere are studies that do not reach the same conclusion.

There are no randomized controlled studies on the efficacy of mandatory masking policies for schoolchildren with any-and-all-masks during an omicron surge. SO people are doing the best they can with imperfect and incomplete knowledge.

My own read is that masking policies do keep the community at-large safer -- but only incrementally so. Maybe 10% safer? (which makes the question 10% of what pretty important.) And it's unclear that masking specifically in schools is needed in order to achieve this kind of improvement -- it may well be that it is not.

Since the costs of masking policies are non-negligible to the community, masking should only be mandated when the benefits are clear and the need is urgent. And I also believe that we know well enough at this point that kids are not a primary driver of community spread; Covid rates are more likely to reflect community transmission rates than drive them.

So we should make masking voluntary ASAP.

My two cents.

Yes, especially now with plentiful supply of N95 and KN95 masks, those who wish to protect themselves can do so. Those who have had covid, are fully vaxed, etc., can choose to not mask if desired. This is the way it needs to be. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/01/25/schools-safely-make-masks-optional-new-cdc-guidelines/

The responses are getting more embarrassing by the moment. I have to stop reading this. I'm losing faith in humanity.
Science can be hard for the intellectually challenged Republicans but the selfishness that is emerging is overwhelming

Science can be hard for the ideologically driven Democrats but the selfishness that is emerging is overwhelming

For sure. The Democrats rejected science early on and have been riding that train for a while now while our kids suffer because of it.

Cute. And conservatives have been denying science since Copernicus.

There is nothing "cute" about it. You know as well as I do that masking has turned into a political struggle and nothing more.

The current Biden administration chose to double down on the political rhetoric and make it all about divisiveness. Biden had the chance to bring the country together. Instead of trying to unite the country, Biden and the media has focused on putting the blame on the ‘others’ - the unvaccinated.

Masking is just another part of that. If you support mask-choice, you’re automatically evil and selfish.

We need leadership that is willing to follow the science.

I'm sure that the people cheering on the capitol riders and screaming let's go Brandon were totally open to bringing the country together

[Anonymous]

*rioters

[Anonymous]

This isn't a matter of courtesy. Framing it as such is the wrong approach. Some Americans are simpletons who are led by the rings in their noses by craven pieces of crap who want to undermine our nation. They're not smart enough to vaccinate, they think Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones have some good ideas.

A mask mandate might not make these pathetic sheep wear masks, which would protect their diabetes-laden uninsured asses... but it might help their kids not catch covid and bring it home to them at school.

But again, the entire point of this thread isn't to appeal to those folks. No. It's to make the argument seem reasonable now. Because that will be the next bread and circus the alt-right is frothing up for their base: politicizing masks.

Don't let them win.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and the best way to not let them win?

Call out their game for what it is: utter bullshit.

"Follow the science?" Lol. Science has proven up and down that masks stop viral transmission. Not perfectly, but effectively. These "follow the science" people pretend to believe Jesus invented the dinosaurs. They make arguments they know are lies because they think that can whip a pack of neckbeards into a mob again. It's not even ignorance, which might be pitiable or excusable. No. It's sheer malice. It's like they all read Liar's Poker and the Fountainhead and think they are bright young things who are the fine heroes of their own Machiavellian adventure.

But the thing is, they're not that bright. They're not even particularly subtle. And why they're allowed to continually control dialogue on these boards is quite curious.