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PaperclipPerfector  4mo ago (text post)   2840 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for December 31, 2023

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So... it's nearly 2024. Why are there still a noticeable amount of Americans wearing Covid masks everywhere they go? I traveled in Europe recently and I saw essentially ZERO masking. When I did see a mask it was obviously an Asian or American tourist. (And yes, Americans are easy to spot. North Face jackets are a dead giveaway).

Seriously, the rate of masking was below 0.1%. I'm not sure I saw a single French person wearing one.

Yet, here in Seattle, I still see Covid masks everywhere. On the plane, on the train, in a box, with a fox, at the movie theater, at the opera, at the grocery store, driving alone in a car (why?), riding a scooter on the fucking sidewalk, etc.. I'd estimate indoor masking rates are like 5% still. Are people in Seattle this mentally ill? Why is there such a difference between Europe and my corner of the US?

I thought it was shown that they don't do much, especially outside. And they mostly protect others from you. They don't prevent you from getting infected.

especially outside.

Wait, what? Do people wear them outdoors? Seriously? That's just so incredibly stupid and something that I almost never saw here in Finland even during the worst peaks.

All the fucking time. On a bike, scooter, walking through very low density suburbs, hiking. By themselves in their car.

Yes, about 20% of people wore masks outdoors here.

I do see it. Presumably either because it's cold outside and a mask keeps your face warm or because they're not going to be outside for very long and it's not bothering them enough to take it off and put it back on (possibly exacerbated for some people by getting the mask properly adjusted to a good fit taking time, so not worth the trouble to have it off for just a few minutes).

It is in fact possible, albeit very unlikely to transmit COVID outdoors. Depending on how paranoid / medically fragile someone is, and how annoying they find wearing a mask, some people may consider it worth it to wear a mask outdoors for health reasons, at least when close to other people. I only know one person who does that, but they also use more serious respirators than just an N95 mask.

Where I am, in the northeast US, yeah, there are still a good number of outdoor maskers.

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