Mask Decisions: Stacking, Not Choosing Between, Facts

When I am allowed to make personal judgments about how I behave in this pandemic, I am not just considering one or two facts. In the case of wearing masks when out shopping, here is how I would reason it, if the government weren't superimposing their will:

A. Transmission is extremely rare in circumstances without prolonged close exposure, and

B. Transmission by people without current symptoms is a small portion of total transmissions, and

C. Even among symptomatic people, most infected don't pass the virus to anyone else: super-spreaders do way more than their fair share, and

D. Cloth masks only filter some droplets and fewer aerosols, and

E. Masks are mostly recommended as source control, which is only relevant if I am currently infected and contagious, and

F. I know I have not had prolonged exposure to the most contagious type of infection, and

G. I know that I am not experiencing any symptoms whatsoever, and

H. I know that I am getting lots of Vitamins C and D, which are shown to be immune-supporting and virus-inhibiting (so the chances that I am capable of spreading the virus should I be exposed are even smaller), and

I. Finally, the statistical likelihood that in the extremely remote chance that I have it multiplied by the extremely remote chance I give it to anyone else, that such a person would experience any long-term detrimental effect is very small - probably as small as with Influenza and many other viruses which have never previously induced me to do everything in my power to reduce any possibility of spreading.

I am obeying the requests of business owners and private individuals, and even of governments, for the most part, regarding masks. But that does not make me very carefully take off my mask and not touch it again until I am washing it, or to conscientiously sanitize my hands every time I touch my mask. I don't believe those things are relevant in a significant way under my circumstances, so I am only complying with what other people demand. It is not personal conviction in the slightest.

However, if circumstances were different and the facts about the virus were the same, 

I could build a different set of facts for different circumstances, too. 

A. Transmission is more likely in circumstances with prolonged close exposure, and

B. Transmission by people with current symptoms is a higher proportion of total transmissions than asymptomatic carriers, and

C. Cloth masks filter some droplets, if not aerosols, and

D. Exposure to higher concentrations of virus makes infection more likely, and

E. Masks are mostly recommended as source control, which is relevant if I am likely to be currently infected and contagious, and

F. I know whether I have had prolonged exposure to the most contagious type of infection, and

G. I can tell whether I am experiencing any symptoms whatsoever, and

H. I know that certain people I could choose to be around have weak immune systems, are in high-risk categories, live in a place where they are likely to spread it to other health-compromised people, or they have insufficient access to good health care, and

I. Even though the risks are probably almost as small as with Influenza and many other viruses, I would have taken precautions to avoid spending extended time around vulnerable people when I was sick, in those other cases, also.

To God be all glory.