Florida Governor DeSantis to students:
“You do not have to wear those masks,” a finger-wagging DeSantis told the students as he went to take
the podium. “Please take them off. Honestly, it’s not doing anything. We’ve got to stop with this Covid
theater. So, if you want to wear it, fine — but this is ridiculous.”
https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/desantis-stud…
And this could be [gulp] our next president? Yikes.
Well Gov. DeSantis lost the votes of the parents of these students and in a couple of years the votes of these students.
Jaak
“So, if you want to wear it, fine…”
A very reasonable, democratic, and free society speech!
The Captain
So, if you want to wear it, fine
And from New York City…
Adams calls end of masking in schools a ‘symbol that we are back’
https://gothamist.com/news/adams-calls-end-of-masking-in-sch…
Mayor Eric Adams on Monday said removing mask mandates in public schools was a broader sign that the city is moving toward a full economic reopening.
“When we take off the mask, we’re going to start to show that we’re open,” Adams said during an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box. “It’s just a symbol that we are back."
DB2
No one would be happier than I to abandon masks forever. That said, so far it is estimated that 43% of the US has, at one point or another (and to one extent or another), been infected by COVID. That forms a VENN diagram with those who have/have not been vaccinated. The likelihood, in infections caused by each variant of those who have/have not been vaccinated landing in the hospital or dying can be calculated. This means that during the current status quo, the number of likely incremental hospitalization s “left” in our population is able to be calculated (given the current state of vaccination, likely less than a million more deaths - the vast majority from the unvaccinated portion of our population - with a run-rate able top be accommodated by our beefed-up medical system.
There are a number of observations which must be evaluated by each individual:
What is the statistical probability of acquiring a case bad enough to land us in the hospital or morgue.
What is the statistical probability of ending up with “long-COVID” of one sort or another - understanding that there has been no long-term research as the disease is only a couple of years old.
What is the likelihood of a new, vaccine resistant, variant will appear and start this thing over again - a complete unknown
Masking reduces the likelihood of any of the above adversely affecting each of us individually - and the more masked those around us are, the lower the likelihood of COVID causing each of us a problem.
So, it all boils down to political bandstand - telling the people what they want to hear. But, while modified perception may become reality politically, science dictates the reality of the disease.
After a couple of weeks of being aboard a “clean” ship, on March 1st masking became optional - and one port stop since then, after yesterday’s testing, the lady from the medical office in the spacesuit has returned and at least on trivia team is short a player.
I like the odds better if I wear a mask rather than giving a morale boost to others by going bare faced. Saying that the disease is finished when tens of thousands continue to become infected each day in the US is simply an insult to our intelligence. Running the numbers, explaining our level of risk and letting each of us decide would be far more responsible.
Jeff
Did anyone flip off DeSantis? I know I would have if I were there.