Over the Hedge by T Lewis and Michael Fry for October 25, 2020

Overheard a guy at work complaining how “the masks just make you more sick! They catch all the bad stuff and send it back into to you!”

Me: That’s not at all how masks work.

“Yes it is!”

Me: No evidence has suggested anything you’re saying.

“You’re just listening to everyone else! They’re gonna start watching you and you won’t be able to do anything unless you’re masked!”

Me: Sure. Who are you listening to?

He got quiet after that. Turns out when you’re getting your info from facebook memes it becomes harder to be viewed as credible.

Curious the symbology of the mask hiding RJ and Vern in the last panel.

How can we get “back” to somewhere we have never been?

When Fearless Leader famously took off his mask on the portico of the White House after his triumphant return from the hospital, it was because the mask was interfering with his poorly-suppressed gasping for air after walking up one flight of stairs. (“Must not show weakness! Must not show weakness!”) Only Time magazine and I seem to have noticed it (and maybe you). But in his defense, he would probably have gasped for air on his best day.

I guess these days the Lone Ranger is a badguy.

As long as people remember that masks reduce (not eliminate) the number of people who get sick, and reduce the severity of many of the cases that will inevitably happen.

Realistic expectations are more likely to lead to good outcomes. Unrealistic expectations lead to disillusionment and lack of follow-through.

Name a disease where we have herd immunity without benefit of a vaccine. It’s a trick question. There isn’t one.

A surgeon does not wear a mask to protect himself during an operation. He wears it to protect his patient.

Except there does not seem to be much hard evidence that ubiquitous mask wearing noticeably slows down transmission much less prevents it.

My doctor told us is you can smell cigarette smoke or frying bacon through the mask you are wearing, it is not efficacious.

Masks REDUCE the aerosols containing virus particles – not eliminate – do you wear glasses? Do they fog up when you wear a mask? -

Protect the vulnerable – the rest, go about your lives without fear.

Severity of the disease is generally a function of the extent of co-morbidities. A rational national policy – “dealing with it” – would ensure a fully open economy for all except those with the high risks. That is undoubtedly a viable policy now that the medical community has a good grasp on treatments (that is the reason the death rate has fallen so sharply since March.)

No reason to not wear a mask, even though it does nothing to protect the wearer nor anyone near the wearer. It is a symbolic thing, like going to church regularly – a characteristic of a well-intentioned person.

You two have been saying what’s on our minds.

Hey, what’s going on behind that curtain?! Is this some sort of nod to gay, interspecies sex?

Geez! The pope makes one remark, and suddenly everybody’s on board!

There have already been several research reports supporting the benefits of wearing masks in the healthcare setting and the community to reduce transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

But a question on everyone’s minds is: When can we stop wearing masks? Can we stop wearing them after vaccines are available?

People are sick of masks. I get it. I am an infectious disease and public health physician, and wearing a mask is even wearing on me. So, when can we stop wearing masks?

The short answer is: not any time soon. Wearing a mask continues to be important, especially as cases surge across many states in the U.S. and colder temperatures force us back indoors in closer proximity to others.

Although we look forward to having vaccines available in the near future, there are numerous reasons we still need to wear masks even after vaccines become available.

Reason 1: It may take months or longer to get vaccinated.

Reason 2: You won’t know who has or hasn’t been vaccinated.

Reason 3: We don’t know the vaccines’ effectiveness.

Reason 4: We don’t know the duration of vaccine protection.

Reason 5: People can be re-infected.

Taking your mask off too early is like playing Russian roulette, depending on who you are hanging out with and what activities you are doing.

~

https://www.forbes.com/sites/coronavirusfrontlines/2020/10/20/why-youll-still-need-to-wear-a-mask-even-after-covid-19-vaccines-arrive/

even with mask mandates the virus is getting around. It can be some help but it won’t make the virus go away any faster. A vaccine for a corona virus I hope works but remember the common cold is a corona virus and we’ve never found a cure for that. Human nature makes it tough to consistently wear a mask. Sure people will seek out experts that confirm their bias. but that bias was there in the first place. YES, i wear a mask when I must. Mostly I stay away from people. I have sympathy for those who must be out in public all day.

Or, as Derp Furor bleets at sheep, “herd mentality”.

I wear one because I am thinking of others and myself. The virus has given us clues to help stop the spread and give us more time to develop a vaccine. It appears that spikes occur after large groups of passionate, excited people get together with many not wearing a mask. We often forget that everything around us, including us, is the result of a process that WE had no hand in designing. We can create questions that we will not be able to answer. And to top it off we then use that as an excuse to make beliefs a reality. ’Pogo, an old comic strip character, opined “We have met the enemy and he is us”. We do create our own problems thinking we know everything.

If we had quarantined the whole country in March for two weeks, the problem would be mostly long past. (I really wonder why, in SO many instances, people try to cover up problems instead of solving them)

been doing no mask for 6 months washing hands and keeping 6ft plus from folks doing just fine not wearing a mask!!

Obvious is not to those with eyes and ears closed.

On the Draconian side, The theory of public health called ‘herd immunity’ requires culling out the weak, it isn’t fear, it is Darwinian survival of the fittest.

Thank you for this comic!! If it convinces even one person to wear a mask, it is important. It has been proved that wearing masks lowers the spread of the virus in many studies. As KEA said if we had started wearing masks when we first heard about this, it might be over by now ~ instead it is getting so much worse thanks to all those who think their civil rights are being abused. I wear a mask and am trying to hold on until there is a vaccine. And as Silly Season pointed out, we will still need to wear a mask for awhile after that.

The other way is to wear a face shield which also covers one’s eyes… Must folks don’t like to wear head gear …. Look at the motorcycle riders without helmets ;-)

It’s my understanding that my mask protects YOU from my germs, not protecting me from your germs. It’s a courtesy to others not a guarantee for self – unless we all wear them, hint hint

A most disturbing theme in some of the comments appears to be:

Masks are not 100% effective; therefore, it’s better to go with 0% protection.

Stated that way, I suppose no other argument is needed.

But I think it worth reiterating: We know we can’t stop this thing. But we are trying to slow it down.

Please, if not for yourself, then for your neighbor. For that “vulnerable person,” the only ones certain people want to protect, but to protect those vulnerable persons, the only way is for us to wear our masks.

Thank you and God Bless.

I thought this was really well done! Thanks guys! :)

Steer clear of the Fox-lobotomized: They are the least informed.

Thanks for trying, Lewis and Fry. I’m afraid the only thing more pandemic than that rotten bug is human stupidity.

While I follow all of the various protocol’s I refuse to accept that it is anything more than temporary. This WILL pass and we will be stronger for it.

Masks provide approximately the same amount of immunity as the vaccine will do eventually….about 70%. We could all have been doing whatever we wanted months ago if folks listened to the medical experts instead of the clown in the white house.