Mask On, Mask Off

One of the last vestiges of the pandemic known as Covid has been lifted at long last, at least here in the Pacific Northwest. As of April 3rd, face masks are no longer required in Washington or Oregon healthcare facilities such as doctor's offices, clinics, hospitals, et al., unless of course you've got the Rona or some other nasty ass virus that could spew out of your mouth or nose like a disease loaded squirt gun. Since I am immersed in the healthcare industry (What? You thought I did this for a living?) this is a pretty big baby step in the direction of normalcy once again. I suppose we've gotten to the point of flattening that elusive curve and now for the most part we can see each other's faces again. For aesthetic reasons, some people should re-consider, but that's beside the point. I have been a frontline worker for quite some time even before Covid turned 19, masking and gloving up from Day One in the belief that I was protected from its spread into my fragile lil' system. The removal of said face protection is a relief but still nothing more than symbolic since I gave up wearing one in public long ago. On the job, I'm still erring on the side of caution, having cut back my maskings to about 50%, still donning them in urgent cares and pediatric clinics which are basically giant petri dishes with waiting rooms. In full disclosure, I am of a certain age and have a loved one who is also potentially at risk for whatever I bring home from the trenches, reason enough for me not to expose myself or anyone else for that matter to any airborne disease without personal protection equipment on my person. Of course them thar face coverin's, along with the vaxx, have been mandatory for my job. 

The mask itself has been the cause of many a heated debate since Day One and continues to be so. The mandate set forth requiring its usage in public places didn't sit right with a large chunk of said public. Wearing them restricted the rights of those who fear losing their rights the most as though they have the most to lose. After the lockdowns and vaccine requirements, small wonder why it's been such a hot button issue. In the early days of the plague, nobody knew anything, fumbling around in the dark to stop the spread of the bloody thing completely clueless as how to handle it. Most of the suggestions and/or restrictions were educated guesses for the uneducated masses. Washing hands seemed to be a fine idea for the great unwashed. Social distancing? Well, okay. I have personal space issues anyway, so it worked for me. (Back off, bozo!) Leaving your groceries outside for three days to kill the virus? Umm, sure. Anything leftover after the critters get into 'em is all yours...especially the perishables. 

Whatever they came up with was designed to make us safer or to give the perception of safety anyway. These government mandates were for the good of the public, not to exercise control just to see if they could. Well, maybe that last part has some truth to it after all. Look how many complied as opposed to those who resisted. The odds are in their favor unless this theory becomes fact. No wonder the nay-sayers went further out on the ledge of sanity, decrying the use of "face-diapers" as a rallying cry for the freedom fightin' few, the proud, the intolerant. 

On the other side, masks were felt to be necessary, no matter how irritating, especially in hot weather. Many tried to make the most of it by manning their sewing machines to create cloth masks for family, friends and foes alike, many creatively conceived , but eventually proven to be ineffectual. Of course, that information wasn't forthcoming at the time, so the gesture was deemed noble as opposed to ignorant. That this portion of the public was willing to help at all speaks volumes as opposed to the intolerant labelling them as "sheeple". Many of these "sheeple" were out risking their lives while you guys were sequestered at home in your Cheeto-stained Snuggies uploading endless YouTube videos about how Bill Gates flattened the Earth.

One of the very worst aspects of the mask mandate was its enforcement, making it the responsibility of businesses and operations that were struggling to remain open to the public in the midst of all this chaos. Those that didn't act in accordance to said directives were subject to fines and perhaps even closure in may cases. This forced us to fight among ourselves, a real novel way to take the heat off the Powers that Be. Essential workers: Heroes one minute, adversaries the next. Shameful.

The ramifications from all of this will be felt for the rest of our lives. There will be permanent scarring and wounds that may never heal, on physical mental, spiritual and practical levels. How are going to handle ourselves now that we're finally headed out the other side? And what's going to happen next time? In this day and age, nothing is more certain in this life than a sequel.

For now, the masks are off. So too are the gloves. Let the games begin...again.