RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

Why don't people cover their mouths when they cough here? I mean...it's like the most basic of manners: don't cough in someone's face. Must happen to me at least once a week on the subway

And again... why do so many people not wash their hands?

"The whole thing smacks of effort, man."

Why don't people cover their mouths when they cough here? I mean...it's like the most basic of manners: don't cough in someone's face. Must happen to me at least once a week on the subway

And again... why do so many people not wash their hands?

"The whole thing smacks of effort, man."

That's unironically in my top ten Simpsons quotes.

Why don't people cover their mouths when they cough here?

Just one of those weird cultural differences. I do scold my students when I see them do this, especially when its about two feet from my face. Usually followed by a look of utter confusion.

It's similar to the adjeosshi spitting in street syndrome, I guess. They'd rather make their germs someone else's problem than keep it local (ingest the loogie, cough into their own hands, etc). 

Why don't people cover their mouths when they cough here?

Just one of those weird cultural differences. I do scold my students when I see them do this, especially when its about two feet from my face. Usually followed by a look of utter confusion.

It's similar to the adjeosshi spitting in street syndrome, I guess. They'd rather make their germs someone else's problem than keep it local (ingest the loogie, cough into their own hands, etc). 

the ol' "fuk everybody else but me" mentality strikes again

Why don't people cover their mouths when they cough here?

Just one of those weird cultural differences. I do scold my students when I see them do this, especially when its about two feet from my face. Usually followed by a look of utter confusion.

It's similar to the adjeosshi spitting in street syndrome, I guess. They'd rather make their germs someone else's problem than keep it local (ingest the loogie, cough into their own hands, etc). 

the ol' "fuk everybody else but me" mentality strikes again

I honestly just think it's a lack of education about how disease is spread. I don't think it's really fair to label that as cultural. I know lots and lots of educated, intelligent people here who still believe getting cold makes you sick. And lots of people practice good personal hygiene regimens, but then completely neglect other basic things, like the aforementioned mouth covering or hand washing.

Someone barging through a crowd to get a seat on a subway? Self-before-all-else mentality. Possibly cultural.
Not covering mouth or washing hands? Laziness or ignorance. Probably not cultural.

let's suppose that even if someone didn't realise that germs are spread from coughing, do they really think that coughing up spittle into someone else's face is acceptable behaviour?

germs aside, it's ****** disgusting

let's suppose that even if someone didn't realise that germs are spread from coughing, do they really think that coughing up spittle into someone else's face is acceptable behaviour?

germs aside, it's ****** disgusting

I know. I agreed with you earlier that it's super gross.

The effectiveness of covering your mouth is dubious at best. In order to do so, you'd have to form a relatively tight seal across your mouth and then IMMEDIATELY disinfect your hands without touching any other surfaces that people might touch. In fact, covering with your hands might be worse because any germ that relies on surface to surface infection stands a better chance of getting transmitted since hands tend to touch places other hands will touch. It's also funny how the "fist cough" is considered good, when that is laughably ineffective. If you're going to cover, cough into your elbow. It's not as good a seal as your hand, but it's better for surface-to-surface transmission.

If it really were that much of a difference maker you'd see dramatically different influenza infection rates, especially given Korea's denser population, but you don't. It's the same as those masks. Without a proper seal, a rubber edge and the thing somewhat form-fitted, it's ultimately not terrible effective at prevention of becoming infected or transmitting. air. It's more just general "pleasantness" to do it, not a serious safeguard against infection.

There's no getting around that you're expelling air at incredibly high velocities and that air has to go somewhere and it will find those cracks. The degree to which people freak about over this vs. it's actual efficacy is rather disproportionate.

It's the same as those masks. Without a proper seal, a rubber edge and the thing somewhat form-fitted, it's ultimately not terrible effective at prevention of becoming infected or transmitting. air. It's more just general "pleasantness" to do it, not a serious safeguard against infection.

There's no getting around that you're expelling air at incredibly high velocities and that air has to go somewhere and it will find those cracks. The degree to which people freak about over this vs. it's actual efficacy is rather disproportionate.

Every source I've looked at indicates that wearing a mask reduces the likelihood of transmitting a cold or the flu, and there's a fair amount of research that backs it up. Here's an excerpt from some random article that quotes a few of these research findings:

" In a 2013 study, researchers counted the number of virus particles in the air around patients with flu. They found that surgical masks decreased the exhalation of large viral droplets 25-fold. The masks were, however, less effective against the fine viral droplets that can remain suspended in the air longer and are therefore more infectious, cutting them by [only] 2.8 times.

The work of Australian investigators provides further support for the value of the simple surgical mask. They estimate that in a home setting, wearing a surgical mask decreases a well person’s risk of getting sick by 60 percent to 80 percent."
[source]

There are some caveats and stuff, but it's pretty clear that if everybody wore a mask and used hand sanitizer during fluseason, the flu would definitely not kill 400,000 (plus or minus 200k depending on the year) people per year.. 



Here's a great capture of health-conscious folk during flu-season way back in 1937: 



 

The effectiveness of covering your mouth is dubious at best. In order to do so, you'd have to form a relatively tight seal across your mouth and then IMMEDIATELY disinfect your hands without touching any other surfaces that people might touch. In fact, covering with your hands might be worse because any germ that relies on surface to surface infection stands a better chance of getting transmitted since hands tend to touch places other hands will touch. It's also funny how the "fist cough" is considered good, when that is laughably ineffective. If you're going to cover, cough into your elbow. It's not as good a seal as your hand, but it's better for surface-to-surface transmission.

If it really were that much of a difference maker you'd see dramatically different influenza infection rates, especially given Korea's denser population, but you don't. It's the same as those masks. Without a proper seal, a rubber edge and the thing somewhat form-fitted, it's ultimately not terrible effective at prevention of becoming infected or transmitting. air. It's more just general "pleasantness" to do it, not a serious safeguard against infection.

There's no getting around that you're expelling air at incredibly high velocities and that air has to go somewhere and it will find those cracks. The degree to which people freak about over this vs. it's actual efficacy is rather disproportionate.

ok...but all i'm arguing is that it's rude to cough in someone's face, and therefore getting spit particles all over your face

it's happened again

user> complaint about A
you> yes but what about B and C??? your argument is invalid!

The work of Australian investigators provides further support for the value of the simple surgical mask. They estimate that in a home setting, wearing a surgical mask decreases a well person’s risk of getting sick by 60 percent to 80 percent.[/b][/color][/i]"

Ehh, I wonder how much influence by the researchers was involved in adjusting and attaching the mask and whether folks adjusted their behavior simply by wearing the mask and becoming more "health conscious". Also, the mask would likely reduce at-risk behaviors such as time spent together or sharing meals, physical intimacy, etc. I don't know if they controlled for that or simply had the people live in some sort of sterilized pseudo-apartment.

I'm sure it has some effect, just that I think it might be overstated, just as the effectiveness of those against fine dust appears to be overstated.

user> complaint about A
you> yes but what about B and C??? your argument is invalid!

Actually coughing and mouth covering to prevent infection were points that were made-

They'd rather make their germs someone else's problem than keep it local (ingest the loogie, cough into their own hands, etc).

I honestly just think it's a lack of education about how disease is spread. I don't think it's really fair to label that as cultural.

Explaining the relative ineffectiveness of mouth covering adds context to the debate and the degree to which someone should be concerned about it in terms of disease prevention. It is also relevant to point out that without proper and immediate hand sanitizing, mouth covering is ineffective and can potentially infect more people. Some people seem to think that just covering your mouth is fine. It's not. You should immediately sanitize afterwards.

"The effectiveness of covering your mouth is dubious at best."

I'm sure it has some effect, just that I think it might be overstated, just as the effectiveness of those against fine dust appears to be overstated.

Apples and oranges.

    Surgical masks worn by sick people help reduce the transmission of airborne crap. While they're certainly not 100% effective, they are statistically significantly helpful in controlling contagion.

    Surgical/dust masks worn against pollution are next to useless as they do not effectively filter out gases and pm 2.5 particulates. For this you need respirators or rated pollution masks.

    But yeah, I agree that their effect are probably somewhat over rated. Still, wearing a mask when you're contagious seems like the socially responsible thing to do. 

Third time now that someone has coughed or sneezed in my face today. Ffs

Went 20 years in the UK without it happening once

Third time now that someone has coughed or sneezed in my face today. Ffs

Went 20 years in the UK without it happening once

It's your fault...you don't understand Korean culture.

Third time now that someone has coughed or sneezed in my face today. Ffs

Went 20 years in the UK without it happening once

It's your fault...you don't understand Korean culture.

Just sit back and pretend it's Seolhyun.

What the fuk is up with people having tiny as fender benders on the highway during rush hour and keeping their car in the middle lane and standing outside waving traffic around like an asshat.  FFS 90% it's barely a scratch and they have backed traffic up for 2km bc they can't pull their fooking car to the side of the highway.  Everyone has dashcams anyways.. take a picture and move your shit.  Why isn't there a law for this.   Being late to work because some adjosshis eqquis got a 1 inch dent is asinine.   

What the fuk is up with people having tiny as fender benders on the highway during rush hour and keeping their car in the middle lane and standing outside waving traffic around like an asshat.  FFS 90% it's barely a scratch and they have backed traffic up for 2km bc they can't pull their fooking car to the side of the highway.  Everyone has dashcams anyways.. take a picture and move your shit.  Why isn't there a law for this.   Being late to work because some adjosshis eqquis got a 1 inch dent is asinine.   

...you don't understand Koren culture and it is your fault.

Is it just me or has youtube changed its viewing of videos etc.  On my laptop, the default screen for watching a video is really annoying as  it is pretty big and in the middle of the screen with all other videos under it, whereas on my school computer it is on the left with the list of other videos next to it on the right, like it used to be.  Did I mess this up as I can't seem to find any options to change the video view back to how I used to have it?  I'm logged in on my laptop, but I'm not on the school computer.