As soon as lockdown measures were lifted, (as I predicted) coronavirus cases and deaths started rising again all over the world. Experts thought a second wave might come sometime in October 2020, but the second wave is already here. This means that lockdowns are not the solution, and people seem to be terribly bad at social distancing.
Currently around 165 vaccines are in development and 32 are in human trials. Only 2 has been approved so far for very limited use. Even if a vaccine get approved, it would take at least a year for one to become available to public, according to scientists. That’s too much waiting. In addition, there has been some data showing that anti-bodies created against Covid-19 only last for about two to three months. That means vaccines may provide protection but (maybe) for a limited period of time. We may also expect a lot of people hitting the streets protesting against vaccines, trying to convince the public not to take vaccine shots to avoid population control— or some other crap. If none of these things will help, then how can be win the battle against the coronavirus?
The Spanish Flu was the most recent (respiratory) pandemic the world has experienced in 1918, and it took around two years to get it under control, but not before it has killed 50 million people worldwide. (Fun fact: the Spanish flu did not originate in Spain, but allegedly in China. Since the Spanish press had no strict censorship during and after World War 1, they could properly inform the world of early cases of the virus. People falsely believed it started there, and the name Spanish Flu stuck till today. (Misinformed people are dangerous.) Face masks were made compulsory during the Spanish Fly pandemic, but did not slow down the spread, mostly because a lot of people were wearing masks made of gauze—which is a material that has holes as big as a prostitute’s vagina— and also people did not know how to wear masks effectively. Today we do—or some people do. The picture below shows two people wearing masks during the Spanish Flu pandemic. The masks only covers their nose, and the mouth is left uncovered to spread virus-infested droplets whenever they say “Buenos Dias compadre!”
At the point of writing, the coronavirus has killed a little over 800.000 people and infected more than 23 million people worldwide. While countries are reluctant to implement lockdowns that negatively affects the economy, more and more data are emerging, proving that wearing face masks (even cheap or self-made ones) helps curbing the spread of Coronavirus. While the US president Donald Trump rarely wears a mask in pubic, and also doesn’t believe in the effectiveness of wearing face masks, the democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden called for a nationwide mask mandate. If the US applies this, other countries will probably follow.
You should know that face masks won’t protect you from getting infected, it only prevents you—in case you knowingly or unknowingly have the virus—from further spreading it. No research has proven yet that face masks can prevent you from getting infected (unless you wear the N95 ones).
We know that Coronavirus gets transmitted primarily through respiratory droplets that when talking, coughing or sneezing, can travel to a distance of up to 8 meters. Any (clothing) material covering your nose and mouth, limits the distance these droplets can travel. Especially in poorly ventilated places, crowded places and work offices, wearing face masks are crucial. This, together with measures of social distancing, avoiding mass gatherings etc, might be the only solution to this pandemic. We shouldn’t focus so much about touching contaminated surfaces, because there is no proof yet of fomite transmission (transmission through contaminated surfaces with Sars-Cov2 virions), thus this mode of transmission is believed to be relatively small. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wash your hands regularly though. That’s basic proper hygiene my friend. Wash your dirty nasty hands regularly!
But I hate wearing face masks…..
If you hate wearing face masks, that makes two of us buddy. I sincerely hate wearing face masks, and I don’t like the idea of making them compulsory. It feels suffocating, and they make my glasses foggy. I’d rather have you keeping your social distance from me (unless I am horny, and you are sexually available.) Also, I don’t think introverts can catch the coronavirus, so I think we should be exempted from wearing one. (Only real introverts though. Not social introverts, half introverts, extroverted introverts or any other type of introvert that hangs too much around people.)
However, if done correctly, they seem to be effective at curbing the virus from further spreading. So if this is necessary to halt this virus from hell, that ruined 2020 for all of us, then let’s do it. More than 50 countries around the world have already made them compulsory in public spaces, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy. It’s just a matter of time for other countries to catch up.
But they said wearing face masks will harm your own health…
Claims have been spreading around though, that wearing face masks obstructs oxygen intake whilst increasing intake of CO2, which can be detrimental to your health. These claims are completely false. Not even the N95 masks (that can actually filter up to 97% of air particles) have caused any known illness in perfectly healthy people. Also, surgeons have been wearing face mask for extended period of time for decades. None of them showed signs of sickness because of wearing face masks. Of course, you might feel uncomfortable or suffocated while wearing one, and that’s probably because you are not used to it (provided you don’t have asthma or any other respiratory illness.) If you feel dizzy or suffocated while wearing a mask, take it off for a while, then put it back on (touching it only by the ear straps). You can find more information from the WHO about when and how to use face masks, and here you can find answers to all questions you may have about mandatory wearing of face masks.
But it’s unethical to make me wear a mask if I don’t want to…
Yeah, it’s unethical to sleep with someone else’s spouse too, but many people still do. Just do it for the public’s health and safety, okay?
Thank you for reading.
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