Sherman R. Frederick/Battle Born Media
I have a burr under my saddle about the newest COVID-19 craze — mandatory face masks.
I’m not going to hate on anyone for asking me to wear a face mask during the Age of Coronavirus. I get the angst.
But can one our public health masters please explain why only a few weeks back we were emphatically and plainly told not to bother wearing masks? They weren’t effective, the CDC said. All they do is make us feel good.
I don’t enjoy being the only Nevada ant at the picnic, but what new scientific breakthrough justified the 180 change? Plus, the newest research in scientific journals say surgical masks and cotton masks most normal people wear don’t screen finely enough to protect against COVID-19 particles?
Look, wear a mask if you judge it to be prudent. I plan to. But, here’s the point. It’s best not to make rules based on guesses. Make them advisable or optional and explain why.
When governments create rules that overreach or make no sense to regular Joe and Josephine, it invites disobedience. For example, Los Angeles has opened the beaches, but you may only use the wet part of the beach. No sitting down our picnicking on the dry sand.
Last week in California, a restaurant that sells craft brewed beer could stay open and sell food and beer curbside. But a craft brewery that wasn’t primarily a restaurant, couldn’t refill a growler curbside.
Ridiculous. Governors and their Dr. No advisors need to think these rules through better.
WAIT, WHAT?
From the L.A. Times: “Can you be reinfected with the novel coronavirus? It’s a question scientists are still puzzling over thanks to stories like this: The first COVID-19 patient to be treated at Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville was discharged in early April after her apparent recovery, only to end up back in the hospital just a few weeks later. She’d tested positive for the virus for the second time.”
It’s hard to feel confident in public health rules when our healthcare masters don’t know fundamental things like this.
ONE MORE THING
— Gov. Steve Sisolak ought to recall retired nuns back into service to enforce social distancing in casinos. Hey, makes more sense than that Los Angeles wet sand/dry sand rule.
— A truck loaded with thousands of copies of Roget’s Thesaurus crashed yesterday losing its entire load. Witnesses were stunned, startled, aghast, taken aback, stupefied, confused, shocked, rattled, paralysed, dazed, bewildered, mixed up, surprised, awed, dumbfounded, nonplussed, flabbergasted, astounded, amazed, confounded, astonished, overwhelmed, horrified, numbed, speechless, and perplexed.
— If Heidi Klum married Don Ho, she’d be Heidi Ho.
Ouch. I think I strained a muscle on that last one. I’ll let myself out. Until next time around, be well, avoid soreheads, stay safe. And, thank you for reading and supporting your hometown newspaper. We appreciate you.
(Sherman Frederick is the founder of Battle Born Media, publisher of intensely local community newspapers in Sparks, Ely, Eureka, Hawthorne and Mesquite. He may be reached at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
