Mask situation in your church

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Thomas54 said:
As my cardiologist says, this will all be over the day after the election
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It’s interesting that one Democratic governor has said that schools will be closed until Nov 9th, which is the Monday after the election…

🤔
 
otjm said:
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Thomas54:
So, even the medical community is very divided on the effectiveness of masks.
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However, the epidemiologists are not so divided. And given that epidemiology is not a sub specialty under cardiology, I am likely to pay attention to the former when they speak about their area of expertise.
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Here is the thing… epidemiologists recommend N-95 masks.

Everyone agrees that non N-95 masks protect people from SPIT, but only an N-95 Mask (or better) protects people from airborne particles.
 
By order of our governor, masks must be worn by all people in public places. There is a poster to that effect in our church as soon as you step in, and free masks provided if you forgot yours. Everyone wears masks–I assume those who can’t/won’t stay home and watch on live-stream.
That’s my state. However, for the OP, masks are not mandatory. Therefore what I would do in your situation is whatever I’m comfortable doing, wearing one or not. It is NOT mandatory. And I’d make that clear to anyone who yelled at me, and would be glad they were ex-friends.
People are a little crazy at this time. There are mask-Nazis all over our community/neighborhood Facebook site, even posting photos of people not wearing masks or standing too close to each other, calling them out publicly because they are too passive-aggressive to confront them directly. Feels like the start of the inevitable “social credit” system that’s heating up.
 
Bernoulli said:
I think increasing breathing resistance to a reasonable degree is healthy. Exercising with restricted breathing makes the body stronger. Athletes actually train at high-altitude camps or use training masks for this reason. Like other kinds of exercise, one shouldn’t do it too much at once.
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But with a mask, one is breathing in and rebreathing in one’s own germs, and when one exhales (carbon dioxide) there’s no place for it to go except back into one’s system when a mask prevents it from escaping into the air.

It’s a condensed version of breathing airplane air that gets recirculated along with all the bacteria in the cabin.

This is unhealthy over a prolonged period of time. That’s why, as soon as we are no longer in an environment that requires masks, we remove ours, so we can continue to get fresh air.

This mask business has become a power grab in some areas, even when the necessity has been overplayed.
 
Thomas54 said:
I’m pretty sure that requiring them to stay home would violate the ADA. The ADA is all about accommodation, as it should be.
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The ADA specifies that reasonable accommodations must be made for those with disabilities. The official website explains that, for those who cannot tolerate masks, these might include curbside pickup, delivery, etc. For religious services, the equivalent is probably the live-streamed Mass.

It specifically states that reasonable accommodations do not include admitting unmasked people inside a building.
 
Thomas54 said:
Then again, N95 masks have to be worn properly and breathing in them is difficult. I had to wear an N95 at work if I worked around dangerous chemicals. No one with even a hint of respiratory or blood oxygen issues should ever consider wearing an N95 mask.
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I have asthma, and have been wearing N-95 masks when needed; I first started wearing them when using my week sprayer and when applying anything to the garden/grass which made a lot of dust.

As Covid 19 rolled in, I found my supply of masks (courtesy of Home Depot, who thought they had to sell them in “costco” amounts) and now use one wherever I need to, including at Mass (required there as elsewhere).

I just don’t run when wearing one.

Heck, pretty much, I don’t run at all.
 
Nonsense.

If CO2 can’t get out of the mask then oxygen can’t get in the mask and folks would pass out and die from lack of oxygen.

No one is suggesting putting a plastic bag over ones head, just a mask which can allow airflow in and out, but limits particles carrying the virus.
 
JulianN said:
It specifically states that reasonable accommodations do not include admitting unmasked people inside a building.
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As stated earlier, ADA does not apply to places of worship.

You might want to take a look at the following:

https://www.adasoutheast.org/ada/publications/legal/ada-and-face-mask-policies.php

I was in a very large hospital today and a few of the patients that I saw did not have facemasks on and some wore them over their mouth only.

BTW, does it make any sense to anyone that you have to wear a mask when entering a restaurant, but you can immediately take it off once seated?

Thomas
 
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The masks are basically useless. They’re just a showpiece.

Next time they start ranting and raving at you, you should tell them that you weren’t posing any threat by just sitting there and breathing calmly without a mask, but now that you had to respond and talk to them, they put themselves at risk because you had to reply to their unhinged attack on you.
 
Tolle_Lege said:
The masks are basically useless. They’re just a showpiece.

Next time they start ranting and raving at you, you should tell them that you weren’t posing any threat by just sitting there and breathing calmly without a mask, but now that you had to respond and talk to them, they put themselves at risk because you had to reply to their unhinged attack on you.
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Why respond at all to people whom you know aren’t going to listen? It’s just wasted breath.
 
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So if the ADA doesn’t apply to places of worship they don’t have to make accommodations for you or your wife and could tell you to leave.

Notice it doesn’t say wearing masks improperly.

Examples of reasonable modifications to a face mask policy​

  • Allow a person to wear a scarf, loose face covering, or full face shield instead of a face mask;
    [Man wearing a face shield.]
  • Allow customers to order online with curbside pick-up or no contact delivery in a timely manner;
  • Allow customers to order by phone with curb-side pick-up or no contact delivery in a timely manner;
  • Allow a person to wait in a car for an appointment and enter the building when called or texted; or
  • Offer appointments by telephone or video calls.
 
27lw said:
Dear Thomas,
You mention that your dispensation was lifted except for those at high risk. You mention in your first post that you have a particular medical condition. May I gently ask, if you know that your condition is on the list of conditions that have a high risk of complications with covid? Have you talked with your doctor about your going in public places with mask / without mask?
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Mine and my wife’s situation do not make us susceptible to complications from Covid. Although we are getting into the “older” category, we are both very healthy.

My wife’s is claustrophobic and we left church during mass before the readings were over when she first wore a mask. She just couldn’t do it. She can wear it over her mouth for a little while, but not for an entire mass without taking breaks.

I can’t go into the events in her childhood that made her claustrophobic, if I did, you would understand.

Also, I really can’t go into my issues on a public forum, they are significant.

My wife can struggle through wearing the mask over her mouth, but not for the entire mass. So, since attendance is low, we sit in the back and try to avoid others. As far as I can tell, we are at no more risk to anyone than the rest of us are. You may stand more of a chance of getting Covid going to the grocery store.

We all like to say that we will “trust the science” and Dr. Fauci says that we must have RCTs & that observational studies are basically worthless.

So, below is the actual CDC Mask study from May 2020 and I have no idea why the CDC is still recommending wearing masks after putting out their own study that shows RCTs show that masks don’t stop the spread of a virus.

Here is the conclusion if you don’t have time to read it:

“Evidence from RCTs of hand hygiene or face masks did not support a substantial effect on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza, and limited evidence was available on other environmental measures.“


God Bless us all,
Thomas
 
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farronwolf said:
So if the ADA doesn’t apply to places of worship they don’t have to make accommodations for you or your wife and could tell you to leave.
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Absolutely!!! And if masks were required, we would not even consider going to church, we would follow the Bishop’s guidance.

But, since our Bishop has only encouraged us to wear a mask, we are not there yet.

Our pastor needs to step up to the plate as we are not the only ones in our church that are looking for guidance and that have concerns over this issue.

I just saw that President Trump has tested positive for coronavirus. He basically lives in a bubble and if he can get it, what does that say for the rest of us. This virus will pass just like all viruses.

Thomas
 
Thomas54 said:
I just saw that President Trump has tested positive for coronavirus. He basically lives in a bubble and if he can get it, what does that say for the rest of us. This virus will pass just like all viruses.
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Thomas, what you fail to acknowledge is that the President aggressively does not wear a mask, and neither do(did) the people around him.

So, yeah, that’s what happens.
 
JanR said:
Why respond at all to people whom you know aren’t going to listen? It’s just wasted breath.
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I guess it’s kind a like peeing in the wind, but I have some spare time and maybe someone will actually read the CDC report study on masks that I’ve been posting.

I still fail to see why the CDC recommends against their findings.


Thomas
 
Did you actually read the report instead of the headline?

Most studies were underpowered because of limited sample size, and some studies also reported suboptimal adherence in the face mask group.

However, as with hand hygiene, face masks might be able to reduce the transmission of other infections and therefore have value in an influenza pandemic when healthcare resources are stretched.

 
Thomas54 said:
My wife’s is claustrophobic and we left church during mass before the readings were over when she first wore a mask. She just couldn’t do it. She can wear it over her mouth for a little while, but not for an entire mass without taking breaks.

I can’t go into the events in her childhood that made her claustrophobic, if I did, you would understand.
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I think most people should be wearing proper masks in the proper fashion. It’s really but a small sacrifice in charity toward everyone. However, being claustrophobic myself for…reasons…, I have a lot of empathy for your lovely wife. I had to try a variety of masks to find one I can mildly tolerate; turns out it’s the typical surgical mask that allows me to breathe without feeling suffocated. True claustrophobia is real and difficult (I have to be sedated for the 5-7 MRIs I have to get every 6-12 months). Whilst I think people in general should be wearing masks, it’s wholly uncharitable to confront fellow parishioners for the lack of a mask. I try to assume the best of people, unless they are those I see in our grocery store, where there is a state mask mandate, wearing snarky shirts whilst making a big show of looking mask wearers in the eye trying to goad a confrontation. Those folks…meh… I just get my strawberries and carrots and leave.
 
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