Masks. A short thread. In June last year my GP advised me that wearing a mask even for a short space of time would be harmful for me on two fronts. One - I have painful rosacea on my face. It’s a horrible condition and it’s lifelong. I can at times look scary!

Putting on a mask simply makes it worse. Two - I have hypertension. Manageable and controlled. GP also advises that mask wearing even for short periods can raise cortisol levels and make them dangerous to me.
On that basis and given the dreadful treatment us non-maskers have to suffer and to appease the abusers I have three times asked my GP to issue me with a letter relating to my conditions.
On each occasion she has said that there is no need. Whilst she won’t admit it straight up, all conversations suggest she’s been told not to. I happen to agree that no-one should need to reveal their medical history to anyone other than medical professionals responsible for me.
I’ve researched mask wearing in relation to what they are supposed to be used for ref *Covid* - I’m no thicko - I prepare risk assessments (and I’m qualified to do so) every day (or did) - and the evidence *for* is weak. Very weak.
I have no issue if people choose to wear one. I have a big issue with compulsion especially given all the conflicts about effectiveness. Masks are a crude device and there’s no reason, none, to make covering your face mandatory.
At best they are placebos and on a different scale they are dehumanising and scary. For people with physical difficulties it’s hard enough; for those of us who suffer anxiety & other hidden illnesses it must be terrible.
My son who before developing a bacterial infection on his mouth was forced to wear a mask for 6/7 hours per day nearly lost his job because he became ill with masking up. His employer - a govt agency - had to be reminded of the exemptions, several times, before relenting.
Mask wearing is an utter absurdity in the context of effectiveness. Wear one standing in a queue in a coffee shop but take it off whilst sitting down; mask up when walking to the toilet in a pub. Eh? Is it just me who thinks this is totally nuts?
The compulsory nature of the mask has also enabled people to be downright nasty and judgemental. It’s the worst by-product of the *rule* to muzzle up. The shaming has been relentless and religiously applied by the virtuous.
Regardless of my conditions, I abhor the mask and it truly does cause anxiety. Despite its obvious flaws, long live my birth face!

More from Health

this simple, counter narrative fact keeps cropping up all over the world.

hospital and ICU utilization has been and remains low this year.

it's terribly curious that so few of these monitoring tools provide historical baselines.

getting them is like pulling teeth.


we might think of this as an oversight until you see stuff like this:

this woman was arrested for filming and sharing the fact that their are empty hospitals in the UK.

that's full blown soviet. what possible honest purpose does that

this is the action of a police state and a propaganda ministry, not a well intentioned government and a public heath agency.

"we cannot let people see the truth for fear they might base their actions on real facts" is not much of a mantra for just governance.


90% full ICU sounds scary until you realize that 90-100% full is normal in flu season.

staffed ICU beds are expensive to leave empty. it's like flying with 15% of the plane empty. hospitals don't do that.

and all US hospitals are mandated to be able to flex to 120% ICU.

the US is currently at historically low ICU utilization for this time of year.

61% is "you're all going to go out of business" territory as is 66% full hospital use.

can you blame them for mining CARES act money? they'll die without it.
🚨Important changes to lockdown/self-isolation regulations from 5pm

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers and Self-Isolation) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021

£800 'house party' FPN & police can now access track & trace data

https://t.co/k9XCpVsXhC


“Large gathering offence”

As trailed by Home Secretary last week there is now a fixed penalty notice of £800 (or £400 if you pay within 14 days) for participating in an gathering of over 15 people in a private residence


Fixed Penalty Notices double for each subsequent “large gathering offence” up to £6,400

Compare:
- Ordinary fixed penalty notice is £200 or £100 if paid in 14 days
- Holding or being involved in the holding of a gathering of over 30 people is £10,000


Second big change:

Since September has been a legal requirement to sell-isolate if you test positive/notified by Track & Trace of exposure to someone else who tested positive

Police can now be given access to NHS Track & Trace data if for the purpose of enforcement/prosecution


This will make it easier for police to enforce people breaking self-isolation rules. Currently there has been practically no enforcement.

Data says only a small proportion of people meant to be self-isolating are fully doing so.

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@NBA @StephenKissler @yhgrad 1. From Day 1, SARS-COV-2 was very well adapted to humans .....and transgenic hACE2 Mice


@NBA @StephenKissler @yhgrad 2. High Probability of serial passaging in Transgenic Mice expressing hACE2 in genesis of SARS-COV-2


@NBA @StephenKissler @yhgrad B.1.1.7 has an unusually large number of genetic changes, ... found to date in mouse-adapted SARS-CoV2 and is also seen in ferret infections.
https://t.co/9Z4oJmkcKj


@NBA @StephenKissler @yhgrad We adapted a clinical isolate of SARS-CoV-2 by serial passaging in the ... Thus, this mouse-adapted strain and associated challenge model should be ... (B) SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA loads in mouse lung homogenates at P0 to P6.
https://t.co/I90OOCJg7o