A brief thread on face masks and illness, based on my credentials of running a bedbug site for 14+ years, and my diploma from the Twitter Institute of Public Health
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This is where the masks come in. Wearing one sends a signal (I am worried about this disease, and also trying to do my part to stop it). People want a socially visible signal they can send that communicates this! If the masks make things worse, we need to give them another one
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You cannot just tell people to wash their hands a lot and call their doctor if they feel bad. Something will come in to fill that social gap, and to create the sense of control. We need to think of creative, medically neutral or helpful things people can DO to fill this need
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Ideally these are signals that are prominent, socially visible, antiracist, and provide some measure of real protection against an epidemic. Doing the chicken dance instead of shaking hands, wearing a brass diving helmet. I don't know. Let's get creative about this
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But just remember people are people, and a situation where a terrible thing can happen to you at random will always channel us into the worst behaviors—rumormongering, racism, ostracism, and panic. So give people constructive things to do, even if minimally helpful. Thank you!
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We need soap that turns people's hands bright purple for two hours, but only after they use it properly. And burns your eyes if you touch them.
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End of conversation
New conversation -
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it’s fun how we’re so quick to moralize things for which we have no agency, but so quick to ignore morals for actions of those in power
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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