What is the "right direction" for dealing with a virus to which everyone will eventually be exposed? Why are people so lacking in humility that they're sure they know what's right? What are the odds that you're wrong?

https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/vinay-prasad/94646

Not sure I follow your line of questioning. It's a known fact that hospitals are overloaded. Anything we can do to reduce that load is a good thing. Hospitals are understaffed and overworked.

Masks provide positive ROI. Wearing a mask is really not asking a lot.

Hospitals were frequently overloaded by other seasonal respiratory viruses before 2020 but they just dealt with it and mandates weren't imposed on the rest of society. What's different now? It seems many physicians have a different perspective.

https://youtu.be/GklHGYY8vN8

(Not the parent post, but the bearded grandparent poster :)

Even if we want to deny existence of universal right, or societal right, there's still a personal right direction.

First, my goals (which are mandatory for any discussion of correct/incorrect approach, whether on personal or societal/policy level, to be even remotely productive. We can't discuss "what path is right for society" without being explicit about our priorities, goals, assumptions!): For me primary goal is to protect those vulnerable in my life, including my newborn, my elderly parents, my immunocompromised nephew. On path to that, as well as from selfish perspective (I have Asthma/Bronchitis and my lungs are crap), my effective goal is avoid getting COVID for as long as possible, ideally forever; and minimize its impact as much as possible.

Once those personal goals are laid out, the correct approach / right direction is easier to discuss and navigate. Certainly, at the very least, working toward postponing infection has so far been a brilliant decision - even today, getting omicron while vaccinated is better than a year ago getting delta while not vaccinated. My personal extrapolation is that postponing it further is even better, both for myself and for society (most health systems being comprehensively overwhelmed currently; in Toronto, Canada entire hospitals are shutting down and so my mantra is "don't get sick right now", not just Covid).

If you believe you have meaningful contribution to my right direction given my goals, I'm all ears :). I don't believe lack of humility is at issue here but again, let me know if I'm mistaken :).

Your article doesn't contradict the parent. Delaying exposure is the right direction.

> Would be better if you dropped the beard

It's unbelievable what the pandemic has caused people to think it's acceptable to say.

I'm the grandparent poster it was directed to, and I see it as a perfectly acceptable and correct thing to say given the context; if you feel the need to get offended on my account by taking it out context, it's a free world! :)

FWIW, my perspective: In context, I have implicitly stated my goal of self-protection and even indicated my awareness that beard is counter-productive. Saying N95's effectiveness would be improved by dropping the beard is merely factual and restating what I already said. I certainly don't find it an "unbelievable" statement :)

Or how quick to take offence to fairly benign statements a certain type of person is.

You're misreading that comment. "Better" refers to how well the mask functions at blocking the virus, not to a moral judgment that beards are sinful.