# Making space for covid tests and masks



## 00kissmarrykick00 (Sep 4, 2022)

I figured out bring this up just for the sake of bringing this up. This will be my 1st round of travels since covid and monkeypox, and I feel it would be responsible to make dedicated space for masks and covid test. I don't know how easy covid tests will be to get on the road. 

I used gloves very briefly at the earlier part of covid, but I would rather use hand sanitizer. Acknowledging that hand sanitizer doesn't eventually stop working, and It's best to wash your hands after the 3rd time of use.

For those of you who are wearing masks, what is your mask storage situation?

For those of you who wear gloves, what is your glove storage situation?

For those of you more concerned about monkeypox, at this point, how are you navigating that?

Also, feel free to post specific places to be able to get covid tests that don't have any restrictions on location or insurance. There are some food shelves that also provide covid tests. I would like to abandon this idea of "blowing up a spot" when it comes to public safety. Let's let people get covid tests. 

If none of this is a concern for you, please keep scrolling. Respect the space, and respect the rule against derailing threads.​


----------



## Gin (Sep 4, 2022)

00kissmarrykick00 said:


> I figured out bring this up just for the sake of bringing this up. This will be my 1st round of travels since covid and monkeypox, and I feel it would be responsible to make dedicated space for masks and covid test. I don't know how easy covid tests will be to get on the road.
> 
> I used gloves very briefly at the earlier part of covid, but I would rather use hand sanitizer. Acknowledging that hand sanitizer doesn't eventually stop working, and It's best to wash your hands after the 3rd time of use.
> 
> ...



Wow are you wearing a mask? 
May I ask why? You're first person I know of still doing it. I'm intrigued


----------



## Gin (Sep 4, 2022)

Gin said:


> Wow are you wearing a mask?
> May I ask why? You're first person I know of still doing it. I'm intrigued



BTW I didn't know they're still testing for it. And I live in a Blue State.


----------



## ali (Sep 5, 2022)

Plenty of places around the world are still doing COVID tests and plenty of people around the world are still wearing masks. Hell, plenty of people around the world were wearing masks before COVID too, both for protection from other non-COVID viruses, and also just as a basic courtesy to the people around them.

Something Americans don't seem to realize is that the rest of the world has not all had their COVID waves at the same time. Some countries had it worse, others had it better, others started better and got worse, others started worse and got better. Most are still suffering to some degree. Even inside the US it hit different states differently. That's the shitty thing about a new virus - especially one that we utterly failed to eradicate. It doesn't just all come at once and then disappear overnight, it's gonna keep hitting different communities over and over for years, although hopefully less damaging each time.

On topic. The mask thing depends a lot about what kind of mask you choose to wear.

When i headed out on my journey last year, COVID was still causing a lot of trouble in Canada and the US, but also there were really bad forest fires that filled the skies with so much smog it was difficult to breathe. I packed with me a bunch of 3M N95 respirators that came in a tube. I removed them from the tube and put them into a ziplock and tried to keep them at the top of my bag. That style doesn't fold flat, and you don't want to bust the shape otherwise you might not get the tight closure that you're looking for to get full 95% filtering. I ended up giving away a whole bunch because they were too bulky to carry around. That said, you can re-wear N95s a lot, as long as you are getting a good seal, so i survived with just 3-4 of them for a month or two. Try not to drop a beer on one, though, that'll fuck it right proper.

I also carried with me a stack of three-layer disposable surgical masks, which don't provide the same level of protection as N95 respirators, but they still make it a bit easier to deal with smoke and smog, and they also do a decent job blocking so-called droplets, which is like what sprays out when you sneeze, stuff that is heavy enough to fall to the ground. COVID and a few other viruses are not just transmitted through droplets - they can also live for a while in tiny amounts of moisture that float around in the air - so a surgical mask isn't going to protect you from everything... But it should still reduce your exposure to some extent, and (imo more importantly) if you wear it properly then it kinda pushes your breath backwards instead of forwards, so you don't exhale your droplet-laden germs all over other people when you are breathing or talking. How many times you been accidentally hit by someone's spittle when they talk? To me it's just a matter of politeness nowadays to try keep the mask on when i am interacting with another person in an enclosed space. Another bonus is if you keep your mask on most of the day, you avoid absent-mindedly touching your nose and mouth with your hands, which is another source of virus and bacterial transmission. For that benefit you could probably even have one of those hand-sewn cotton ones, although those seem a bit grody to me unless you plan to wash them as often as your underwear.

Obviously this is completely anecdotal, but i traveled for 6 months in and out of crowded areas in Colombia and Panama where i - and most other people - were wearing surgical masks in public, and didn't catch COVID or any other colds/flus/whatevers. The few bucks i spent on surgical masks was money well spent in my books. Way cheaper than visiting a doctor overseas or buying tablets after i got sick, and that'd be true even if there wasn't any COVID. Life is much better when you don't have a random respiratory disease popping into your lungs a couple times every year.

Of course i did get sick once or twice from eating bad shit, but that's a separate problem with an easy solution - don't drink unfiltered water and don't eat shady meat or fish.

So, my recommendation is unless you are going to be in an extremely smoggy area, or spending a lot of time in tight, enclosed spaces with lots of other people who refuse to wear masks, i wouldn't bother with N95 respirators, just get surgical masks. They're super easy to transport, you can buy them anywhere, they're cheap, and they're effortless to put on and take off. Also they work pretty well with glasses. There are some other ones, the so-called KN94 ones that fold flat but when you fold them out they look like a beak... Supposedly they do a better job than surgical masks, but personally i never found them comfortable, my glasses kept slipping off, and i didn't feel like the increased cost was worth it for me. Imo if you want solid protection for certain situations just get a proper N95 respirator or two, and hell with the extra space it takes up in your bag. But you gotta assess your own risk and decide if it's right for you. Maybe folding flat KN94 is worth it for you.

The other thing you might consider is a face shield of some kind. The big plastic ones you sometimes see on airplanes and public transport should be pretty easy to buy or even make if you're handy. Check out the stores in Chinatown. But i had one of those in Panama (mandatory on public transport) and it got busted up real quick. Imo just having a pair of glasses is an acceptable solution. Sure, they're not perfect, but none of this stuff is perfect, it's just about reducing risk. It's not rocket science. More stuff between you and the infection vector is better. Same idea as as a mosquito net or wearing long sleeves. Given that, glasses are easy to find anywhere, you don't look "weird" if you're wearing them, and they at least are gonna block any spray coming straight at your face. If you want to be real careful i suppose you could get some kind of goggles - they make ones for cycling/running as well as swimming, or just check around the sunglass rack at a cheap store for wraparounds. Again, you have to assess your own risk and decide what works for you.

Tests is a much harder problem. I wasn't able to get free tests anywhere as a traveler. Most countries only gave them out for free to citizens or local residents with some kind of ID. Some only gave them if you claimed to have symptoms. When you're traveling overseas, especially in countries poorer than your own (which is most of them), you are going to be expected to pay for your own stuff. Or... at least that was the case till i came to Taiwan, where they give every arriving passenger on the plane two free rapid tests. Since i came back in twice, and only used one of them, i now have three. To be honest, they're really big and unwieldy and i wouldn't want to take them traveling, even though they are pretty light. I think it might be better to try to take other precautions to avoid getting sick. You should only need a test if there is an entry requirement in a particular country (most countries no longer have this requirement - already last year a lot of them were just moving to vaccination proof). If you start feeling sick, you gotta ask yourself, why do you need the test? If you're worried you might infect someone, just stay isolated for a few days and mask up if you really need to go into public. If you're worried things might get worse, then you should go to the hospital, and then they'll test you anyway. When you're traveling you don't have any requirement to go into work, so there shouldn't be any reason to have to show a positive result in order to get sick leave, or work from home, or whatever.

On the monkeypox thing... I wouldn't be too worried about that one unless you are having sex, eating game, walking around with exposed sores, etc. Although it seems it can perhaps be transmitted through the air, seems like fluids is a much more common method of transmission. If you are worried about it and you are an at-risk group in your country, you might be eligible for a free vaccine. I think MSM is considered an at-risk group in some places, for example, so check it out with your doctor or local pharmacy. Otherwise i reckon just take the normal precautions you would do for stuff like hepatatis, rabies, typhus etc.


----------



## Gin (Sep 5, 2022)

ali said:


> Plenty of places around the world are still doing COVID tests and plenty of people around the world are still wearing masks. Hell, plenty of people around the world were wearing masks before COVID too, both for protection from other non-COVID viruses, and also just as a basic courtesy to the people around them.
> 
> Something Americans don't seem to realize is that the rest of the world has not all had their COVID waves at the same time. Some countries had it worse, others had it better, others started better and got worse, others started worse and got better. Most are still suffering to some degree. Even inside the US it hit different states differently. That's the shitty thing about a new virus - especially one that we utterly failed to eradicate. It doesn't just all come at once and then disappear overnight, it's gonna keep hitting different communities over and over for years, although hopefully less damaging each time.
> 
> ...



Wow. People here don't live in fear. Haven't seen masks in months. Didn't know it's still a thing. It never really caught on here. I don't think we've had any virus deaths but everyone that got jabbed is in 'declining health'


----------



## Matt Derrick (Sep 5, 2022)

Gin said:


> Wow. People here don't live in fear. Haven't seen masks in months. Didn't know it's still a thing. It never really caught on here. I don't think we've had any virus deaths but everyone that got jabbed is in 'declining health'



So, just a verbal warning, the whole anti-vax thing isn't going to fly here. StP believes in providing safe, accurate information based on real science, not hearsay or fake Facebook posts.

Also, I got 'jabbed' and my health is fine. So please save your conspiracy theories for another board.


----------



## Gin (Sep 5, 2022)

Matt Derrick said:


> So, just a verbal warning, the whole anti-vax thing isn't going to fly here. StP believes in providing safe, accurate information based on real science, not hearsay or fake Facebook posts.
> 
> Also, I got 'jabbed' and my health is fine. So please save your conspiracy theories for another board.



I'm not a conspiracy theorist nor am I on Facebook. I state truth as I see it & I am seeing jabbed people lose 100lbs & can't breathe or bend over. Heart issues & kids w/adult problems I'm glad your jab went ok so far but Sir, I AM NOT A LIAR. We can agree to disagree but I'm not a liar, a conspiracy theorist & I followed science too. Follow the money you'll find your science. And a lot of dead ferrets... Good Day Sir


----------



## Coywolf (Sep 5, 2022)

Gin said:


> I'm not a conspiracy theorist nor am I on Facebook. I state truth as I see it & I am seeing jabbed people lose 100lbs & can't breathe or bend over. Heart issues & kids w/adult problems I'm glad your jab went ok so far but Sir, I AM NOT A LIAR. We can agree to disagree but I'm not a liar, a conspiracy theorist & I followed science too. Follow the money you'll find your science. And a lot of dead ferrets... Good Day Sir



You see, thats the things about stating opinions vs. stating facts...stating something as an opinion could be anything. Doesn't mean you're a liar, but it can mean you are mislead or ignorant. 

Unless you are a medical doctor, or can quote a reputable medical doctor that can link vaccines to those above issues, id be reaaaaaly careful is saying you are 'stating the truth'. Whether its 'as you see it' or not, thats being a liar.

I believe Alex Jones just got in quite a bit of trouble over this.


----------



## MetalBryan (Sep 5, 2022)

I've seen mask wearing spike in the past couple weeks. Lots of employees at stores are wearing them in this conservative town. I had my life uprooted by covid, so I've traveled quite a bit by train, bus, and air. Do what you feel most comfortable with I guess is the best advice. Whatever gives you the least anxiety.

I found myself in a pretty protected new life, so I don't wear masks in town. When I travel, I carry all 3. I keep one N95 on hand if SHTF. I keep a stack of 10 disposable blue surgical masks in a paper envelope sealed in a ziplock. I keep 2-3 cloth masks and I wash them about 10 times before considering them worn out. I'm guilty of wearing them longer, but that's on me. The cloth masks are nice because they are comfortable and allow me to navigate spaces where folks are wearing masks. I wore a face shield in the beginning of covid on planes, but I've loosened up. I still have one, but I also have a chemical respirator so some of this gear can be written off as prepper stuff. I'm a working man and I respect the working person, so if I see a mask in a shop I like to be able to put one on. If it's crowded or there's a bunch of kids, I can double up with a cloth & surgical. Mostly, I stay outside unless I'm going to the grocery store. That's been my solution... just staying away from people saves you a lot of masks lol.

I'm not saying don't worry about testing, but I don't think testing for the benefit of others is worth anything unless you're around vulnerable people. If 95% of the population isn't wearing a mask, clearly they have accepted the risks of getting covid. Don't waste any space or money on me/us.


----------



## Anagor (Sep 8, 2022)

Gin said:


> Wow. People here don't live in fear. Haven't seen masks in months. Didn't know it's still a thing. It never really caught on here. I don't think we've had any virus deaths but everyone that got jabbed is in 'declining health'



Here in Germany masks are not mandatory anymore in public places and shops, but many people still wear them there.

In public transport (bus, tram, train) masks are still mandatory and you can be fined or asked to leave not wearing a mask.

Actually, most time I go for groceries and the supermarket is crowded, I wear a FFP2 mask. I don't consider myself "living in fear", it is just a simple thing that reduces the risk getting infected drastically and I don't have a problem with wearing that mask for like 15 minutes.


----------



## Tony G (Sep 12, 2022)

00kissmarrykick00 said:


> I figured out bring this up just for the sake of bringing this up. This will be my 1st round of travels since covid and monkeypox, and I feel it would be responsible to make dedicated space for masks and covid test. I don't know how easy covid tests will be to get on the road.
> 
> I used gloves very briefly at the earlier part of covid, but I would rather use hand sanitizer. Acknowledging that hand sanitizer doesn't eventually stop working, and It's best to wash your hands after the 3rd time of use.
> 
> ...



I don't know if you have access to a health department my local one will give you up to 4 covid test for free


----------



## JackSquat (Sep 28, 2022)

Coywolf said:


> You see, thats the things about stating opinions vs. stating facts...stating something as an opinion could be anything. Doesn't mean you're a liar, but it can mean you are mislead or ignorant.
> 
> Unless you are a medical doctor, or can quote a reputable medical doctor that can link vaccines to those above issues, id be reaaaaaly careful is saying you are 'stating the truth'. Whether its 'as you see it' or not, thats being a liar.
> 
> I believe Alex Jones just got in quite a bit of trouble over this.



Only a doctor can be trusted? If you'll recall history, doctors said smoking was safe. And many doctors were involved in experiments on people without their permission or knowledge. And this is not conspiracy theory. The government actually admits this. I was shocked to learn that they fed oatmeal with radiation to mentally impaired children in the 1940s or 50's. And they poisoned alcohol during prohibition, resulting in many deaths. And those are just two cases. There are many others. I know, it sounds crazy. That's what I thought. Then I looked it up and several news websites have said this was true. Don't believe me or anyone else. Look for yourself. Blindly trusting scientists and doctors is the real danger we face.


----------



## Coywolf (Sep 29, 2022)

JackSquat said:


> Blindly trusting scientists and doctors is the real danger we face



Ya, this is why you must verify information through your own research using multiple sources, sometimes with differing points of view. I feel like the world has forgotten the scientific process.

I've done this, as have many other much more highly educated individuals than myself.

The problem with the COVID conspiracies is that they seem to think all of the people 'going along' with the 'COVID experiment/hoax' are just 'sheep' following 'shepards'. I just can't even fathom that. Especially having worked in emergency medicine and seeing the education I've received play out first hand in the field.

I am sure AF going to trust virologists, who show their work, and I can follow it to some degree, over the word of some YouTube idiot without a doctorate in medicine.

I'm not going to touch on the rest of your comment, as it is common knowledge that doctors have been used to push political and social opinions throughout history.


----------



## ali (Sep 29, 2022)

COVID conspiracies in particular are just fucking stupid, period.

This wasn't a handful of paid-off quacks working for a corrupt regime coming up with some bullshit to further the goals of whatever regional elites or oligarchs. This was doctors, nurses, virologists, aged care workers... Health professionals from literally every country in the entire world - under dictatorships and democracies, from rich countries to poor countries - every fucking corner of the planet saw the same shit going on: massive spiking of their country's mortality rates, overflowing hospitals, etc etc. There is no Illuminati-like secret society powerful enough to fake that sort of thing everywhere in the world at the same time.

It's just wilful ignorance to act like COVID is/was no big deal. Or act like a vaccine taken by billions of people without incident is somehow more dangerous than a virus that killed millions. The only people doing it are those whose egos are apparently too big to cope with the idea that tiny submicroscopic organisms can jump over from lowly animals and result in massive disruption to human civilization. I mean, even though human history is filled with reports of plagues causing chaos. Shit's mentioned in the Bible for fuck's sake. Historians going back thousands of years have documented these events. Pandemics are simply a part of life on Earth. You can choose to ignore the risks - live and let die - or you can choose to make small lifestyle changes to minimize the danger to yourself and the people around you. But spreading propaganda that what's actually happening isn't happening is some weak fucking tea.


----------



## JackSquat (Sep 29, 2022)

ali said:


> COVID conspiracies in particular are just fucking stupid, period.
> 
> This wasn't a handful of paid-off quacks working for a corrupt regime coming up with some bullshit to further the goals of whatever regional elites or oligarchs. This was doctors, nurses, virologists, aged care workers... Health professionals from literally every country in the entire world - under dictatorships and democracies, from rich countries to poor countries - every fucking corner of the planet saw the same shit going on: massive spiking of their country's mortality rates, overflowing hospitals, etc etc. There is no Illuminati-like secret society powerful enough to fake that sort of thing everywhere in the world at the same time.
> 
> It's just wilful ignorance to act like COVID is/was no big deal. Or act like a vaccine taken by billions of people without incident is somehow more dangerous than a virus that killed millions. The only people doing it are those whose egos are apparently too big to cope with the idea that tiny submicroscopic organisms can jump over from lowly animals and result in massive disruption to human civilization. I mean, even though human history is filled with reports of plagues causing chaos. Shit's mentioned in the Bible for fuck's sake. Historians going back thousands of years have documented these events. Pandemics are simply a part of life on Earth. You can choose to ignore the risks - live and let die - or you can choose to make small lifestyle changes to minimize the danger to yourself and the people around you. But spreading propaganda that what's actually happening isn't happening is some weak fucking tea.



Some people are talking about large conspiracies, like you mentioned. Others are just pointing out facts because we're very tired of lies constantly being reported and then the CDC and politicians come out and finally admit the truth. All this after people have been blocked and banned for no good reason. Sources that you'd probably agree are credible have said, that many so-called "covid deaths" were actually caused by something else. Then everybody somehow forgets this, and they go back to reporting fearful rhetoric about a massive pandemic. I just look for some consistency. I know people aren't perfect. But, their jobs in the media, I used to think, were to report the facts and the truth. I no longer believe that. If I ever really did. I can point out many, many, times, that they've either outright lied or just left out the facts, leaving people to be grossly misled. Why you or anyone would trust the media and the government after they've shown constantly throughout history that they don't deserve to be trusted is beyond me. They and a few major companies have heavily profited from this pandemic. The government's power has increased. These are self evident facts. Not theories.


----------



## ali (Sep 29, 2022)

You sound like you are writing from an America-centric point of view. This was a pandemic - that is, a disease outbreak that affected every country in the world, not just the USA. If you want to have a better understanding of how this thing went down, you have to look at its impact all over the world. Things like wearing masks is advice that was shared in pretty much every country of the world - except perhaps for the USA - from day one. Your petty domestic political squabbles and broken healthcare system are not relevant to the situation in the rest of the world. (We have our own domestic issues to get frustrated about!)

And please, please quit it with this "so-called" COVID deaths nonsense. The fact that excess deaths are in the millions since COVID appeared is indisputable. If you want to make a case that it wasn't COVID that caused these excess deaths, you have to show evidence of another cause. And it can't be some half-baked theory like "well, it was the lockdown that caused deaths because suicides and overdoses increased", because the numbers still don't add up. When these increases have been seen in countries all over the world, all of which have different cultures, and whose governments implemented different lockdown patterns and containment policies, it's pretty clear that there is only one common factor.

Why is it so hard to simply accept that - as has happened many times over the course of history - in 2019 a new virus appeared that killed millions of people?

And why is it so hard to accept that - as we have done for centuries or more - separating people who are sick from those who aren't, whether by physical isolation or with PPE, will help to reduce the spread of a contagious virus?

It's whataboutism to change the subject to "oh politicians are lying to us" or "oh the media is lying to us". Who cares? Whether you are full-blown paranoid who believes nobody in power can ever be trusted, or just a naive optimist who is disappointed that your leaders can't be infallible is beside the point. There is what you choose to believe based on information that you choose to consume, and then there is the reality of biology and how we can choose to handle the fundamental risks of living on a planet where disease exists. This thread is about the latter topic. If you want to complain about American politics, there is a different forum for that.


----------



## JackSquat (Sep 29, 2022)

ali said:


> You sound like you are writing from an America-centric point of view. This was a pandemic - that is, a disease outbreak that affected every country in the world, not just the USA. If you want to have a better understanding of how this thing went down, you have to look at its impact all over the world. Things like wearing masks is advice that was shared in pretty much every country of the world - except perhaps for the USA - from day one. Your petty domestic political squabbles and broken healthcare system are not relevant to the situation in the rest of the world. (We have our own domestic issues to get frustrated about!)
> 
> And please, please quit it with this "so-called" COVID deaths nonsense. The fact that excess deaths are in the millions since COVID appeared is indisputable. If you want to make a case that it wasn't COVID that caused these excess deaths, you have to show evidence of another cause. And it can't be some half-baked theory like "well, it was the lockdown that caused deaths because suicides and overdoses increased", because the numbers still don't add up. When these increases have been seen in countries all over the world, all of which have different cultures, and whose governments implemented different lockdown patterns and containment policies, it's pretty clear that there is only one common factor.
> 
> ...



Ok, I see your point. I do think I read that other countries did exaggerate the covid death numbers, too. I'll have to read more and find out for sure. Sorry, I got off topic. I don't want anyone to get sick. I care about people in every country. We're all human beings. We all should be treated with respect and love. About masks I'll say this, some of them have graphene oxide in them. And can be harmful to use. Canada, banned the use of those masks. And some masks have fibers which can be inhaled into your lungs. So, please be careful. I'm not saying all masks. Some hopefully are safe to use. And there was a Dutch study that found that masks don't prevent people from getting covid.


----------



## 00kissmarrykick00 (Oct 6, 2022)

JackSquat said:


> Only a doctor can be trusted? If you'll recall history, doctors said smoking was safe. And many doctors were involved in experiments on people without their permission or knowledge. And this is not conspiracy theory. The government actually admits this. I was shocked to learn that they fed oatmeal with radiation to mentally impaired children in the 1940s or 50's. And they poisoned alcohol during prohibition, resulting in many deaths. And those are just two cases. There are many others. I know, it sounds crazy. That's what I thought. Then I looked it up and several news websites have said this was true. Don't believe me or anyone else. Look for yourself. Blindly trusting scientists and doctors is the real danger we face.



Blindly trusting anyone is dangerous.. Especially knowing that anyone can be bought out under capitalism unperiod but on the subject of covid and wearing masks and taking tests, we're not going to apply that logic here.


----------



## 00kissmarrykick00 (Oct 6, 2022)

JackSquat said:


> Ok, I see your point. I do think I read that other countries did exaggerate the covid death numbers, too. I'll have to read more and find out for sure. Sorry, I got off topic. I don't want anyone to get sick. I care about people in every country. We're all human beings. We all should be treated with respect and love. About masks I'll say this, some of them have graphene oxide in them. And can be harmful to use. Canada, banned the use of those masks. And some masks have fibers which can be inhaled into your lungs. So, please be careful. I'm not saying all masks. Some hopefully are safe to use. And there was a Dutch study that found that masks don't prevent people from getting covid.


 Stop trying to derail my thread with your anti covid anti science rhetoric. Make your own thread for your own bullshit.


----------



## JackSquat (Oct 7, 2022)

00kissmarrykick00 said:


> Stop trying to derail my thread with your anti covid anti science rhetoric. Make your own thread for your own bullshit.



Did you read about the science study that found that masks aren't effective? Lol. Why don't you, "Trust the Science"?? 😂😂


----------



## ali (Oct 7, 2022)

Dude, give it up. Science isn't about cherry picking studies to try own people on the internet. It's a methodical and ongoing process of observation, measurement and investigation. Each study provides new data. We learn. We adjust our theories. There is no contradiction when one study makes one observation and many others (in the case of masks and COVID) make a different one. You're supposed to look at all the evidence together. Or, you know, just trust the consensus of actual professionals, instead of arrogantly drawing your own conclusions to support your pre-existing bias on topics where you have no context or training.

People have been wearing face coverings for centuries to protect themselves and others from infection. Don't you think if they were completely useless folks would've stopped doing it by now? Especially in countries like the US where healthcare is privatized. Private hospitals cut costs anywhere they can. So why do healthcare professionals in the country continue to wear PPE? It's not a conspiracy. It's just common sense. Seriously. Just let it go.


----------



## JackSquat (Oct 8, 2022)

ali said:


> Dude, give it up. Science isn't about cherry picking studies to try own people on the internet. It's a methodical and ongoing process of observation, measurement and investigation. Each study provides new data. We learn. We adjust our theories. There is no contradiction when one study makes one observation and many others (in the case of masks and COVID) make a different one. You're supposed to look at all the evidence together. Or, you know, just trust the consensus of actual professionals, instead of arrogantly drawing your own conclusions to support your pre-existing bias on topics where you have no context or training.
> 
> People have been wearing face coverings for centuries to protect themselves and others from infection. Don't you think if they were completely useless folks would've stopped doing it by now? Especially in countries like the US where healthcare is privatized. Private hospitals cut costs anywhere they can. So why do healthcare professionals in the country continue to wear PPE? It's not a conspiracy. It's just common sense. Seriously. Just let it go.



Alright, I'll just let people insult me. I'm used to it. But, remember on some other issue where your opinion isn't the same as the majority of people you might see what it's like. Call people conspiracy theorists all you want. But, it doesn't change the fact about how much the pharmaceutical industry influences doctors, scientists, and "science." I have actually restrained myself. Lol. I could post many quotes and info, to back up what I've said. But, I didn't want to go on about it on here. Go ahead, and have the last word about it. I won't reply anymore. People, have been doing many things for centuries like you said. That doesn't make it right or logical. Look at the condition of the world right now, you think most countries are doing a good job at running things? Are they really trying to do what's best for people? People from all sides are starting to question things more. They know something is definitely very wrong. I appreciate your point of view and I'll think about what you've said. I'm always trying to learn more and make better sense of things and change my thoughts on an issue when it's appropriate. Have a good weekend!


----------



## sevedemanos (Oct 8, 2022)

cvs, walgreens, walmart, rite aid.. they have had flu shots and masks available for as long as i can remember. hand sanitizer.. antidepressants.. things of that nature.

maybe im a terrible person but gotta admit ive only ever gone in for a case of beer. 

i dont keep up with the news.. most of the papers ask a monthly subscription charge besides.. but carrying cabinets and furniture up 12 flights of stairs with a mask on all day, trying to stay six feet apart from other workers coming down when head hauncho OSHA was around.. was a hard year. one for the books! it may not be provable with any state-published periodicals nor sourceable to pubmed but its all i really know for sure. damn near died of asphyxiation half a dozen times man.

but yeah, try walgreens. pretty sure they offer flu shots still.


----------



## spider (Jan 2, 2023)

for free masks and rapid tests, also worth checking twitter search "mask bloc [location]", "test bloc [location]". ex. @maskblocpdx for portland oregon


portland oregon has a mask bloc and test bloc with free high quality masks and free rapid tests that can deliver in portland. i think there's a group popping up in new orleans, there's one somewhere in the bay i think, new york, i think uc davis in california has one, heard about one in canada too not sure where.

for info on kinds of masks, and to calculate risk https://www.microcovid.org/blog/masks (know that this website still needs to be updated for new variants and wastewater tracking, so plug in your scenario and then assume the risk is actually higher than it says)

for storage i'm not sure

for monkeypox, get vaxxed, wear a mask, wash hands often, use condoms and dental dams, disinfect high-touch surfaces like your phone often (carry a small spray thing of alcohol or using whatever wipes you can find)

if you do have insurance, a mailing address, and internet access, search labcorp ondemand covid tests, you can order one free pcr test at a time (including covid/flu/rsv test) and drop it off at a fedex dropbox or schedule fedex pickup. more for when you have symptoms, exposure, risky activity, going to visit grampa, etc. 

also with insurance and mailing address, walgreens covid test delivery, up to 8 free tests monthly

for free ones honestly the government has dropped the ball for the most part so you're prob going to want to try to find mutual aid groups, luckily more and more are popping up

covidmeetups.com could also be a good place to ask this or one of their many discord groups


----------

