The Politics of a Health Crisis

[Griff]

I took my health survey for work today the list of states I can't have traveled to is getting longer...

[BigV]

We have a winner in the Presidential race (to see which coronavirus-denying head of state contracts COVID-19 first).


Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus

The Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, has announced live on television he has tested positive for coronavirus.

“It came back positive,” a mask-wearing Bolsonaro told a hand-picked group of reporters on Tuesday lunchtime outside his official residence.

“There’s no reason for fear. That’s life,” the president added. “Life goes on. I thank God for my life and the role I’ve been given to decide the future of this great nation that is called Brazil.”

Bolsonaro, 65, has repeatedly trivialized the pandemic and flouted social distancing, even as Brazil became the second-worst-hit country after the United States, with more than 65,000 deaths and 1.6m confirmed cases.

In March, as Covid-19 claimed its first victims in Brazil, the far-right populist used an address to the nation to brag that, if infected, he would quickly shake off the illness thanks to his “athlete’s background”.

Since then, Bolsonaro has continued to attend social events and political rallies, often wearing masks incorrectly, or not wearing them at all.

The virus is not "sneaky" or "evil" or sensate in any way. It's more like a relentless machine or a fire that continues to move in all directions at once, reproducing and consuming *people* when migrating onward. Bolsonaro is just the newest log on the fire.

[BigV]

Whoops.

I forgot about Boris Johnson.

Sorry.

[BigV]

I saw this message on the big reader board outside a coffee stand today.

I agree.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by BigV

I saw this message on the big reader board outside a coffee stand today.

I agree. ...

It's just the opposite. The people who want masks worn by everyone are wearing the wrong masks. If those people wear the right masks (e.g. N95); then, those who don't want to wear masks wouldn't have to. They wouldn't pose a hazard to the mask wearers who don't want to take that risk and the risk would be mutually acceptable among non-wearers. A no-brainer.

Other infection control measures that pro-mask people are supposed to be implementing routinely would negate the other ramifications of some people not wearing masks. That those who are pro-mask won't wear the right masks and are instead trying to force everyone to wear the wrong masks to take up the slack for their misfeasance is political.

I'm pro-mask and wear an N95 plus practice other standard infection control techniques; so, I couldn't care less if others are determined to not wear masks. Live and let die.

[xoxoxoBruce]

People not wearing a mask can be contaminating surfaces that transfer viri virusi virusers viruses to you and your clothing.
Now you get in your car then rip off that damn mask and breath easier.
But while you drive those little bastards are being swept off your clothing into your air supply.

[BigV]

Here are a couple more timely messages :

[BigV]

One more

[sexobon]

People wearing a mask that isn't an N95 can be contaminating surfaces that transfer viruses to you and your clothing. Those little bastards are being swept through their mask and off of it into your air supply and you can't do anything about it. You don't seem to be too concerned about that.

Yet, even though when you get in your car and rip off that damn mask to breath easier you can put it in a plastic bag, which is what you should be doing anyway in case you're already a carrier, you whine about it.

Explain yourself lady laddy.

[xoxoxoBruce]

What we do not need is my mask is better than your mask neener neener neener.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

What we do not need is my mask is better than your mask neener neener neener.

Many masks are augmentable. Customizable in about five minutes.

My podiatrist (yes, this is quite anecdotal and not on the internet until I put it there) showed me a technique to augment many kinds of masks: add two to four layers of new, straight off the roll, paper towel. The idea is that any droplets you exhale have to negotiate three to five layers of barrier to go anywhere, and any droplets out in the ambient have to thread through the same barriers to get at you -- and the trick does not make the mask breathe any worse, especially the blue-paper disposable surgical masks.

Being a doc, my podiatrist uses a more rigid protocol; he starts the day on about five layers of towel stapled with a couple of staples to the top edge of the mask, the towel layers of course being on the inside of the mask. A little shaping with scissors keeps the paper towel pieces neat and convenient. About every patient, or about every hour, he discards the innermost towel layer, and now his mask is nice and fresh.

Some styles of two-layer cloth masks have open sides through which paper towel might be folded widthwise and inserted from one side or the other, without recourse to stapling.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Many masks are augmentable. Customizable in about five minutes.

My podiatrist (yes, this is quite anecdotal and not on the internet until I put it there) showed me a technique to augment many kinds of masks: add two to four layers of new, straight off the roll, paper towel. The idea is that any droplets you exhale have to negotiate three to five layers of barrier to go anywhere, and any droplets out in the ambient have to thread through the same barriers to get at you -- and the trick does not make the mask breathe any worse, especially the blue-paper disposable surgical masks.

Being a doc, my podiatrist uses a more rigid protocol; he starts the day on about five layers of towel stapled with a couple of staples to the top edge of the mask, the towel layers of course being on the inside of the mask. A little shaping with scissors keeps the paper towel pieces neat and convenient. About every patient, or about every hour, he discards the innermost towel layer, and now his mask is nice and fresh.

Some styles of two-layer cloth masks have open sides through which paper towel might be folded widthwise and inserted from one side or the other, without recourse to stapling.

This is interesting. Anybody see a downside?

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Griff

This is interesting. Anybody see a downside?

Yes. If the paper towel is closest to your mouth, you can breathe in paper towel fibers. You don’t want that in your lungs. Paper towels are not lint free. However, if you have a two layer fabric mask, paper towels are excellent additional filtration material sandwiched between the two layers and I have done this myself. I tried a coffee filter first, but it was too difficult to breathe through. The cloth captures any paper towel lint/fibers.

We know wood dust from woodworking is terrible for your lungs. Paper towel fibers are also bad.

Those blue shop paper towels are a lot better.

[sexobon]

You know how people carry plastic bags with which to pick up their dog's shit from other people's lawns, just remove your facemask the same way and you'll be fine.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I don't pick up dog shit, I'll just hand the mask on the shifter for next time