With the rise of COVID-19 came the rise of misinformation. Scientific facts became topics of debate.
โOne of my residents is heart broken that the country he fought for in WWII can’t manage to wear a mask for his safety.โ
One of the most controversial topics in the current climate is mask wearing: should we or shouldnโt we? After posting a brief prompt on social media to see just how divided the general public was, I was surprised by the rapidity of responses. Here are some of the comments that flowed in within the first five asking, โWhatโs your take on wearing masks?โ
โMy immune system works just fineโฆ if yours doesnโt, stay home.โ
โItโs all about respect. But for goodness sake, know how to wear them so they work.โ
โI am a gambler.โ
“I wear a mask because I don’t mind the minor inconvenience if it helps protect the mental well-being of others.”
โOne of my residents is heart broken that the country he fought for in WWII can’t manage to wear a mask for his safety.โ
โI sincerely believe that people who think that wearing a mask is infringing on their civil liberties have never lived under a truly oppressive regime before and have no understanding of what it really means to make a sacrifice or have their freedom infringed upon. If they did, they wouldnโt be complaining about a small piece of cloth.โ
โBecause I do respect people and their health, I choose not to wear a mask that air, droplets and aerosols can pass through.โ
Despite all of the controversy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public.
โWhile people who are sick or know that they have COVID-19 should isolate at home, COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected,โ the CDC’s recommendation reads. โThatโs why itโs important for everyone to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people) and wear cloth face coverings in public settings. Cloth face coverings provide an extra layer to help prevent the respiratory droplets from traveling in the air and onto other people.โ
Heather Broughton, an Instructor of Anatomy and Physiology I and Disease Ecologist at Oregon State University, gave her take on the importance of wearing masks. “Itโs vital that everyone wears masks, even if they are young and healthy, because you can carry and transmit the infection without knowing. This is even more likely in young healthy people are concerned,” she said.
Still, even some health care workers think it’s a personal choice.ย
โThe transmission rate from asymptomatic carriers is sooooo beyond low that they are saying it was almost impossible to get it,โ explained Kali Reanna Smith, local healthcare worker. โI have to wear a mask all day and for my personal opinion Iโd rather not wear one. I feel awful at the end of the day, congested, tired, I have a headache. I get home and get outside and instantly feel better. Plus, I am constantly touching my face and mask to readjust it all day long. I personally feel if you want to wear a mask, do it. If you donโt, don’t.โ
โWearing a mask is the strongest sign of patriotism you can make in today’s America,โ countered Bendite Nicolas Saraceno. โIt shows you care about the health and safety of your fellow Americans. It shows you care about the economy. It shows you care about the financial impact being felt by so many. It shows you care about America.โ
Karen Sipes, a local school teacher added in, โI don’t go out in public really, but when I am working around people, at times that I have to, I wear mine. And yes, I’ve read all the things, done all the sciencing, consulted health care professionals and made an informed choice. I have a compromised immune system, and am a cancer survivor, so it’s a no brainer for me. People who would suggest I need to build my immunities don’t realize perhaps that I have worked for better than 20 years in a petri dish, as a teacher of young children. Basically, I am done with advice from the general public in regard to my health.โ
โIf youโre out in public, just do it,โ added local parent Sara Charney Cohen. โAt the moment, without readily available active virus or antibody testing, I don’t know whether I am a carrier or not. Just because I feel fine doesn’t mean I can’t make someone else sick. I can’t tell who around me has a heart condition or diabetes just by looking at them. One unexpected sneeze or cough could send the virus their way even at distance, so I wear a mask. It’s a minor inconvenience to me, but potentially life-saving for someone else.โ
The study Smith, the health care worker, is referring to was published by the National Library of Medicine in mid-May, and conducted by scientists with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In the study, researchers studied 455 individuals who were exposed to an asymptomatic COVID-19 virus carrier.
โDuring the quarantine, seven patients plus one family member appeared new respiratory symptoms, where fever was the most common one. The blood counts in most contacts were within a normal range. All CT images showed no sign of COVID-19 infection.โ The study facilitators ultimately concluded that โthe fainfectivity of some asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers might be weak.โ
Because new information is emerging on a daily basis, it can be difficult to put a great deal of weight into one specific study. However, there are numerous studies confirming the effectiveness in masks in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and wearing masks is the recommendation of all major public health authorities and most healthcare professionals.
Another extensive study published by the International Journal of Nursing Studies concluded, โThe study suggests that community mask use by well people could be beneficial, particularly for COVID-19, where transmission may be pre-symptomatic. The studies of masks as source control also suggest a benefit, and may be important during the COVID-19 pandemic in universal community face mask use as well as in health care settings.โ
Broughton, from OSU, explained that while viral particles are small enough to fit through a mask, large respiratory particles are successfully stopped.
“The large droplets carry the infectious doseโthe number of viral droplets necessary to cause an infection,” she said. “If you get only a few viral particles, such as when you exhale, your immune system can clear them before they have a chance to cause an infection. When you get hundreds to thousands, such as what is carried in the large droplets you cough or sneeze out, they overwhelm your immune system and are more likely to cause an infection. The masks catch the large droplets to prevent you from infecting someone else. The masks donโt protect you unless the other person is wearing one.”
This article appears in May 20-27, 2020.
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thanks!
I couldnโt believe how many people I saw socializing in Bend this weekend, many from out of town. No social distancing, no masks. Iโll just stay away.
rs6er … How do you know they were from out of town?
The real disgrace with masks is the lack of availability of N95 for everyone. They should be making these masks as if they were potato chips – “Crunch all you want, we’ll make more.” N95 masks cost pennies to make and should be selling for 10-12 for $5.00. The supply chain has been a total failure as it relates to masks. This is one of many things that needs to be brought back to the United States for manufacture.
It doesn’t hurt anything to wear a mask, why not wear one? I don’t see any issues? I think people just want to complain on both sides. Weather you wear a mask or not is your right, it’s still a free country even if you want to be a dumba$$. Just put it on, name it the anti snowflake melter if that makes you feel better.
Sun devil, have you actually tried to buy a N95? They are available at dozens of online outlets, have been for over a month now.
I think the biggest issue, NOW, is the supply of N95 masks and COST of the mask. Luckily, I had one N95 mask that I bought two years ago for $40 to protect me from smoke and particulates during Wild Fire season. I started wearing it recently due to the COVID 19 outbreak because there weren’t any masks to buy (The health care system is getting most of them and that is okay with me because they are on the frontlines of this PANDEMIC) but as the first commenter states they are easy to make by medical suppliers who are more able to maintain quality manufacturing. Cloth mask are unreliable and their quality is suspect because so many people are making them at home but even these are better than nothing. Even after this cycle of the COVID 19 settles down Our Country needs to have supplies ready for the next one.
Unfortunately people’s individual rights “trump” (no pun intended) the greater good in the US. We all suffer the consequences. It certainly is one’s right to ignore science but it shouldn’t be so at the expense of others. People are just plain selfish, entitled, spoiled, and ignorant, all the way to the top of the food chain.
“They” cry ‘tyranny’ when asked/told to wear a mask, yet they stop at a road construction site for a man holding up a tin STOP sign, and don’t cry ‘tyranny’ for that… What’s the difference… Government is requesting in both cases!? … and ‘safety’ is at issue in each instance…
It is a simple exercise of social responsibility and human empathy!!!
Regarding Kalis comment (the health care worker): Kali, the most recent scientific information from CDC states that as much as 40% of transmission of this disease comes from asymptotic carriers (people who are completely unaware they have the virus). Research shows that especially young people can be asymptomatic, so its unfortunate to see many of these people not wearing face coverings.
Check out the Czech Republic success in fighting COVID-19 via face masks. You can find their You Tube on the issue. “My mask protects you; your mask protects me.”
I’ve traveled plenty in Asia over the years. I’ve worn masks in Bangkok when the air pollution was especially bad, just about everybody did. Weren’t no big. I find the act of wearing a mask in these times a matter of self-preservation. Do what you want. I’m wearing a mask and staying far away from people who aren’t.
Hey Lefties in Bend, OR. I realize most of you came from Cali or possibly Portland and therefore love to have your head shoved up your smug West Coast Liberal Elite A$$, but wearing a face mask too often actually is not good for yiur health.
https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/does-wearing-face-mask-increase-co2-levels
Hey reckoning. Actually it is. Read the article
Hey reckoning…
https://www.healthing.ca/diseases-and-cond…
Myth: Masks allow carbon dioxide to accumulate, and can make you sick.
Hypercapnia is the medical term for breathing in CO2. Mild symptoms include dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, headache, feeling short of breath and disorientation. A representative from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently told Reuters: โThe CO2 will slowly build up in the mask over time. However, the level of CO2 likely to build up in the mask is mostly tolerable to people exposed to it.โ The takeaway is that because most people are using the masks for at most an hour or two โ healthcare workers excepted โ they are not going to suffer from hypercapnia. They might get a mild headache.
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https://apnews.com/afs:Content:8949990001
False health claims circulate about wearing masks during pandemic
Thereโs no evidence that wearing a mask causes hypercapnia, or that masks can trap the virus and lead to an infection in the brain. Hypercapnia occurs when there is too much carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. Mild cases can lead to issues such as headache and anxiety; severe cases can interfere with breathing.
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https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020…
Says wearing face masks is more harmful to your health than going without one.
CO2 makes up only about 0.04% of the air we breathe, and is considered life-threatening when its concentration is greater than about 10%.
The posts donโt specify the kinds of masks or how long someone would need to wear one to generate unhealthy CO2 levels, but medical experts say the risk is quite low for the general public who wear a typical cloth or surgical mask.
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Shall I go on? Hope this helps you sort it all out, Reck. You’ve been misinformed.
Reckoning is clearly a well read man who’s copy of How to Win Friends & Influence People is dog-eared and well worn. ๐คฃ
๏ปฟ
To wear a mask, or not wear a mask? To practice social distancing, or not practice social distancing? We have become so polarized that answers to these questions in our community has been increasingly based on personal bias and political philosophies. Physicians and healthcare workers do not have such luxuries. They have spent their lives in pursuit of scientific truth and in prioritizing the patient and the publicโs well-being. Combating an infectious disease is a battle that requires everyoneโs cooperation regardless of oneโs political persuasion. We may disagree on how serious this pandemic was or how necessary it was to go in social isolation, but we should not refuse to take reasonable and cautious measures to protect our elderly, our vulnerable, and our children. Such stubbornness in the guise of medical freedom could be perceived as a lack of respect, a selfishness, and a meanness that many clergy could call an absence of appreciation for human life and of moral behavior. Morality is defined here as โDo unto others as you would have them do unto you.โ It makes me question whether I would risk being in the same room or the same community with behavior which puts their neighbors and friends at such risk. We have already lost over 100,000 Americans to coronavirus. The numbers of coronavirus infections have increased from #7 during week 5/3-5/9 to #10 week 5/10-16 to #10, week 5/16-23 to #22, and #11 5/24-30. These numbers are mirrored statewide. The data since the lockdown was lifted hasnโt yet been publicly released. Now one may try to say that such increases are due to increased testing or that one should only look at the number of hospitalizations, but the point is that the virus has not been eliminated from the general population. Itโs foolish to come up with an endless parade of rationalizations to excuse socially irresponsible behavior. One might as well play Russian roulette. Wait! Am I purposefully being to provocative here? This issue strikes a deep cord within me. 35 years of trying to convince folks to use medications preventatively and improve the quality of their lives. Many exercised their โmedical freedomโ to do whatever they wanted only to call in the middle of the night to bail them out. But this isnโt just about them harming themselves or driving up the cost of healthcare. Such unaccountable folks are walking around โpetri dishesโ infecting innocent others. As someone once said, โOneโs liberty ends when another personโs beginsโ. Of the coronavirus patients, over 16% are healthcare workers who mostly caught it taking care of others. They have families and they too, are at risk. Healthcare workers are even quarantining themselves from their own families so that they can continue to take care of their patients. Do healthcare workers have the โfreedomโ to not take care of such reckless people? Why does society constrain health care workers and not โrefusniksโ? Is it because healthcare workers are moral, and value life? Yes, there may be a few citizens that have medical conditions or disabilities which limit their ability to wear a mask but, they are relatively few. The OHA is beginning to identify workplaces if more than 5 cases are identified. This and liability issues may incentivize employers to post and enforce policies of masking and social distancing. However, if we want to open up the economy, prevent further social isolation, anxiety, depression and suicide; letโs all get our priorities straight and get the best odds of protecting as many of our fellow members of the human race as humanly possible. Public health is not always a government conspiracy.