I just tested positive for the Covid antibodies. I was so sick I was making out my will and preparing to be in a mental fog for the rest of my life. I thought I was developing dementia. I was in a car wreck and had whip lash from it but I hurt all over so badly from the Covid I didn't realize they were two separate incidents. I have what is called long haulers where the symptoms just don't go away but stay with you indefinitely.

I wear a mask and still got it, most likely it was New Years day doing the annual Polar Bear dip at the Flora-Bama. I lived a full life before but I'll never be the same again. Sure, you might not die from Covid but you might not have a full life anymore. Please consider wearing a mask and social distancing.

EDIT: I'll never be able to ref rugby again...that is just devastating to me.

If me wearing a mask means I'm less likely to either A) become infected or B) unknowingly spread the virus, then why wouldn't I? It shouldn't be about politics.

Interesting. I already knew that, although not a lawyer, she is a legal expert.

In any event, I am glad for you to wear a mask -- or not wear a mask. The point is that other people may have wives who tell them to do something different than what yours tells you. I don't feel the need to say they are "too ignorant to understand."

You realize you began that question with an “if”, which makes it a hypothetical. But, the logical answer is that there are those of us, including Dr Fauci at the beginning of the pandemic, who laugh at the assertion that putting a cloth mask over your face will diminish transmissibility of an virus.

Bottom line, masks do nothing, if they worked there wouldn’t be recommendations now that are saying to double or triple masks. To fully answer your two questions:

A. Masks don’t prohibit or diminish you or I being actively infected.

&

B. Masks don’t prohibit the spread of infections.

If/when I wear a mask, and it’s a rare thing I’ll do, it’s because a business requires it, and even then I tend to stay away from any entity that “requires” a mask since my state is open for business. Publix and Home Depot require masks at the national level, so I’ve changed my grocery store to Winn Dixie and my home hardware store to Ace. I’ll never “adapt” to a masked environment. Never. If you enjoy that environment, or feel safer in it, I’m happy for you..., but it’s just not my cup of tea.

If me wearing a mask means I'm less likely to either A) become infected or B) unknowingly spread the virus, then why wouldn't I? It shouldn't be about politics.

No. It's not about politics. It's something far more self-centered. There is more concern with "nobody's going to tell ME what to do" than there is concern for others. It's as simple as that.

The entirety of Roe vs Wade is built 100% on the premise of: “the government can’t tell me what to do with my body”.

Individual liberties should be unassailable. Along with freedom of movement. I realize constitutional liberties might not be important to some, but to quite a few of us they are, and should not be abused.

First of all, you made an excellent point. In the early stages of the pandemic there were an abundance of unknowns. As more information became available assumptions changed radically. Dr. Fauci learned of the errors in his early recommendations.

A. Masks absolutely diminish the chances of contracting COVID - IF WORN PROPERLY! No, they do not give complete protection, but marginal protection is better than none.

B. Masks absolutely reduce the amount of moisture droplets emitted from the nose and mouth greatly. The virus is carried in those droplets. Does a mask prevent emissions of all of the virus carrying droplets? No, but reduction of those droplets absolutely reduce the chances of those around you receiving a viral load sufficient enough to infect them.