[ruralgoddess]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

And yet another individual worshiping at the altar of the holy mask. Masks can be useful in the appropriate setting, but they are not a suit of armor, they are not magical, and they are not worth the hysteria surrounding them. Right now, your best defense is social distancing. When that is not possible, a mask will offer SOME mitigation of spread, but certainly not immunity. Eventually there will be a (hopefully effective) vaccine. That's the current state of affairs.

Now, to equate mask wearing with "patriotism" and the sacrifices of WWII is simply absurd, almost a religious fanaticism. There have been dozens of pandemics in the last 2 centuries, and this one is far from the worst, yet never has there been such a drastic response by government, nor such a divisiveness among our citizens. It's amazing how many are watching the daily tally of new cases, even though that is a meaningless statistic. It's amazing how many go to a certain event then feel obligated to post how many were and weren't wearing masks. Some are stupid enough to say something to another person; they should realize that that is inherently dangerous

Everyone needs to take this down a notch, exercise common sense and eventually it will end, just like all other pandemics.

So I should offer myself and my family as the natural and to-be-expected course of this disease? I don't think herd immunity is the best course of action in controlling this particular pandemic.