IMO people should wear masks if they have to go out with any cold/flu type illness. Stops them spreading their germs to other people.

Removed by mod

Honestly I’m sad for everyone that works manual labor. Wearing a mask absolutely lowers the chance of both transmitting covid and getting covid, but working in 90+ degree weather lifting heavy shit for 8 hours a day wearing a mask sucks. It gets moist as all hell and fogs your glasses.

Source: I unloaded trucks outside all day 5 days a week for the entire summer of 2020 and 2021.

Hey everybody! Lets all return to the office! Quick! Commercial real-estate landlords aren’t rich enough. We need to fill those buildings ASAP!

In the US, it’s extremely unlikely we’ll see more masks being required unless we see the Healthcare system getting overwhelmed with sick Covid patients again.

I’ve never stopped but it’s made me depressed when I was seemingly the only one doing it :/

Never stopped wearing them. COVID never went away.

Physician here. Masks absolutely reduce transmission and the chance of contracting COVID.

Here is the definitive study on the subject.

Here is a video of a presentation by one of the authors along with some demonstrations and explanations.

TLDR: Here is the Abstract:
There is ample evidence that masking and social distancing are effective in reducing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. However, due to the complexity of airborne disease transmission, it is difficult to quantify their effectiveness, especially in the case of one-to-one exposure. Here, we introduce the concept of an upper bound for one-to-one exposure to infectious human respiratory particles and apply it to SARS-CoV-2. To calculate exposure and infection risk, we use a comprehensive database on respiratory particle size distribution; exhalation flow physics; leakage from face masks of various types and fits measured on human subjects; consideration of ambient particle shrinkage due to evaporation; and rehydration, inhalability, and deposition in the susceptible airways. We find, for a typical SARS-CoV-2 viral load and infectious dose, that social distancing alone, even at 3.0 m between two speaking individuals, leads to an upper bound of 90% for risk of infection after a few minutes. If only the susceptible wears a face mask with infectious speaking at a distance of 1.5 m, the upper bound drops very significantly; that is, with a surgical mask, the upper bound reaches 90% after 30 min, and, with an FFP2 mask, it remains at about 20% even after 1 h. When both wear a surgical mask, while the infectious is speaking, the very conservative upper bound remains below 30% after 1 h, but, when both wear a well-fitting FFP2 mask, it is 0.4%. We conclude that wearing appropriate masks in the community provides excellent protection for others and oneself, and makes social distancing less important.

Hahahahhajaj you can wear them at you house if you want

I’ve never stopped wearing a mask in public transport/while grocery shopping etc. and I don’t think I will =/

The masks they peddle in stores are labeled as “not for medical use”. I mean, damn! They have holes in them that I can see through with my bare eyes!

Masks that are protective, are called respirators and are part of a class of equipment called PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). The word “Personal” is in the name, because it is designed to protect the wearer, not those around the wearer, and is limited by the rating (P100 being the rating that will actually reduce the risk of some viral infections a reasonable amount, while N95 is for larger particulates like airborne dust and pollen). Will they (including those rated for dust) help reduce the risk of spread from the wearer to others around her/him? Of course, but only as long as the virus didn’t go airborne and, even then, “only” up to 20% reduction in risk. Airborne viruses, like the coronavirus family of viruses, are able to penetrate the fibers and travel, but the layers of the respirators and non-medical masks slow that travel considerably.

I don’t think that people should be required to wear masks. If you want to wear one, please do so and protect yourself with your PPE. If you’ll see me around, I’ll be wearing mine. But if you don’t want to wear it, I believe that that’s your freedom over your own body. It’s your choice not to wear one, just as it is my choice to wear one. If someone makes fun of you for wearing a mask, I believe it to be your freedom to punch them in their throats.

The issue, as far as I’ve noticed, is that people think they know something, when none of us really do. Even our scientists are waffling back and forth on the subject. We all do what we feel is best for us and ours, and we should allow others to do the same to them and their.

Additionally, if someone around you is terrified, and would prefer you wear a mask, I think you should wear a mask (or not be around them). As I’ve said, we’re flying blind, and, sometimes, we need to feel safe whether or not we really are. Just be a good human.

Lastly, up to 20% reduction in risk of spread isn’t anything to sneeze at, after all (pun intended). Do the right thing, whatever you feel that is, and respect others as they do their right thing.

[E] You don’t have to agree with me, but it is scientifically accurate. I hope you don’t disagree with the “be a good human” part, though, since… why would you not be a good human?

I’m in Australia and half my kids class was sick last week. Me and the kid both tested positive today. It is pretty rough.

Nobody here cares at all any more. This is my first but most people are on their 2nd or more go around. Its not even discussed, there are zero masks, and people are sending their kids to school sick.

All our care and caution just in the bin because people just don’t give a shit