outbreak! (ebola, sars, coronavirus, etc)

I've been to my partner's school and kids are pretty responsible about masking. They have to be nudged, yes, because they're children. But by and large they're not assholes about it, except the ones that are, because - children. Maybe it's the school teachers being dismissive or laissez-faire that's the problem, not the kids.

this was my understanding:

Surfaces - virus mainly spreads by air but the virus can still survive for short periods (day or two?) on surfaces so always best to wipe and be safe
Masks - usage is to prevent the wearer from spreading the virus, and not the other way around.

(I might have misunderstood what yall debating right now, so sorry in advance)

the children will generally do as they're told about the masks, except for the ones with behavioral issues. by and large they're fine with following the rules. it's the adults that are the problem.

I think the wearing of masks is one of the things that more than a few ppl will carry on with if and when this is finally over.

Especially if it reduces the risk of flu and allergic reactions.

Or if you wanted to never show your face to people/troll. That is going to be my reason.

yeah I'm kinda happy i don't need to worry about my forever recurring chin zit at the moment.

Masks - usage is to prevent the wearer from spreading the virus, and not the other way around.

actually, we've gotten evidence about masks protecting the user after all: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/11/933903848/wear-masks-to-protect-yourself-from-the-coronavirus-not-only-others-cdc-stresses

I was supposed to see a friend this summer so we could introduce our kids to each other, but it slowly became clear that he was not and had no intention of getting vaccinated. He even brought up the whole HIPAA thing.

Surfaces - virus mainly spreads by air but the virus can still survive for short periods (day or two?) on surfaces so always best to wipe and be safe

in perfect lab conditions yes, but I think in reality the virus doesn't survive more than a couple minutes on a given surface? I remember reading that surface transmission was incredibly rare

lol people think HIPAA just means "i can't tell you about my medical history", not that it's an act that prevents providers from broadly sharing someone's medical history to people who aren't authorized to obtain it.

Elementary school-aged kids do generally listen about the masks, they just tend not to wear them well or be conscientious about them slipping off, so without non-stop reminders they become ineffective. Middle and high school kids are much less likely to listen at all. This is from my experience around elementary school aged kids plus my wife's experience teaching.

I also think it's silly to make kids wear them outside since there is zero evidence of children spreading COVID outside.

there's nothing wrong with being clean, my issue are many companies will brag about their next level cleaning process while doing none of the other CDC recommended measures like distancing people, limiting capacity, requiring masks, etc.

it was a move companies used to use to try and silence complaints:

"guys, we're safe - we bring in the SANITIZER5000 and it zaps all germs/viruses/bacteria! also btw everybody sits in this restaurant naked and we don't require masks cos we think it's unnecessary"

https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/05/26/1025361/us-promoting-vaccine-tourism-new-york/

the children will generally do as they're told about the masks, except for the ones with behavioral issues. by and large they're fine with following the rules. it's the adults that are the problem.

data point: I have an intellectually disabled kid with severe behavioral issues, and he's a more consistent mask advocate than anyone I know. His world is chaos so he loves routine.

We're in the car together on the way to school.

DAD - MAS ON!

Mind you, we live together, so we've been breathing shared air for ten years, including the last year and a half. My wife and I are fully vaccinated and our 13-year-old is half vaccinated.

DAD - MAS ON!

Dude, I will put my mask on when we get there, but right now we're in the car.

DAD - MAS ON!

Okay, okay, here. See? I have mask on.

fuck it mask off

yeah i don't really buy the idea that kids/teens wont wear masks. . . i bet its the parents that are the problem

at this point I’m genuinely concerned about all the surface cleaning, both in terms of creating the evolutionary pressure for superbugs and of my own immune regulation. I’m not anti-hygiene, I wash my hands (with non-antibacterial soap!) regularly and do plenty of other things to be conscientious towards others, but sterilizing every damn public surface umpteen times a day just does not seem healthy on the population level, especially after it’s been proven many times over that it has no effect on the pandemic. Most immune systems get a net benefit from sub-infectious exposure to ambient bacteria!

yeah i don't really buy the idea that kids/teens wont wear masks. . . i bet its the parents that are the problem

― a (waterface), Wednesday, May 26, 2021 8:48 AM (thirteen minutes ago)

🤐

sterilizing every damn public surface umpteen times a day

I just... are we actually doing this? I don't think my kids' school is but they're distancing and they bought expensive new air filters

a lot of places are still practicing sterilization theater... hotels for instance

actually that's just anecdotal don't listen to me lol

ok more concrete example: the new york subway

I had to serve on jury duty Monday and they are def practicing hyper sterilization in the courtrooms and waiting areas, though also doing a reasonably good job of distancing and separation.

Oh I’m def not talking about schools, I’m talking about e.g. the chain restaurants etc that now smell like Lysol at all times

idk I’m not trying to make any concrete public health assertions, I just think it’s possible to overcorrect on this stuff

Oh gotcha sorry

At the same time, I both:

* can't quite believe that anyone still believes the fomite hype or why anyone is still buying bleach spray etc while also standing indoors without a mask or insisting that [x] behavior is fine...

* and I also totally believe that businesses are not going to STOP doing it in case someone accuses them of not taking every precaution but they also won't be able to force people who enter their buildings to wear masks, will leave plexiglass shields up but not increase ventilation, etc.

In short we better hope the vaccines keep working as well as advertized.

in orbit otm, I think restaurants are just doing it for fear of being accused of not doing everything they can to protect customers.

fwiw, my mom and stepdad, both fully vaxxed still let their mail sit in the garage for 24 hours and are still wiping down their groceries every trip. not choices I would make, but... people got into habits that are hard to break, even if the science doesn't back it up.

Trying to wrap my head around the idea that the New York subway system is in danger of being too clean

man when I visited in March '20 just before the world shut down my car gleamed.

I mean if you are very vulnerable and you isolated for 14 months and truly stayed in your house, didn't see your friends or family, had groceries delivered or shopped minimally, sanitized everything, and were very cautious, AND IT WORKED AND YOU DIDN'T GET COVID AND DIE AND YOU MADE IT TO A VACCINE, it's hard to argue with that, really. You can see how it reinforces the behavior.

Trying to wrap my head around the idea that the New York subway system is in danger of being too clean

I let my mail sit for like a month, but it's not because of Covid, it's because the idea of opening it fills me with existential dread.

My school theoretically has teachers wiping down all the student desks after every class period, which must be awful - I can't imagine the fumes. I haven't been doing that because I only teach one class, so I just assume everything gets sanitized at the end of the day anyway.

Trying to wrap my head around the idea that the New York subway system is in danger of being too clean

― Pfizer the pharma chip (wins), Wednesday, May 26, 2021 9:25 AM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

lol fair

They should find some way to infect rats with covid vaccine then send them out in the world to spread it. I'm sure that would go well.

These stories about investigating the Wuhan lab as the origin of the virus are giving me the vapors.

And those vapors will give you the virus! It's a vicious cycle!

lol

Govt. of Kerala will provide a special package for children who have lost their parents to #Covid19. ₹3,00,000 will be given as immediate relief and a monthly sum of ₹2,000 will be issued till their 18th birthday. Educational expenses will be covered till graduation.

— CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) May 27, 2021

that's some governin' right there

Yup.

Well done everybody

A study shows people working from home are having sex, dating, taking naps and doing side hustles on company time https://t.co/fTlguCu1JZ pic.twitter.com/bGQv7h1wRM

— Forbes (@Forbes) May 26, 2021

Profit forbid!

wish Forbes would stop spying on me

I don't know, you'd think all that sex and side hustling would earn you the occasional nap on the company dime, but I guess not. Back to the sex and side-hustling, wage slave!

I have not had sex, dated, or napped.

... today.

Well, yeah

lol I did every one of those things when I was wfh

wfh?

working from home