A 3M silicone half-face respirator and P100 filters costs a mere $50 even with pandemic pricing. It fits much more comfortably, has no leaks, and doesn't fog glasses. We're 18 months into this pandemic. It boggles my mind that ersatz cloth masks are still the baseline, and annoyingly-tight N95s are seen as the nicer option. Upgrade your EQ.
Because half-face respirators make it you look like you are in a chemical weapon warzone? Also why pay $50 for something a free vaccine protects you from 100x better?
Masks and vaccines are orthogonal. Staying at home protects me infinitely times better than masks or vaccines, but yet I can't rely on that completely either. I stopped mask usage with friends and family, but see absolutely no downside of continuing to wear a mask in stores.
Others' perceptions of me are arbitrary and socially defined, and who is so worried about fitting in at the grocery store? If people were grounded in any type of reality, they'd realize that a chemical warzone requires, at minimum, a full face respirator and chemical cartridges.
> If people were grounded in any type of reality, they'd realize that a chemical warzone requires, at minimum, a full face respirator and chemical cartridges.
This gave me a chuckle. I don't think that is common knowledge in this day and age. Does make me wonder if covid can infect through the eyes. Ill make sure to engage my safety squints.
It was never common knowledge. It's a little anti-social to suggest that it's 'common sense' in any way that people would know how to react in a chemical warfare situation.
Anti-social in the sense that implies a lack of understanding of common social knowledge and behaviour.
Staying at home doesn't protect you unless you live in total isolation, and most people don't. 'Family' is in fact a primary vector of spread.
Wearing N100's is also not remotely feasible all of the time, nor will it entirely protect you.
The vaccine gives you almost 100% prevention against death and is by far the best protective measure and it largely frees you from worry, concerns over unwittingly infecting others, and reduces the need to do things like 'total isolation' and 'wear n100 all of the time'.
"If people were grounded in any type of reality" ... there's no reason for anyone to have a realistic understanding of what living in a 'chemical warzone' would be.
Get a vaccine, keep some degree of social distancing, be prepared to wear an n95 sometimes, don't go inside to events with large numbers of people ... if everyone does 'mostly' that we'll be 'mostly fine' over the coming months and can 'mostly' get on with our lives.
