Well would you look at that... now mask good.

National Post, April 8th 2020: Headline, "Despite what you may have heard, you should wear a mask for COVID-19. We're not wearing masks, and despite what you may have heard, including from some of our most trusted medical authorities, you absolutely should be."

Phantom Soap Box, April 4th 2020: Headline, "Masks for COVID-19: Wear 'em."

You know, some things are just obvious. If you are dealing with a disease that has silent cases, and we definitely are, then EVERYBODY needs to wear a mask when they go out in public.

I want you, dear readers, to consider something. I am one guy, sitting at home with the same access to the Interwebz and medical professionals that everybody else has. I am a physical therapist, not an Infectious Disease specialist. I've had basic infection control training, the same they give to the cleaners at the hospital, garbage men, and guys who pump out septic tanks. Nothing cutting edge, okay? Wash the hands, wear gloves, take your clothes off outside the house when you come home (if you can), launder every day, keep your hands off your face, wear your goddamn safety gear the way it was designed to be worn. Basic cleanliness, not rocket surgery.

I'm four days ahead of the National Post. This is in an emergency, not to put too fine a point on it. I'm STILL ahead of Health Canada and the good Dr. Tam. I should be getting my pointers from them, given their reach and resources. Instead, I'm raging on about shit they need to do before they even start talking about it. That's not good.

I prophesy that the good Dr. Tam and the federal government will be rolling out mandatory mask rules in the not-too-distant future. They have to, because it is the only way we beat this thing now that social distancing is failing to get the job done sufficiently. The numbers keep going up, so they'll have to look like they're "Doing Something About The Crisis!" any day now.

So, for all you Canadians following the rules, staying home, wearing your mask, wearing gloves, staying 6 feet apart, I love you. You are awesome.

For you morons cutting in line, squeezing past people in the store, coughing on your hands and then touching the meat... fuck you.Your moment will come, you incredible, oblivious assholes. One day soon you're going to pull that shit, and a cop will smack your head into the back of the cruiser as you get arrested. Just remember when it does, that you asked for it.

The Phantom