HIV and wearing masks

[Old Blue]

Getting AIDS Showed Me the Stupidity of Not Wearing Masks

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/masks-stop-coronavirus-getting-aids-showed-me-stupidity-not-wearing-ncna1234878

[+ pitman]

Getting AIDS Showed Me the Stupidity of Not Wearing Masks

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/masks-stop-coronavirus-getting-aids-showed-me-stupidity-not-wearing-ncna1234878

Great article. One difference between HIV and COVID is that with the former everyone has the power to protect themselves by taking the proper precautions. With the latter you can do all the right things but still be at risk because of the irresponsibility and selfishness of others.

[Guest]

Yes, all this talk by the assholes who clamor about their "rights" to avoid masks gets me really riled up. "Freedom" doesn't mean you can do anything you want irrespective of its effect on others. You don't hear people proclaiming a "right" to drive drunk or 100 mph down a city street.

[+ keroscenefire]

Great article. One difference between HIV and COVID is that with the former everyone has the power to protect themselves by taking the proper precautions. With the latter you can do all the right things but still be at risk because of the irresponsibility and selfishness of others.

 

To some extent, "stealthing," is still a risk for bottoms. This is when a top uses a condom at first and then takes it off at some point during sex without the consent of the bottom. There have sadly been cases of people catching HIV from these situations.

[+ keroscenefire]

Interesting study about to come out that suggests wearing masks may actually help lessen the severity of COVID infection. It's actually a meta-study that synthesizes many different studies suggesting mask wearing lowers the viral load of COVID even if you are infected. We've known for a while that all but the N95 masks do not offer 100 percent protection against COVID. But widespread mask use can mean you are getting much less virus from those infected and have a higher likelihood of having an asymptomatic infection or very mild infection. This could help explain why many Asian countries like Japan and South Korea have such low fatality rates compared to the US and Europe. They already have a habit of public mask wearing and while many still got infected, their viral loads were lower and they were more likely to have a less severe illness. There are many other anecdotal studies that taken together suggest mask wearing really does help prevent serious COVID illness.

[Pulgasari1991]

To some extent, "stealthing," is still a risk for bottoms. This is when a top uses a condom at first and then takes it off at some point during sex without the consent of the bottom. There have sadly been cases of people catching HIV from these situations.

[+ nycman]

Good message, but I thought it was a poorly written article.

A large chuck of it came off as “poor me and my evil dead

boyfriend”, which really has little to do with today’s pandemic.

 

I’m never a fan when someone paints an unflattering picture of

a dead person who can’t defend themselves or tell their side of

the story. Not that it really matters, the connection is so tenuous

as to make the point irrelevant.

 

There are many things we can learn from the AIDS pandemic that

will help us get through this one. I just don’t think this article does

a great job of pointing out exactly what those lessons are.