I can’t stop looking at this pic.twitter.com/1r1HwwNCwN

— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) February 6, 2022

I dont have kids, but this picture is infuriating to me

FlossyDFlynt said:

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I can’t stop looking at this pic.twitter.com/1r1HwwNCwN

— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) February 6, 2022

I dont have kids, but this picture is infuriating to me

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Wow.

I've never liked Bill Maher, having nothing to do with politics, just not a fan of his smarmy condescension, but I'm glad he's finally acknowledging things that many of us have known or suspected for a few years now. It's important to have voices from across the spectrum willing to speak out in the name of basic common sense. I'm not a doctor, nor scientist, nor statistician, but I do possess enough intelligence and common sense to know when I'm being lied to and know hypocrisy when I see it.

I went to the grocery store just now, and there was a couple who got out of their car already wearing N95s, and I just have to shake my head at the cult that has been created. In the name of politics, we've created a group of people who will likely never feel safe for as long as they live, and conversely have created a different group of people who will likely never again trust the government and medical establishment for as long as they live.

wolfman18 said:

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Agree on Maher, he's had some decent monologues recently. Granted, I usually don't agree with him often.

The masking cult is a different breed...walking around downtown (outside) with N95s on is insane. People moving off the sidewalk so they don't get too close to you...walking in a restaurant with a mask to only take it off when you sit down *SCIENCE*...the list goes on.

I expect as we get closer to midterms, the areas with mask mandates/restrictions will stop as polling numbers are only getting worse for that crowd. Maybe that's wishful thinking.

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Genetic immune deficiency here, and have not responded to vaccination, but wearing a tight fitting high quality n95 when out in public, indoors or out, is a big part of how I stay safe. Just curious, but would you consider that insane? Not sure why anyone would care what I or others choose to do in that regard when it has absolutely zero impact on them. But assume away (or try empathy for a change- there's lots of people like me)

ChemE94 said:

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wolfman18 said:

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Agree on Maher, he's had some decent monologues recently. Granted, I usually don't agree with him often.

The masking cult is a different breed...walking around downtown (outside) with N95s on is insane. People moving off the sidewalk so they don't get too close to you...walking in a restaurant with a mask to only take it off when you sit down *SCIENCE*...the list goes on.

I expect as we get closer to midterms, the areas with mask mandates/restrictions will stop as polling numbers are only getting worse for that crowd. Maybe that's wishful thinking.

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Genetic immune deficiency here, and have not responded to vaccination, but wearing a tight fitting high quality n95 when out in public, indoors or out, is a big part of how I stay safe. Just curious, but would you consider that insane? Not sure why anyone would care what I or others choose to do in that regard when it has absolutely zero impact on them. But assume away (or try empathy for a change- there's lots of people like me)

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How about this? Anyone wearing a mask, N95 or otherwise, who is not immuno-compromised, is someone who is not following the science. And is basically part of a cult, based on politics.

Ripper said:

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ChemE94 said:

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wolfman18 said:

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Agree on Maher, he's had some decent monologues recently. Granted, I usually don't agree with him often.

The masking cult is a different breed...walking around downtown (outside) with N95s on is insane. People moving off the sidewalk so they don't get too close to you...walking in a restaurant with a mask to only take it off when you sit down *SCIENCE*...the list goes on.

I expect as we get closer to midterms, the areas with mask mandates/restrictions will stop as polling numbers are only getting worse for that crowd. Maybe that's wishful thinking.

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Genetic immune deficiency here, and have not responded to vaccination, but wearing a tight fitting high quality n95 when out in public, indoors or out, is a big part of how I stay safe. Just curious, but would you consider that insane? Not sure why anyone would care what I or others choose to do in that regard when it has absolutely zero impact on them. But assume away (or try empathy for a change- there's lots of people like me)

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How about this? Anyone wearing a mask, N95 or otherwise, who is not immuno-compromised, is someone who is not following the science. And is basically part of a cult, based on politics.

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People seek out offense in today's woke culture. Obviously that person should do what is best for them. It's pretty obvious the NPIs that are best for them are not the same for the general population. Mask mandates are ineffective and the cult that wears them for nothing but virtue signaling are clearly who the poster was referring to.

ChemE94 said:

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wolfman18 said:

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Agree on Maher, he's had some decent monologues recently. Granted, I usually don't agree with him often.

The masking cult is a different breed...walking around downtown (outside) with N95s on is insane. People moving off the sidewalk so they don't get too close to you...walking in a restaurant with a mask to only take it off when you sit down *SCIENCE*...the list goes on.

I expect as we get closer to midterms, the areas with mask mandates/restrictions will stop as polling numbers are only getting worse for that crowd. Maybe that's wishful thinking.

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Genetic immune deficiency here, and have not responded to vaccination, but wearing a tight fitting high quality n95 when out in public, indoors or out, is a big part of how I stay safe. Just curious, but would you consider that insane? Not sure why anyone would care what I or others choose to do in that regard when it has absolutely zero impact on them. But assume away (or try empathy for a change- there's lots of people like me)

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Certainly your situation is not an enviable one, and I don't think anyone faults you for doing what it takes to stay safe. There is a clear delineation between folks with legitimate health concerns and those that are healthy,vaxxed, boosted, and still driven to live in fear by the commercialization and politicization of this virus.

I would ask, with your condition, were you previously wearing a mask during cold and flu season? With the dominant strain of the virus now showing milder and milder symptoms and exponentially fewer negative outcomes, do you feel that there is a point of diminishing returns on wearing a mask, particularly outdoors where there are no viable studies that I'm aware of that show there is any significant evidence of transmission? Just curious as to when, or if, you see an off ramp for being able to return to living your life closer to normal as all signs point to covid as becoming endemic, that we will have to live with forever like other coronaviruses.

wilmwolf80 said:

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ChemE94 said:

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wolfman18 said:

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Agree on Maher, he's had some decent monologues recently. Granted, I usually don't agree with him often.

The masking cult is a different breed...walking around downtown (outside) with N95s on is insane. People moving off the sidewalk so they don't get too close to you...walking in a restaurant with a mask to only take it off when you sit down *SCIENCE*...the list goes on.

I expect as we get closer to midterms, the areas with mask mandates/restrictions will stop as polling numbers are only getting worse for that crowd. Maybe that's wishful thinking.

---

Genetic immune deficiency here, and have not responded to vaccination, but wearing a tight fitting high quality n95 when out in public, indoors or out, is a big part of how I stay safe. Just curious, but would you consider that insane? Not sure why anyone would care what I or others choose to do in that regard when it has absolutely zero impact on them. But assume away (or try empathy for a change- there's lots of people like me)

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Certainly your situation is not an enviable one, and I don't think anyone faults you for doing what it takes to stay safe. There is a clear delineation between folks with legitimate health concerns and those that are healthy,vaxxed, boosted, and still driven to live in fear by the commercialization and politicization of this virus.

I would ask, with your condition, were you previously wearing a mask during cold and flu season? With the dominant strain of the virus now showing milder and milder symptoms and exponentially fewer negative outcomes, do you feel that there is a point of diminishing returns on wearing a mask, particularly outdoors where there are no viable studies that I'm aware of that show there is any significant evidence of transmission? Just curious as to when, or if, you see an off ramp for being able to return to living your life closer to normal as all signs point to covid as becoming endemic, that we will have to live with forever like other coronaviruses.

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First, there is a significant difference in transmission rates between influenza and covid, with covid being substantially more contagious. Additionally, regardless of the omicron variant causing milder symptoms for most, people like me in high risk groups still run a significant risk of serious complications/bad outcomes. So, the short answer to your question is yes, prior to covid, I did wear a mask during flu season, particularly when I travelled or was going to be around a lot of people in a public space and did not have tamiflu to take prophylactically. For me to get more back to normal, there needs to be widely available, effective therapeutics/prophylaxes and low community transmission rates. Fortunately, we are close to having both of those things for covid with omicron peaking and spring around the corner, coupled with the ramp up in production/distribution of paxlovid and molnupiravir. I am hopeful that by this spring/early summer, things will be a lot more normal for me.

Great answer. Eleventy billion stars for your honesty, intellect, reasoned thought, and patience in your responses.

Worse than just intolerably uncomfortable, long term mask wearing is unprecedented and the impact on your health is yet to be determined. Because of my profession, I have had to wear N95s for several hours during biological procedures in the mornings over the years, and by the time I leave the procedure rooms, I sit in my office in the afternoons much more tired. Don't know if it's because I'm breathing back a lot of my own CO2 or just the added respiratory burden of dealing with air flow resistance while I'm masked but whatever,.,.however, while it's true that an N95 is more than a mask, it's classified as a respirator, I feel certain that using otherwise worthless masks to interfere with your normal respiration process isn't natural and may as I've already said, have pernicious effects upon your long term health.

ChemE94 said:

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wilmwolf80 said:

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ChemE94 said:

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wolfman18 said:

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Agree on Maher, he's had some decent monologues recently. Granted, I usually don't agree with him often.

The masking cult is a different breed...walking around downtown (outside) with N95s on is insane. People moving off the sidewalk so they don't get too close to you...walking in a restaurant with a mask to only take it off when you sit down *SCIENCE*...the list goes on.

I expect as we get closer to midterms, the areas with mask mandates/restrictions will stop as polling numbers are only getting worse for that crowd. Maybe that's wishful thinking.

---

Genetic immune deficiency here, and have not responded to vaccination, but wearing a tight fitting high quality n95 when out in public, indoors or out, is a big part of how I stay safe. Just curious, but would you consider that insane? Not sure why anyone would care what I or others choose to do in that regard when it has absolutely zero impact on them. But assume away (or try empathy for a change- there's lots of people like me)

---

Certainly your situation is not an enviable one, and I don't think anyone faults you for doing what it takes to stay safe. There is a clear delineation between folks with legitimate health concerns and those that are healthy,vaxxed, boosted, and still driven to live in fear by the commercialization and politicization of this virus.

I would ask, with your condition, were you previously wearing a mask during cold and flu season? With the dominant strain of the virus now showing milder and milder symptoms and exponentially fewer negative outcomes, do you feel that there is a point of diminishing returns on wearing a mask, particularly outdoors where there are no viable studies that I'm aware of that show there is any significant evidence of transmission? Just curious as to when, or if, you see an off ramp for being able to return to living your life closer to normal as all signs point to covid as becoming endemic, that we will have to live with forever like other coronaviruses.

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First, there is a significant difference in transmission rates between influenza and covid, with covid being substantially more contagious. Additionally, regardless of the omicron variant causing milder symptoms for most, people like me in high risk groups still run a significant risk of serious complications/bad outcomes. So, the short answer to your question is yes, prior to covid, I did wear a mask during flu season, particularly when I travelled or was going to be around a lot of people in a public space and did not have tamiflu to take prophylactically. For me to get more back to normal, there needs to be widely available, effective therapeutics/prophylaxes and low community transmission rates. Fortunately, we are close to having both of those things for covid with omicron peaking and spring around the corner, coupled with the ramp up in production/distribution of paxlovid and molnupiravir. I am hopeful that by this spring/early summer, things will be a lot more normal for me.

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With recurrent metastatic cancer, including lung mets, my doctors want me to be very careful as well. And yes, I've been advised to wear masks at times when flu season was bad. Also when there was a norovirus outbreak nearby. While I was having chemo, my husband caught a cold and they asked that he wear a mask at home to protect me. They did not suggest that I wear one at that time.

Good luck to you, and stay safe!

Oldsouljer said:

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Worse than just intolerably uncomfortable, long term mask wearing is unprecedented and the impact on your health is yet to be determined. Because of my profession, I have had to wear N95s for several hours during biological procedures in the mornings over the years, and by the time I leave the procedure rooms, I sit in my office in the afternoons much more tired. Don't know if it's because I'm breathing back a lot of my own CO2 or just the added respiratory burden of dealing with air flow resistance while I'm masked but whatever,.,.however, while it's true that an N95 is more than a mask, it's classified as a respirator, I feel certain that using otherwise worthless masks to interfere with your normal respiration process isn't natural and may as I've already said, have pernicious effects upon your long term health.

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That's really depressing. I'm just screwed if masks are bad for your health. Feels like I've been wearing them every day/ all day for 27 yrs.

I feel like you're adding a dimension to what I said. Never meant to say that wearing masks are universally bad for you, they have their place for the right purposes. But an eight hour wear time while sitting behind a desk is not a historically normal practice, and who knows if there are long term effects that have yet to be determined? I'm just frustrated that supposedly competent authorities at CDC/NIH don't know better than to impose one-size-fits-all solutions on the general population

ncsupack1 said:

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FlossyDFlynt said:

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I can’t stop looking at this pic.twitter.com/1r1HwwNCwN

— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) February 6, 2022

I dont have kids, but this picture is infuriating to me

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Wow.

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One of the National Review writers had the following response to Abrams' tweet.

Quote:

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The cute kids around Abrams represent millions of stunned victims of a sustained, nationwide, Democrat-led campaign of organized and unnecessary cruelty to kids enacted in contravention of evidence, international norms, and World Health Organization guidance. The psychic, developmental, and emotional damage that Democrats have pounded into kids over the last two years may never be overcome, although it will surely be punished by parents at the ballot box in November.

All of this is contained in the Abrams picture. It could not have been more disastrous messaging for her if it had been designed by the Republican Party. Indeed, the picture is so shocking, so hilarious, so absolutely on-target in undermining Abrams, that I at first assumed it had to be a fake. Yet it was sent out over social media by her own team, which then compounded its error by deleting the photo from Twitter, in effect announcing to the public that it had something juicy to hide.

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