I didn't know that. In fact, I just Googled if there are asymptomatic carriers of seasonal flu. I'm shocked at what I found out.......50% of influenza infections are asymptomatic. So.........maybe I really have had the flu in my lifetime and all this time I thought I never had the flu. Never had a flu shot either.

There's a mixup in terminology. If someone "has the flu" they are infected, and sick. If someone is an asymptomatic carrier, they aren't sick. They are literally a carrier, nothing more or less. They carry the virus in their persons, and spread it to whoever/whatever their facial orifice moisture lands on when they sneeze cough clear their throat blow their nose cry talk.

So if you've never been sick with the flu - you've never had the flu. But you STILL might have been a carrier. It's not common though, for someone to be an asymptomatic carrier of the H1N1 influenza virus. Most people who are infected have at least some symptoms.

Coronavirus is a whole other animal. It's not an influenza virus - it's completely different.

The "common cold" is a coronavirus by the way.

O



Well, GL, I gotta give you points for responding in your own words. No links. No graphs. No charts.

But (sigh) you did not actually answer my question which asked if you could explain away the obvious irony that the derisive, divisive behavior of anti-maskers is harmful to the bricks and mortar economy.

Although you did not address my question, your post spoke volumes. Turns out, you said you are in your own home where you have been for two months, and spending money online.

I was surprised by that and found it really interesting. (We are being very careful, too, like so many of us boomers — and beyond — ensconced in our gilded cages. We would really like to get out, but, for now, it does not feel like it’s time. I am a gardener and have been picking things up curbside. I really want to go into my favorite greenhouses but do not want to be near those who think this is all some kind of over reaction or hoax.)

Anyway, what I do not understand is why you post so many things bashing Dr. Fauci and others who are doing their best to help protect us from an invisible enemy.

Such posts validate the anti-maskers, even though you say you are not out among ‘em — another glaring irony. Is it simply that old routine of “holding someone’s coat while they go fight”? Whatever it is, it seems incongruous, now that you have said you are staying home.

To say that you find the the whole mask frenzy to be “amusing,” is a statement that I do not find to be at all amusing.

Our country has less than 5% of the world’s population but 30% of cases worldwide and over 28% of deaths. Is that “amusing” too?

Pinching and mincing those ugly stats to play some kind of bizarre blame game accomplishes nothing other than further division — and calculated diversion. Those are some big percentages and the room for error that can be found does not provide real comfort.

We are in big trouble as a nation. The virus is an invisible enemy. Good and brilliant people are working hard to rescue us. We can do only the best we can as individuals to try to mitigate the spread.

As enemies go though, we cannot forget what Pogo said.

That's it...in a nutshell. :ohdear:

Obviously a mask will do no good...it can only do more harm.

How much coronavirus is needed to infect everyone on Earth? - YouTube

Trust Index: Here’s why Florida, medical examiners are reporting different number of COVID-19 deaths

I can't find where the statistics are posted for Sumter County that shows the latest death.
Can some one tell me?

Boomer

But (sigh) you did not actually answer my question which asked if you could explain away the obvious irony that the derisive, divisive behavior of anti-maskers is harmful to the bricks and mortar economy

First of all, the whole premise of your original questions to me assumed I was an anti masker, which I explained in my reply was ridiculous since I posted long ago that we were being lied to about masks, a post that was complained about and deleted. I don't think you will find posts by me bashing those who choose to wear masks when they go to the supermarket etc. Since I know only an N95 mask can actually protect me, and they are hard to get (most online ones are counterfeit), I just order curbside pickup. Brick and Mortar stores love online customers, because the sales are more profitable.

Although you did not address my question, your post spoke volumes. Turns out, you said you are in your own home where you have been for two months, and spending money online.

I did answer it, told you I was first to post on this forum that the "no masks" policy first put out by Fauci and CDC was a lie, that public use of them by some countries seemed to be slowing the pandemic, a post that got deleted, probably by some anti maskers who are now ardently shaming those who do not use them. Talk about an irony that speaks volumes LOL. Since I know that only an N95 mask can really protect me, I chose wisely to order online, including from many "Brick and Mortar" stores. Is this "speaking volumes" to you yet?

I'm not cowering at home in the closet either, I am playing golf again daily, go for swims, walks, bike rides...all activities I can do safely without a mask.

Anyway, what I do not understand is why you post so many things bashing Dr. Fauci and others who are doing their best to help protect us from an invisible enemy.

Such posts validate the anti-maskers, even though you say you are not out among ‘em — another glaring irony. Is it simply that old routine of “holding someone’s coat while they go fight”? Whatever it is, it seems incongruous, now that you have said you are staying home.

I don't bash Fauci for just his flip flop on masks. He has been catastrophically wrong many times. Threat is miniscule to lock down the whole country. Travel bans don't work to it was the right decision. Pandemics are never spread by the asymptomatic to asymptomatic are at least 35% of cases and they are spreaders. It's very dangerous to lift the lockdowns now to extended lockdowns could be catastrophic to country. Second wave is inevitable to not inevitable. If this guy was treating me for a disease and flip flopped this many times he would get fired, I don't care how nice a guy he is.

I'm not holding someone's coat while they go fight. If someone wants to wear a homemade cloth mask at Publix to show they care its fine with me. Knowing the science, I chose to order online and avoid indoor spaces mask or not. I am pretty sure my money goes into the same till so it's ridiculous to assume I am hurting brick and mortar or completely online outlets in any way.

To say that you find the the whole mask frenzy to be “amusing,” is a statement that I do not find to be at all amusing.

It's amusing because of the gigantic 180 degree flip flop that medical authorities, the public, and posters on this forum have committed. The science on viral respiratory infections and how they spread has been known for ages. They spread through aerosols, cough/sneeze droplets, and contaminated surfaces. Please don't try to say Fauci and others don't know this, or didn't know it before their flip flop.

Pinching and mincing those ugly stats to play some kind of bizarre blame game accomplishes nothing other than further division — and calculated diversion.

I can assure you that any stats I present are not ugly and what the heck does "pinching and mincing" have to do with mathematics? Any numbers I give you are the best I can find or calculate. If you don't like the conclusions I draw you are welcome to do your own research.

PS If anybody deserves 5 stars for exemplary behavior in this pandemic it's me. I haven't stepped foot in a building other than my own home for over two months, haven't been closer than 20 feet to another human being, and mask or no mask, my chances of asymptomatically infecting anyone else are as close to zero as you can get.

http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/_pa...s_20200529.pdf

Scroll down to any county you want

If a naked man pees on your foot it will get wet. If the same man is wearing pants his pants get wets not your foot! Get it?

Whoa...election, you say.

You skipped over getting the economy back in gear, July 4th, addressing a number of important issues (stimulus pkg, race problems, upcoming Supreme Court decisions, and so much more).

Guess no secret what is on your mind

Oh, and of course addressing getting everyone back to normal safely. But,that election is important...much more than getting the country in order.

You lost me at "race problems", you were doing good before and after though.

Steve

Whoa
 

Whoa on your views. Let's let the ones who believe the masks are not needed and encourage them to continue with this logic which goes against 99% of the experts. After all the more that get the virus the more who's blood we can use to fight getting the terrible illness! Once they get it, it is too late to say they should have worn a mask! They are giving the mask wearers a gift and we are fighting their gift. Best advise is to stop fighting and trying to convince them to wear a mask and go back to sleep. :MOJE_whot:

Just a couple of things back atcha this morning, GL, and then I am going outside to tend my flowers.

First of all, about those numbers — why did you ignore my numbers?

To review: The United States has less than 5% of the world’s population, but 30% of the world’s cases, and over 28% of the world’s deaths. That’s the big picture and it is shameful and ugly and should never be like that. Are those percentages also “amusing” to you.

You said your pandemic behavior has been exemplary because you have not been closer than 20 feet to anybody for the past two months and you want 5 stars for that because you cannot infect anybody.

Well, about those stars — I can award you all 5 stars for self-preservation as you are definitely watching out for yourself — yourself.

But what I just don’t get is that even though you are being extra careful by taking precautions to protect your own health, you continue to post things that encourage others not to do so. In fact, many of your posts seem to be intended to add wind to the sails of those who are out there flaunting simple safety precautions.

Why don’t you preach what you practice?

Boomer

PS: Oh well, I think we are simply different personality types. The only thing we probably have in common is that we like to argue — once in a while, anyway.

Now, I really am going outside to take care of my flowers. I will be listening to NPR while I do that. Then later I might curl up with my latest issue of Atlantic — that’s the one with the cover story about conspiracy theories. Hey, maybe you would like to read that, too, and we can “discuss” it sometime.

Oh Snap! :boom:

First, I commend you for being a gardener! My dad had a great tiered vegetable garden in his back yard. Every time I visited my mon would prepare an awesome salad made from freshly picked lettuces, herbs, and vegetables from that garden. He also had a fondness for tulips.

Now, I am not in any way amused by the fact that the USA was hit very hard by this virus, over 100k killed so far. My amusement re the mask frenzy is that I was the first to post a thread here warning people that Fauci and CDC were lying to us about masks, my thread got deleted, and the fact is that during the early stages of the pandemic is when they would have done the most good. Now I'm a mask basher endangering people? That's pretty funny.

2nd. I do practice what I preach. My exemplary 5 star behavior, staying outside of all buildings, staying 20 feet away from people, is designed not only to protect myself from the virus but also all others in case I was an asymptomatic carrier. The people that have insisted on going to supermarkets, even if they wear a cloth mask, are engaging in more risky behavior than I am. Those people can still catch the disease, and they can still spread it. I have also posted threads warning people that coughs, sneezes, even talking by infected individuals can spread virus clouds much further than 6 feet and hang in the air for hours.

I see a lot of misinformation posted here about how covid 19 spreads and what different masks will do to protect you. The most dangerous is aerosol spread, infected individuals eject these just by talking or by dry coughing, and these are the smallest particles, they can hang in the air for hours in enclosed spaces, and the only mask capable of stopping them is an N95 respirator mask. These particles go through surgical and cloth masks like a chain link fence. Second most dangerous are sneeze droplets, these are larger and fall to the ground quicker, and cloth/surgical masks can stop them with various degrees of success but not even close to 100%. They are better than nothing at all but they are not totally efficient in preventing one from getting infected, or preventing an infected individual from spreading the virus to others while wearing one. The third vector of transmission, contaminated surfaces, is thought to be less of a factor, but still something to be aware of.

So, when I looked at the science, my solution to protect myself, and others, was to stay out of buildings altogether and maintain at least 20 feet of distance outdoors.

Enjoy your garden, its a nice day, possible rain later.

Thank you, GL. Ah, yes, tulips. Many years ago, I went tulip-crazy in response to a catalog from Breck’s. Those pictures were glorious.

I blissfully spent a blue fortune, ordering bulbs that promised many colors — red, pink, yellow, purple, even chartreuse, and black, too. Some had ruffles.

I then spent a whole day, early that November, planting those things. I even buried them in chicken wire to keep underground and digging critters from getting them. Spring came. Gorgeous. My work had paid off — or so I thought.

Then one morning I looked out the kitchen window and there was Bambi, gobbling up tulips just like popcorn. I took a shot — with my camera — and I never planted tulips again, although I do love them.

Now, about our back-and-forth other stuff here: I hope I do not sound like I am going all English teacher on you, but I really must give that old advice I gave so many times — about how to answer essay questions. The advice I gave was to first read the question carefully.

I am giving this advice because what I asked you in my earlier post was, “Why don’t you preach what you practice?” I had turned the phrase around but you missed that wording.

But then, your answer actually turned out pretty much OK anyway. You explained your focus well, and it was good to be reading your own thoughts instead of having to go around link after link. When you used your own words, you clarified things.

Now, before I get any bad press about how an English teacher sure can bastardize the hellouta punctuation and be so free with sentence fragments and start sentences with ‘and’ and be so much in love with dashes, etc., etc., I must say I know I do all those things. I let voice and tone beat stickler.

Well, now that I have cleared up all that, I would like to move forward with what I said earlier about the cover stories from June’s Atlantic.

I know I probably sound like I am assigning homework, but I am not trying to be a smartazz when I say I think you might find some of the articles interesting, thought-provoking, especially the one titled, “How QAnon is Warping Reality and Discrediting Science.” There are others, too, “How Can We Recover From This?” and “The Way Plagues Leave Societies Altered Forever.”

Reading articles in Atlantic magazine can take up an entire afternoon sometimes but that gives the brain a little workout by invoking critical thinking skills instead of letting the highly paid mouths on the various “news” channels tell us what to think. I really do hope you will at least peruse the June issue, in addition to your other research.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Boomer, Rm. 101

Don't forget the fact that "common" sense to one individual is often "non" sense to another :icon_wink:

Fred

Your mention of the articles you have read got my attention. I hope you don't mind me interjecting because I feel strongly that we are in the grips of multiple conspiracies, and have rapidly descended into third world status (culturally and morally).

I am very suspicious of those who always mention "conspiracies" but having done much research, I feel very strongly that the conspiracies we face are veiled in a place from which those engaged are always accusing others.

Not allowed to talk much on here, but I subscribed to twitter for one reason...to stay in touch with what is being "preached" and it is scary as heck. Scary, because it is not accidental,but fulfillment of goals set a number of years back to disassociate our country from the world among others.

Sounds nuts, but I am just scared.

Sorry agan

Absolutely agree with you. While we obviously disagree on the mask issue, to ME it is common sense to protect me and mine from an "enemy" that I, nor experts do not understand. Bravado offers no help in this battle.

Agan, my agony is that this is now in the P arena, and that is puzzling to me

None!!

Interesting read and thoughts on the spread of the virus -> Coronavirus hopes and fears center on 'immunity'

Hmm. Maybe you'll find Little Fires Everywhere understimulating...

Nope. I wanna take your advice on that book, and I think it’s agonna work out fine. I bet I will get into it. Might listen to it on Audible though because then I can multitask. (Ha! Who am I kidding. Like I ever multitask.)

I like when you wrote Out of respect of others..so important to be caring about others. Thank you and I will wear my mask also.