Current Events > Experts say Americans will be wearing masks for many years

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Health experts wont ask Americans to take off their masks any time soon.

Thats the take of Eric Toner, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. He has been preparing for an outbreak like the novel coronavirus as part of his work for years.

Johns Hopkins practices virus simulations as part of is preparedness protocol, with the goal of offering public health experts and policymakers a blueprint of what to do in a pandemic. One of those simulations took place in October 2019, when Toner and a team of researchers launched a coronavirus pandemic simulation in New York, running through various scenarios on how residents, governments and private businesses would hypothetically react to the threat.

One thing that stood out to him: Face coverings are a vital defense to stop the spread of the virus. He believes COVID-19 wont slow down in the U.S. even as states start to slowly reopen.
There's going to be no summertime lull with a big wave in the fall, he said as part of CNETs Hacking the Apocalypse series. It's clear that we are having a significant resurgence of cases in the summer, and they'll get bigger. And it'll keep going until we lock things down again.

The U.S. recently added about 43,000 positive COVID-19 cases to its 2.9 million total, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. The death total has surpassed 130,000.

Toner, contrasting the novel virus to seasonal influenza, said until there is a vaccine, communities best defense to fight it is through creating distance and wearing masks.

I think that mask wearing and some degree of social distancing, we will be living with hopefully living with happily for several years, he said. It's actually pretty straightforward. If we cover our faces, and both you and anyone you're interacting with are wearing a mask, the risk of transmission goes way down.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top official handling the U.S. COVID-19 response, said recently he was cautiously optimistic that there could be a vaccine for the virus by 2021.

They will get over it," he says. "It's just a question of how many people get sick and die before they get over it."

I'm all for wearing masks, but once we have a vaccine or this is no longer a problem we shouldn't have to wear them anymore.

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I dont think this is gonna fly even for the most hard-core liberals. If we are still wearing masks past June 2021 that's ridiculous.

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Patty_Fleur posted...

I dont think this is gonna fly even for the most hard-core liberals. If we are still wearing masks past June 2021 that's ridiculous.

Fair enough. What is the alternative @Patty_Fleur ?

It's the new norm for a while.

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TopKekBro posted...

Fair enough. What is the alternative @Patty_Fleur ?

I think there will be a vaccine. But I have no doubt in my mind, the way we view this virus is going to change abruptly after November when Trump is out. CNN will quickly change from doom and gloom to more hopeful stories and getting back to normal.

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Patty_Fleur posted...

I dont think this is gonna fly even for the most hard-core liberals. If we are still wearing masks past June 2021 that's ridiculous.

That entirely depends on the state of Covid-19 in June 2021. If there is no vaccine and we end up experiencing multiple waves throughout the year, then I'm sure masks will stick around.

Sort of off-topic but I'm sincerely hoping that face masks while sick will become the norm even if Covid-19 is eradicated.

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Cheese_Crackers posted...

That entirely depends on the state of Covid-19 in June 2021. If there is no vaccine and we end up experiencing multiple waves throughout the year, then I'm sure masks will stick around.

Sort of off-topic but I'm sincerely hoping that face masks while sick will become the norm even if Covid-19 is eradicated.

Yup, it will reduce transmission of other stuff like cold and flu

I don't mind wearing a mask in public. You have to be a seriously sheltered snowflake to have a hard time with them.

Rexdragon125 posted...

Yup, it will reduce transmission of other stuff like cold and flu

I don't mind wearing a mask in public. You have to be a seriously sheltered snowflake to have a hard time with them.

I don't mind wearing it for 20 minutes in public, not at all. I do mind having to wear it 40 hours a week, though.

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I'm hoping shutdowns and stay at home orders start up again and last that long. We as Americans have let this virus get out of control and we need to reign it in.

Ugh please no

Xenozoa425 posted...

I don't mind wearing it for 20 minutes in public

30 mins is my threshold (about the time i finish food shopping for 3-4 days of staples) or 1 costco trip and one dollar tree trip (the bulk of the breakfast/lunch/dinner items).

really good cheese
chicken breasts (for dog)
chicken strips
chicken burgers
peanut butter
fruit spread (any of which is available) preferably anything but strawberry
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uwa ej posted...

I'm hoping shutdowns and stay at home orders start up again and last that long. We as Americans have let this virus get out of control and we need to reign it in.

As you can see...thats clearly not happening, at least not right now. I feel we were lied to. We shut down for like 2 months and was told it would stop. It didn't and now look at us.

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I for one welcome our Sexy Tali vas Normandy babes.

Some people don't wear masks now so we will have to wear them for longer.

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Remember how it's normal for people in China to wear masks before this started?

I think it's gonna be that way worldwide now. Shit's fucked.
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BakonBitz posted...

Remember how it's normal for people in China to wear masks before this started?

I think it's gonna be that way worldwide now. Shit's fucked.

That's what I've thought. I don't think it's fucked though, it's just that some people are going to continue to wear masks even after we get a vaccine. It's just an old social norm that the west is just now adopting.

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Wait...what are people referring to here? Wearing masks for when you are sick like Asian countries do is fine. No problem with that.

But everyone wearing masks for this pandemic I hope stops at some point and things get better because its not fun.

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I wear a mask my entire shift at work. The only time we're allowed to remove them is on break, and then only in the back or outside, never on the sales floor.
I'm not going to say wearing a mask is fun, but ya'll are making it out to be harder than it is.

ElatedVenusaur posted...

I wear a mask my entire shift at work. The only time we're allowed to remove them is on break, and then only in the back or outside, never on the sales floor.
I'm not going to say wearing a mask is fun, but ya'll are making it out to be harder than it is.

True, I have to do it to.

I just think the majority of people are thinking this'll be a temporary thing. It's...just not. I think it's the new normal.
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It annoys me that we can't force people to wear masks and be socially distanced at work. I work at a pharmacy. Take your dumb bullshit elsewhere.

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BakonBitz posted...

True, I have to do it to.

I just think the majority of people are thinking this'll be a temporary thing. It's...just not. I think it's the new normal.

We wearing them forever you saying? Uh...no.

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Not a problem for me. Masks don't bother me at all. I'm actually kinda used to my masks now.

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Patty_Fleur posted...

I dont think this is gonna fly even for the most hard-core liberals. If we are still wearing masks past June 2021 that's ridiculous.

Is it so ridiculous? It wouldn't have gotten this bad if Americans weren't so fucking stupid about this whole thing in the first place. We reap what we sow. Shame those of us who did our due dilligence have to suffer because of all of the other complete bumble fuck morons.

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Lmao if you think this isnt ideal, fucking 1/3rd Id the US isnt gonna take the vaccine this damn thing is gonna haunt us forever

Ving_Rhames posted...

Is it so ridiculous? It wouldn't have gotten this bad if Americans weren't so fucking stupid about this whole thing in the first place. We reap what we sow. Shame those of us who did our due dilligence have to suffer because of all of the other complete bumble fuck morons.

That's always the case. People have jokingly compared this as one huge group project. We're always going to have people who refuse to contribute to the project but want to still get an A.

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Good, I have a weak chin

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ElatedVenusaur posted...

I wear a mask my entire shift at work. The only time we're allowed to remove them is on break, and then only in the back or outside, never on the sales floor.
I'm not going to say wearing a mask is fun, but ya'll are making it out to be harder than it is.

I agree with this. It takes time to get used to it, but it's well worth it when you consider the consequences.

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