Editorial on (still) wearing a COVID mask By Senator Paula Simons. Good read
I think it’s still under- stated/recognized how much COVID spread was (and is?) an urban phenomenon. In Toronto, on subways, I’d say at least 10% of people mask. It’s a pretty large group. I feel like there’s pretty widespread acceptance of masking here too, in recognition that the city is close quarters at times (eg, subways). I would be really surprised if I saw someone critiquing another person for wearing a COVID mask in public - and I might even approach the aggressor lol. From Senator Simons’ article, it sounds like there are more mask trolls - a euphemism ‘mask troll’ to be sure’ - in Alberta. Shame.
I don’t mask regularly in public places currently, but I think about it. I sometimes mask if I “can’t get sick” for something coming up in the next few days. I also mask when I’m transitioning from sick to healthy and out of isolation when I’ve had a respiratory sickness.
Thankfully, I haven’t been sick for a while, which I credit partly to keeping up with my flu and COVID vaccinations better this year or two. I’m a bigger believer in the shots being a good personal investment than I was years ago (they are also a very good investment for public health - but I always knew that :)
The ability to sit next to an actively sick person on public transit and not get infected is truly incredible. N95 masks are brilliant. I’ve never been able to avoid unnecessary infection before learning how to use these things during the pandemic. I don’t think I’d ever fully stop wearing. There’s very little downside in masking up in high risk settings like that.
I live in a small town, there’s not a lot of people about, and I don’t really go anywhere with public transit. I still mask up daily for my walkies with my dog. I haven’t gotten sick all year, and my overall respiratory health is better.
Don’t think I’ll stop masking anytime soon. I enjoy it.
You probably don’t need to mask up in the absence of people in close proximity in order to not get sick, but masking up isn’t harming you. :)
That’s really great of her. It makes so much sense to mask. No disease is great to spread around. That it’s become a social problem to wear one is an indicator of how many people deny reality.
Fearmongerers have put a stigma against it. You’re one of those “sheeple” that gets “vaccinated”. What’s horrible is a lot of fearmongerers themselves mask up privately and get vaccinated.
Sad that we can’t pull together. It makes me think that we’d never be able to outlaw things like smoking indoors again. These guys would politicize it and say it’s against their freedoms.
Unlike the author though, I’ve never really been made fun of for wearing a mask. I live in the GTA and you see quite a few. In Alberta I guess it could be different or people are just saying things behind my back.
