Posted on by Californiacontrarian

Caution ! (Part 1)


Caution! If you are a self-identified Karen or Ken, perhaps you may not want to continue reading this. Likewise if you have a Karen/Ken as a friend, you may not want to discuss what follows with him/her.

Just about every day I see comments from “those who know best” that the reason that we are having an increasing number of coronavirus cases is because we, the general populace, are not doing what they have told us to do. In other words the reason that the virus is spreading is our fault. We, the naughty men and women of California, need to shape up. We are not social distancing well enough. We are not washing our hands often enough. We are not wearing masks as obsessively as we have been told to do. If we would only force ourselves to do better, everything would be okay. We need to comply with what they tell us to do. We are BAD!

Hmmm. 

Contrary to what some may think, one of my duties in life to occasionally think in a somewhat out of the box fashion. Could it possibly be that the Wuhan virus cases are increasing not despite, but rather because of, what those in the know are telling us to do? Social distancing and hand washing both seem like common sense. However, I do question the obsessive wearing of masks over our faces.

Granted I am not usually hanging out in crowded places . . . other than at Costco, but other than the occasional street biker, runner, or walker, I do not see the mask-less throngs that are being alluded to by those in the know. In fact I am observing the opposite. I am seeing yo-yo’s wearing masks while driving alone in a car. Also I am seeing two individuals in a car both wearing masks . . . if they don’t know each other, then I suppose that  makes sense, but perhaps the driver should not be picking up hitchhikers.

Now right off the top for all of the Kens and Karens reading this, “Caution,” I am not advocating mass mask rebellion. However, could it be that this mask situation actually fits as an example of Einstein’s definition of insanity . . . “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” (Despite almost ubiquitous mask wearing Covid cases are increasing, so . . . of course, the logical thing to do is to advocate for more mask wearing, for example wearing masks constantly when in your own home. Oy-vey!)

Social distancing – for example, in Costco is an oxymoron. Months ago, there was a line to get into that store, but no longer. The aisle in front of the roasted chickens is almost as crowded as the floor of the New York Stock Exchange used to be. It is almost as if the mindset is “there is no need for social distancing, because my mask is protecting me.” (100% of people in Costco are wearing masks, albeit not all are wearing them correctly.) Picture a situation in which mask-wearing was not an absolute necessity, and you would then have a picture of real social distancing, not the present day “social distancing while wearing a mask.”

Yesterday while shopping in a relatively crowded grocery store, I felt a sneeze coming on. What to do? Reflexively I sneezed into my elbow, just like we now teach our grandkids to do. No droplets were propelled into the air as in the sneeze-videos that we have all seen . . . but the inside of my mask, well I will leave that to your imagination. What to do? Since I did not have an extra mask or two or three, there was nothing to do, but to continue up and down the aisles albeit with my now damp and virtually useless mask.

Now I do not have Covid – at least I didn’t when I got my Covid test two weeks ago, but if I did, would my now damp mask be a help or a hindrance to the spread of the virus?

Caution, again . . . but are there any studies that document that masks help? Unfortunately, no. Are there any studies about masks, in general?

I am happy that you asked.

To be continued:

124 Replies to “Caution ! (Part 1)”

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