Hand, Boob, Face, Door Handle.. Where has your mask been?
Across the globe Government officials have mandated their constituents to wear face masks. Telling the public it’s because “The Science” tells them that wearing a face mask helps reduce the spread of viruses and germs. Some of you may just take this on faith as truth and never raise the question as to where are they getting this “Science” from. If Covin-19 is only a year old, how were Scientists or Doctors even able to gather proper data to make those claims and conclusions? Where did this data come from in the first place and what data is included or excluded? Was human behavior included in this “Science”? From what I have discovered through my own surveys, interviews and research, I have concluded that mandating face masks is bad for all our health.
What started for me as a Boise State University assignment turned into a 4 month long study on face mask hygiene or lack thereof. I did not approach this with questions towards the spreading of Covid-19 but rather the spreading of all saliva driven germs and viruses. My mom has an autoimmune disease and thanks to medication that blocks her white blood cells she’s living years past the 3–5 years that doctors gave her in 2011. The downfall to the medication she takes, is now if she were to catch something as simple as a common cold it has the potential to kill her.
Some of the viruses that are found in and/or are transmitted via the oral cavity; influenza, norovirus, rabies, human papillomavirus, Epstein‐Barr virus, herpes simplex viruses, hepatitis C virus, and HIV. Meningococcal disease is bacteria that can be spread either through direct contact or via saliva droplets. Now spreading of those types of deadly viruses and bacteria have me concerned maybe a little more than others because of my mom.
By now we have all seen used disposable masks floating around in a parking lot or two. Did you think when you saw that used mask it has the potential to carry anyone of those things listed above or who knows what? I do not want to get it to the debate on the threat level of Covid-19. I interviewed people in public and asked if they always put on a clean fresh mask each and every time they had to wear one. Over 100 people I asked that question and everyone of them said at some point they had put on a mask they maybe felt they shouldn’t have. The most often reason given was they just needed to run into a store to grab something real quick and they used what they found in their car.
I know some stores out there do provide disposable masks, but all of them fail to provide a Bi-hazard receptacle at the exit doors. We have all witnessed someone else doing something unsanitized with their face mask. Who hasn’t seen someone pull their mask down to talk? While conducting my interviews, one story stood out from one of those lucky essential workers. One of the many questions I asked during my interviews was, “Had they ever seen anybody doing something gross with a face mask?” Heather, a local Veterinary Office Manager, told me how she had watched a woman take a disposable mask out of her Bra then put it on her face before grabbing the door handle to enter her office.
The reality of mandated face masks is they aren’t the cure and they aren’t helping. There have been reported cases of individuals still getting Covid-19 while wearing a face mask. Reported cases of mouth sores are up in every city that masks have been mandated. The fact is in 2020 a higher number of people have reported having some type of illness, not just Covid-19, more than ever before (excluding the black plague era). The truth of the matter is over 50% of the population do not believe Covid-19 is the pandemic threat the media and our leaders have made it out to be.
The reason mandated face masks are not helping and causing more harm is because of human behavior. We as humans have a certain stubbornness towards our own health, rather we believe or don’t believe in something, it is very hard to change most peoples’ minds. My parents always told me “Don’t believe everything you see on T.V. or the internet”. I learned at a young age to do my own research and use multiple sources when seeking information I wanted to know. I wanted to get an answer to how people feel towards others and their face mask hygiene.
I conducted a survey with 17 questions with the option scale to answer 1=yes & 5=No. These are some of the results, 70% of those surveyed feel the way others handle their face mask makes them ineffective. 66% Surveyed feel better education is needed for better face mask hygiene. At least 50% of those surveyed, respondents do not believe face masks work to stop the spread of viruses/germs or believe that Covid-19 is not a threat in the first place. When asked “Do you feel there were proper instructions given on how to safely dispose of used disposable face masks?” 60% answered No.
I asked the following question with a write-in option, and these are responses I received.
Is there any other way you can think of that would get others to be more hygienic with their masks?
Unfortunately, it takes someone they know to pass away or get very sick to realize it’s dangerous.
Honestly, no. A person’s personal hygienic ways are put into play with masks. If they were not very hygienic before wearing a mask, I doubt they will be now. Mask or no mask, each person is different in regards to cleanliness. One person may be super into being clean and sanitizing and another may use the bathroom at Walmart and not wash their hands after (I’ve seen this myself). So you’d have to change the whole person if you want to change the mask hygiene, which in my opinion, isn’t going to be possible. What I will say is that each mask should have a small pamphlet or even just a small piece of paper that states how to properly clean and wear it. Great topic!
Just practicing better hygiene in general would help. I think social distancing and washing hands helps better than masks.
Masks are tricky right now. I think forced education would be the best manner to convince or get someone to be more hygienic with their mask. An idea would be a module or training course that is mandated through work, school, or another outlet.
Conservatives in leadership and role model positions need to model mask wearing and vocally advocate for health and hygiene practices.
Quit making a mask wearing political and understand wearing a mask is a demonstration of your concern for others and yourself.
prove they actually work
Unmask America! It isn’t helping with the spread of Covid.
Don’t require them. It should be a choice. My body, my choice.
I feel this whole “pandemic” is BS
Take them off! They DO NOT stop virus particles! It’s time for common sense to be applied. Masks are worthless!
Masks are ridiculous for healthy people.. sick people should wear them.. NOT healthy people…
They are not hygienic unless you change them at every possible chance of contamination, which in most normal daily situations is impossible!
People need to know the risks they take by wearing a mask. More people died from the secondary infections caused by wearing a mask during the flu epidemic in 1919 than from the flu. There needs to be complete honesty about this “epidemic” period. Masks cause more harm than they can possibly protect from a virus.
They can get covid when they pull it under their chin or not wearing it properly just take it off
Get rid of them, there is no point in them. COVID-19 is less harmful than the flu.
Face masks are unconstitutional and unnecessary. Basic hygiene is more effective than face masks since no one is properly wearing them anyways. If you want effective face masks, people need to be educated with a proper PPE course and abide by those rules. If not, it can be more dangerous than no mask at all. Especially cloth masks.
Wear it properly, wash it, stay away from people
Unless there’s a requirement to wear it there is no way to improve wear. People have their own opinions (logical and illogical). Few would change their point of view.
Provide a designated place just for the used masks (and gloves) to be put when removed. I don’t think that people will do it; they don’t throw their trash away like they should, but the conscientious people will.
For sure better education is needed, but after my research I am left confused to where the education is needing to be directed. At least 50% of the population do not believe Covid-19 is a threat that requests the restrictions the governments have put in place in the first place. At this point the general population is so sick of hypocrisy from government officials, I feel my survey may have come at a bad time.(video Link at the bottom) I feel a lot of the answers I received may have been political in nature when I was looking for medical opinions. Regardless of our feelings towards Covid-19, most of us feel others are not being hygienic when it comes to face masks and their actions may be putting us in greater danger.
I feel better face mask hygiene can be achieved with universal mask hygiene signs. Region, state, or international should have all the same signs directing individuals to wear a mask before entering a store and the back side should direct proper disposal of used face masks. Learn with repetition, if you see the same sign everywhere maybe it will sink in. I personally do not believe Covid-19 is a threat in the least bit, therefore my concern with face mask hygiene has to do with all the other nasty shit that can spread through saliva. I wear a face mask only when required. Once I remove a face mask I never put that mask back on. For the times when I wear a disposable mask I keep a paper bags in my car to place the used masks into until I can get home where I burn them in my fireplace. I have 25 cloth masks that once used go into a plastic ziplocked until I get home to wash them after which they go back into a clean mask bag. If face covering is required, then keep it clean and sanitized. We should be practicing better hygiene habits if not for ourselves then for someone's grandma that can’t catch a cold without the fear of death.
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