In Chatlist 6704, NA Boko writes:
“I remember all to clearly the first time I wore a mask and latex gloves to town. Well over a month ago, I went to Food Lion in Pittsboro. I was the only one in several dozen people in the store wearing gloves and a mask. I got snickers and chuckles and some even ignored me.
The mask was uncomfortable and felt out-of-place, but I kept it on. The next time i went to that store, it was a lot different. Many were wearing masks- even gas masks.”
This reminded me of stopping at the Food Lion in Pittsboro the other day and some general observations I have made about the sudden desire to wear masks of various sorts in public.
I have come to be of the opinion that the mask wearing is largely what I would call feel good pablum for the masses to give them a sense of control and reassurance against a microscopic foe that scares them. The thing about PPE in general, and this includes masks, is that in order to be effective it needs to be used properly. Based upon observed behavior I am convinced that most people have no clue about the proper use of masks. I observed many folks wearing them around their chin, or pulled down below their nose. I observed even more people constantly fiddling with and touching them. I have seen people pull dirty ones out of their pocket and put them on their face. I have seen yet others, remove them or pull them down to scratch their face or touch their nose, and then proceed to put them back on which is about as comical as seeing folks driving alone in their cars wearing them (Doh!).
I think the real proverbial cake topper that I witnessed at food lion was the one employee who pulled the mask down off her face and then proceed to eat a plate of french fries while walking across the front of the store and talking to other employees wearing their mask around their chins. I bet she didn’t even wash her hands before eating.
The problem is that once the outside becomes contaminated, with the SARS-CoV2 virus or any other pathogen, these behaviors compromise the effectiveness of the mask and you then run the risk of infection. This is why I suspect that MOST people would be better off to not wearing face covering, wash or sanitize their hands regularly, and AVOID touching their face. As far as the last one goes, I have found that the moment you put a covering on your face is the moment that everything starts to itch maddeningly, which is probably why a lot of people behave as I describe above.
A similar statement can be made about the wearing of gloves. If the outside of the glove is contaminated you still infect everything you touch. How many people know how to PROPERLY remove gloves in a manner that you avoid contact with the contaminated surface? My guess would be about as many as know how to properly use a face mask. In other words, very few.
Date: Wed, 20 May 2020 10:59:19 -0400
From: inbox
Subject: re: Being called stupid for wearing a mask . .