What I Learned From COVID-19

“If you desire 100% avoidance of infection, the only way to achieve it is to isolate yourself completely.” (David G. Hill, 2020)

• That is right! There is no #vaccine, cure, face mask, or other measure that is going to help you to keep from this. That is no different than flu, ebola, or any other communicable disease. I learned that there are over 80 communicable #diseases that are tracked and/or reported many of which are very much so present in today's world. Many of which are just as contagious.

“. . . a homemade mask should only be considered as a last resort to prevent droplet transmission from infected individuals, but with limited success. . . . 80–90% of #particles from human expiratory activities were aerosols with the diameter being smaller than 1 μm.” (Jayaweera, 2020)

• With 80-90% of our spray being aerosols, the mask catches no more than about 20% of our spray. While COVID-19 and other #viruses like to cling to larger particles, it is unlikely that they are all caught in that 20% thus we can say that majority of the virus will bypass a face mask barrier.

"For COVID-19, data to date suggest that 80% of infections are mild or asymptomatic.” (World Health Organization, 2020)

• While I understand there is much unknown about the virus, this virus is not new. Let me say that again-THIS IS NOT NEW. Also known as #SARS , this virus has been around since the 60s and the new strand is still being dissected. So we are not entirely blind-sided or in the dark (though some sources might have you believing otherwise).
• Let's talk stats - as of July 20th, 2020, the CDC has reported 3,761,362 total cases. Of those cases, there have been 140,157 deaths. While tragic-that is only 3.7%. This tells me that you are more likely to survive COVID than perish. (Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 2020)
• From February 1st to July 11th, there were more pneumonia deaths than there were COVID deaths-135,158 vs 126,647.(Elflein, 2020) Why are we not talking about that and what other ailments/diseases are going to get overlooked because all the focus is on Mr.19?
• More testing = more results = increase in cases. The same effect would happen if we started handing out more IQ Tests. More testing = more results = increase in #idiocy.

Executive orders are not the law though many politicians are trying to use it as such. Keep in mind this does not mean that there will not be push back if you decide to step out of the #cattleherd and question those orders. For example, Colorado just released a mandatory face mask executive order from Governor Polis.

• It is surprising to me how many people have not read the order. I also wonder how many businesses did not as well. I say this because specifically in Amendment M Article 3, it states "Individuals who are exercising alone or with others from the individual’s household and a face covering would interfere with the activity"; yet Planet Fitness, Life Time, and I am sure a hand full of other gyms are requiring face masks (not just in common areas). Both the CDC and WHO advise against this.

“People should NOT wear masks when exercising, as masks may reduce the ability to breathe comfortably. Sweat can make the mask become wet more quickly which makes it difficult to breathe and promotes the growth of microorganisms. The important preventive measure during exercise is to maintain physical distance of at least one meter from others.” (World Health Organization, 2020)

“People should not wear cloth face coverings while engaged in activities that may cause the cloth face covering to become wet. . . People who are engaged in high intensity activities, like running, may not be able to wear a cloth face covering if it causes difficulty breathing. . .” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020)

• I also encountered a woman at an outdoor mall who was unclear if she was supposed to wear the mask or not when outside. I guess I cannot blame her since the rules and regulation can change from state to state, city to city, and county to county. It can be hard work keeping up with the 'Dos and Don'ts". I also think that there were only 10% of us not wearing them in the outdoor space-so I could see where one would get the impression that you should. The answer is NO! The executive order is for INDOOR spaces only with a few exceptions. Pay no attention to the large highway signs that leave out that one word!

I have always been into playing Devil's Advocate because so many of us do not stop to ask questions nor take the time to educate ourselves with hard data. We feed into #fear marketing, social posts, half truths from new reports, and honestly just pure laziness. We have so many answers at our finger tips. Taking just a few moments to educate and enlighten ourselves can be very eye opening. I felt it was high time to bring some light on things that no one (that I have seen) is reporting on. Kind of like-where is the news on Italy and China in this. Once we shut down, I have heard crickets about them! Bueller Bueller Bueller. . .

I digress. . .Does this mean I do not think there is any issue here? No! I think the fact that a virus can change itself to be bigger and badder is always cause for concern. This is no different than the strains of influenza hence getting the shot every year to keep up with is. Nature has a way of catching up especially if we are trying to out perform, out run, or manipulate it in a way that is not conducive with its own set of laws.

The take-aways:

• Abstinence from society is the only 100% effective measure
• Homemade face masks are not really that effective
• We spray more than we spit.
• Would it really be that bad to catch COVID-19?
• We are more likely to catch and die from pneumonia than COVID
• We are lazy and/or lack hygiene if we have to be reminded to wash our hands and cover our coughs/sneezes
• Are we so childish as to have to be reminded to stay home when you are sick no matter what kind it is?
• While we all want to try to respect THE MAN, what if he is wrong?
• Fear Marketing works and is a pandemic in itself

References

Center for Disease Control & Prevention. (2020, July 20). Cases In The U.S. Retrieved from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, July 16). Considerations for Wearing Cloth Face Coverings. Retrieved from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html

David G. Hill, M. (2020, June 18). From the Frontlines: The Truth About COVID19 and Face Masks. Retrieved from American Lung Association: https://www.lung.org/blog/covid-masks

Elflein, J. (2020, July 20). Number of deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), pneumonia, and influenza in the U.S. from February 1 to July 11, 2020. Retrieved from

Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113051/number-reported-deaths-from-covid-pneumonia-and-flu-us/

Jayaweera, M. P. (2020). Transmission of COVID-19 virus by droplets and aerosols: A critical review on the unresolved dichotomy. Environmental Research, 109819.

US Food & Drug Administration. (2020, June 7). N95 Respirators, Surgical Masks, and Face Masks. Retrieved from US Food & Drug Administration: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control/n95-respirators-surgical-masks-and-face-masks

World Health Organization. (2020, June 16). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Mythbusters. Retrieved from World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2cWSp5Lc6gIVQb7ACh2a1ALHEAAYASAAEgLMpPD_BwE#exercising