Mandatory masking, this is going to be a mess.....

My own views on the utility of cloth masks in the Covid era notwithstanding, it looks like they're  going to be required in many if not all indoor public places soon.  Judging from social media I am in the decided minority in questioning their efficacy and safety, but in the majority when I go shopping.  

The pro-mask camp is loud and brash on-line.  Not only do they wear masks, they think everyone should be forced to put one on as well.  When I'm  out shopping though the majority of people don't wear them, and in the grocery store where I shop I see zero staff with one on.

I see all kinds of trouble on the horizon, but it's already started in Kingston Ontario with Ottawa and Toronto warming up.  I will not be surprised if it's mandated for the entire province or even country before July rolls into August.  

First things first, there are lots of people who are not reccomended to wear a mask.  

If you have a respitory condition like asthma or COPD, then wearing a mask could pose a health risk.  Then there are the deaf who rely on facial expression when signing, and people with autism.  Asthma is said to affect  almost 4 million Canadians, COPD about 500,000, there's about 340,000 deaf people in this country and autism comes in around 250,00

All told that's around 5 million Candians or better than 10% of the population.  There are also mental health conditions where masking could cause anxiety and panic attacks.   

Are by-law enforcement officers now going to be demanding proof of an illness or condition for someone not wearing a mask in their local Sobey's?  Are advocacy groups going to pop up claiming that people are being profiled?  Is SWA (shopping while asthmatic) going to become the new acronym of the radical left?

Are we going to see confrontations like this one involving a man with a Doctor's note for his medical condition?  

Will scenes like the following happen in Canada with self righteous mask wearing Karens going full SJW on someone shopping without a mask?

  

Well, I have little doubt the rules are coming regardless, so it is best if people are at least informed about how to use a cloth mask safely because there is potential for harm.  A recent CBC article contained a number of points espoused by New Brunswick's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russel and Dr. Colin Furness an infection control epidemiolgist about the dangers.

Use of masks during COVID-19 not always the answer, says epidemiologist

Social Sharing

The article notes that cloth masks can create a sense of false security, and that they're not a panacea or a replacement for the more common measures like hand washing and keeping two or more metres of distance.  And Dr. Furness says he only wears one for no more than two hours at a time (an arbritary number) because of studies indicating that four hours or more is too long.

Even more troubling is the assertion that cloth masks can collect bacteria and other viruses.  For some people drug resistant bacteria could be worse than getting Covid.  Hence why Dr. Furness boils his masks after each use.  I wonder how many people are actually doing that?   

Bottom line for me is that I don't see this going well.  A big part of the reason is that I don't think many people really know what they're talking about, they've simply read an article quoting some expert saying that having the public wear cloth masks might help and they're now convinced they're experts on infectious disease and know everything about the science.  

I don't have a high opinion of a large segment of the Canadian population, there are too many idiots out there who think they know everything, not jusf for themselves but for everyone else.  I see them wearing masks, not just in the store but walking down the street when nobody is within 100 feet of them, and in their cars.  Tugging and adjusting, or completely exposing their mouth and nose to either talk or for a breath of fresher air.  

I'll wear one if I have no other choice, I won't lie and say I'm asthmatic or something.  But I'll ditch it the second I'm outside.  I feel genuinely sorry for the employess who have already been forced to wear one whether they want to or not, and now it's looking like it will be everyone.  Wearing a mask for 6 or more hours a day?  I'm glad I don't work retail.  

If someone is vulnerable (elderly, compromised) then they should be isolating as much as possible, cloth masks are not going to eliminate Sars-Cov-2.  Emergency measures are taking their toll on everyone though, and some will grasp at anything that they think might bring this to the end.  The only chances I see of that are either a vaccine, or if we get lucky and the virus mutates into something less serious which is possible but not assured.

Peace all and be well.