I just remembered an odd little interaction at my doctor's appointment yesterday.
Nurse: Are you wearing a mask because you're experiencing symptoms of COVID?
Me: No, I’m wearing a mask because I don’t want to put myself at risk of catching COVID.
I seriously don’t know how this is still a question, especially in a medical setting where I think EVERYONE should be wearing masks, even before COVID was a thing.
This entry was edited (1 day ago)
reshared this
2xfo
in reply to Alice McFlurry • • •Covid, bird flu, measles, regular flu, seasonal allergies,
Imma mask it, thanks
Jonathan Lamothe likes this.
Alice McFlurry
in reply to Alice McFlurry • • •To anyone contemplating responding with anything like "your mask protects others, not you"...
I wear a mask for overall COVID precautions—for myself and for others.
But in response to the nurse's question, I was mainly trying to drive home the point that I do not have COVID and I would like to keep it that way.
I know that masks don’t completely protect me from COVID, but they absolutely do provide better protection than not wearing one at all, so I will continue doing so. And, in the process, I will hopefully be able to protect other people around me as well.
reshared this
Kevin Davy reshared this.
Mr. Funk E. Dude
in reply to Alice McFlurry • • •Alice McFlurry
in reply to Mr. Funk E. Dude • • •BedastGPT
in reply to Alice McFlurry • • •"Your mask protects others, not you" is a bad faith argument against masking. Because it's actually a slightly inaccurate argument FOR EVERYONE to mask.
"I don't want to get sick so ALL OF YOU should wear a mask so I can go mask-free" doesn't sound quite so good.
arclight
in reply to BedastGPT • • •@bedast It's not just a bad faith argument, it's patently false (I deal with aerosol science professionally so don't @ me...). You mask so that whichever direction the virus particles go, they have to go through a filter (also why free-exhaust masks are a bad idea here). Ideally we'd have better indoor air filtration and fresh air cycling, comprehensive vaccination, and social changes so we don't spend time in crowds. These all cost money and involve cooperation, and some sense of civic responsibility, all of which are offensive to an unfortunately not-insignificant fraction of the public.
Covid made me lose faith and trust in my friends and neighbors. I'm still angry about that.
Jonathan Lamothe likes this.
Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to Alice McFlurry • •like this
Alice McFlurry, SuperSpaceFan, hannahshouse2 🇺🇸 California, billy joe bowers-🇺🇦 and WearyBonnie like this.
BedastGPT
in reply to Alice McFlurry • • •The question I got when a NP at my endocrinologist's office noticed me wearing a mask was "Would you feel more comfortable if I also wore a mask?"
To me, even that question is bad.
I was the only person in the entire office, be it patients or staff, wearing a mask. I live pretty deep in anti-mask territory so it's not surprising anymore.
At least my primary care doc is good about masking.
Feisty
in reply to BedastGPT • • •fritzoids
in reply to Feisty • • •yup. When I was asked "Would you feel more comfortable if I also wore a mask?" (not in a medical setting) I answered "No. Thanks", because I am too polite to say "If you're not masking for yourself, don't bother on my behalf; my respirator protects me just fine, as do the windows I opened."
cy
in reply to fritzoids • • •Honestly, I don't mind when people ask this, because my mask can't protect me as well as if we're both wearing masks. If I'm worried about contagion, it's considerate for them to care about that, and give me that extra protection. Masks don't just stop you from getting sick. They stop you from making others sick.
CC: @feisty_lemming@mstdn.ca @bedast@beige.party @Alice@beige.party
Samhain Night
in reply to BedastGPT • • •Feisty
in reply to Samhain Night • • •Feisty
in reply to Samhain Night • • •Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to Alice McFlurry • •@Alice McFlurry I'm going to go benefit-of-the-doubt here and posit that most people don't wear a mask unless they are experiencing symptoms (and often not even then) and so the nurse wanted to see if that was the case (because that seems an important thing for them to know)?*
Or, you know, maybe not. Who knows?
* Though, if so, they should probably be asking everyone.
Cassandra Granade 🏳️⚧️
in reply to Alice McFlurry • • •Jonathan Lamothe likes this.
Lynn Keller
in reply to Alice McFlurry • • •Alice McFlurry
in reply to Lynn Keller • • •@majordopolis I had already filled out a questionnaire prior to the visit verifying that I had not experienced any symptoms in the past ten days.
I agree that they should be asking everyone that question, but it should not be related to me wearing a mask. They should be more concerned about the people who AREN'T wearing masks.
Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to Alice McFlurry • •@Alice McFlurry
Fair point.
like this
Alice McFlurry and Celeste Ryder 🐾 🐀🏳️🌈 like this.