[avolcano]

Have to say, there's a decent number of photos on his Twitter feed of him doing campaign events with folks who don't have masks on (though it looks like he himself was consistently wearing a mask as of late). It might be that he personally wasn't a mask denier, but the Republican base has often taken mask wearing as "weak" or "cowardly," and he felt obligated to not require a mask at these events to not alienate his base.

I can't help but think of the ol' "I never thought the leopards would eat _my_ face" tweet: https://twitter.com/cavalorn/status/654934442549620736?lang=...

[ketamine__]

What about all the people that wore masks and got Covid? Were they not religious enough?

[Bjartr]

What about them? Masks reduce the chances of transmission. Condoms are 98% effective when used correctly. No-one is calling out the 2 out of 100 couples getting pregnant after using condoms as a good reason to stop using them.

[bsder]

And perhaps he might be still alive had he worn his masks.

Masks significantly decrease the bolus of the virus you get hit with. Multiplicatively so if the virus emitter is also wearing a mask.

There seems to be some solid research linking the severity of your Covid with how heavy a bolus you get hit with. Younger, non-precondition deaths from Covid seem to be correlated with getting hit with a large bolus.

I got Covid via community transmission and had a "moderate" case. I wouldn't have stopped wearing masks even had I known I was going to get Covid anyway.

And, now, I simply view it as a "community service" to provide a good example. I still wear my masks even though I am probably immune.

[wyldfire]

I think we can all agree that it's totally bonkers that mask-wearing is somehow seen as political. Imagine if it were the case for carrying an umbrella or wearing warm gear in winter.

[tzs]

If I have it and you do not, for me to infect you requires that (1) I release viruses, (2) those viruses make their way to you, and (3) enough of them get into you to give you COVID.

The biggest benefit from masks in most public situations comes from reducing #1 and #2, because almost all viruses I'll be releasing in public will be coming out via my mouth and nose in respiratory droplets.

My mask will catch and stop many of those from getting out. Those that do get through the mask will do so with less force than they would have without the mask, which will limit the range of their spread.

On the receiving end, #3, a good mask should reduce the number of viruses that you take in directly through the mouth and nose, but it won't help with the eyes. Your tear ducts connect inside your head to your nasal system, so if you get viral laden droplets in your eyes they can make it in.

If we are both wearing masks, the combination of my mask reducing the number of viruses reaching you, and your mask reducing the number that get in directly through the nose and mouth, leaving only those the get in via other means such as your tear ducts, hopefully reduces in most cases the number you take in to below the infectious load.