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Masks Work, Period.

www.directleft.com

Masks Work, Period.

The anti-mask movement in America is a sign of a profoundly troubled nation.

Peter Daou
Mar 3, 2022
13
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Masks Work, Period.

www.directleft.com
Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images

A video is making the rounds of Florida’s rightwing governor Ron DeSantis berating students for wearing masks.

Twitter avatar for @peterdaou
Peter Daou @peterdaou
#DeSantis is a piece of garbage. Yelling at kids for wearing masks in a pandemic.
Twitter avatar for @WFLA
WFLA NEWS @WFLA
'This is ridiculous': @GovRonDeSantis scolds students for wearing face masks during his @USouthFlorida visit https://t.co/v9XLjueCYi https://t.co/TFeC6t6wL9
9:06 PM ∙ Mar 2, 2022
608Likes105Retweets
Twitter avatar for @ashtonpittman
Ashton Pittman @ashtonpittman
What a trash way to talk to kids for the sin of... wearing a mask during a pandemic. Ron DeSantis bears a lot of blame for the fact that over 70,000 Floridians have died of COVID-19. https://t.co/CfL7iWssZM
Twitter avatar for @WFLA
WFLA NEWS @WFLA
'This is ridiculous': @GovRonDeSantis scolds students for wearing face masks during his @USouthFlorida visit https://t.co/v9XLjueCYi https://t.co/TFeC6t6wL9
6:46 PM ∙ Mar 2, 2022
297Likes71Retweets

There is something deeply troubling about a political official scolding children for trying to protect themselves from a virus that has killed nearly a million Americans. A virus that continues to take thousands of lives every week. A virus that can have debilitating long-term effects. A virus that remains a deadly threat to older adults, the disabled, immunocompromised, those who can’t get vaccinated, and other at-risk populations.

As I wrote recently, it would be awful enough if Republican politicians were the only ones treating vulnerable people as throwaways. That’s to be expected from a callous, extremist, anti-science party. But disgustingly, Democratic leaders are following Republicans down the anti-mask and anti-mitigation path. And they’re doing it for crass political reasons.

Twitter avatar for @luckytran
Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran
This is the clearest reasoning behind the change in CDC guidance, a few days before the #SOTU address. Politics over public health.
Twitter avatar for @sahilkapur
Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur
In a recent memo, Biden's polling firm had some advice for Democrats: Declare victory against Covid and stop talking about restrictions or you'll lose the election. https://t.co/K6mFBMMUbB https://t.co/PhaL1UKxch
9:15 PM ∙ Mar 1, 2022
1,796Likes797Retweets

What’s more, millions of Americans are unwilling to take the simplest measures to protect their fellow citizens — out of some distorted notion of “personal freedom.” Is it really that hard to wear a mask to potentially spare someone else the agony of coronavirus? Is a mask really such an onerous burden?

Twitter avatar for @TheCatSenate
The Cat Senate ⬅️⬆️ @TheCatSenate
@Hamletgarcia17 @GovRonDeSantis
Image
11:02 AM ∙ Mar 3, 2022
93Likes7Retweets

Capitalism has trumped public health from the beginning of the pandemic. And politics has driven the pandemic strategies of both ruling parties. But the fact remains: MASKS WORK.

Twitter avatar for @trishgreenhalgh
Trisha Greenhalgh #IStandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 @trishgreenhalgh
Let’s start with observational data. Countries that introduced mandated masking within 30 days of the first case (mostly Asian) had *dramatically* fewer Covid-19 cases than those that delayed beyond 100 days (mostly Western). ajtmh.org/view/journals/… 2/
Image
6:43 PM ∙ Jul 11, 2021
4,447Likes1,143Retweets
Twitter avatar for @Laurie_Garrett
Laurie Garrett @Laurie_Garrett
Masks work! Even blocking flu, whooping cough, and respiratory viruses....The unexpected impacts of #COVID19 precautions.
Twitter avatar for @InfectiousDz
Infectious Diseases @InfectiousDz
Substantial decline in pertussis observed from April 2020 onwards, marking the lowest number of cases in the last decade in England. Vaccination has fallen slightly so as masks come off and mixing increases there's a risk for a whooping cough outbreak. https://t.co/iFgehsal9j
5:47 PM ∙ Feb 28, 2022
620Likes173Retweets

From the Washington Post:

Wearing any kind of mask indoors is associated with significantly better protection from the coronavirus, with high-quality N95 and KN95 masks providing the best chance of avoiding infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday. In indoor public settings, surgical masks reduce the chances of testing positive by 66 percent, the CDC estimated. Top-of-the-line N95 and KN95 masks, the tight fitting face coverings often worn by health-care workers, cut the odds of infection by 83 percent, the health agency said.

It’s basic human decency to care for our fellow citizens. The science is unequivocal that masks (particularly non-cloth masks) can reduce the risk of catching coronavirus. Despite all the self-centered and insensitive arguments otherwise, wearing a mask to help the most vulnerable is a good thing to do.

Twitter avatar for @rebeccanagle
Rebecca Nagle @rebeccanagle
The things immunocompromised people are asking for (masks, remote work options, better ventilation) are things that would keep us all safer and healthier. Check out this interview with ⁦@johnniejae⁩ & others.
npr.orgImmunocompromised Americans feel left behind by the loosening of COVID safety rulesNPR’s Ailsa Chang speaks with Cass Condray, Johnnie Jae and Charis Hill about being immunocompromised as states across the country loosen COVID safety precautions.
5:41 PM ∙ Mar 2, 2022
157Likes50Retweets
Twitter avatar for @AngelaMSWinCA
Angela M. Vázquez, MSW @AngelaMSWinCA
Every time disabled people come close to “normal” during this pandemic, we eliminate the very precautions that facilitate that access. How come disabled people don’t get to be free in the pandemic? How restrictive are masks, and for whom?
Twitter avatar for @kylegriffin1
Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California will end mask mandate on Feb. 15, lifts negative test requirement to visit hospitals, nursing homes.
3:23 AM ∙ Feb 9, 2022
164Likes62Retweets
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Masks Work, Period.

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