Quote:
Originally Posted by ladyarwen3
I see so many people wearing only a clear face shield at indoor events (church, shopping, rec center events) where masks are required. These shields are useless to protect anyone--neither the wearer nor the other attendees are helped by these shields. They are designed to be worn in combination with a mask. Are people wearing them only to comply with regulations? Or are they misinformed into thinking that they are safe?
I am saddened to think that I will no longer attend these events because of the actions of a few others. I cannot risk bringing COVID home to my family.
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The stress this face shield vs mask issue is causing you is likely making you more susceptible to contracting Covid than this issue itself.
I have been working as an R.N. for 43 years and give stress reduction classes at the facility I am employed at. Many people do not realize how living with chronic stress is not just a negative mental health issue, it can have as equally negative physiologic impact on the body especially the immune system.
We were magnificently created to have a mind and body that respond accordingly to enhance our survival when faced with an actual or perceived threat. This survival response was meant to be a short term event, but when the threat becomes chronic such as in the case of Covid making the physiologic response to it prolonged, that prolonged response which includes having high levels of cytokines, cortisol, etc. levels in our blood streams not only causes chronic inflammation which damages our immune and other body systems, it can activate latent viruses which is the reason why you often see outbreaks of Herpes Zoster/Shingles in individuals who are under a great deal of stress.
With any infectious disease be it bacterial, fungal, or viral for one to contract them they have to be a susceptible host meaning having a weakened immune where they don't have the intrinsic ammo to fight off and kill the infectious invader. Masks, shields, any all other face coverings worn by yourself and others in addition to having impeccable hygienne may protect you and others to a certain extent from contracting Covid, the seasonal flu, or other contagious infections, but they will never fully protect you if your immune system is weakened as a result of the negative physiologic impact of living under chronic stress has on it. And additionally, the damage that is being caused by having chronic high level pro-inflammatory hormones such as cortisol continually released in response to chronic stress can cause the development of diseases equally life threatening as Covid such as heart attacks, strokes, etc.
Protect yourself as best as you see fit, but do yourself a favor and try reduce your stress over what others are doing or not doing because holding on to that stress is doing you far more harm than you may have realized.