COVID Cases Sharply Declining: Why This Is Worst Case Scenario

[Tortoise]

They are both true about masks [masks protect others and yourself] but there was so much opposition by many to masks because they were led to believe the benefit was for others and not themselves .

Got it now ?

Yes, thanks for clarifying, mathjak.

Maybe somebody has already done this, but it would be interesting to poll a bunch of maskless people in places where masks are the norm and ask them for their rationale.

It's possible that some of them would say, "My personal comfort matters more to me than the possibility that I'm spreading more virus to others by not wearing a mask." But I suspect not many would, because although most people are selfish to varying degrees, most people are also not fundamentally evil.

So I think far more of them would probably say things along the lines of, "I don't see piles of bodies in the street, nor do I even personally know a single person who's died or been hospitalized due to Covid, so my common sense tells me this 'pandemic' isn't nearly as deadly and worrisome as many people are claiming it is. So I'm generally skeptical when those same people say that wearing a mask in public is a life-or-death matter."

In other words, if we were to ask them, I think most maskless people would say they're maskless not because they care more about themselves than about other people, but because they don't trust the media and authorities who are telling them being maskless is deadly.

[SomeDude]

In other words, if we were to ask them, I think most maskless people would say they're maskless not because they care more about themselves than about other people, but because they don't trust the media and authorities who are telling them being maskless is deadly.

As a person who is maskless as much as humanly possible while still functioning in society.....you are spot on.

In fact, I will go one further. The pandemic will only end when most everyone refuses to wear masks and the people wearing them feel embarrassed. Most people wearing them now just do it to fit in and look normal.

[mathjak107]

The only reason that will happen is vaccines..once people can get covid that is no worse than a cold at any age masks are not needed..masks reduce virus load and virus load is the primary factor as to whether you are asymptomatic or dead .

Everything else is secondary to the concentration of virus material you get ...while there is an age curve. What happens to you is based on concentration.

All masks cut concentration...they can’t stop a virus but they certainly can restrict the concentration both received and spread by you.

Vaccines are not 100% but what they are good at is cutting risk of serious covid or death to very low odds..

My wife and got nasty covid from no mask ,eating with a friend who was likely presymtomatic

[yankees60]

They are both true about masks [masks protect others and yourself] but there was so much opposition by many to masks because they were led to believe the benefit was for others and not themselves .

Got it now ?

Yes, thanks for clarifying, mathjak.

Maybe somebody has already done this, but it would be interesting to poll a bunch of maskless people in places where masks are the norm and ask them for their rationale.

It's possible that some of them would say, "My personal comfort matters more to me than the possibility that I'm spreading more virus to others by not wearing a mask." But I suspect not many would, because although most people are selfish to varying degrees, most people are also not fundamentally evil.

So I think far more of them would probably say things along the lines of, "I don't see piles of bodies in the street, nor do I even personally know a single person who's died or been hospitalized due to Covid, so my common sense tells me this 'pandemic' isn't nearly as deadly and worrisome as many people are claiming it is. So I'm generally skeptical when those same people say that wearing a mask in public is a life-or-death matter."

In other words, if we were to ask them, I think most maskless people would say they're maskless not because they care more about themselves than about other people, but because they don't trust the media and authorities who are telling them being maskless is deadly.

Do these maskless people ever take it one step further and ask what is the motivation, what is in it for both the media and the authorities to act in such a way? And not giving a mindless mantra manner answer that it allows both of them more power, serves their agenda and goals?

If that is someone's answer then until I get a lot more convincing answer with far more detail then I'm assuming that going maskless is being done more for more reasons than distrust of authorities or the media.

[mathjak107]

Check it out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9mbRIwO7WU

[mathjak107]

We don’t need 90% rates anymore then we all need to wear masks for common colds or flu .

J&J s stopped death and serious illness after 28 days ..all we need is to reduce the effects of covid.

If someone wants to still wear a mask it is up to them but with the wind knocked out of covid sail ,masks can be relaxed in many situations...I would likely still use one at a concert indoors or sporting event but it is becoming less critical to use with the vaccines we have

You have to watch stats given very carefully...

Looking at even the number of hospitalizations and deaths vs total population looks tiny ..but comparing it to the group that tests positive tells a different story .

Once we break that group down by age we get a third set of numbers that grows even worse as you get to the ages most effected .with awful looking stats.

But the reality is to us humans statistics mean little ...all that matters is if the shit happened to you and how bad

[Cortopassi]

In my experience, masks do seem to provide some level of protection.

Since March of last year, no one in my immediate family has gotten any kind of cold like illness. Sure, some can be attributed to not being in school. But for me and my wife, life has been pretty normal -- I go to work every day, we shop as usual, etc. I think I typically would get 2-4 colds a year, and my oldest daughter probably 6-10. Zero in the past 12 months. And she is at school.

Not saying that will mean I will wear a mask once I don't have to, but either/or/both mask wearing and distancing has dropped sickness a lot, in my family.

[doodle]

My issue with masks is that they seem to induce an hypervigilance regarding germs that I'm not sure is socially or psychologically healthy. I never had an issue working out in crowded gyms or gave much thought to even washing my hands after handling weights...and despite my completely carefree attitude, I never got sick. Now, if there are more than a handful of people heavily breathing in my vicinity I grow irritated...like my airspace is being invaded. This is a totally novel sensation for me. I hope it wears off as it's not conducive to healthy social relationships. This pandemic has starkly highlighted the issue of tradeoffs for me. It's tough to know where to find the proper balance. It also has made me aware how ones subconscious actions and perceptions can be persuaded by a constant narrative...I never thought brainwashing would work on me...apparently though I'm not immune

[mathjak107]

We narrowed down our contracting covid to either a lunch with a friend or the gym..it is the only two things it could have been ...

Neither the friend or us know anyone we could have got it from except if we didn’t get it from him then it came from the gym.

The morning of the day I had my first symptoms that night . I was running at the gym with no signs yet .

I was highly contagious at that point , never knew it and even masked I was exhaling very hard while running spewing loads of cooties even with the mask since the volume and force I was exhaling was magnified many times over normal .

The same way someone may have gotten enough of a dose from me , I may have previously got it from someone there ....we are not near anyone but if the viral load is high enough you got it

[mathjak107]

It is just a numbers game ...it is hard to find people that did not test positive and have covid or have some one in their family with it here in nyc
.

I lost count of all of those I know ...the more exposed to it mask or not the greater the odds of getting it ..

Unless you hide under a rock and never go out it was all over and with almost half of positives asymptomatic it easily was passed around families in the same household

[SomeDude]

In my experience, masks do seem to provide some level of protection.

Since March of last year, no one in my immediate family has gotten any kind of cold like illness. Sure, some can be attributed to not being in school. But for me and my wife, life has been pretty normal -- I go to work every day, we shop as usual, etc. I think I typically would get 2-4 colds a year, and my oldest daughter probably 6-10. Zero in the past 12 months. And she is at school.

Not saying that will mean I will wear a mask once I don't have to, but either/or/both mask wearing and distancing has dropped sickness a lot, in my family.

I echo the same experience. Everyone in my family and all of my friends have responsibly worn masks and none of know even know a single person who got covid. It’s really incredible that something as simple as masks work!

Were they recklessly only wearing one or responsibly wearing two?

[Kriegsspiel]

It is just a numbers game ...it is hard to find people that did not test positive and have covid or have some one in their family with it here in nyc
.

I lost count of all of those I know ...the more exposed to it mask or not the greater the odds of getting it ..

Unless you hide under a rock and never go out it was all over and with almost half of positives asymptomatic it easily was passed around families in the same household

Hmm.

Unless you hide under a rock and never go out it was all over and with almost half of positives asymptomatic it easily was passed around families in the same household

You're on to something here.

Unless you hide under a rock and never go out it was all over

Why are New Yorkers being allowed outside their homes? Especially if you find it hard to find people or families unaffected by COVID, which is the opposite situation from a huge swath of the country. They clearly are not able to handle this. NYC would greatly benefit from having the military deployed to the city to weld doors closed and protect dirty sniffling New Yorkers from spreading the plague among themselves. Plus, they have the flamethrowers to responsibly cremate bodies in place.

It's funny to remember that NYC had set up barriers for people coming INTO it, instead of quarantining the city from the rest of the country. Other places, of course, don't need that kind of help, like the Dakotas, Florida, WV, etc.

[mathjak107]

It is just a numbers game ...it is hard to find people that did not test positive and have covid or have some one in their family with it here in nyc
.

I lost count of all of those I know ...the more exposed to it mask or not the greater the odds of getting it ..

Unless you hide under a rock and never go out it was all over and with almost half of positives asymptomatic it easily was passed around families in the same household

Hmm.

Unless you hide under a rock and never go out it was all over and with almost half of positives asymptomatic it easily was passed around families in the same household

You're on to something here.

Unless you hide under a rock and never go out it was all over

Why are New Yorkers being allowed outside their homes? Especially if you find it hard to find people or families unaffected by COVID, which is the opposite situation from a huge swath of the country. They clearly are not able to handle this. NYC would greatly benefit from having the military deployed to the city to weld doors closed and protect dirty sniffling New Yorkers from spreading the plague among themselves. Plus, they have the flamethrowers to responsibly cremate bodies in place.

It's funny to remember that NYC had set up barriers for people coming INTO it, instead of quarantining the city from the rest of the country. Other places, of course, don't need that kind of help, like the Dakotas, Florida, WV, etc.

Why don’t we lock ourselves inside ? Because there are things you always need to do or get or take care off.

Life still goes on ,, you strike a compromise as safe as you can without being a hermit and life goes on

[Kriegsspiel]

To be clear, New Yorkers may need someone else to lock them in their own homes.

[mathjak107]

Nonsense ....we were just as able to get out , go to parks , outdoor exercise as anyone else ...just not near others which has been no problem ... we were out daily all year doing our photography thing ....we just go where no one is around us.

To think people are going to sit in their house for a year and look at the walls is absurd

[Kriegsspiel]

Nonsense ....we were just as able to get out , go to parks , outdoor exercise as anyone else ...just not near others which has been no problem ... we were out daily all year doing our photography thing ....we just go where no one is around us.

You will not be able to get out when your doors, windows, and weaker walls are reinforced by 2 inches of steel. It's for your own good.

To think people are going to sit in their house for a year and look at the walls is absurd

I disagree, millions of people sit in a rooms and stare at the walls. A lot of them even get jacked and have books written about their training system. Maybe a "COVID Conditioning" one could come out of this? Either way, it's not so absurd when you think about it. By your own admission, nearly 100% of New Yorkers are guilty of spreading disease, so this is totally legit and legal.

[mathjak107]

This discussion is over with you ...if you believe we all should should sit in the house for a year then this conversation is over.

I don’t think you should drive either for a year you may have an accident .stay off public transportation too, they can have an accident.

You crossed that line in to total bull shit

[Tortoise]

In my experience, masks do seem to provide some level of protection.

Since March of last year, no one in my immediate family has gotten any kind of cold like illness. Sure, some can be attributed to not being in school. But for me and my wife, life has been pretty normal -- I go to work every day, we shop as usual, etc. I think I typically would get 2-4 colds a year, and my oldest daughter probably 6-10. Zero in the past 12 months. And she is at school.

Not saying that will mean I will wear a mask once I don't have to, but either/or/both mask wearing and distancing has dropped sickness a lot, in my family.

Could hand-washing and avoiding face-touching also have played a role there?

I never thought much about that stuff before March of last year. I would wash my hands after using the restroom, but that was about it. In retrospect, I suspect a lot of cold/flu bugs I used to catch were because I touched my mouth, nose, or eyes after touching doorknobs and other objects that dozens of other people had touched.

Since then, I've developed a new habit of never touching my face in public, and I always wash my hands immediately when I return home. I hadn't gotten sick since March of last year until I got Covid a few weeks ago from a presymptomatic person staying in my house for the weekend.

By the way, 6-10 colds a year? Are you serious? If I get two colds in a given year, I feel unlucky as hell. 6-10 sounds like a lot. Could some of that be seasonal allergies rather than colds?

[Cortopassi]

In my experience, masks do seem to provide some level of protection.

Since March of last year, no one in my immediate family has gotten any kind of cold like illness. Sure, some can be attributed to not being in school. But for me and my wife, life has been pretty normal -- I go to work every day, we shop as usual, etc. I think I typically would get 2-4 colds a year, and my oldest daughter probably 6-10. Zero in the past 12 months. And she is at school.

Not saying that will mean I will wear a mask once I don't have to, but either/or/both mask wearing and distancing has dropped sickness a lot, in my family.

Could hand-washing and avoiding face-touching also have played a role there?

I never thought much about that stuff before March of last year. I would wash my hands after using the restroom, but that was about it. In retrospect, I suspect a lot of cold/flu bugs I used to catch were because I touched my mouth, nose, or eyes after touching doorknobs and other objects that dozens of other people had touched.

Since then, I've developed a new habit of never touching my face in public, and I always wash my hands immediately when I return home. I hadn't gotten sick since March of last year until I got Covid a few weeks ago from a presymptomatic person staying in my house for the weekend.

By the way, 6-10 colds a year? Are you serious? If I get two colds in a given year, I feel unlucky as hell. 6-10 sounds like a lot. Could some of that be seasonal allergies rather than colds?

No, they are full on colds. It has gotten better as she's gotten older, but from about 3 to 17, easily 6 a year. She has allergies too. Unlucky in the nasal department!

Sure, we wash our hands more and are cognizant of face touching, esp. when wearing a mask. I always use the paper towel I used for washing my hands to open the bathroom door at work now too. So all those little things must add up.

[Xan]

This discussion is over with you ...if you believe we all should should sit in the house for a year then this conversation is over.

I don’t think you should drive either for a year you may have an accident .stay off public transportation too, they can have an accident.

You crossed that line in to total bull shit

mathjak, you are completely misreading the tone of Krieg's posts. (And it's pretty funny)

[mathjak107]

If I am he better explain it to me because so far I fail to see his humor

[Xan]

Poe's Law is an adage of Internet culture stating that, without a clear indicator of the author's intent, it is impossible to create a parody of extreme views so obviously exaggerated that it cannot be mistaken by some readers for a sincere expression of the views being parodied.

[Kriegsspiel]

mathjak is a legit Final Boss, but I think I can break him.

[Kriegsspiel]

I like to think that calling it the Holocoughs does double duty. It makes good people take it MORE seriously, and anyone who laughs at it is a badthinker who can morally be punched in the face.

[SomeDude]

I like to think that calling it the Holocoughs does double duty. It makes good people take it MORE seriously, and anyone who laughs at it is a badthinker who can morally be punched in the face.

Would that literally make coronavirus deniers literally Hitler but also literally worse than Hitler?