Panhandle Health District (PHD) Mask Mandate (Idaho Falls: insurance, condo, home)

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Costco has had a desk at the entry checking for masks for some time now. This is not new. Everyone in Costco wears a mask. They have always turned you away if you don't have a membership card and now they turn you away if you don't have a mask.



Winco has big signs posted that masks are required and that their workers are ordered to not serve anyone who is not wearing a mask. Yesterday, everyone in the store was wearing a mask. Rather like "no shirt, no shoes, no service" which we should all be accustomed to by now.



Cash and Carry has had a sign out for a long time now that masks were required but they didn't enforce it. I might be the only one in the store with a mask, but I haven't been in there since the new mandate, so don't know if they are enforcing it now.


The mandate makes it much easier for stores to enforce their desire to be "masks required" without so much fear of losing customers.

[dav51lin]

no mask no enter stay home

[Cnynrat]

I've only been to Costco (in CDA) twice since they told people to wear masks. On both occasions I saw quite a few people in Costco who are not wearing masks. Obviously, I didn't watch them enter, so I don't know if they wore a mask when they came in and took it off afterwards. I see even more who have a mask on but it's pulled down so their nose and sometimes their mouth is uncovered.

I believe that like most places there is an exemption if you have a medical issue that prevents you from being able to wear a mask. Most places are not pushing back on that very hard - they don't ask what your medical issue is, they just let you inside.

An honest assessment of the scientific literature will lead to the conclusion that the evidence of the effectiveness of masks is mixed at best. There are papers that conclude they work, and papers that conclude they do not work. I've even seen a couple papers that conclude there is no statistically significant reduction in post operative infections from medical staff wearing masks in the OR.

Dave

[banjomike]

If a mask is all I have available for protection, then I'll use one.

To me, it's like needing a hammer. If I have no hammer, I'll go hunt up a rock. It won't be as good as a hammer, but it can still drive the nail.

When the nail is the only thing that's holding my house up in the storm, I won't waste any time looking for the best hammer, and a rock is better than trying to drive the nail in with my bare hand.

[Cnynrat]

My takeaway from the last paragraph of my post above is this: Don't count on a mask being effective. This makes perfect sense when you consider the wide variety of face coverings people are using. Example: Those N95 masks with the little valve, well the valve lets your breath out unfiltered. So if someone has COVID and is wearing one of these masks they provide no protection to others. Example: I've seen a number of people wearing bandanas 'cowboy style.' Completely open around their lower face. You don't need to be a scientist to realize these aren't very effective.

So if you are in a low risk group, wear a mask if you wish, or if you must. Your risk of serious complications is low anyway. But, if you are in a high risk group, as a certain well loved regular on this forum is, please don't count on a mask as your only means of protection.

Dave

[banjomike]

Limiting exposure either by avoiding large groups or by lessening the time spent in groups also helps.
Distancing helps.

Washing the face and hands after going out helps.

Changing clothes after being among groups helps.

There's lots of basic stuff a person can do to help protect themselves.

Because if the work I've done, I've always been a frequent hand washer. Making it more habitual was no big deal.
A nurse who's an old friend recommended washing my hands up to my elbows, as the stuff you get on your hands tends to work its way up the arms.

It's all a self-protective package to me. While I don't mind putting on the mask, there are lots of activities where one isn't needed. I keep mine in my car- disposables, pretty much like the pack of tissues I keep in the car.

[f5fstop]

Same as Mike, I keep a mask with a valve but not the one way valve on the N95 masks but a two way valve with a 2.5M filter on the inside. To that makes it a bit better than just cloth (NOT MUCH). I will carry it to a store from the truck but if not needed, I don't wear it.

I heard yesterday Brix was saying to be totally safe, wear a pair of goggles. Next will be a hazmat suit...just wait.

I do not wash my clothes when returning from a store, I do not wash down the inside of the truck; I do use hand sanitizer when I get into the truck from a trip to a store; however, I have been doing that long before the Wuhan virus hit.

If I was really worried about getting killed when shopping, I would never walk through a WalMart Parking lot again.

[Cnynrat]

Mike -

Not surprised to learn you are doing all the right things, but happy to hear it anyway.

I learned this morning that up here in Bonner County if you have been in contact with someone who is infected, and you wish to be tested (I assume this is if you don't have symptoms), one of the qualifying questions they will ask you is whether you had been within 6 feet of someone who is infected for 30 minutes or more. I think that's reflective of current thinking about the risk of becoming infected in brief transient encounters such as happens when shopping or out and about town.

Dave

[f5fstop]

A few weeks ago they were saying on TV it was 15 minutes, now I have heard it is 30 minutes. Not being a Doctor (or having slept in a Holiday Inn for many years) I find this confusing as heck.

Fauci and Brix will say that just walking through the aerosol spray out of someone nose/mouth will infect you if you don't have a mask on cause the Wuhan is extremely contagious. Now people are saying you have to remain in that cloud or near someone who is constantly spewing out a cloud for 30 minutes?

Also, they used to say a mask won't work, then it does work, and then it was, it will work to stop you from spreading the decease but won't help you front getting it, and then, it helps both ways (spreading and getting).

I have to ask does anyone know for sure? I would answer NO they DO NOT!

For mask effectiveness; this article was posted somewhere else on this forum so here is is again....

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7264937/

[banjomike]

I just try to use my head and think about where I am.
When the docs said 6 feet was enough distance, I try to stay 8 feet away if I can. Adding a little distance can't hurt, and it could make me safer.

I try to keep at least one window open and my ceiling fans going, just to maintain some constant fresh air flow.

I wear a pair of Crocs when I go out because they are easy to dump in the washing machine as soon as I come back home.

All this stuff isn't hard or complicated; none of it is a big deal by itself, but I figure they all add up. If one thing isn't working, another one is.