Masked Sarcasm

I'm a bank teller. I have old, bigoted white men spitting their politics at me every day at work because the old saying 'the hairdresser and the bank teller have to listen to you' is true. We also have a 'must wear masks in our lobby' policy. My response to everyone who gives me an argument, any argument against masks is:

"If I have even a 1% chance of being able to save one human life through something as simple as what I wear on my face, I am obligated to do so. May I offer you a disposable mask, sir?"

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Trump's had a bad day
Boo hoo hoo.

@Dan Come on, let's give him some credit. Democracy *is* unfair if you count the votes for the other side, too. Can't have that sort of fraud. All the good democratic leaders don't even allow for opposition. And just look how popular Putin, Xi and Kim are, according to votes.

Ooph, this is the internet so I should probably add that the above was fairly obvious sarcasm, not my actual opinion...

@VeryCreativeName i thought i was the only one

@Dan At moment I'd wait for December when electors cast the vote before being sure of result, some races went oddity enough and close enough to warrant suspicion of flipping when investigated and recounted

From the gym 2 days ago:
"Bro, masks cut off the air supply. You are breathing in carbon dioxide, suffocating you!"

From the gym 2 years ago, from the exact same person:
"You gotta try this high altitude training mask. It constricts air supply, like the runners at high altitudes, so when you take it off you get so much oxygen you are running at super speeds!"


Addendum:
I'm also convinced that the same people who bought up all the masks early on, even though many were telling us that due to supply shortages to please leave them for the medical professionals, are the ones now refusing to wear masks. As for the idea that "hospitals have different supply chains than stores, why would buying out the store harm the hospitals?", well, money talks, and when people are willing to pay, the stores find a way to get it stocked. Not just the WalMarts, but the shady corner stores and so forth get them all stocked. Notably, there was a case early on of a NYC store owner (Amardeep Singh, if you want to look him up) getting into some sort of fight with government officials who were seizing "his" masks, even though he was warned 7 times not to sell masks and other personal protective equipment.

@CorruptUser Let me guess, he got both ideas from Facebook, right?

@CorruptUser I would guess that the same guy is also addicted to a certain form of entertainment consisting on cutting your own air supply to "feel things stronger".

And, well, hospitals may have different supply chains, but manufacturers are the same, and orders to manufacturers (barring governmental meddling) are first come, first served.

I take some small consolation in that only the stupidest and most selfish people are refusing to wear masks, thus are more likely to die or kill those closest to them. Overall, the intelligence and altruism of the human race will be improved in the long run. Though what a horrible way to do it.

@HomelyAmerican
Upvoted.

(I can't actually upvote you because the voting buttons seem to be broken for me and me only)

@HomelyAmerican It's hard to hold on to that faith...

@HomelyAmerican Honestly, if only the idiots of the planet would get sick and die off, I would consider it the biggest blessing ever. Sadly, because of set idiots, they infect good people too. So honestly, I don't see any win for us. Maybe aside from seeing who in our family/friend circles we need to cut off after letting us down with how naive they are.

@Lostdaydreams
I think we'll be rid of the idiots sooner rather than later, as someone else pointed out, the ones not wearing masks are likely going to refuse vaccines too.

The world will be full of actual intelligent people, rather than pretenders who think they know better with their alternative medicine and whatnot.
Like a master race of intellectuals.. which aren't discriminatory of race or religion, mind you.. Won't make that mistake again

@Zenon Ooohhh if only! Lets not forget all the Karens who refuse to get vaccinated, were raised by parents who did vaccinate them. So its not like they were raised into a family that put the wrong info in their head. They got that fake info their head all by themselves.
So there is no guarantee more idiots won't come in the future. Some kids are born from stupid parents, yet they are surprisingly smart and get pretty far in life. And vice versa is equally true. Some people are also brilliant in one area(usually something they are very passionate about), but totally dense in others.
Human nature is weird like that, and we will always be cursed with idiots in every generation.

@HomelyAmerican

It's not intelligence, but arrogance. Conspiracy theorists tend to be slightly more intelligent than the average, but think they are geniuses. To cope with the reality that they just aren't that bright, they find/create secret knowledge to show they somehow know more than you. It's the pride of getting a PhD, without having to put in the years of learning and effort.

One really cool thing about masks: unlike what was originally thought, probably protect the person wearing them, not just other people! So if you interact with unmasked people indoors, there is hope that a mask will still protect you, even if the people around you are being dicks!

Originally, it was suspected that Covid-19 spread through droplets on surfaces: a person would talk, cough, or sneeze. The droplet would then fall on a surface rather quickly. Another person would touch the surface, then their face. Masks offer little protection here.

But it's looking more and more like this isn't really a major way the virus spreads. Rather, it's through aerosols. These are much smaller droplets that stay in the air for hours at a time. These smaller droplets are then inhaled. This is, naturally, much scarier. But it also means that masks can prevent you from inhaling the virus. Especially if it's a respirator mask (e.g. N95). And it's also part of why being outside is also good protection: when you're outside, the air currents naturally disperse aerosols very quickly).

Evidence on this still isn't that solid, but studies have been done that show masks probably protect the people wearing them at least somewhat.

Also, please please please wear a mask. People are contagious days before showing any symptoms. And there are a *lot* of people who are contagious even though they're both not showing symptoms and testing negative: before symptoms appear, there just isn't enough virus to show up on the tests. And even then people sometimes keep testing negative. Fuck I wish the US had competent and at least somewhat compassionate leadership.

Masks also lower the blood oxygen level, weakening your body overall. Incidentally one of the symptoms of the new chinese flu is that it lowers the bodys ability to transport oxygen around. As such masks actually mimic part of the disease they are allegedly meant to prevent. Which they don't and can't.

Get an oxymeter, measure it for yourself. They are cheap and give results in five seconds.

Yeah downvote whoever that was, but you don't have an argument do you? The physical reality of your own body is not something you can argue with.

@Joggar i went for a run in a mask, up and down about three large hills

Im not even that fit and I felt literally no difference nor did i find it hard to breath.

'@LimboBilbo' Nor did you measure it.

@Joggar Do they? There are reasons why I find wearing a mask irritating, but feeling out of breath isn't one of them. I've never felt like I was running out of oxygen. Perhaps it varies from person to person.

'@trumpetlingling' Try it yourself. Get an oxymeter, measure before and after, especially if you do something physical. Done. Whole thing takes half an hour and will gain you knowledge for life.

Consider also WHY we need oxygen. It is, among other things, for the immune system. Less oxygen, lower immune response, more risk of getting sick - from anything, not just this one specific virus out of thousands.

@Joggar Are you scared of half an hour of slightly lowered blood oxygen? Do some pushups and get off the soy diet.

1. The main argument against masks is not that they don't filter absolutely anything (as you dishonestly imply), but rather that they create high viral concentrations on their surface which then people spread on door handles, handrails, products in shops, etc.
2. Doctors don't wear masks because they filter viral particles, cause they don't. Not even N95 masks filter viral particles.

Conclusion: If you're going to make fun of someone, at least try and understand what they're saying first.

@Cris 1. I have seen several "main" arguments against masks, but that one makes no sense given that mask guidelines make sure to explicitly indicate that you should NEVER touch the surface of a mask, and in cases where that has happened accidentally or because there was no other way, the hands must be disinfected right away with hand sanitizer or water and soap.
2. Masks are required under the current circumstances to block drops of saliva on which the virus is contained, while doctors, mainly surgeons, wear them partly to block anything that may come from the patient (saliva, blood, pus...) and partly to block their own saliva so that drops of it (charged with bucal bacteria, and perhaps viruses) do not fall inside the patient's wounds (as it may cause an infection).

The drawing as it's presented shows a patient worried that the surgeon not wearing a mask may cause him an hospital infection and the doctor replies that "someone told him that they don't work", i.e. they do nothing to prevent drops of saliva from the wearer to reach other people, which is an argument quite a lot of people (that aren't you; not everybody is you) repeat to call for the end of mask requirements.

@Cris My stance on masks would be: if you have sickness please wear it public, if not, wear if want but please learn to use it properly too and also learn that its not magic protection against so keep your distance

@raven0ak The problem with your stance is that not everyone that has COVID are sick, that's why medical bodies are pushing for mask wearing for as many people as possible. Also Ive not seen any outlet or body claiming that masks are magical protection they still talk about social distancing as well.

@owweeee Thing is, while outlets dont claim its magic protection, some ppl act like it is. in city I live,masks were rare when government as going hard stance (lying) that masks are useless and ppl kept distances, but when government changed stance masks increased and many who started wear stopped keeping distance and on top of it constant touching of mask, as if keeping it on is magic protector

@Cris So the argument is that it creates a high concentration of the virus, meaning it's catching the virus, while also not catching the virus?

MinutePhysics has a nice video on how N95 masks work, and why they do catch and hold viruses. The TL;DR version is that masks don't just work like a filter or sieve that block larger particles but let smaller particles through. They work using sub-atomic forces to attract and hold small particles like viruses, while also working like a sieve to trap larger particles. The problem is the in-between size particles, and the "95" in "N95" means the mask is rated to catch 95% of those particles.

@Cris N95 masks work very well for filtering out viruses and similar sized particles. See for instance https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5906272/

"A filtration efficiency value for pathogens (influenza A, rhinovirus 14, bacteriophage ΦΧ174, and S. aureus) of >99.6% was achieved by the test mask, regardless of configuration tested. This value reflected the ability of the mask to exclude infectious agents, including respiratory viruses. Similar, albeit more variable, results were obtained when genomic copies of influenza A virus and rhinovirus were monitored rather than infectious virus. The filtration efficiency of the test mask for surrogate pathogens was similar, regardless of the challenge microbial agents’ size (ranging from 27–30 nm for bacteriophage and rhinoviruses to 2,000 nm for S. aureus)."

For the smallest types of particles there are better masks available. Naturally having a hazmat suit with a positive pressure, rubber seal etc. is preferable to just a mask, but the masks significantly reduce the particulate matter (including viruses) inhaled.
There is nothing "magical" about virus particles nor N95 masks. Any fine mesh presenting a high probability of the particle sticking and sufficient mesh-particle bonding strength will reduce the amount of particulate matter that is inhaled to a significant degree, especially when the fluid/gas flow through the mesh is low.

Interestingly regions of the world with a tradition of face mask use (often using disposable masks that are discarded after use) such as East Asia have much lower rates of Covid-19 death than places that do not use such masks.

@Cris Wearing non-medical masks mostly means that if you are sick yourself, you do not spread your virus as strongly to others. It also might lessen what you get in, but that effect is probably small and fraught with the risks you mention (e.g. through touching). The main effect of masks is that with less virus being spread by sick people (who may be unaware that they are spreading) less other people get infected and when they do get infected, they get less sick because they get infected with a lot smaller dose of virus. The amount of virus you're infected determines how ill you will get. Very, very small doses of virus might even work a bit like a vaccine (you get exposed, your immune system reacts and learns faster than the virus can multiply). This is one of the reasons the death rate is less than it was. Social distancing and masks does not prevent people form getting sick, but when they do they get less sick as the immune system has more time to react if they do.

Use a mask, if not for you for the other people's health

The comments section on this is gonna be NASTY, but before that happens I want to say that, as an American, this is hilarious.

It's still a mess here. Even my "Rural" area is full of big cities, so covid spreads like heck. It's also so influenced by politics, so the nonbelievers want to vote for the politicians that give them "freedom" aka let them do unsafe things and get covid. Its too many people. Help us God if we have ANOTHER outbreak here.

It spreads 3 times faster than the legacy flu. There is no possibility of avoiding exposure to it, or to get rid of it.

One thing you CAN do is ignore it and go about your life. Stress lowers the immune system, and masks lower the blood oxygen level. Get an oxymeter and see for yourself.

I agree, don't stress about it, but you can't ignore it either. Just wear a mask, and sanitize your hands. If one person has Covid and is masked, and the people around them are masked, then the chances of getting it are really low. And yes, we need to build up our immunity but with a vaccine, the actual virus will put you on a respirator to survive. And you still might die. That is why we need to take precautions.

'@Jinx26' You have already been exposed, and are being continually exposed. There is no way to avoid it when it spreads as fast as it does.

Also vaccines are being deployed. Hundreds sick, and front line medical workers refuse to take it. Which is exactly as expected. It takes at least a year to produce a safe vaccine.

Maybe I have been. But since I wear a mask and distance, I probably won't get sick.

Also my grandparents got the vaccine. In the U.S. we have 2 very safe ones approved, and I've never heard of medical professionals refusing a vaccine.

@Joggar are you still alive? UwU

'@Jinx26' yup sup?

So America is having a big orange turd removed or what?

@ImportViking
Of course, thats why he's on the operating table.
It was jammed up there pretty far.

@ImportViking It'll take a few months to get the rest of it out, and there appears to be some malignant lingering effects, but yes.

@ImportViking Please help us

@ImportViking
Nope.

Mr. Biden stands accused of cheating. But he is making no demands for investigation, to clear his good name. I suspect this is because he knows he is guilty as charged.

It would be genuine insanity to hate Trump more than we value due process of law. Our courts have handled this sort of thing before.

Meantime, it's hilarious that the same people who spent the last 4 years screaming that the 2016 election was hacked (to give Trump the win over HRC) are now screaming that our election process is sacred & unquestionable. Biden is truly the candidate of the hypocrites.

@mellyrn Um, yes, there is an active team of lawyers who are combating Trump's frivolous claims.

And no, Biden does not need to defend himself from these claims. He has no say in any of the processes involved in the election. If there was any kind of fraud, it would be a result of county and state officials, or of single individuals. Outright fraud by either is very rare. And neither is likely to have any effect on the results.

Also, Biden has not called for his supporters to perform election fraud. Trump actually has. Such as that time he suggested his supporters vote twice (once in the mail, once in person, which by the way is impossible).

@mellyrn "Mr. Biden stands accused of cheating."

PFFFFHAHAHAHA not by anyone credible.

Judges have been treating Cheeto Benito's lawsuit attempts like the time-wasting garbage they are. Even his latest lawyer admitted that they've got nothing.

@mellyrn Ah, yes, I love the irony of it all.

Trump votes by mail, yet says voting by mail is fraud unless it's for him. How is that not a massive red flag? How is that not blatant hypocrisy and the most anti-american statement? Just for a moment, think about if it was a Democrat saying the same thing. You'd be furious and rightly call it out as hypocrisy, but because it's your winning team, you support it?

Group think is a scary thing. Trumps voters also tend to be the people that get screwed most by Republican policy, the poor country folk that need health care and education, housing and food because their jobs don't pay them enough to survive. Yet they bend over and say "please daddy, give me more" because they are so used to seeing red.

The two party system is a joke and not a democracy at all, both sides suck, but there is something just disturbing about voting against your own interests.

@mellyrn Do you have any actual PROOF of cheating or are you just blindly following the orange turds' twitter account and fox news?

Even your own government has clearly stated that these were the least fraudulent elections ever!

That Biden doesn't 'defend' himself against baseless claims of fraud coming from Trump doesn't mean it's true. It means that he's keeping it classy. He should file a case against Trump and his minions for slander and attempting a coup.

No one has seen proof of cheating. No one in his or her right mind. So you will present right here what even Trump can't produce in court, right?

@ImportViking Yes! He's trying to launch a coup, but there's basically no way for him to succeed, because none of his subordinates are in charge of any of the processes which will soon remove him from office.

He's going to sabotage the transition, though. And may rile up his base to violence. So that's fun.

@ImportViking #9848205

One hopes.