Texas and Mississippi to lift coronavirus restrictions
 

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronav...capacity-limit

You can't make this up.

There's many things you can do to restore the economy. Dialing back the protective measures against an evolving and wide spread virus prematurely is NOT the right move.

Both states will end up rescinding the removable of the mask mandates down the road when the infection rates spike up again.

Such move will only add to the public's confusion. We went through this whole exercise multiple times last year, the result was a complete failure to contain the virus.

You can do the hammer and dance strategy by loosening the mandates little by little, and watch carefully whether the infection rates are affected, then adjust the mandate accordingly.

You don't remove the executive order all at once, completely and hope the vaccine brings herd immunity to your entire state.

Very irresponsible move from the governors of these 2 states imo.

Masks save lives. That's been established. Wear it for a few more months even if the rates have been lowered.

Better safe than sorry.

Maruzo:

I agree with your bewilderment on the part of the Governors of both Texas and Mississippi, with Florida supposedly not far behind, with regard to prematurely either reducing or rescinding the health safety protocols that we know work. We all have severe cases of cabin fever and desperately want to resume some semblance of a normal life, but we need to be smart and sensible about how we stage and phase that return and not attempt to do it all at once or at an accelerated pace.

I understand and appreciate the argument from both sides, of the damage, both physically and economically, caused by the COVID-19 virus pandemic and the approaches used over the past year to attempt to control it. But, like you, I would have thought that by now we would have learned what works and what does not, along with the consequences. Wearing appropriately fitting and manufactured face masks really do help prevent the passage, in both directions, of aerosol particles and droplets. At this point, I honestly believe that wearing a face mask when in public around large groups of people, whether inside or outside, is not a political statement, but and IQ test…. Mississippi and Texas state governments have failed this test.

I had assumed, wrongly, that as a nation that we had moved on past the bitter politically polarized, binary argument about this virus and how it affects lives versus livelihoods. Now that the pharmaceutical industry is gearing up to increase the production and distribution of the various COVID vaccines and more Americans are vaccinated, we will see a greatly reduced number of infections and the resulting harm this virus causes. But alas, being vaccinated may induce a false sense of confidence and level of immunity that may or may not exist, along with not really knowing how long those antibodies will last in our body providing protection against the virus.

Yet, I believe that we have to avoid minimizing the degree to which mass unemployment, poverty, food insecurity and mental despair will devastate people if the economy remains virtually shut down. We know that, for those small businesses that have not yet gone out of business, that they must be allowed to reopen in order to survive. We know the negative aspects of distance learning for elementary, middle and high school students and the stressful toll it is taking on them and their parents, especially their mothers. FYI, while I am not yet comfortable dining inside with many other people who I do not know, that decision should be a choice left up to each person, not forcing the restaurant to remain closed for indoor dining.

At the same time, we can’t just submit to protesters demanding their state governors open everything back up indiscriminately and/or prematurely, without data or a comprehensive health strategy. We also know from the health experts that we need to continue the universal health care precautions and protocols, if we are to make any headway on returning to a functioning economy and pre-COVID way of life. As for the economy, history tells us that when mitigation measures are lifted too soon and then have to be re-imposed, then economies take much longer to improve.

As far as the so-call “herd immunity” is concerned I am still reading and educating myself more about that concept and still need to learn more. As I understand it, the term "herd immunity" presupposes that a person probably gains immunity after recovering from Covid-19. Yet, that is not an absolute given. The WHO is cautioning that we don't have enough evidence to assume immunity exists. Herd immunity, which kicks in after about 60-70% of the population is exposed to and recovers from the virus or has been vaccinated.

Also, if herd immunity will in fact occur, the assumption that once we can get to that point our battle with the COVID-19 virus pandemic will be over, is probably wishful thinking. We are now seeing multiple mutations of the
COVID-19 virus that are reportedly more contagious and that attack different parts of the body, in addition to the lungs. We are seeing strange increases in strokes in younger people due to the Coronavirus, and patients under 60 now constitute about a third of hospitalizations, many of whom are ill with life-threatening illness. Even if fatality rates are lower in the younger, there is substantial morbidity associated with this disease, including damage to lungs, senses, kidneys, and the nervous systems, among other problems associated with having it. My guess is that, for those of us who want it, we will most likely be getting annual COVID vaccinations that are formulated to address whatever the evolving mutations to virus are most prevalent at that time, similar to what we now do with annual influenza vaccinations.

My guess is that most of us will be wearing face masks through the fall of 2021, possibly longer.

AVB-AMG

You are right on all counts, IMHO. Educated and thoughtful insights.

NPR podcast offered possible reasons for Governor Abbott's sudden announcement to remove his prior executive order on the covid mandates:

1. To steer the public's focus away from the state's failures on the winterization of important public utility grid systems.

2. To gather support of some Texans who's been tired of the lockdown and restrictions and just want to return back to normal, without worrying about the consequences.

There's probably more reasons, but I think these 2 are the most glaring.

Not smart, again. From the perspective of the public health. But I suppose serving their own political interest is number 1 in these people's eyes.

"Masks save lives. That's been established."

We have decades of research that masks have no effect on the transmission of viral respiratory illnesses. You are simply misinformed.

There is zero research of equivalent quality to this paper that indicates that masks have any effect.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26...3l3fXLhxMP_bXs

It is a virtue to admit that you are wrong, rather than doubling down.

There’s a reason we are all taught as kids to cover our mouth when we sneeze.

I don’t understand your insistence to say the act is not relevant to ones health benefit.

Masking up is the scientific way of covering your mouth. What’s so hard to understand?

And why would I listen to you rather than Dr. Fauci, a real professional on the job?

You've confirmed that you're unwilling to look at data, and instead attack me for not being a celebrity medical bureaucrat. You want to simply resort to an authority who has stated he lied about the subject of masks in the first place.

Good luck, I'm done with you. We have nothing in common and no way to proceed further in a dialogue.

I've confirmed nothing other than the fact that I believe Dr. Fauci's word over yours.

Your data.... god help us.

zonefive:

I have to respectfully disagree with you claim. From what I have read, I think there is enough evidence to say that during this virus pandemic, the best benefit of wearing a face mask is for people who have COVID-19 or any other virus, such as influenza, to prevent them from giving COVID-19 to other people. The secondary benefit is preventing their inhaling virus particles. Let’s not forget that over the past year, epidemiologists learned how the COVID-19 virus was spreading via airborne transmission, emitted in high quantities from a person’s upper respiratory tract. The CDC report you reference, dated May 2020, was published before this fact was finally established. Therefore, universal face mask wearing, when outside your home and around other people, is the best tool to limit, but not eliminate the possibility of its transmission.

Masks are probably more effective as a “source control” because they can prevent larger expelled droplets from evaporating into smaller droplets that can travel farther. The concept of wearing a face mask is risk reduction rather than absolute prevention, recognizing that no mask will be 100% effective. A good analogy is that people with high cholesterol do not take a statin medicine because they are going to prevent a heart attack 100% of the time, but because they are reducing their risk of having a heart attack substantially.

The level of effectiveness of a face mask really depends on its design, material and proper fit to prevent particle transmission and air leakage. Realistically, for all practical purposes for the general public and wearing face masks, there is a trade-off and compromise between comfort and effectiveness. It is understandable that health care workers use N95 respirators in medical situations such as intubation, as well as when around COVID-19 patients. The Chinese version of the N5 respirator is the KN95 face mask, that is now available for the general public to purchase online, (I got mine via Amazon). Surgical masks are generally more protective than cloth masks, and some people find them lighter and more comfortable to wear. The bottom line is that any mask that covers the nose and mouth will be of benefit.

A recent study published in Health Affairs, for example, compared the COVID-19 growth rate before and after mask mandates in 15 states and the District of Columbia. It found that mask mandates led to a slowdown in daily COVID-19 growth rate, which became more apparent over time. The first five days after a mandate, the daily growth rate slowed by 0.9% compared to the five days prior to the mandate; at three weeks, the daily growth rate had slowed by 2%

Are face masks the holy grail in this effort to stop the spread of COVID-19? No they are not, but they are pretty effective. Another factor to remember is that you could still catch the virus through the membranes in your eyes, a risk that masking does not eliminate and why plastic face shields make sense for some people, such as Dental Hygienists, etc..

Don’t take my word for it. FYI - here are links to several articles and research papers by people who have been studying this issue and the results they have come up with.

https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room...RoCq4MQAvD_BwE

http://files.fast.ai/papers/masks_lit_review.pdf

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...567v2.full.pdf

Reduction of risk is the gist of AVB's thread, if I'm reading correctly.

I agree we're not hoping for 100% prevention. But the logic is irrefutable. 2 persons both wearing mask in a 2 person meeting is going to give both people the most protection against covid, and perhaps bad breath as well.

1 person wearing mask in a 2 person meeting, the risk of infection goes up dramatically.

0 person wearing mask in a 2 person meeting, sky is the limit as far as infection is concerned.

Why do people continue to take risk with their lives? I don't understand the logic at all.

While I am no fan of Gov Abbott. This is much ado about nothing. Texas has been operating at 75% capacity for businesses, bars have been open, and restaurants operating for dine-in. Once bars and restaurants opened before we might as well have gone to full "open for business" at that time. Any place you have to remove your mask to eat/drink/etc is at greater risk for spread. Watched a few interviews with Abbott and his reasoning went beyond "people should be free to make their own decisions without government regulation." Though, he did mention it as he is basically politically obligated to do so. Abbott cited statistics (I verified them) and named the physicians he was being advised by before ending the "restrictions." He did NOT pull a Trump and advised citizens continue to wear masks and socially distance.

Other states have either ended restrictions or never had any to begin with. California is one of the strictest when it comes to CV19, Texas was in between, and both are the worst when it comes to deaths. One is liberal and one is conservative. That tells me nothing politicians are doing (or not doing) could prevent the deaths that have occurred and they are simply trying to play the blame game with each other. Per usual.

We are scheduled to get our first vaccination shot tomorrow. Our parents have gotten both of theirs. I stopped worrying about what other people are doing after the initial fear and lockdowns 10 months ago. It is possible to take care of yourselves and family without needing government intervention. As AVB mentions, this might be an annual thing going forward as the flu vaccine is. A certain part of the population might not ever get back to "normal." IE, no masks, being okay in crowds, etc. If a portion of the population dies every year due to their lifestyles regarding CV19, it's no different to those dying from flu (w/o vaccinating), drinking and driving, cancer from smoking, diabetes from eating, etc. We will continue wearing masks in public long after this year I'm sure unless things drastically change. People die, it's a fact of life. We can't regulate our way out of people dying. I don't want regulation removing sugar from food, cigarettes, or liquor from store shelves for the sake of saving everyone from themselves.

If Texas is going to hang Abbott, it's going to be for his appointed overseers not doing their job with ERCOT, power suppliers, and the unregulated power grid. The idea that Texans memory is so short, that this news cycle might somehow remove attention from that debacle is just absurd.