(CFJC Today/File photo).

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Here’s proof positive that ‘optional’ masking doesn’t work

Apr 6, 2022 | 4:52 AM

I’VE JUST SPENT a couple of miserable weeks feeling sorry for myself.

The kind of sorry that comes with a bad headache, extreme fatigue, head fog, an incessant cough that hurts in the chest and the head, plus a couple of other things I won’t get into because this is a family show.

Sorry as in wanting to do nothing but sleep, except sleep is hard to come by. And when you do sleep, having some pretty weird dreams. My brain spent one memorable night weaving a detailed plot about a mobster family that would have done Mario Puzzo proud.

The jury’s out on whether it was COVID but, suffice it to say, I’m glad John Horgan’s symptoms are mild because mine sure weren’t.

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The point of this tale of woe is that, like Horgan, I have no idea where I got it. As I vowed when Dr. Bonnie Henry declared masks optional — wear masks “when we choose,” she said again yesterday — I’ve continued to wear mine, even though most others don’t.

Fat lot of good it did me.

Since Dr. Henry began loosening restrictions, COVID numbers have risen slightly in B.C. while a lot of places are into a sixth wave.

Plus, anecdotally at least, my understanding is that since the masks came off, there’s been an uptick in viral infections generally. Let’s not forget the havoc that can be caused by the common cold virus — I’ll wager that some folks, particularly the elderly, suffer more from a really bad cold than a lot of others do from a case of Omicron.

The reason for the big increase in virus infections of all kinds seems pretty simple. Remember the wisdom of Dr. Henry way back when, as the mask mandate was put in place? We wear masks, she said, not to protect ourselves, but to protect those around us.

It would seem we’ve been all too willing to forget that.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.