I’m absolutely sure I’ve worn respirators (not paper or cloth masks, but actual respirators) more than anybody here. I’ve gone in a room with enough airborne plutonium to kill you if you took two breaths without a supplied air suit. In deciding what PPE is appropriate for a hazard we use what’s called a graded approach. We don’t require respirators “just in case” or for hazards with almost no chance of happening. I hate hearing someone say “you can’t be too safe” because that’s absolutely untrue.
When do we get to stop wearing masks for this virus? Once a vaccine exists and 40% of the population don’t get it, then what? What if no effective vaccine exists for another 2 years, do we wear masks (and social distance, and drive people and businesses bankrupt, etc, etc, etc) for years?
We flattened the curve. In fact, there was no curve in most of the country to flatten. Hospitals are begging people to come in because we’ve scared or banned people from getting needed healthcare. This virus is real. Our reaction to it has been absurd from day 1.
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