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Rationalist Science wrote:

I wish mask-wearing was just culturally accepted like it is in much of East Asia, where a significant portion of the population dons them every flu season. Unfortunately, seems like the opposite is happening here in America.

Also wish that surgical masks and, ideally, N-95 masks were available to everyone, but supply chains make that kinda impossible. Even without that though, I definitely think any face covering, provided that everyone wears them, is still better than nothing. I'm not going to be comfortable being around other people unless they are wearing a mask, because without the mask they can be breathing/coughing directly into the air around me.

Regular mask-wearing comes with some security risks, but given that I'm a classical liberal that's a price I at least would happily pay. And we can look to Japan and Korea for how they manage as examples. I have two major issues with it though: firstly is that I feel distinctly uncomfortable if I can't see a person's entire face, makes it virtually impossible to gauge intent and I am the skittish sort. But more importantly, I have bad lungs... I barely get enough air normally, so if a mask restricts my airflow even the slightest bit I can't manage. Lighter masks don't have that problem, but they don't protect nearly as much, so... That's dififcult.

N-95s are ideal (at least until specific filtration becomes available, if ever), but true, they're a lot more difficult to produce than regular masks. Still, it means spending money now so that people will survive to spend their money later, so even to industrialists with more than two brain cells it would be a profitable venture...

Some of the "measures" are total security theater though. Like how supermarkets and stores make you disinfect your hands before letting you enter - the gels and sprays they use are anti-bacterial. Covid is a virus. Meaning that stuff does nothing to protect against it... Although I do appreciate the extra hygiene.