Data Report

January 29, 2026
Two Nipah virus infections confirmed in West Bengal, WHO urges One Health surveillance

SUMMARY:
Two laboratory-confirmed Nipah virus infections in nurses in West Bengal prompted targeted public health action and regional travel screenings

India confirmed 2 laboratory-confirmed cases of Nipah virus infection in West Bengal in January 2026. Both patients were 25-year-old nurses employed at the same private hospital in Barasat and developed neurologic complications after symptom onset in late December 2025

LINK:
https://www.dvm360.com/view/two-nipah-virus-infections-confirmed-in-west-bengal-who-urges-one-health-surveillance
&
LINK:
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/nipah-virus-disease-cases-reported-west-bengal-india-very-low-risk-europeans

COMMENT: I can't help but cringe  when they say it is "low risk" It may be low risk but they should say the stakes are super high. I guess it is  low risk for a high stakes disease! ...Nipah virus (NiV) can spread from human-to-human so I guess they are saying they quarantined everybody. I guess we will have to take their word on that .. of course  it got two laboratory nurses to begin with which was also probably considered a low risk probability is something to think about. Again, just the fact that it was from a laboratory spooks me.

From their words...

"Media and regional reports indicate that the January 2026 situation has triggered airport and border screening in some neighboring countries as a precautionary measure. Veterinarians with animals or clients who travel regionally should be aware of evolving advisories."

... note they say "some  neighboring countries" and not all neighboring counties.

...also they say "Veterinarians with animals or clients who travel regionally should be aware of evolving advisories"

.. note yeah they "should be aware" but are they aware!?
Merely being being aware of something doesn't mean crap insofar as precautions go such as masking & quarantining animals especially if people and animals are asymptomatic. Besides what does "evolving advisories" mean and do veterinarians know what that means?

Passengers on Balmoral cruise ship confirm outbreak of gastroenteritis

The cruise ship scheduled to visit for Up-Helly-Aa is reported to have suffered an outbreak of gastroenteritis affecting as many as 200 people on board.Meanwhile, rumours had been circulating in Shetland that there had also been an outbreak of norovirus on board the ship, which can carry up to 1,230 passengers.

(In May last year, operators of the cruise ship Costa Favolosa sparked fury by allowing thousands of passengers to come ashore in Shetland despite there having been an outbreak of a sickness bug on board.)

LINK:
https://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/news/passengers-on-cancelled-up-helly-aa-cruise-say-200-people-on-425769/

The immediate effects of winter storms and power outages on multiple health outcomes and the time windows of vulnerability (Study)

SUMMARY:
Winter storms increase multiple diseases, comorbidity and medical costs, especially when accompanied by PO or ice storms. Early warnings and prevention may be critical in the transitional months and afternoon rush hours.

...evaluation of the health impacts of winter storms are rarely reported, especially those storms occurring in transitional months, largely because they are difficult to categorize. Our knowledge is sparse regarding the health impacts of winter storms on a spectrum of biologically plausible disease outcomes; the independent and synergistic effects of snowstorms, ice storms and PO on health; the modifying effects of season, and window of peak timing of the disease occurrences.

LINK:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12184809/

Winter storm brings warnings about heart attack risk of shoveling snow

SUMMARY:
As large parts of the U.S. dig out from a major winter storm, health officials are renewing warnings about the serious and potentially deadly risks of shoveling snow, which has been linked to heart attacks.

LINK:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/winter-storm-brings-warnings-about-heart-attack-risk-of-shoveling-snow/ar-AA1V1BbK

COMMENT: Just saw my mail carrier.. It's super cold she didn't even have a hat on and she was having a verbal fit at my mailbox.. I guess she was mad at the cold. She's like a beauty queen or something I guess she didn't want to mess up her hair with a winter hat. Very unrealistic looking and out of place to see such an ill clad mail carrier dressing for the wrong season. Definitely not the 'rain, sleet or snow' type. She was in 'fight mode' I think..."Cold exposure can potentially cause heart attacks in certain individuals. The cold-shock response activates the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) nervous system, which increases the heart rate and blood pressure". ..in all seriousness don't behave like my mail carrier in these extremes.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: can be found on Quora  "What are some little-known health dangers during a snowstorm?"
I.E.
Mike Morrissey
Studied Organizational Development and Leadership (Graduated 2009)Author has 458 answers and 573K answer views6y

What are the health implications of working in the snow?
It’s dangerous if not intelligently approached. Going out and immediately shoveling snow with lots of effort often causes heart attacks because of the the massive shot of a type of adrenaline that jump starts the cardio system but is an irritant to the heart and can dislodge part of a lining that triggers a clot and heart attack. Warm up with slow movements first and set a reasonable pace and never get winded.

Heavy open mouth breathing can “burn” the bronchial and lung tissue resulting in fluid build up that may lead to pneumonia if not managed.

When busy in cold, cold injuries and or frost bite to fingers and toes can set in without notice because of concentration on tasks.

never drink alcohol to warm up …it’s a depressant and gives false sense of security.

hypothermia is deadly—-watch out for signs.

if hypothermia…DO NOT GET INTO A HOT BATH. That draws the blood away from the interior vital organs. Slowly drink warm fluids and stay wrapped up.

LINK:
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-little-known-health-dangers-during-a-snowstorm

I Noticed an unusual giant swarm of birds in front yard during extreme cold (North Carolina High Country) .. I have some extra bird feed and I might give them a treat then I inquired why there are so many birds leading me to this research…

SUMMARY:
Birds swarm feeders during ice storm: here's why it's happening
Jan 25, 2026

LINK:
https://www.klax-tv.com/news/state/birds-swarm-feeders-during-ice-storm-heres-why-its-happening/article_90cbb54d-14c9-5e0e-a59c-2555d161bbe9.html

P.S. Might as well wear a mask around birds in the wild or any flock of birds for that matter

Live US Power Outages

For Example;
United States Power Outage Map
Outages by State ; Texas. 53,794 · 15,510,743 ; Louisiana. 50,718 · 2,316,850 ; Virgin Islands. 7,336 · 50,392 ; New Mexico. 4,120 · 1,112,043 ; Arkansas. 3,762

LINK:
https://poweroutage.us/

Boone, North Carolina Watauga County
Ice Storm 2026

The Chronicles of  Masked Man Ice Storm 2026!

..just starting to snow here!
Still have electricity
Ice storm(s) on their way to this area!

Source. 1 Masked Man Eye Witness report begins..
Masked Man is on the scene! coming to you from the High County Appalachian Mountains!
located at an elevation generally ranging from approximately
3,200 to 3,500 feet

Storm hasn't hit our area yet but its scary...One time there was a storm and I listened to trees  snapping and falling at random... They just snap and fall quite deadly

Got a hard hat on and climbed on my roof  a few years back to get my firewood as seen in this video (it's hard not to get sick just thinking about it)
Video of just a little of the after math of one ice storm from a few years ago in North Carolina:

VIDEO of some Aftermath trees having fallen on home some years back:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UGhwnZdB5rR2nXUAZGVFCUYCdJyLY8Ib/view?usp=sharing

Mind you it was far worse than as seen in the video trees laying across home!
To further complicate things, I am a masker and tend to stay quite independent from most others as it is very rare to find masked buddies for me in this area.  I am very mindful and wary of contagious illnesses coinciding with people helping one another during disasters like this. So for me it is double edged sword so to speak I have to survive the disaster as well as prevent unnecessary exposure to illnesses which I fully believe are often spurred on and fueled by people coming together and helping one another. So regardless of the views of others things often come in pairs and I protect myself from natural disasters such as ice storms and outbreaks of illness at same time. That's my theory and I'm not going to test whether my theory is wrong or right..lol,,it's in my best interest to act as if I'm right about natural disasters making outbreaks of illness worse! I'm better off masking and taking precautions either way. For me it's not about being right or wrong its about being better off safe than sorry. So I just take my time strategically cut and roll logs of roof myself..lol!

I'll try to keep you posted as the storm hasn't hit yet here yet
I ground up up some extra coffee incase the the electricity goes out.. nothing worse than having no way to grind up coffee in the morning ...... got oil lamps.. jugs of water .. and of course I just cleaned the wood stove and my loved one  and I can use the wood stove to survive off of (although I worry about trees knocking over chimney) and I have a creek to get buckets of water to flush toilets with incase we lose electricity! I think I'm ready as I ever will be..hope no more trees fall on roof as I'm sick of gathering firewood off my roof.

There was never an official study I know of that determined for example that lots of people got sicker during say the natural disaster of the  floods of Helene but then I found out later a huge proportion of North Carolinians had long covid not long after that disaster..Its probably likely such studies go to the wayside as people ignore illnesses in the face of natural disasters  and focus on the disaster recovery and people don't even want to acknowledge illnesses at that stage .. but to me it just stands to reason that natural disasters create more illness outbreaks and its not a personal theory  I am willing to confute or test out so I stay independent from group activities and I mask and tackle things apart from the flock.

Now I am safe to feed my wood stove with my firewood because
I just cleaned the chimney as seen in my
Masked Man Chimney Cleaning Music VIDEO:

https://youtu.be/HDUQBNwBFIA?si=JrLbyLcWxiQpzcdC


Stay safe and I hope we all make it through the ice storm(s) in one piece ,
The Masked Man

Update: January 24, 2026,  about 6 pm
That snow stopped but I hear the rain/sleet now outside the window and that of course is how it always has happened in the past with these ice storms the rain instantly freezes when it hits and covers stuff like trees ... time to feed dog.. Scamp is my dog's name he is part Chihuahua and made for cuddling with in big easy chair.. he keeps my chest warm ..I'll keep you updated but at some point something might knock out electricity..later my friends... the trees freeze ..the worst is the combination of when the trees freeze and then the cold wind comes along in the blinding snow falls too..often there's the weight of snow that sticks on top of all that wet stuff that froze everything...(many years ago I crept around my house I think it was near Christmas times..this was many many years ago and I just listened to trees snap and fall..the initial cracking and splitting  sounded like an implosion of sorts  then it turns into a splintering sound in the distance echoing a little acoustically its kind of a unique sound... the sound of splintering and then a thud on ground and little ricocheting of wood sounds knocking off one another .. that time the wind wasn't even blowing and everything was super quiet in the background.. pretty amazing just one tree after another at random simply falling because they were frozen and the weight of the snow just did that)... every ice storm is different I suppose ...  talk later  ...

Update: January 25 2026,  about 10:30am
From the Masked Man’s abode.. Just woke up sheets of ice on back porch feet doesn’t leave footprints like walking on a glacier... .. fed feral cats they have houses outside stuffed with straw.. the thing about this storm is probably it’s duration .. it is like ice storms in a row… still have electricity so I hold off using firewood .

I’m disappointed car didn’t start up right last night not that I’m going anywhere anyway .. maybe it’s distributor or spark plugs like a cylinder isn’t firing up .. just the idea one doesn’t have transportation feels a little intimidating but we are safe here.

My loved one is feeling well. Lots of food, a gas oven I can light up with match to cook food off of. Drinking coffee watching the news … listening to some rain or sleet hit the window outside which is amazing because it’s so cold that it must be freezing as soon as it hits surfaces .. ..biggest personal fear here would be tree smashing through home or loved one having an emergency or an accident. Gotta do everything in slow motion never get emotional to be safe .. it’s almost as if people need to hole up and hibernate if they can to be safe slow metabolism down and not take risks to be safe in my opinion.

I still expect to lose electricity at any moment .. no wind so far but everything is so brittle mechanical failures and trees and objects falling inevitable ..frigid days ahead of this  must already be catastrophic for many others .. lots of cancellations and community support on the local radio of community organizations and  places offering too o help those in need in this little Mountain-town community.

I of course am safe and warm with dog named  Scamp two cats upstairs  holed up with Masked woman and about to eat pancakes and then I’ll throw some wood stove ashes out on the walkway which is better than salt just incase a delivery ups or fedex man ventures to drop off any goods today.

Again I hear the pitter patter of rain turning to ice outside the window. I had a paper route as a kid and snow never bothered me as much as the freezing rain is the worst. With days of this ahead this should prove devastating and potentially deadly storm for many people.. we shall wait and see.
Be safe,
The Masked Man

P.S.
Believe it or not having living a lifestyle in the habit of precautions against pandemic and illness outbreaks lends itself to automatically  be safer for natural disasters..  …there might be some tips to surviving natural disasters such as buying in bulk hidden in
Steve’s post:
What Should "Endemic Covid" Preparedness Look Like?

https://www.datareport.info/off-topic-discussion/what-should-'endemic-covid'-preparedness-look-like/

All I know is Masked Man and Masked Woman could feed an army if we had to of which we won’t.. our bakery is stocked with a couple fifty lbs bags of flour and all sorts of goods I could survive without leaving home for quite some time. We are somewhat setup to not have to go anywhere. Masked Man and Masked Woman have behaved ourselves and we don't mess with anybody.

I  have strict a masking mandate /ordinance on my property here. I don’t enforce it for my delivery people because they have a private loading dock which is the front walkway to front porch. Nobody else is allowed there. No solicitation. I go to my loading area in mask with wheelbarrow to pick up our goods.. we are private bakery and so I am quite stringent about cleanliness around the goods that are delivered to me. No guests or visitors allowed. We are stricter here than at a hospital.

Hope I don’t offend anybody and hope I’m not coming off as a ‘mask hole’ .. lol..I would gladly lend a hand to help anyone but not at the expense of my own safety or my loved one’s safety who is 77 years old. If only people would mask and respect my precautions then I would extend my goodwill. Otherwise the maskless  are on their own just as they have left me and Masked Woman on our own.. sorry but stay away from my firewood and all the work Iv'e done... no mask equals no help! Those are my personal boundaries and rules as The Masked Man!

I mean  I'm sorry if the snow and ice inconveniences others ...I'd love to help others but I can't help people who aren't wearing masks look at all Ive already been through. .. nobody would help me in a mask.. had to beg doctors and nurses to stick a mask on when they came near my Masked Woman.. I had to chop firewood, clean chimney, been through floods and hurricanes,  pull logs off my roof, try to fix plumbing, shovel walks all by myself and not a masked friend in sight ever helped me  while I secured the safety and needs for Masked Woman as seen in this
Masked Man Sings Karaoke Winter Work Videos VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0OF77Gi9zE

.. I love the snow and the ice and I say let it snow more! This is my kind of weather! I think it's pretty. 

Happy Holidays this winter, enjoy the snow, Be a protector, work smart & Wear an N95 Mask,
The Masked Man

P.S.

My loved one and myself hasn’t gotten any airborne illnesses in over six years because of masking... she hasn't gotten sick from age 72- 78 years old so far because we use N95 masking protection and take precautions.

Underneath my  bandanna is my mask/ respirator and it has a valve to freely exhale from for prolonged use and appropriate cartridges to filter out covid, airborne diseases, many viruses, as well as dangerous particles from occupational hazards as well as even preventing allergens. As usual these videos are created solely to encourage people and inspire people who wear the safety mask. In all the time Ive worn my mask for over six years strait now outside my home I haven't caught covid, strep, whooping cough, bird flu, influenza, RSV, or even so much as a cold and it helps reduce allergies and many contaminants from occupational hazards.

Update: January 25 2026,  about 4:26 pm
Ohhh now it’s pouring rain on top of snow and ice on ground .. water coating trees .. temperature dropping at same time .. this could be disaster .. probably lose electricity soon .. weight of everything being soaked and freezing … I just hope no trees crash through home .. this could be very bad..in the past trees have fallen on roof and never pierced through which isn’t the worst thing in the world.. it would be bad if tree hit chimney reducing my wood stove’s ability to keep us warm .. that probably won’t happen..also flooding can occur if there’s a lot of rain on top of the icy ground..  that probably  won’t happen this evening now we nap save our strength could be tree limbs start falling soon.. time to sleep for awhile with Scamp my dog curled up next to my chest for warmth..ahh sweet slumber .. later..

In the meanwhile check out my
WINTERIZED FERAL CAT HOMES FULL OF STRAW VIDEO SHORTS LINK:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15-U5t4GDYf_ySpt_MVK0cEvzCJGwzEQU/view?usp=sharing

The Masked Man ZZZZzzzz

Update: January 26 2026,  about 4:00am
Scamp woke me up for a late dinner and to go bathroom outside.. now it’s super cold wind beginning to howl able to walk on top of snow ice.. snowing again .. after a day of on and off again rain.. this combination shot of rain then extreme cold is bound to wreak some havoc and knock out electricity hopefully others have a backup plan already well established.. a way to stay warm and have water & food without electricity..stay at home. If your nervous do something relaxing.. play some checkers online .. listen to an interesting documentary until the electricity goes out to help you sleep..  Going back to bed ..later

Update: January 26 2026,  about 12pm noon
If you are safe and have your back up plans in place like warmth , water, and food an then you are safe don't take chances...I challenge the statement and idea 'there is safety in numbers'.. That may be true in certain cases it can be the opposite any many scenarios. People in groups take chances .. commotion is distracting .. I.E. I work on cars or mechanical challenges alone for that reason one might forget something and its dangerous being distracted by people when you need to take your time and think very carefully. Again just stay put if you are safe its definitely dangerous out here ... one slip on the ice and man you gotta busted kneecap or something.. just take my advice you don't wanna mess around in these extremes because the system is overwhelmed as it is.

When I was younger I used to jog a lot in extremes and one time I heard a yell of some sort and it was a manager behind a grocery store that had slipped on black ice.. he just lay there and I approached him I thought he had a heart attack or something and then I thought maybe he was paralyzed. I called the ambulance and just stayed there with him covered him with my coat till the ambulance carried him away..I checked the store later and I found out l he had broken  ribs . Don't mess around out here .It's freezing out here!

Update: January 26 2026,  about 2:00pm
Come take a winter stroll with me to feed some birds and I'll show you my firewood stash in my...
Masked Man Plans To Survive Ice Storm 2026 VIDEO LINK:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m2jo6GoImwL8w6lCRILEMY4dM3BCCwpf/view?usp=sharing


Update: January 27 2026,  about 12:00pm Noon
Man that is some frigid arctic cold..it was just starting to really get to me.. ..Haven't lost electricity but regular little electric heat isn't doing the trick..The cold just eats at you slows you down.. gotta drink lots of water or you'll cramp up outside..Time to break into my firewood stash and light up the wood stove..sip coffee...AHHHhh sweet relief! [wood stove photo attached below] Today should be a day of simply feeding wood stove! Ah that feels good to heat up my old achey bones! Ahhh, Nothing beats a wood stove for heat.. the wood stove heat just penetrates and warms up my very bones! Thank you Prometheus for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to us mere mortals..much obliged! I might actually feel like doing something... heat gives you certain kind of energy. I feel a little more like facing the day. I'm now more inspired to bundle up & simply fetch more wood.

This is a rough world and now I simply turn inward. Had a nice meal with loved one.. gotta fight the urge from going back to bed so I will pump a some little weights on my weight bench, drinking a ton of water, stick some earbuds in and listen to some some great educators and lecturers on Youtube read to me to relax me  while I carry on in my mask all bundled up for winter outdoors. I'll do some outdoor work little chores such as fetching wood, throwing some wood stove ashes down on walkway. Often I listen to music but this time I think I will listen to some stimulating philosophy because its refreshing for the mind to think about the world of great ideas from  writers of the past... I enjoy pondering and contemplating  the nuts and bolts of learning. I enjoy lecturers discussing the philosophy of Aristotle and Plato.. learning keeps my my mind busy and keeps it enthusiastic with ideas... I do this while I get through some winter chores. what else can you do in these times but try to take care of yourselves the best you can!?

If I don't feed my mind with great ideas and education it might brood and get depressed with anxious but if I feed my mind with lofty thoughts and ideas good things are liable to germinate.. the mind is just like a garden. I may not understand everything that is being read to me but it serves as a springboard of sorts pushing my brain to daydream and think in different angles giving me thoughts I wouldn't have otherwise thought by myself. The reader or lecturer gives my mind something to work with. So while I carry on with a few little tasks  I will feed my mind through earbuds off my cellphone and listen to you tube now while I work with something of substance that generates more thought..
Stuff like this fuels my thought takes my mind off stuff and same time  gets me thinking:
Lecture and Seminars in regards to the Great Books and The great ideas LINK:
https://www.youtube.com/@CommonScholar
&
Lectures about Classic Literature LINK:
https://www.youtube.com/@dr.michaelsugrueLater my friends,

Even during tough times like these try not to neglect what you are feeding and fueling your mind with..you want to divert your mind in healthy ways... keeping the mind stimulated does wonders for your mental health as well as overall wellbeing even during natural disasters.
&
Keep the fire burning,
The Masked Man

Update: January 27 2026, about 3:45 pm or so
now we bring it all together ..Here's my secret as to how I survived the ice storm!  I play a little classical guitar for you,I throw some wood ashes down so my delivery men and women don't fall, I bring in some firewood and stoke up the fire and even read a little Aesop's fable for you in my ...
  Masked Man Survives Ice Storm 2026 The Sequel!
VIDEO LINK:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UQoegvwekgxLrrFJFtU_IT4AxoU9PH-M/view?usp=sharing

.

We live in a country where our highest ranking medical official thinks that Vitamin A either cures or treats measles.

As I have expressed before, it is very disturbing that our experiences with Covid-19 has not compelled hospital networks to have medical personnel wear N95 masks throughout the traditional flu season. That adaptation would have been the very least amount of effort in order to curb the traditionally contagious diseases, nevermind Covid.

It does not make sense to institute masking requirements *AFTER* infectious diseases are significantly affecting your community but *BEFORE* they do so. We know that influenza and "the cold" are seasonal; Why not anticipate the increased amount of infections by having masking requirements instituted before they occur? Curbing Covid-19 infections would only be an added benefit to that policy.

We are fortunate that, for this winter so far, the level of Covid infections and deaths have been lower than normal. However, influenza spiked far earlier than normal and Norovirus was also far more infectious than usual.

And then, obviously, there is the now-constant measles outbreaks which are becoming commonplace in areas of the country.

I do not consider wearing a N95 mask in these conditions to be an abnormal response in this environment and will continue to do so until I feel that I am in a safe and responsible environment.

.. my sentiments exactly  masking properly has been proven to prevent airborne illness and airborne disease... therefore if we know something works then we should continue to routinely use it! It is feeble-minded and considered a form of 'science denial' not to use something that works!

By the way I cleaned my chimney yesterday. I wore a mask because people aren't supposed to breathe in chimney creosote and soot any more than they are supposed to breathe in airborne droplets from sick people. So I just don't understand Masks should be required of chimney sweeps to prevent breathing in cancerous harmful soot just like guys who paint cars need to wear masks to prevent inhaling dangerous fumes and so airborne illness are dangerous for all so it just follows that people in healthcare people including patients  need to mask for  contagious illness ..it just goes with the territory.. its just so simple!

Illnesses are dangerous for everybody! And nowadays sooner or later there's gonna be an outbreak of sorts. There's always going to be a time when an airborne illness hits so I'm one who will wear a mask in advance. That's why masking is also referred to as a precaution.. 'pre' meaning prior.. you mask prior to the exposure therefore preventing the exposure.

... you see I'd rather mask to prevent getting the infection than have to mask because I have an infection or am infectious. 

Also I'd rather experiment with the mask by using the mask as an experiment than to catch a virus and be experimented on by the virus. I'd rather see what the long term effects are from wearing a mask than see what the long term effects are from getting covid or any of the other viruses readily available to me. That's really how masking evolved for me. Covid came along and I decided I really don't wanna play with that covid and so I masked for that.. and then others seemed to drop their maske  willing to experiment with catching covid and  I just waited and decided I think I'll experiment by continuing to wear my mask and so I kept the experiment going because I had such good results never getting sick plus the mask simply made doing all sorts of other stuff safer.

It was like masking for me was such a successful experiment so its been 6 years of healthy success in my masking thus far! Again I'd rather experiment with the mask than have whatever is out there experiment on me. To me it seemed noble and still does. Masking is a noble and rewarding experiment! and sure enough people who haven't taken precautions or masked have caught covid and other stuff. There's even money involved call me a cheapskate but a cheapskate skates for free lemme tell you not getting sick equals no doctor bills .. medical bills can set you back forever.. Masking is also good insurance. So all those factors played a part and reinforced and rewarded my experience of masking.

I Mask for what I think is dangerous. Illness equals DANGER to me. I also  mask because I have scientific mindset in that Ive weighed certain factors and so it's a choice based on reason. It's not motivated by fear that I mask ..its that I choose to mask because of the long term ramifications and repercussions involved with airborne illness. I simply choose to guard myself from the long term repercussions.

For me Masking is based on reasoning and  intellect. Enough things happened in this world that I just decided it is highly intelligent to  mask and never get a contagious illness. Life became better after I decided that.  There's just too many benefits from masking to ever quit.

I'm 55 and have been around long enough to know what a disease will get me so I found it much more exciting to see what masking would get me.. anybody can get sick. Getting sick is boring to me. I wanna see what its like to never get sick. It's far more interesting to mask and be a masked man!

That is how I became a Masked Man!

P.S. For a certain time span Its just easier to stay masked for me for example.. I'm going outside I'm grabbing a bunch of dusty straw and filling some outdoor boxes with straw for our feral cats.. my mask is on filtering out any possibility of allergies from straw and out door cat bedding..its perfect.. then I get a bunch of wood for the wood stove and grab the mail and then got inside wash may hands and take my mask off. That masking only made my work more safe for me. People don't bother me when I'm getting my mail... I was actually listening to some scholars discussing some classic literature  philosophers therough earbuds the whole time I did all this stuff so I dont have to look over my shoulder just incase somebody caught me by surprise out side and no chance of allergies from working closely with cat bedding and straw...

...I was just totally happy in my own world listening to interesting lectures about great philosophers and so I am completely safe and I don't have to think when I have my mask on outside ... and when I go inside I don't have to worry one bit about giving my loved one any illnesses ..to me masking frees me up in oh so many ways . I just take my time outside in my own world. That's what it feels like for me. Sometimes I might grab a helmet, hop on my bike in my mask and race up the road and back.. its perfect. no chance of getting sick by anybody and no chance of breathing in occupational hazards.. Masking is like having a helmet on in the wind under tree limbs that are falling in the yard or like working under an apple tree when the apples are falling.. you can keep working without nearly as much worry. Masking will spoil you in ways you never would have thought.

.. and that's just one day .. chimney sweep..mowing the lawn... work with hazardous material I just always mask outdoors I'm always ready for whatever almost like a first responder.Anybody or any animal or any dust or allergen can blow in or at whenever I'm ready!  Whenever I am outside its always something harsh or dangerous here in the mountains. This is a harsh environment and I like it that way! I live kind of rough yet safe with my protective gills /filter/mask. I end up doing more stuff that requires a mask being outdoors. I take advantage.  All I know is I got used to it and I have far less troubles now than in the pre pandemic days before 2020 when I was maskless. That's all I know . it makes my life better now because I proved it does for myself. I simply stand to gain more by wearing a mask than not wearing one.

Masking for me know is kind of like wearing glasses for me..I wore contacts for awhile and realized in the long haul they are just uncomfortable for me ... you wear glasses all your life and you realize its kind of nice like your eyes don't tear up as much and you  are a little bit more protected from wind and dust and you just don't get as much stuff in your eyes with glasses on... mask feels like that now for me. You do it long enough and you realize its more pleasant to mask than not mask. Like a wide brimmed hat or something you get used to a mask and its benefits will spoil you.

You ever play chess? Its all about strategy... Above all, the mask is all about strategy. You got a mask on and you are in a perfect defensive mode. Your king or queen is never in danger when you are masked  and you are that king or queen!
Ever play checkers? Being masked is like you just made it all the way across the board to the other side and now you are king and can move in any direction now.

Yet even more reasoning to mask for me is based on unpredictbality and how little is known as indicated by publicly admitted semantics and the studies. For example I base it on how many times they have been wrong about something or omitted something which indicates to me a science denial. Numerous studies can be cited  about the insidious nature of the long term heat repercussions diseases carry such as long covid. They've never establish true rates of long covid.. maybe they think they have more of a handle on covid and maybe they say the latest variants carries less symptoms of initial infection but that doesn't diminish the rate of long covid.. in fact more people might get long covid because more people will catch covid thinking the initial infection phase is more tolerable. In public media they tend to only focus on surviving initial phase of covid and dismiss all possibility of long term repercussions. I don't trust that and won't for the many years to come..

...in its very essence and in reality covid is totally novel in this lifetime and we won't know for sure even in our lifetime if covid won't carry dormant repercussions like dementia or something could occur. So covid is even more of a threat the less people are afraid of the initial infection period... Think of how the  completely asymptomatic people with covid will multiply even more so and carry and spread more covid hence more long covid will persist. I don't like how the general public or typical news 'feels'..I don't 'feel' like them... I see a lot of people in most news media and I get indications people just 'want' and 'feel' and 'hope' for the best and I don't rely on those feelings or sentiments. I have more of a scientific approach to how I carry myself and make decisions in life so I am not complacent and I mask in accordance to what I believe has reality in it and about cause and effect.

If they are doing studies on children that have recently got long covid then that's more than enough reason to mistrust the covid era is truly over. I apply all my reasons for masking  to bird flu potential as well as monkey pox etc. Even if things got better I would rather mask because it is an investment and an insurance against a very real threat that again based on patterns and my belief in today's  and tomorrow's denser population,  massive high speed transportation, and  climate. I'm not going to get any younger might as well live accordingly to what I see the future will bring. So I am also masking based on my personal beliefs. I am more excited about the future because its like a bet.. bet you I will fare better and longer than the unmasked. So far I am faring better than the maskless.I am living as if the mask works and it is. Imagine things 20 years from now and its easier to go ahead and mask based on that.

I also simply mask to maintain what I have. I am happy with what I got. I am proficient enough in countless skills and activities while masking and so I believe in not fixing or tampering with success.Not to brag but I have far fewer illnesses and maladies than I perceive others have although I have no way of proving that I don't know anybody else that can do half the things I can do as safely as me. Because the mask doesn't hinder my success I include it in my activities outside the house. It was sort of like in 2020 or so everybody was scared and many of us thought masking was the responsible and best thing to do.. then most everybody stopped masking and I kept my mask on while everybody appears to be going downhill. I have even gone as far as to reason to myself what would do If I had all the money in the world and I was eighty years old? How would I live at that age? Surely I'd mask, sit back and live like a king  so why not now.. if its good for an eighty year  old to mask to not get airborne illnesses then same applies to everybody! Just cause I'm not the ripe old age of eighty doesn't  mean I want to get covid or anything for that matter ..lol..

...its all downhill from here. Might as well start taking care of myself now. Better to be healthy behind a mask than sick behind one. there was a brief time when I saw school children on a bus stop masking and a school bus driver masking and I thought "man,  those masked kids and the masked school bus driver and me the Masked Man are going to be the only healthy ones left. They are the chosen few. There was a very brief time I had the most hope was in 2020 when I bicycled some baked goods across town in my mask and would meet farmers market people who were masking .. we were safer when people were scared to catch covid and masking. Eventually masked people will endure and be doing business with masked people and it will thrive and flourish! Its a great skill and you'd think masked people stand to profit the most in the business world.

To me politicians are too bigheaded to trust and too big for their britches I sport these views because as a kid in West Virginia I witnessed many men cut down by the black lung from  the coal mines  sickly waving to me from their porches... no politics in the world could save them as a matter of fact politicians were promising those very same people that they were going to bring back the coal mines.. I learned my lesson having observed all those coal miners with black lung that the government could not  protect them from black lung or covid if covid existed at that time. 

..I kept saying to myself I'll wait six months and observe and simply watch how everybody does. You know what happen ? More and more viruses emerged with new threats meanwhile I saw brain fog and even dementia occurring in public leaders and I sensed a mania and nervousness in people going on just by observing people on my street. I just sense that it is getting worse. The health reccomendations didn't happen like professionals thought .. herd immunity and a cure never really occurred and people got long covid which was my worst fear about covid to begin with... leaders declared pandemics were over even while they were catching covid so I gained trust only in myself ... It's just natural to acknowledge whether we like it or not that diseases and the diseased are creepy. Its hard to interact with a sick animal.. illness is upsetting and dangerous...

Let me elaborate so I don't offend victims of illness who are responsible and coping.. naturally there are people that have to deal with being ill and chronically ill and are in a state of responsible management.. my critique of dealing with sick people doesn't apply to those who acknowledge illness and are in treatment and coping with illness however people who don't acknowledge illness or know their limits are often dangerous ...Sickness is weakness and is not good period. There is mistrust as well that goes along with any animal that is sick. I don't trust people in office who are sick that's for sure... I have trust issues when I see someone who is sick or open to sickness. As a masked person I don't trust people to make sound decisions or judgements while they are sick or hurting which is naturally why I view maskless people at being at a disadvantage in life. 

I definitely don't trust a maskless person with my life like I would a masked person. Maskless people aren't defending themselves from my point of view in a strategic fashion.. anyway much can be said of the big scale, small scale, & wide-scale repercussions of trying to deal with  sick or unhealthy persons and people who are out of control because on some level they feel bad and are sick and this applies to the sick ones that don't know they are sick or unhealthy. Even the asymptomatic ones seem especially dangerous to me. It's dangerous simply not knowing whether a person is sick or not and therefore the maskless people are viewed to me as being at risk or more prone to illness. To me it is wiser to be a masker and never get sick for the reason alone that sick people and often people in the throes of a disease can't be trusted..

..so I also mask because I want others to mask because sick people are horrible to deal with and typically not pleasant to be around .. ever have to to work alongside a sick person or a person on the verge of sickness? ..its awful their behavior is atrocious they can't even help it but an ill person or a person falling ill has no clarity and are annoying and dangerous and can't be trusted whatsoever because their bodies are fighting themselves and they are sick or about to get sick.. they are hurting and not patient or prudent when they are sick. Masked people are safer to be around.

...Study after study came out the quality of life and control and power over people's life seemed to diminish from what I see locally, politically and health wise so eventually I realized I was smart and will keep masking due to my own personal success. I've been rewarded with maintaining a baseline of good  health by masking. It is a noble experiment and even a great skill to have that has paid off for me or I wouldn't have continued. I can control whether I get sick or not which is an amazing virtue!(Nobody else maskless  holds that beautiful power and they seem helpless and desperate when they get sick... its scary that they can't control that about their bodies and their bodies betray them)  When you can control whether you get sick or not by a simple act such as masking you are onto something there! That's a mastery and a power indeed! 

I also mask because it's not all about me. Even best case scenario for me personally I don't want to give others covid or anything ... maybe I'm religious in that sense I believe what goes around comes around and I have an obligation because its not practical financially or health-wise nor is it in my best interest  to give my loved ones or anybody an illness which is an illness I don't trust. It has not been sufficiently proved to me that catching covid is a safe thing to do. I am a person that lives according to what I see is proven. I like proofs not wishes because I am like a scientists..I experiment wearing the mask while others experiment catching diseases and illnesses. I simply observe from my mask like a masked scientist safely and objectively waiting to see what becomes taking notes.

I mostly use the respiratory type mask with shell cartridges  fairly impervious to rain. I even use a bandanna which serves sort of like a dust cover for my respiratory mask... insofar as n95 masks go I recommend the ones that have little exhale valves. I feel they are the most comfortable and safer because one can freely exhale the air out while still being protected when breathing in.(unless you are masking because you are sick because if you are sick wearing the ones with exhale valves won't protect others from illness).