Are people still masking?

[Spryte]

1 minute ago, Amy Gen said:

I went to the neighborhood pet store today. Dd and I masked. The owner did not. She is fully vaccinated. I know because I made her second appointment. She was stuck working at the store, and I said, “Let me run down to the pharmacy and see if they have  an opening.” And they did. 
 

No one was masked pumping gas at Costco, but everyone was inside the store. Also our pool no longer requires people to mask on the pool deck but they still have to, walking through the building to get to the pool. 
 

Also, a friend came to talk to me through my window when I was parked. She was masked. She said even though we are all vaccinated, there is a new virus from India that we should be careful about. Her kids are coming to my house this weekend, I think that was her way of telling me that they will be masked while they are here. 

Wait. New virus from India?  Or a new variant?

[mommyoffive]

2 minutes ago, Ellie said:

I don't understand why you would wear a mask if you are "vaxed." A vaccine is supposed to protect from the disease. That's why we vaccinate our children with MMR and DPT and everything, yes? So why would you still need to wear a mask?

For a bunch of reasons.

1.  I am not ready to not mask yet, because I am not comfortable with it 

2. Delta

3. I have kids who are not vaccinated because of their age.  

4.  Even without Delta I just want to lower my chances of getting Covid. 

[wathe]

1 hour ago, Ellie said:

I don't understand why you would wear a mask if you are "vaxed." A vaccine is supposed to protect from the disease. That's why we vaccinate our children with MMR and DPT and everything, yes? So why would you still need to wear a mask?

Because though vaccination reduces risk (by quite a lot) it does not eliminate risk.  Mask plus vax reduces risk even further.

The pandemic isn't over.  Covid is still circulating.  New, more transmissible variants are infiltrating our communities. Community vaccination rates are still low in many places.

Masking is not a hardship for me, and I am used to it.  For me, the more salient question is," why wouldn't I mask?"

 

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by wathe

[Amy Gen]

18 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Wait. New virus from India?  Or a new variant?

I looked it up afterwards and wondered if she meant some new brain-eating virus. I asked if she meant the variant and she said no, but English is not her native language so we might have been talking past each other. 

[Tanaqui]

You wear a mask to protect others, and to help set the community standard that people wear masks to protect others. So I wear a mask because I care about other people. (Also because wow, the pollen this year has been INTENSE. And because I didn't get a cold all of 2020. It was surreal being able to breathe all winter. Never going unmasked in crowds again.)

[Xahm]

Where I am most people mask in most indoor places. Our church has been very cautious and is now loosening up. For so long there was nothing in person, then outdoor things, then in person with masks, distancing, and no singing. Now there's a section of the church where vaccinated people can sit "normally" with no masks, if desired, or distancing, while other sections are still masks required. Obviously all the families with kids are in those sections. I think that a high percentage of adults have truly been vaccinated with both doses, as have the teenagers that I know about. It's still hard to adjust to, and I hope it doesn't backfire. I think we're going to start singing very soon. We've been doing VBS this week, which is the first time the kids have done anything except the service at church for so, so long. It's heavily altered, and masks are required for volunteers and strongly suggested for kids. Most are, though a girl in my group reminded a child in another group to put on her mask and was shocked when the girl said "we don't wear masks." My own 4 year old has been resisting the mask by the time it ends at noon. 

A little further from the city, making is much less common. My husband (vaxed) was with his mom. She made an unnecessary stop, which he had anticipated and so had a mask. She couldn't understand why he would possibly wear it and kept assuring him, "no one can make you wear that here." He has a very public-facing job and has been very careful. His masking and distancing kept him safe when close coworkers came down with Covid. Plus, as he said, he'd rather jerks assume that he's a sheep than have careful people assume he's a jerk.

[mathnerd]

56 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

@mathnerd We were out on Sunday, Monday and today. Less people were masking in Costco, Best Buy, Target, Safeway, Nordstrom Rack as well as outside the office buildings near Moffet.

Funnily enough, I have not set foot inside any indoor shopping places in the bay area after the mask mandate was lifted! I will head out later this week and see how much masking is happening. I was inside one office building and one person had his mask in his pocket, a few had them around their mouths and the rest were masked. Many are cautious because of the Delta variant spreading in California.

[Arcadia]

22 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

. Many are cautious because of the Delta variant spreading in California.

I know people who were first in line to get vaccinated who has stop masking. They are aware of the Delta Variant but the hospitalization rate isn’t high enough for them to worry, and their kids were already vaccinated as soon as eligible. 
People are not really maintaining social distancing anymore whether indoors or outdoors.  

[LucyStoner]

Masks are common inside in the county where I live.  This week we are on vacation in a more rural part of the state (we are actually at Mt. St. Helens staying in a cabin while hiking, biking and kayaking and I’m rather surprised to have any cell reception/internet access on my phone).  Masks aren’t as common here from what I can tell.  The stores have signs on the door saying what they require.  A few say masks required (and we honor that).  Most say masks only required for non-vaccinated people.  We are all vaccinated (my youngest is 12) and we haven’t been wearing masks outside or in our cabin at all.  I wear them in the stores if required but we haven’t been to too many places- just gas stations and a stop for groceries.

Today on a hike in a cave I saw a few people wearing masks.  Personally, I’m not fit enough to comfortably scamper over rocks with a face mask on so I was definitely NOT wearing a mask on that hike.  🤣

Edited June 24, 2021 by LucyStoner

[Laura Corin]

In Scotland the masks-in-shops etc rule is still in place for everyone. I don't usually see anyone unmasked in those situations. 

Eta this is the current Scottish vaccination picture, reflecting when vaccination was made available to different age cohorts. Positivity is 4 percent but rising. Delta is common among positives. 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Laura Corin

[MEmama]

My area has a very high vax rate, and there have consistently been +/- 20 cases in the entire state for awhile now (zero cases for 5 days in my region).
 

Masking indoors has suddenly decreased; I’m seeing maybe 25-50% masked in the few places I frequent (the mandate has been lifted). Outdoors a few people are still wearing them; I assume it’s mostly because they help so much with decreasing allergies. I’ve worn one in my yard while mowing the lawn and while cleaning out the garden shed.

We are still masking indoors. The delta variant is concerning and we aren’t interested in taking chances. It’s habit to wear one now, anyway, and there’s absolutely no reason not to. I figure masking rates will increase again come fall when delta causes a new surge. 
 

A lot of independent businesses in my town have signs on their doors saying that they are requiring masks during the summer tourist season. I always make a point of thanking them for helping keep our community safe. 🙂 

Edited June 24, 2021 by MEmama

[marbel]

10 hours ago, kristin0713 said:

I’m at Hershey Park right now. The rule is to mask if you are unvaccinated. But I’ve seen only maybe 25% of people wearing masks. And it is super packed with people. Our whole family is vaccinated and we are not masking. I'm not worried personally, but people are definitely not following the rule and no one is enforcing it. 

I'm curious about this. How do you know people are not following the masking rule?  

 

As for me... I mask when I am out with my daughter, as she continues to mask though she is fully vaccinated. When I'm not with her, I follow the rules, of course - so I mask in the library where it is still required, in medical offices, etc. But if I am in a place where the signs say vaccinated individuals do not need to mask, and my daughter is not with me, I don't mask.  The only indoor places I go are stores. I still see a lot of masks; the percentage of unmasked people really depends on the store.  At Sam's Club the other day almost no one was masking; at Costco the majority of people were masked. 

I am still seeing people masked on walking trails so I keep one with me and will mask if I see someone masked approaching though I still say away from people. 

Edited June 24, 2021 by marbel

[freesia]

High vaccination rate in my area.  We went to an outdoor party for dd’s new soccer team. No one wore a mask. Outdoor things around here lately there is no mask wearing. Some children (like dd) wear their mask around their chins.  Indoors probably a little over 50% wear masks when it’s not required for vaccinated. Only dd12 is not vaccinated here and I am comfortable with not masking bc of low case numbers.

[HeartString]

25 minutes ago, marbel said:

I'm curious about this. How do you know people are not following the masking rule?  

 

 

Where I am no one is shy about it.  I had a meet up with several other people inside a restaurant with a “please mask” sign.  Only 1 person masked and I was the only vaccinated person.   I know a couple have had COVID so have natural immunity.  When the topic of vaccines came up they all acted like it would be crazy to get it.      They aren’t going to get the vaccine and aren’t going to mask either.  

[skimomma]

Almost no one is masking in my area.  We have no mandate now and aside from a handful of establishments that continue to require their employees to mask, I see them nowhere.  We have less than 30% vaccination rate.  Even when we had mandates, only about half complied.  And there was a lot of bullying people who were wearing masks.  My family is fully vaccinated and at first we continued to mask but after sighs, eye rolls, and dirty looks, we stopped.  If these people don't care to protect themselves/others, then fine.  I am done trying to be a "good example."  The few vulnerable people I know are still trapped in their houses for the foreseeable future.

[wendyroo]

39 minutes ago, marbel said:

I'm curious about this. How do you know people are not following the masking rule?  

Around here I know that many people were not following the rules because of basic math. In the last month, the law said to mask if not fully vaccinated. Our vaccination rate hovered below 50%, but far less than 50% of people were wearing masks in most stores. Also, there were many completely unmasked families including elementary age children who clearly could not be vaccinated.

We continue to mask indoors even though the mask mandate has been lifted...
...because of variants
...because three of my kids can't be vaccinated yet
...because even though I'm vaccinated I could be a carrier and I don't want to infect anyone else
...because our local ICU beds are still at 88% capacity
...because masking is a very small thing we can do to protect our family and community

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

While my state is at 70%, the local numbers range from 30-48%.

I see almost nobody wearing a mask, so there are plenty of unvaccinated people not masking. What really shocks me is the number of medical professionals I work with who don’t mask and are unvaccinated(ER nurses and two doctors).  They have to wear a mask in the hospital but don’t outside of that.  

[mommyoffive]

10 hours ago, Amy Gen said:

I looked it up afterwards and wondered if she meant some new brain-eating virus. I asked if she meant the variant and she said no, but English is not her native language so we might have been talking past each other. 

Maybe she is talking about Delta Plus??

India is tracking a new mutated coronavirus strain that health officials call 'Delta Plus' - but experts say there's no need to worry (msn.com)

[Wheres Toto]

We are around 70% vaccinated, mandates have been lifted, sort of.  Still required in medical offices, schools, youth camps, and a few other places.  Recommended for anyone not vaccinated when indoors.    Stores I've been to seem around 50% masked/not masked among shoppers and employees.   I know some businesses are requiring employees to mask regardless of vaccination status.   The library requires masks to go inside.  

My younger kids got their first shot yesterday.   I feel like the mandates should have stayed in place until kids were eligible to be vaccinated.  Rates may still not be great, but at least those who wanted to vaccinate their kids could.   

I'm mildly worried that between the lower masking rates and the variant that we are going to have another bad surge in the fall/winter.  Right now masks are still required for youth camps and schools, so I'm still requiring them at my business.   I don't think they are going to lift them for schools until kids can all be vaccinated.  

[elegantlion]

1 hour ago, marbel said:

I'm curious about this. How do you know people are not following the masking rule?  

 

 

For me, it's the 20% vaccination rate in my county, combined with very vocal anti-maskers commenting on any local facebook/social media/news page, my own observations of unmasked individuals prior to vaccine roll outs, and the politicizing of mask wearing, and conspiracy theories about the vaccines themselves. Some people have outright stated on social media that they'll not wear masks period, even when we had a mandate. 

 

edit: from my city's health department, there were 44 new cases reported on 22nd and 31 new cases on the 23rd. Currently 14 people are hospitalized. 

Edited June 24, 2021 by elegantlion
adding info

[KSera]

I just went to Trader Joe’s, which has had a 100% of everyone inside being masked track record throughout the pandemic here. I still didn’t see any customers who weren’t masked, but was surprised to see the majority of the employees were not masked. That’s a definite change since last time I was there a couple weeks ago, which was also after the CDC mask announcement, so it’s a new change.

[Amy Gen]

41 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Maybe she is talking about Delta Plus??

India is tracking a new mutated coronavirus strain that health officials call 'Delta Plus' - but experts say there's no need to worry (msn.com)

I think that she might have meant this. 
 

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=212741

 

She works in a nursing home, so I think it is very reasonable for her to continue masking so that she doesn’t bring even a cold or the flu in to the facility. 
 

She just told me that the old people watch the news all day long, so she hears the news when she is taking care of them, and she heard about a new concerning virus from India. I assumed it was news program fear mongering, but I did google it when I came home and I found this. 

[kristin0713]

3 hours ago, marbel said:

I'm curious about this. How do you know people are not following the masking rule?  

Because of all the kids not wearing them except a handful of families where everyone in the family is wearing one.  I mean honestly, I don’t care. We are outside. My family is vaccinated. I think it’s at-your-own-risk for people at this point if they choose not to wear one. I might feel differently if my kids were not old enough to be vaccinated. But if that were the case, we probably wouldn’t be here. 

[kristin0713]

Today at Hershey it seems to be even less people masking. Maybe 10% or even less, but I’m bad with estimating that sort of thing. It’s packed even more than yesterday. 

[Not_a_Number]

2 hours ago, Wheres Toto said:

We are around 70% vaccinated, mandates have been lifted, sort of.  Still required in medical offices, schools, youth camps, and a few other places.  Recommended for anyone not vaccinated when indoors.    Stores I've been to seem around 50% masked/not masked among shoppers and employees.   I know some businesses are requiring employees to mask regardless of vaccination status.   The library requires masks to go inside.  

My younger kids got their first shot yesterday.   I feel like the mandates should have stayed in place until kids were eligible to be vaccinated.  Rates may still not be great, but at least those who wanted to vaccinate their kids could.   

I'm mildly worried that between the lower masking rates and the variant that we are going to have another bad surge in the fall/winter.  Right now masks are still required for youth camps and schools, so I'm still requiring them at my business.   I don't think they are going to lift them for schools until kids can all be vaccinated.  

I expect the summer to be good, though. Northeastern summers involve everyone being outside. That was sufficient last year even without vaccines, so it's hard to imagine it won't be enough this year. 

[I talk to the trees]

12 hours ago, Ellie said:

I don't understand why you would wear a mask if you are "vaxed." A vaccine is supposed to protect from the disease. That's why we vaccinate our children with MMR and DPT and everything, yes? So why would you still need to wear a mask?

Assuming that this is an actual “I don't understand” post and not a “People who think this way are wrong, and since I can’t come out and say that I think they are stupid, I'll phrase it another way” post, here is my reasoning. 

The vaccines are NOT A MAGIC BULLET THAT WILL PREVENT ALL INFECTION. People can’t seem to understand the basic concept that THE VIRUS IS STILL CIRCULATING. Every.single.case. that occurs gives the virus a chance to spin the old wheel of evolutionary fortune, and to possibly experience a mutation that will make it more transmissible, more deadly, or more resistant to the vaccines that so many people have worked so hard to get out there (and so many foolish people are refusing.) If you are vaccinated, good for you! That’s great, and you probably won’t die if you contract the virus, heck, you might not have a single symptom. But however unlikely, if you are infected,  you CAN still transmit the virus to others, perhaps even some of the folks who have not been vaccinated (either by poor choice or by lack of access.) YOUR MASK PROTECTS ME AND MY MASK PROTECTS YOU. Re:measles, etc…The measles (for example) vaccine is about 97% effective after the second dose, according to the CDC. We see very few cases of measles each year because so many people are fully vaccinated against the disease. We are still learning how effective the Covid vaccines are and how long they are likely to be effective, and while people stubbornly  remain unvaccinated and the disease continues to spread and mutate, we run the very real risk that the virus will develop (not through sinister plot and planning, mind you, this is a virus, not a Disney villain) resistance to the vaccines that we are placing out trust in. 

By refusing to mask around others until we have reached herd immunity, you are complicit in the continued sickness, hospitalizations, and deaths that will occur as long as this virus continues to spread in the manner in which it has done for the past year and a half. 
 

To answer the OP, the only masks (other than my own, and that of one friend with severe lung disease) that I see are at health care providers (and even my dentist took his off and fiddled with the ear straps and put it back on. Ugh!) For my own sake, and for others, I will continue to mask in public until my region reaches 70-75% vaccination rate -which is highly unlikely, given the political climate here (currently only 45% are fully vaccinated) or until the region has seen no cases for 30 days. 

[Ditto]

Fully vaccinated and continuing to double mask.   I can definitely see an increase in either not masking or not masking properly.  With the Delta variant and just under 50% of people not vaxxed, I am not ready to give up my mask.   The kids are vaxxed and also continuing to double mask for the same reasons.   I don't see the kids or I giving up our masks anytime in this year.   We don't mind our masks and it offers extra protection against this virus.

[Ditto]

12 minutes ago, I talk to the trees said:

Assuming that this is an actual “I don't understand” post and not a “People who think this way are wrong, and since I can’t come out and say that I think they are stupid, I'll phrase it another way” post, here is my reasoning. 

The vaccines are NOT A MAGIC BULLET THAT WILL PREVENT ALL INFECTION. People can’t seem to understand the basic concept that THE VIRUS IS STILL CIRCULATING. Every.single.case. that occurs gives the virus a chance to spin the old wheel of evolutionary fortune, and to possibly experience a mutation that will make it more transmissible, more deadly, or more resistant to the vaccines that so many people have worked so hard to get out there (and so many foolish people are refusing.) If you are vaccinated, good for you! That’s great, and you probably won’t die if you contract the virus, heck, you might not have a single symptom. But however unlikely, if you are infected,  you CAN still transmit the virus to others, perhaps even some of the folks who have not been vaccinated (either by poor choice or by lack of access.) YOUR MASK PROTECTS ME AND MY MASK PROTECTS YOU. Re:measles, etc…The measles (for example) vaccine is about 97% effective after the second dose, according to the CDC. We see very few cases of measles each year because so many people are fully vaccinated against the disease. We are still learning how effective the Covid vaccines are and how long they are likely to be effective, and while people stubbornly  remain unvaccinated and the disease continues to spread and mutate, we run the very real risk that the virus will develop (not through sinister plot and planning, mind you, this is a virus, not a Disney villain) resistance to the vaccines that we are placing out trust in. 

By refusing to mask around others until we have reached herd immunity, you are complicit in the continued sickness, hospitalizations, and deaths that will occur as long as this virus continues to spread in the manner in which it has done for the past year and a half. 
 

To answer the OP, the only masks (other than my own, and that of one friend with severe lung disease) that I see are at health care providers (and even my dentist took his off and fiddled with the ear straps and put it back on. Ugh!) For my own sake, and for others, I will continue to mask in public until my region reaches 70-75% vaccination rate -which is highly unlikely, given the political climate here (currently only 45% are fully vaccinated) or until the region has seen no cases for 30 days. 

Nice job explaining exactly how I feel too.   You really did a very nice job stating this and summing up perfectly how I feel about the kids and I masking even though we are fully vaccinated.

[happi duck]

25 minutes ago, I talk to the trees said:

Assuming that this is an actual “I don't understand” post and not a “People who think this way are wrong, and since I can’t come out and say that I think they are stupid, I'll phrase it another way” post, here is my reasoning. 

The vaccines are NOT A MAGIC BULLET THAT WILL PREVENT ALL INFECTION. People can’t seem to understand the basic concept that THE VIRUS IS STILL CIRCULATING. Every.single.case. that occurs gives the virus a chance to spin the old wheel of evolutionary fortune, and to possibly experience a mutation that will make it more transmissible, more deadly, or more resistant to the vaccines that so many people have worked so hard to get out there (and so many foolish people are refusing.) If you are vaccinated, good for you! That’s great, and you probably won’t die if you contract the virus, heck, you might not have a single symptom. But however unlikely, if you are infected,  you CAN still transmit the virus to others, perhaps even some of the folks who have not been vaccinated (either by poor choice or by lack of access.) YOUR MASK PROTECTS ME AND MY MASK PROTECTS YOU. Re:measles, etc…The measles (for example) vaccine is about 97% effective after the second dose, according to the CDC. We see very few cases of measles each year because so many people are fully vaccinated against the disease. We are still learning how effective the Covid vaccines are and how long they are likely to be effective, and while people stubbornly  remain unvaccinated and the disease continues to spread and mutate, we run the very real risk that the virus will develop (not through sinister plot and planning, mind you, this is a virus, not a Disney villain) resistance to the vaccines that we are placing out trust in. 

By refusing to mask around others until we have reached herd immunity, you are complicit in the continued sickness, hospitalizations, and deaths that will occur as long as this virus continues to spread in the manner in which it has done for the past year and a half. 
 

To answer the OP, the only masks (other than my own, and that of one friend with severe lung disease) that I see are at health care providers (and even my dentist took his off and fiddled with the ear straps and put it back on. Ugh!) For my own sake, and for others, I will continue to mask in public until my region reaches 70-75% vaccination rate -which is highly unlikely, given the political climate here (currently only 45% are fully vaccinated) or until the region has seen no cases for 30 days. 

Very well said!!

I am so frustrated that easing up and removing masks was not tied to a certain percentage vaccinated and a certain amount of time with no new cases.  Those are definable goals that might have pulled some people off the fence.

[Not_a_Number]

29 minutes ago, I talk to the trees said:

But however unlikely, if you are infected,  you CAN still transmit the virus to others, perhaps even some of the folks who have not been vaccinated (either by poor choice or by lack of access.) YOUR MASK PROTECTS ME AND MY MASK PROTECTS YOU.

So, I'm definitely masking indoors, but I'm also in Manhattan, where we keep having fewer than 50 cases per day. At some point, I do feel like the risk of getting infected or being a carrier becomes small enough that I'm willing to take the risk. Like, I drive, and one of these days I might run someone over, and that doesn't stop me. 

The thing that always felt different about COVID is that the magnitude of the risk was so big. But it doesn't feel like that with the numbers so low, you know? 

[happi duck]

11 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

In Scotland the masks-in-shops etc rule is still in place for everyone. I don't usually see anyone unmasked in those situations. 

Eta this is the current Scottish vaccination picture, reflecting when vaccination was made available to different age cohorts. Positivity is 4 percent but rising. Delta is common among positives. 

Wow!  These numbers make me jealous!  To see that despite these numbers cases are rising with Delta common should give the US pause!

I feel like the US has ignored every cautionary episode we've seen in other places.

For those saying they live where there's a high vaccination rate, I suggest being sure to look at county not state numbers.  My state is around 50% but some counties are only +/-20%. 

[freesia]

12 minutes ago, happi duck said:

Wow!  These numbers make me jealous!  To see that despite these numbers cases are rising with Delta common should give the US pause!

I feel like the US has ignored every cautionary episode we've seen in other places.

For those saying they live where there's a high vaccination rate, I suggest being sure to look at county not state numbers.  My state is around 50% but some counties are only +/-20%. 

I am. I can also see active case rates by town. 

[GailV]

Our state is a Covid hot spot, has a relatively low vaccination rate, has the Delta variant, and I'd guess about a third of people wear a mask in stores/other public places right now. 

Some reasons I still mask:  Doesn't bother me, may help someone else, shows solidarity with those who haven't been able to vax yet, messes with people's conception about whether I should be wearing a mask, messes with facial recognition, don't have to smell things like annoying perfume.**  

**Last weekend we were clearing out a house for a deceased relative whose 3 cats apparently had carte blanche to use the entire house as a litter box, plus bonus lack of vacuuming for years on end. Dh and I wore our KN95 masks (plus long sleeves, long pants, long rubber gloves) and it made SUCH A DIFFERENCE -- I went out to get a drink of water and forgot to put my mask on before re-entering, and WOW! that thick air hit me full force in the nostrils. Ugh ugh ugh.

OTOH, SILs showed up wearing tank top and shorts, and refused to wear masks -- even though asthmatic and allergic to cats. One was the same SIL who was anti-mask all through Covid (and used to refuse to wear a shoulder seat belt back in the 90s). She's very dedicated to her freedom to make herself sick.

 

[SKL]

Here, workers and kids tend to be masked.  Others may or may not be.  My assumption is that those who are not masking have a good reason for it.  Vaccinated, have antibodies, or can't mask.

I'm sitting in a library without a mask, but they still have social distancing signs, so I get a whole table to myself all day, yay!

[SKL]

And yes, I know it isn't impossible for me to catch the virus though I'm vaxed.  But I didn't catch it the whole year that I wasn't vaxed, including when mask mandates weren't a thing, when cases were spiking in the winter, etc.  I think it's reasonable to accept the tiny risk that I could catch and spread the virus now.  In life we have to accept risks.  Hiding and masking have their own risks which I no longer have to accept.

But don't worry, I'm not going up and coughing in people's faces.  I have developed the habit of staying away from people like two negative ends of a magnet.  And there are still plastic dividers and other safety apparatus in place all around.  I think we're safer now unmasked than we were throughout much of history.

Edited June 24, 2021 by SKL

[Laura Corin]

58 minutes ago, happi duck said:

Wow!  These numbers make me jealous!  To see that despite these numbers cases are rising with Delta common should give the US pause!

I feel like the US has ignored every cautionary episode we've seen in other places.

For those saying they live where there's a high vaccination rate, I suggest being sure to look at county not state numbers.  My state is around 50% but some counties are only +/-20%. 

Yes, cases are rising but because of the high vaccination rate among the vulnerable,  there may be hope. I posted this article on the Wuhan thread. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57581952

[TravelingChris]

1 hour ago, I talk to the trees said:

Assuming that this is an actual “I don't understand” post and not a “People who think this way are wrong, and since I can’t come out and say that I think they are stupid, I'll phrase it another way” post, here is my reasoning. 

The vaccines are NOT A MAGIC BULLET THAT WILL PREVENT ALL INFECTION. People can’t seem to understand the basic concept that THE VIRUS IS STILL CIRCULATING. Every.single.case. that occurs gives the virus a chance to spin the old wheel of evolutionary fortune, and to possibly experience a mutation that will make it more transmissible, more deadly, or more resistant to the vaccines that so many people have worked so hard to get out there (and so many foolish people are refusing.) If you are vaccinated, good for you! That’s great, and you probably won’t die if you contract the virus, heck, you might not have a single symptom. But however unlikely, if you are infected,  you CAN still transmit the virus to others, perhaps even some of the folks who have not been vaccinated (either by poor choice or by lack of access.) YOUR MASK PROTECTS ME AND MY MASK PROTECTS YOU. Re:measles, etc…The measles (for example) vaccine is about 97% effective after the second dose, according to the CDC. We see very few cases of measles each year because so many people are fully vaccinated against the disease. We are still learning how effective the Covid vaccines are and how long they are likely to be effective, and while people stubbornly  remain unvaccinated and the disease continues to spread and mutate, we run the very real risk that the virus will develop (not through sinister plot and planning, mind you, this is a virus, not a Disney villain) resistance to the vaccines that we are placing out trust in. 

By refusing to mask around others until we have reached herd immunity, you are complicit in the continued sickness, hospitalizations, and deaths that will occur as long as this virus continues to spread in the manner in which it has done for the past year and a half. 
 

To answer the OP, the only masks (other than my own, and that of one friend with severe lung disease) that I see are at health care providers (and even my dentist took his off and fiddled with the ear straps and put it back on. Ugh!) For my own sake, and for others, I will continue to mask in public until my region reaches 70-75% vaccination rate -which is highly unlikely, given the political climate here (currently only 45% are fully vaccinated) or until the region has seen no cases for 30 days. 

Totally wrong.  I have a gene that helps protect from COVID (and also gives me a bad autoimmune disease) and am fully vaccinated with Pfizer vaccine wjhich has been shown not to spread the disease.  I am not spreading anything.  And if you don't want to get vaccinated, how is that my fault.  We are at approximately 43% here.  I am not masking unless it is required.  While I think the CDC had a lot of wrong calls, the one about fully vaccinated people not transmitting or getting it is true. 

I personally think that a lot of people are still wearing masks because of anxiety.  

[Wheres Toto]

2 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

I expect the summer to be good, though. Northeastern summers involve everyone being outside. That was sufficient last year even without vaccines, so it's hard to imagine it won't be enough this year. 

I do expect the summer to be fine around here.   But I think it would have been easier to keep the mask mandates until kids could be vaccinated than to try and put them back if we get a surge in winter.  

[Tenaj]

There is actually more masking going on in my area than I expected given that the mask mandate has been rescinded.    My dd is the only one of us still masking because she is only 11.  I've asked if she wants me to wear a mask with her but she laughs and says it doesn't bother her.   I saw a quite a few when I ran into Meijer last week.  Some workers are wearing them, some are not, I'm assuming based on their vaccination status.  I like social distancing so heading in for quick trips to grocery stores - usually with a limited list because I am still doing pick-up for most things, going to Sam's (big store, easy spread out) and the library (we go in the morning) is very comfortable without a mask for me.  My only problem is that I keep forgetting to put on makeup!  It's been a loooong time and I didn't bother when I was wearing masks everywhere.

[Not_a_Number]

11 minutes ago, Wheres Toto said:

I do expect the summer to be fine around here.   But I think it would have been easier to keep the mask mandates until kids could be vaccinated than to try and put them back if we get a surge in winter.  

That's definitely true. And maybe it's different where I am, because I do expect people to mask back up pretty easily if there's a need -- people seem to have gotten very used to masking. 

[wendyroo]

Coming back to update...

I was just at Target and I saw no other customers with masks. None. Employees were about 50-50.

Our area is about 50% vaccinated. The Delta variant is here. Our ICU beds are 88% full.

No, the situation is not nearly as dire right now as it has been in the past...but with exponential spread and lacking herd immunity, we are setting ourselves up to be right back there in the fall...all because people can't be bothered to wear a mask.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I am not particularly worried about myself.  I have been unmasked in small groups where I know that the majority are vaccinated and I know that the odds are probably in my favor even in other places where the percentages of vaccinated people might be lower.  But masks are still mandated here until the end of the month so I haven't really had to make a choice in public.  In less than a week we'll see if the masks come off in droves or not.  I will probably keep my mask on even after mandates are lifted out of caution while I see if the local rates go up with differences in behavior.  But I was masking even before the mandate went into effect over a year ago so caution is my middle name.  I think that looking at local rates of transmission/infection, hospitalization and deaths is still a prudent way to make decisions even if I am the one making them and not the health department. 

[Corraleno]

45 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

Totally wrong.  I have a gene that helps protect from COVID (and also gives me a bad autoimmune disease) and am fully vaccinated with Pfizer vaccine wjhich has been shown not to spread the disease.  I am not spreading anything.  And if you don't want to get vaccinated, how is that my fault.  We are at approximately 43% here.  I am not masking unless it is required.  While I think the CDC had a lot of wrong calls, the one about fully vaccinated people not transmitting or getting it is true. 

I personally think that a lot of people are still wearing masks because of anxiety.  

Efficacy for Pfizer against Delta is around 79%. Being fully vaxxed reduces your odds but in no way guarantees that you won't catch or spread the virus, and living in an area with a low vax rate increases the odds that you will eventually be exposed. You may be comfortable with those odds for yourself, but @I talk to the trees is not "totally wrong" that unmasked vaxxed people can contribute to community spread.

[historically accurate]

We are not masking outdoors, and I allowed my vaccinated teens to attend a birthday party (pool party, but bathrooms & one helped "Mom" in the kitchen indoors) last week even though the birthday kid and his family (and possibly his friends) are not vaccinated. We are masking everywhere indoors.

I work at the library which is requiring masks since we have a lot of child patrons. There are more and more people balking at that daily (loudly!) - makes me very glad I don't work the desk.

The few places I've been lately are about 60% -75% unmasked. My county is right at 50% vaccinated. 

I am masking since I have vulnerable family members, one of whom is a person they say the vaccine is not effective for. I'm not worried about getting sick at this point - we mask mainly to protect my vulnerable family members. We wear filtration masks at work, and run of the mill fabric masks for short shopping trips (I haven't done a long shopping trip recently).

 

[rebcoola]

We are visiting friends at Purdue and seeing about 70% masked inside.  Our group is masking inside because we have a couple of preteens who aren't vaxxed.  

[Corraleno]

Vax rates in my county and the adjacent county are better than the state averages: 56-61% of the total population, and 68-71% of all adults, are fully vaxed (statewide = 52% population, 62% adults). But even with the relatively high vax rates in my area, I am still seeing nearly 100% masking everywhere I go. I have been to Target, Home Depot, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and the hairdresser in the last few weeks, and the only person I saw anywhere without a mask was one of the two hairdressers who works at the place where I get my hair cut.  I don't know what his deal was, but both of his clients kept their masks on the whole time, as did my stylist (and I know that she and her whole family are fully vaxxed). I intend to continue masking for the foreseeable future.

[stephanier.1765]

I only mask if it's required (or even just requested) by an establishment, otherwise no. I told myself that I needed to decide on whether or not I believed the vaccine worked as reported, and if I did believe then I needed to trust that and give myself permission to go unmasked.

[73349]

We're fully vaccinated as of yesterday and still mask in indoor locations except with just a few friends/family members. So yes in the library and grocery store, though it's now optional there, as well as medical offices and public transit, where it's still required. My church is still requiring it (and limiting capacity). We are not doing indoor restaurant dining.

My county's vax rate is good, rest of the state's not so much, and the delta variant is going to be a problem.

[marbel]

Something I'm seeing among some friends/family members: people who admonished anti-maskers or mask skeptics to follow CDC guideline are now treating with disdain people who are following the new CDC guidelines and taking off their masks as allowed, once fully vaccinated. I know people are by nature inconsistent but this rather surprised me. To hear someone who said "the CDC says to mask, so put on a mask" now saying "it doesn't matter that the CDC says you can take off your mask, you need to keep masking" is a bit... jarring. 

[73349]

1 minute ago, marbel said:

Something I'm seeing among some friends/family members: people who admonished anti-maskers or mask skeptics to follow CDC guideline are now treating with disdain people who are following the new CDC guidelines and taking off their masks as allowed, once fully vaccinated. I know people are by nature inconsistent but this rather surprised me. To hear someone who said "the CDC says to mask, so put on a mask" now saying "it doesn't matter that the CDC says you can take off your mask, you need to keep masking" is a bit... jarring. 

The CDC has been reluctant to suggest any intervention that is not absolutely necessary, so I would consider their recommendations an absolute minimum. If the CDC says I need to do it, I'm probably already doing it (because they were very late to provide guidance), but if they have said we don't have to do something, that doesn't mean it's not prudent to do it. My state DHHS has estimated that continuing masking indoors with other households will save 1000 lives by the end of the calendar year.