Have a Nice Weekend.

We didn’t have the data then about masks that we have now. It’s frustrating for sure but it’s also not surprising in the middle of an unprecedented global pandemic that there are these moments of 20:20 hindsight. We just have to do the best to go forward with the information we have now. Wear your masks, everyone!

I definitely do wear a mask! However, I 100% agree with your thoughts. I don’t understand when people reference research as reason/proof to wear a mask. It confuses me because pre-COVID(ahhh!) medical studies used to take years to even be considered credible, and there usually has to be multiple studies before doctors would even value that data. I ask this very sincerely, can anyone point me to mask studies done pre-COVID?

Curious what your thoughts are about how areas where masks were mandated in April are now hot spots, like LA. Or how Sweden never had any masks or lockdown and they are now doing as fine as the other European countries. If you tested positive, would you then go visit the nursing home bc your mask prevents them from getting it? I wear a mask but I don’t really think it makes much of a difference. It also can cause its own problems breathing in exhaled air all day. Or give a false sense of the level of protection it has. The fact is, we have literal examples of those who have already gone through this before the US like In Europe. Many countries have been teaching kids in schools for months and are fine. Soon it will be big in Australia and the countries that seemed to escape it. It goes everywhere and you can’t stop it. The CDC website says we are in the 12th week of declining deaths. Why can’t we be a little relieved and happy that it’s ending soon? As it has in Europe? I guess we’ll see If it plays out just like it has everywhere else :)

This is a response to Lindsay above: Sweden is not okay. I’m not sure where you’re getting your information, but a quick Internet search shows they’ve had a higher death rate than neighboring Scandinavian countries that quickly locked down and required masks. My sister and her partner live in Stockholm, and both have it right now. They’ve been distancing as much as they can…but not wearing masks. I knew it was just a matter of time before they both got sick, and I’m worried about them every minute (I lost an aunt and an uncle to this early in April). As we go back to school, like things are normal, we have to look at the reality that things aren’t “normal” in the way we remember them. Unfortunately, I don’t think all of this will be over soon as suggested, especially if people aren’t wearing masks.

On Europe – Sweden has had a much higher death rate than comparable countries (Denmark, Norway – which are already opening up again). Their economy has taken a similar hit, so as far as we can tell, for now they haven’t made any recognisable gains.

Europe had a very real lesson with Italy. I live in the U.K., and I remember reading about Italy and hearing from colleagues in Milan, and thinking that it was so unbelievable and wouldn’t happen here. But it did, only a few weeks later. For the time being, the virus has abated (after weeks / months of strict lockdown) and now we are just preparing for a second wave, predicted to come in September. The U.K. government has been behind on its response by weeks / months. In France it’s mandatory (and has been for a while) to wear a masks in shops and on public transport.
I was initially sceptical about wearing masks – there was a real fear that if the general public bought up the supply, there wouldn’t be equipment for hospital staff (which happened in the U.K.). But – we now have more movement (until mid June only essential shops were open, only allowed out once a day for exercise, no meeting people outside your household) and production has picked up, so it makes sense that people do something. Yes it’s uncomfortable- I’ve now been through a super long hair dressing appointment and a flight with a mask on the whole time, but if it helps why not? Better than the guilt of thinking you maybe infected other people. There is still so much unknown about this virus – it hs been around for barely six months. We don’t know the long term effects of infection, if infection causes immunity to develop, can it lie dormant like other viruses (herpes, chicken pox) and cause other diseases. We just don’t know for now

Lindsay,
I’m not sure how closely you follow the news or if you are just having a difficult time adjusting to the new normal. It’s hard I know but in some ways we are in a better place with more education. There has been discussion in the news of a salon where the staff used masks before it was mandetory. Through contact tracing not one case was linked back to that salon. I have many friends in the medical field. When PPE was low they used donated hand made masks. Not one of them tested positive for covid and they directly worked with covid patients. Parties where young adults are gathering like nothing happened are bringing it home to their families. We know this through contact tracing. Masks work. It’s not that inconvenient for the purpose of staying alive and preventing someone else from dying. if you need further proof, look at NYC and the northeast like Massachusetts where I am. Masks are mandetory and we have not had a flare up. Please keep wearing the mask. Science is real.

Angela- there was lots of mask research before this! Covid has brought these research questions to the forefront of society and has increased the urgency to pursue these questions further, but the research predates the virus. These articles are from fantastic medical and academic journals but may be paywalled without an academic account. Regardless, these serve as just a few examples of mask related research that precedes this pandemic.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/153567601001500204

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2749214

https://academic.oup.com/annweh/article/54/7/789/202744

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306645/

Becky, the Northeast accounts for two-thirds of fatalities in the USA. If there has been a steady decline there now, do you think maybe it is because it has already run its course there? I am in WA and we also are pretty much over it, not having many deaths now despite reopening more.

Jane, you are right, Sweden did not do absolutely nothing. But they have still had less deaths per capita than Uk, Spain, Italy….also the hospitals were never overrun, and wasn’t that the whole point of flattening the curve? I believe these are facts.

Lindsay,
Yes the northeast was hit hard, early on. And since then the governors have been STRICT about masks and reopening. Not many people argue about it here. People generally understand that for things to return to some kind of previous functioning, masks are a huge part of it. Stores limit capacity. There are arrows directing traffic in the stores. Employees stand outside and wont allow someone in who isnt wearing a mask. Governors are also requiring a quarantine for out of state visitors. While not strictly enforced people generally follow it and there are fines in certain cities and states. I live by the beach. There are serious rules about residents only. No one from next town over on certain days or any days at all. Is everyone here common sense? No there are still people here who foolishly think masks are stupid. No one has hit the second wave yet. We are in the first one with parts of the country dealing with spikes. There will be a second for sure combined with regular flu and it feels somewhat comforting to know that our governors and residents are more prepared and will have an idea of what to do. Wear a mask.

Ally, I hope you see this! Thanks for your reply.

That was my exact initial reaction.. J crew. Again…

Speaking of age diversity, this awesome ad for Knox got overshadowed by a global pandemic, but totally deserves attention: https://youtu.be/AoClPQbneLc

Those twins are sweet and have lovely energy, but how many of us looked at them and thought, “Oh! Those two are middle aged women like me! I feel seen and spoken to”? Not me. The info you shared told me that they’re 48. Nothing about the images did. What impact does this age diversity really have if many (most?) of us would be off in guessing their age by a decade or two? No criticism of them. Just a nudge to think a little more about this use of the word “diversity.”

I completely agree with Lindsey’s comment. They are totally adorable but look like J. Crew models. (I should note that I love J. Crew; a full half of my wardrobe is J. Crew). The fact that they happen to be older is sort of irrelevant when it’s not readily apparent. I am in my late 30’s and would never have guessed that they weren’t my age or younger. I am truly not adding this to pile on, but only to agree that we should hold retail businesses accountable up to a higher standard in terms of truly diversifying their marketing.

Allison, I just checked out the link you provided! Thanks for sharing! LOVE it!!!