Mike Pence refuses to wear face mask at Mayo clinic....WTF?!!

[jfsully]

Well he did do it...so it doesn't matter who reported it...now how you spin it...thats political....

I am not really sold on masks...yes, I see how , IN THEORY, they would prevent or at least reduce infected water vapor and droplets coming from an infected person as well as be a barrier for a healthy person to breathe in infected vapor and droplets...totally understand

However, even my humble peek at the study of biology and human anatomy I learned that NATURE knows what the fuck its doing even when we don't and so I am very cautious to add man- made " improvements" to millions of years of evolution....surely our breathing apparatus and structures were designed for the free interchange of atmospheric gases and nature does not want obstructions to that interchange for a reason ....and since health is the one of the primary objective of survival and viruses and bacteria, etc...have been around for billions of years surely nature factored those little fuckers into the equation of respiration and has outfitted us with natural defenses against the buggers and BLOCKING that free interchange of gases will definitely have a negative effect and may actually make us sick and not keep us well

The paper surgical masks now mandatory for staff in hospitals are best at keeping germs in. That's why surgeons wear them, it's not to keep the surgeon healthy, it's to keep the surgeon's germs out of the surgical field.

Whether it makes sense to wear masks in public, if you are already keeping your distance, and whether it offers you any protection to wear a mask of your own, is debatable. It probably helps a little.

What's not debatable is whether you should wear a mask around immunocompromised people, like many people hospitalized for cancer treatment. Staff wearing masks and PPE is a year-round life-long practice for hospital staff caring for immunosuppressed cancer patients. Even if Pence were swabbed and negative for Corona that morning, it's a dick move not to wear a mask in that setting. There are lots of other things that can be passed around. People with immunosuppression due to chemotherapy are told not to eat raw fruits and vegetables, to avoid crowds, avoid picking up dog poop, etc. etc., regardless and not specific to covid or coronavirus. If you don't have an immune system working, the regular common cold can become a life-threatening pneumonia easily.

We don't know if the "patient" in the photos was immunocompromised or not, but if you're visiting the cancer center these days, you wear a mask. Unless you're a psychopath or maybe just a douchebag trying to score political points in some way.

Oh, and "Nature" doesn't care if you live or die, or what's best for you. You are grist for the mill as far as Nature is concerned. If you are "cautious" to add man-made "improvements" to evolution, you should probably forego heating and cooling your home, using electricity, using pharmaceuticals of any kind, and training with barbells, to name just a few unnatural things. I don't recommend this, as most of these "unnatural" developments are fantastic, but if you think that wearing a mask is somehow a crime against "nature," you are just scratching the surface. "Natural" life expectancy of human beings is probably around 30. Personally, I'm in favor of using any and all reasonable means to surpass that by a long way.

And if your mask prevents the free flow of atmospheric gases, it's not a surgical mask. It might be a plastic bag. Please follow the label instructions.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Even if Pence were swabbed and negative for Corona that morning, it's a dick move not to wear a mask in that setting.

I agree. But why would you immediately assume Pence is the dick? It's not his hospital, he's being accompanied by medical personnel who have the authority to have him wear a mask, and he's a famously nice man who is polite and kind to everybody. Were it that important that he wear a mask, and if he absolutely refused to wear a mask, why was he permitted in the room where he was gotcha-ed? This is media/bureaucracy bullshit, and surely you know this.

[Matt James]

I agree. But why would you immediately assume Pence is the dick? It's not his hospital, he's being accompanied by medical personnel who have the authority to have him wear a mask, and he's a famously nice man who is polite and kind to everybody. Were it that important that he wear a mask, and if he absolutely refused to wear a mask, why was he permitted in the room where he was gotcha-ed? This is media/bureaucracy bullshit, and surely you know this.

Well, according to friends who work there, masks are policy for anyone in the building. So the question may be more, why didn't they make him wear one? I don't know the answer to that.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The title of the thread is the problem. Did he, in fact, REFUSE to wear a mask?

[jfsully]

I agree. But why would you immediately assume Pence is the dick? It's not his hospital, he's being accompanied by medical personnel who have the authority to have him wear a mask, and he's a famously nice man who is polite and kind to everybody. Were it that important that he wear a mask, and if he absolutely refused to wear a mask, why was he permitted in the room where he was gotcha-ed? This is media/bureaucracy bullshit, and surely you know this.

Well, to be honest, I assumed he was a dick long before this because he is Vice President, and that's kind of a job requirement. But there's no way to walk into a hospital right now and not notice the signs stating that all entrants are required to wear masks.

Yeah, I'm sure it's out of context, and now that I look at it he probably wasn't in the Cancer Center, the "patient" was a probably healthy blood donor, etc. But I stand by my assessment that he's a dick. And he's an idiot to look around and see everyone else wearing masks and not realize how the photos will appear. And if you're a VIP, you are supposed to know that people will be obsequious and cut you excessive slack, and that you should follow the universal procedures anyway.

So, not a crime, but more of a bush league fumbling of a photo op.

[Soule]

Well, to be honest, I assumed he was a dick long before this because he is Vice President, and that's kind of a job requirement. But there's no way to walk into a hospital right now and not notice the signs stating that all entrants are required to wear masks.

Yeah, I'm sure it's out of context, and now that I look at it he probably wasn't in the Cancer Center, the "patient" was a probably healthy blood donor, etc. But I stand by my assessment that he's a dick. And he's an idiot to look around and see everyone else wearing masks and not realize how the photos will appear. And if you're a VIP, you are supposed to know that people will be obsequious and cut you excessive slack, and that you should follow the universal procedures anyway.

So, not a crime, but more of a bush league fumbling of a photo op.

You would think that he would realize how great of an opportunity this was for leftist media to make him look like an ass. This reinforces the idea that he may not be the sharpest tool in the shed.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Absolutely. The Media are playing a game -- they are not news organizations, not by any stretch of the imagination. He should know this.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Must be a thing for Hoosiers to get Quayled. Apparently coastal media really hates anyone from that state.

[Vek]

You would think that he would realize how great of an opportunity this was for leftist media to make him look like an ass. This reinforces the idea that he may not be the sharpest tool in the shed.

I too think it best to prioritize appearance and conformance with the sensibilities of those who hate me.

[Gerald Boggs]

You would think that he would realize how great of an opportunity this was for leftist media to make him look like an ass. This reinforces the idea that he may not be the sharpest tool in the shed.

He probably does and isn't concerned with what the leftist media says. The lines have long been drawn and making any attempt to cross will not be permitted.