So I got in a discussion with someone who is a friend of a friend of mine. We were discussing the state maintaining social distancing, mask orders, and other government mandates. This is how the important part went:

Divemedic:

The virus is out there. Wearing a mask, lockdowns, all of it are not a long term solution. We are killing the economy and costing lives in an attempt to do what? People are still going to get this virus. Remember all of the “flatten the curve” stuff? All of the things we are doing is NOT going to prevent people from catching the virus. All it will do is prolong the amount of time it takes to infect the people who are going to get it.
This virus is widespread enough that it is going to be with us for years, perhaps forever.

Panicked Lady:

And if we all get it and 67% have lasting, long term complications? What is that going to do to the workforce and the economy?

DM:

Those same people will get it eventually, no matter what you do. Only then, they will all be jobless and poor.

PL:

So, just to clarify, where does that leave people like me who are high risk? Are we just supposed to live inside, not shop, not work, and just wait for the possibility of “herd immunity” to work? What do our senior parents do? Do they just live inside for months/years, waiting for the possible immunity? Or are we just expendable?

DM:

So are we all supposed to remain cloistered because you are sick and want to go out?

PL:

I want to work. I want to live my life just as much as everyone who isn’t wearing masks. I haven’t hugged my mother or my boyfriend in months to try to maintain my own safety. I’m not asking anyone to stay cloistered. I’m asking you to wear a mask, just like you wear pants, and shirts for the good and decency of everyone.

DM:

That IS my answer. You are sick. That sucks. I feel bad for you. However, it isn’t my responsibility to take care of you. Instead of facing the fact that there are things you can no longer do, you demand that the rest of us change our behaviors, businesses go bankrupt and lay off employees, all so you can avoid being inconvenienced by YOUR illness. You demand that the rest of us change our behavior to suit you.
If your neighbor told you he had severe asthma and demanded that no one in your neighborhood mow their lawns, bar b que, smoke, or paint their homes so he could sit outside at the pool without worrying about his asthma, would that be reasonable? Of course not.
Do I think you are expendable? No. However, that in no way requires that I change my life to suit you. Not only that, there is not one single study that shows masks are effective in preventing the spread of COVID 19. Not one. 

PL:

And if you would like a study- here’s one- http://files.fast.ai/papers/masks_lit_review.pdf
Don’t ask a grad student to provide proof. We are good at that. 

DM:

You didn’t provide proof. That “study” is not a study, it is a review of literature. From your own study:

4. Mask Efficacy Studies
Although no randomized controlled trials (RCT) on the use of masks as source control for SARS-CoV-2 has been published, a number of studies have attempted to indirectly estimate the efficacy of masks. Overall, an evidence review finds “moderate certainty evidence shows that the use of handwashing plus masks probably reduces the spread of respiratory viruses.”
I don’t think that literature using words like “estimate”, “moderate certainty” or “probably reduces” is good enough to order businesses to operate at reduced capacity, close, or other disruptive activities.

PL: You are selfish and just want people to die. 
Blocked.

Categories: Uncategorized

4 Comments

FredLewers · July 10, 2020 at 1:54 am

Snowflakes gonna flake…
The American Revolution was fought during a small pox epidemic…
It's been my experience that people who want a completely low risk life at other people's expense usually are completely unprepared for death mentally and emotionally… Emptiness resides where self approval and self satisfaction are normally stored.

Jonathan H · July 10, 2020 at 8:57 am

I agree with your points; well said. Those who are pushing mask wearing want to feel safe and will ignore or get angry if you show them any data that undermines their position.
I have noticed similar responses by people who claim vote fraud doesn't exist, or if it exists it isn't enough to swing elections. In my experience, they are the same people who say "we have to ban it until we can be sure it is safe" about chemicals and the environment. Guess what – we will NEVER know it is safe; you can't eliminate all risk.

SiGraybeard · July 11, 2020 at 1:45 pm

Not that it matters at this point, but I think that figure she quotes of 67% of people having lasting damage is bogus. Fully rectally extracted.

Coincidentally, it seems to be working out that the Diamond Princess, that cruise ship quarantined in Japan, back in February, was a pretty good overall indicator of how the virus would work out.

Divemedic · July 11, 2020 at 6:26 pm

I would agree. We still don't know how many people have had COVID. Remember that until May, we were only testing people who met certain criteria. Those criteria ensured that only those with the most severe symptoms were tested.

Now that testing is more widespread, we are discovering that most people with COVID infections didn't even have symptoms, much less permanent damage.

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