COVID-19 Rant

[Trevor]

I see that the British Prime Minister got hammered in Parliament today and by hammered, I don't mean drunk 

The report into his behaviour hasn't been released in full due to the police investigation into the parties at his house so there is more to come.

Oy 😳😳

[Trevor]

Our Minister of Health and Dirt has announced that masks are here to stay for now.  

https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/masks-are-here-to-stay-for-now-says-health-minister-joe-phaahla-20220204

Mr Minister: if you only know how inconvenient those masks are and that so many people are opposed to them......

[ER]

Our Minister of Health and Dirt has announced that masks are here to stay for now.  

https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/masks-are-here-to-stay-for-now-says-health-minister-joe-phaahla-20220204

Mr Minister: if you only know how inconvenient those masks are and that so many people are opposed to them......

Health and Dirt? Is that like combining health and agriculture, or dirt as in germs? Or were you kidding?

[Trevor]

Health and Dirt? Is that like combining health and agriculture, or dirt as in germs? Or were you kidding?

I actually wish I was kidding.

The Department of Health's building in Pretoria was condemned as unsafe to work in last year: quite scary. 

https://www.iol.co.za/pretoria-news/news/health-department-moves-out-of-sick-civitas-building-64f26a74-fdf0-4cbc-9b41-0339e647d23f

[RCMerchant]

Our Minister of Health and Dirt has announced that masks are here to stay for now.  

https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/masks-are-here-to-stay-for-now-says-health-minister-joe-phaahla-20220204

Mr Minister: if you only know how inconvenient those masks are and that so many people are opposed to them......

C'mon, Trev. Like we don't know mask rules and how inconvenient they are. Lots of things suck. Like seat belt laws. Sometimes it sucks to not be able to run a red light because your in a hurry. But running into someone and killing them seems more so.
Your 'inconvenience' may mean someone's life.

[Alex]

I am opposed to wearing them as I find them uncomfortable, but I still do it because if I have Covid I am stopping someone else from catching it.

[Trevor]

Our Minister of Health and Dirt has announced that masks are here to stay for now.  

https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/masks-are-here-to-stay-for-now-says-health-minister-joe-phaahla-20220204

Mr Minister: if you only know how inconvenient those masks are and that so many people are opposed to them......

C'mon, Trev. Like we don't know mask rules and how inconvenient they are. Lots of things suck. Like seat belt laws. Sometimes it sucks to not be able to run a red light because your in a hurry. But running into someone and killing them seems more so.
Your 'inconvenience' may mean someone's life.

I get what you're saying but I have severe anxiety which has many triggers: one of those is things covering my nose and mouth. This comes from people holding me down, covering my mouth so that I wouldn't scream and abusing me in high school in 1983.  I will spare you the details of what they did to me.

Also masks are ridiculous: we all have germs in us, we breathe them out, the masks trap them, we breathe in and the germs go back in our lungs again. That's why so many people get sick.

I have been vaccinated twice and will get my booster shot in May.

I do wear a mask in public around a lot of people, I wear one on public transport, in buildings, in my office but not at home or when I walk outside to the shops. Viruses hate fresh air and sunshine.

[Jim H]

Also masks are ridiculous: we all have germs in us, we breathe them out, the masks trap them, we breathe in and the germs go back in our lungs again. That's why so many people get sick.

That has a grain of truth to it, but it's largely irrelevant with how people are supposed to wear masks (that is, changing them at least daily).  The effect of breathing in what was just breathed out or within hours after has nearly zero noticeable health ramifications - that's why surgeons aren't riddled with health issues despite wearing masks for 8+ hours daily for decades.

That said, cloth masks are almost useless with omicron now, and that's still what the overwhelming number of people are wearing around me.  So, I'd actually agree it's basically safety theatre today, not really doing much.

[ER]

I've seen some cool masks as ad hoc fashion statements over the last two years, but one that puzzled me had "IF YOU CAN READ THIS YOU ARE TOO CLOSE" written on it, and I wasn't sure if the person was being ironic or careful, but I gave her a thumbs up and she gave me one back, so she seemed nice for a bailiff.

[RCMerchant]

Sorry, Trev, if I offended you. That was not my intent.
I ain't thrilled with having to mask up- but if Tiana has to do it everyday, and she works in a nursing home- I can do my part. ( I still talk to her!  )

[Trevor]

Sorry, Trev, if I offended you. That was not my intent.
I ain't thrilled with having to mask up- but if Tiana has to do it everyday, and she works in a nursing home- I can do my part. ( I still talk to her!  )

First of all, you didn't offend me and secondly it's good that you still talk to Tiana 

[Newt]

Also masks are ridiculous: we all have germs in us, we breathe them out, the masks trap them, we breathe in and the germs go back in our lungs again. That's why so many people get sick.

My understanding is that the main purpose of wearing a mask is to protect others from your 'germs'.

[Trevor]

My understanding is that the main purpose of wearing a mask is to protect others from your 'germs'.

That's exactly why I do wear a mask in public but not elsewhere.

[ER]

I have a suspicion that if we could see what will be written in twenty years about this pandemic, we might be surprised, as those who live through history often are.

[RCMerchant]

 ^ Maybe "What a bunch of morons!"
or "Was there a 'stupid' pandemic as well?"