Hopefully, the answer is a resounding “No!! I am staying home as much as I can. I am washing my hands frequently. I am making sure I’m social distancing when I’m out and about, and I am wearing a mask when I am in indoor public spaces.” If so, good for you!!
“But wait!! I have a really good reason for not wearing a mask!” I hear from the back of the room. Sorry to break it to you, but no, you don’t. And I’m going to break down why you don’t.
Fun fact – Originally this post was titled “Are You a Jerk or an Idiot?” Then I realized that, most of the time, the people being jerks about stopping the spread of COVID 19 are doing it for idiotic reasons. Either that, or you believe the world revolves around you and you genuinely do not care about other people. If you are that much of a douche bag I can’t help you. For the rest of us, let’s move on.
Covidiots come in lots of different varieties, but most of them fall into a few simple categories:
#1 Science deniers. These are the folks who think some random YouTube video or website or Facebook group they found holds more weight than every infectious disease expert on Earth. They usually either say they have proof masks don’t work, or they say as long as you boost your immune system with “essential” oils or some other quackery COVID 19 can’t hurt you. They are frequently also Flat Earthers or Anti Vaxxers, but not always.
#2 Science misunderstanders. These folks typically hang on to some article they read in February and refuse to accept any new information. They aren’t throwing away science entirely, thank God, but fail to understand how it might take more than 60 days to understand a brand new virus. They frequently have difficulty accepting change in other areas as well, so perhaps they are just more stubborn than anything else.
#3 Trumpians. Note- I did NOT say Republicans. It’s possible to be a Republican without thinking Trump is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I’m talking about the crowd whose love of Trump is taken to an almost cult-like level. They take Trump’s word as gospel truth above all else, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that he is wrong. They take the mere suggestion that Trump could be wrong as a personal attack. The worst of this group are the Qanon crowd, who believe Trump is some sort of God like Savior figure saving us all from a giant pedophile ring. Which would actually be funny if they weren’t so serious about it.
#4 Constitutional “scholars”. Those folks, most of whom got their degree in constitutional law from the esteemed school You of Tube, claim wearing a mask is a violation of their civil rights. Which honestly, is too stupid to even debate. No, it’s not. Get over it.
“But wait!” comes the voice from the back of the room again. “I have a breathing condition!” I doubt that very much.
A. If you suffer from a condition such as emphysema, severe asthma, or COPD you should be staying home and getting essentials delivered, either by ordering them online, or by having a less vulnerable friend or family member get them for you. B. If you absolutely need to go out there are loose fitting scarf type masks and face shields that don’t even touch your face available. C. If you have asthma and someone asked, you’d simply say “I have bad asthma”. You wouldn’t throw a tantrum in Target and start yelling “I have a breathing condition!” so loud everyone in a 5 mile radius can hear you. If you can’t name your condition, or if you are shouting that you have one at the top of your lungs, there is 99% chance you are lying. Which makes you a selfish jerk.
The moral of the story is simple- don’t be an idiot or a jerk. Wear a damn mask or stay home.