So,
My son recently had a lacrosse tournament and there were some weird conditions put into place for spectators due to the C1984 virus bogeyman.
First, I had to answer an online questionnaire asking if I had C1984, had traveled outside the United States, or had come into contact with someone who had C1984. First of all, the answer to these questions, regardless of reality, is "No". At least, if you want to watch your kid play in the tournament, that's how you answer. In reality, the answer to the last question is either "probably" or "how the hell should I know". I gave that second answer at the local hospital when I was going in for some physical therapy and they let me in. It's a stupid question and you're an idiot if you say yes. "Probably" is most likely to be the true answer, since everyone and their dog has been exposed at this point but if there is one thing we have learned through all of this, the truth is not important. When I got to the tournament, there was no Checkpoint Charlie where some assigned Gestapo agent verified that people had completed the questionnaire. We were supposed to submit the questionnaire both days of the tournament but since no one was actually checking if I had, I didn't bother the second day.
Second, there was a stated mandate that masks were going to be required. This mandate was not actually being enforced at the tournament. About 25% of the spectators were wearing masks over their mouth and most of those also had their nose covered. About 25% were wearing their masks around their neck, either to be ready if confronted by mask Nazis or possibly they had been wearing them until they saw most people weren't and pulled them down around their neck. The rest of us had our masks in our pocket.
Did I mention that we were outdoors and the temperature was in the 90s and there was a 10 - 15 mph wind and that everyone and their dog has been exposed to the virus? On top of that, the questionnaire is absolutely pointless and we now know that the masks people are wearing are statistically insignificant at preventing an aerosoled virus, which is one of the traits of C1984. We also know that with such a virus, a physical distancing of 6 feet might work at a lacrosse tournament but is totally pointless indoors where the recommendation is 27 feet in a well ventilated room. So, the questionnaire, the masks, and the physical distancing rules that we are being bombarded with 24/7 are meaningless in terms of our health.
A patient asked my doctor when all the C1984 madness was going to end. He said that he didn't know because it wasn't a medical decision but a political one. None of these rules have any bearing on us from a medical standpoint and all effects on human health has been negative.
Masks decrease oxygen intake and increase CO2 intake to the point where people are suffering from lethargy, headaches, nausea, and unconsciousness. If the health departments, who are recommending the practice, which is useless at best and unhealthy at worst, were to find the same level of gasses in the air at a WalMart, they would shut down the store until adequate ventilation and/or canaries had been installed. Hell, even Dr. Falsey and the surgeon general have said that masks won't help and aren't necessary and they are usually on the side tried to generate panic over this thing.
The physical distancing, especially lock downs, is wreaking havoc on the well being of humans, who are social beings and who need jobs in order to live in today's world. The rate of suicide, drug overdoses, and deaths that could have been prevented by early detection but weren't because people can't or won't go to the doctor are all skyrocketing. Unemployment and homelessness are on the rise and deaths from this political ploy will far exceed any deaths that occur during flu season. Some people say that the "cure" is worse than the disease but this isn't a cure. You can't cure a cold. It's not even prevention. It's something else.
And that brings me to my question for you all. We now know that none of these draconian measures are aimed at curing or preventing a seasonal disease that has been a part of human history ever since there have been humans. In fact, the number of deaths in the 2019-2010 flu season isn't even close to the worst ever or even the worst in the last 5 years. According to CDC numbers, the total number of deaths was completely typical for winter in the United States. Things didn't go berserk until the draconian measures were put into place, especially in the states where governors wouldn't allow sick people to go to the hospital but decided to house them with the most vulnerable population on the planet.
We know that if you are under 75 years old, the odds of being killed by this virus are less than dying in a car crash or from slipping in the shower or being attacked by a shark (which is saying something for those of us that don't live near an ocean) and yet, businesses are still closed, people are still being locked down, and my wife and I have to alternate which one of us gets to watch our son play lacrosse.
The question is: why are these rules in place? Why did a take a questionnaire that no one is going to verify and that I can just lie about anyway. Why do I carry my mask to the grocery store, put it on at the door, pull it down around my neck once I'm inside, and take it off as I'm walking out? Why am I not allowed to high five a fellow disc golfer who just made a hole in one?
I have some theories but I'm interested in hearing what you all think. What are we being conditioned for? What is coming in the future that will be adopted more readily by a populace that has been repressed to the point where suicide and alcohol/drug abuse seem like the best alternatives?