Are people still masking?

[Corraleno]

 

10 minutes 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. 

 

Well I'm not admonishing anyone who follows CDC guidelines, but the fact that the CDC says it's no longer necessary doesn't mean it isn't prudent. I was masking before any mandates and will continue to mask, because my decisions are based on my own assessment of (1) the data on the efficacy of masks, (2) data on the efficacy of Pfizer against Delta, and (3) my personal desire to avoid getting covid, even if I am far less likely to die of it now that I'm vaxxed.

And in addition to not wanting to get (or spread) covid, I would really like to avoid the nasty RSV that seems to be circulating in the US right now. Coincidentally (or not), the highest rates of this RSV seem to be in states with the lowest rates of masking.

[TravelingChris]

1 hour ago, Corraleno said:

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.

We don't have Delta here.  We have a very low rate of COVID here- no hospital problems at all.  

As a person who has to take immunosuppressants and is at higher risk of complications due to my autoimmune diseases, I know that I plan to be wearing a mask when we get flu or COVID or whatever dangerous disease outbreaks.  But I see absolutely no reason to have a mask on in places it is not required just to help the people who refuse to vaccinate-that is completely on them.  I will mask with good masks to protect me when I think it is necessary.

[marbel]

10 minutes ago, Carolina Wren said:

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.

 

2 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

 

 

Well I'm not admonishing anyone who follows CDC guidelines, but the fact that the CDC says it's no longer necessary doesn't mean it isn't prudent. I was masking before any mandates and will continue to mask, because my decisions are based on my own assessment of (1) the data on the efficacy of masks, (2) data on the efficacy of Pfizer against Delta, and (3) my personal desire to avoid getting covid, even if I am far less likely to die of it now that I'm vaxxed.

And in addition to not wanting to get (or spread) covid, I would really like to avoid the nasty RSV that seems to be circulating in the US right now. Coincidentally (or not), the highest rates of this RSV seem to be in states with the lowest rates of masking.

Right, sure, I get you both. My point was the inconsistency and resulting disdain for people who followed the CDC guidelines and masked (even if reluctantly at first), and are now following the CDC guidelines and deciding not to mask once fully vaccinated.  

[KSera]

2 hours ago, SKL said:

  And there are still plastic dividers and other safety apparatus in place all around. 

I don’t know why the plastic divider thing has persisted, despite aerosol scientists sounding the alarm since last year that they make things worse and not better, by hampering proper air flow and allowing aerosols to collect behind barriers, trapping them closer to people. It seems it makes sense in scenarios where people have to be within 6ft, to prevent direct droplet exposure, but it doesn’t help with aerosols at all, and that’s the primary problem when sharing a room with others. 

44 minutes ago, stephanier.1765 said:

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.

I think that’s a reasonable decision, but also that choosing to continue masking doesn’t mean people don’t believe the vaccine works as reported. Since there is a failure rate, and that rate is larger with the increasing Delta variant, it’s worth it to me to take extra measures to not contract it, so that we can continue to enjoy our new ability to see vaccinated family and friends now. My parents are elderly, which puts them at greater risk of having a less robust response to their vaccines. I’d like to be able to keep seeing them now that we have resumed, while minimizing the risk of carrying the virus to them. If not for Delta, I would have lower concern of that. But, we got vaccinated to protect ourselves and others from contracting the virus, not so that we could stop masking. I like that I don’t have to mask in every situation any more and that we can do a lot more things with lower risk, but I still want to protect the vulnerable I encounter, and masking isn’t a difficult way for me to do that. 
 

If everyone who could be vaccinated was, then I think everyone could feel comfortable to stop masking, because transmission would likely virtually stop. It’s the low vaccination rates keeping us in this situation. 

[KSera]

10 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

We don't have Delta here.

Are you out of the US? I didn’t know there were many places without Delta right now. It seems to be increasing virtually everywhere.

10 minutes ago, marbel said:

 

Right, sure, I get you both. My point was the inconsistency and resulting disdain for people who followed the CDC guidelines and masked (even if reluctantly at first), and are now following the CDC guidelines and deciding not to mask once fully vaccinated.  

I don’t know if there really are many people like that. It has seemed to me what people disdain are those who are using the new CDC guidance as an excuse to stop masking, even though they aren’t vaccinated. I’m still masking for the reasons I said above, but I don’t disdain those who are vaccinated who choose not to. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate those who are. 

[marbel]

33 minutes ago, KSera said:

I don’t know if there really are many people like that. It has seemed to me what people disdain are those who are using the new CDC guidance as an excuse to stop masking, even though they aren’t vaccinated. I’m still masking for the reasons I said above, but I don’t disdain those who are vaccinated who choose not to. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate those who are. 

Sorry to be unclear - I was not referring to you or to anyone on this board, just noting my observations among acquaintances/friends/family IRL. 

[HeartString]

2 hours ago, Carolina Wren said:

My state DHHS has estimated that continuing masking indoors with other households will save 1000 lives by the end of the calendar year.

That is probably true, for the unvaccinated, who are 99% or so of the deaths right now.  The vaccine may not be 100% protective from an asymptomatic case, or very light symptoms, but its nearly 100% for preventing deaths and hospitalizations.  

Edited June 24, 2021 by HeartString

[I talk to the trees]

5 hours 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.  

1- I am so very sorry about your autoimmune disease. My daughter has a bucketload of autoimmune issues. It sucks. That’s not something I would wish on anybody. I would love to believe that somewhere in that mess of Hashi-Lupus-Raynauds-Whatevertheheckelse life is going to throw at her that there is a gene that protects her from something. That would be a great silver lining to a very dark cloud. 
 2- Quoting from the CDC here, some vaccinated people will still get sick because  …no vaccine is 100%. (Not even the measles one, but again, we don’t see many cases because the vaccination rate is so high.) 

3-I have no idea why the board decided I was multi quoting, but I can’t for the life of me figure out how to erase it so everybody fill in the blank below with your favorite quotation. The one I'm holding on to right now is from A.A. Milne “You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” 

Quote

 

 

[Happy2BaMom]

I live in a state where the current vaccinated rate is <50%....and *NO ONE* is masking. Anywhere.

Countdown to being the next Missouri (Delta variant hot spot, if you're not already aware).......

[KungFuPanda]

1 hour ago, I talk to the trees said:

"There is no charge for awesomeness or attractiveness."
 

 

Oooh, I agree.  That's a good one!

[I talk to the trees]

14 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

Oooh, I agree.  That's a good one!

Ok, did I multi-quote you? Or did you fill it in? I can’t figure out how what looks to me like an empty box showed up in my post. 🤪

[Roadrunner]

Everybody in my household is vaccinated. We have thrown away masks for now. I keep one in the pocket just in  case I am in a crowded environment, but so far even large stores I have frequented haven't had crowds. There is only one person in a hospital with Covid in my county of half a million people. I am going to enjoy every day without a mask as long as I can, because the latest news out of Israel isn't promising. If I am forced back into my face shield in the Fall, at least I am going to say I had some normalcy over this summer.  

I am seeing older people still in masks in the stores. Went shopping for coffee mugs and even in the empty store, most had masks. Under the 50 crowd is decidedly unmasked. 

[Arcadia]

@mathnerd quoted from Palo Alto’s Covid update email. No face covering required outdoors even for unvaccinated. I am assuming that’s for workplace areas. 

 

“Cal/OSHA Issues Updated Masking Guidance and County Aligns with State, CDC 
Cal/OSHA revised their COVID-19 emergency temporary standards to reflect the availability of vaccinations and to align with the updated face-covering guidance issued by both the CDC and the California Department of Public Health. The standards provide options for employers to make a safe transition from physical distancing and face-covering mandates to more normal operations. The primary changes are:

• No face coverings required outdoors, regardless of vaccination status.
• Employers may allow fully vaccinated employees not to wear face coverings but must document their vaccination status.
• Employers must provide unvaccinated employees with approved respirators (i.e., N95) for voluntary use when working indoors or in a vehicle with others, upon request.
• No physical distance barrier requirement regardless of employee vaccination status with some exceptions.

For complete regulations, review the revisions on the Cal/OSHA website.”

COVID-19 Vaccine Progress Dashboard Data by ZIP Code (California)

https://data.chhs.ca.gov/dataset/covid-19-vaccine-progress-dashboard-data-by-zip-code

[KSera]

12 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

I am seeing older people still in masks in the stores. Went shopping for coffee mugs and even in the empty store, most had masks. Under the 50 crowd is decidedly unmasked. 

See, this is part of what gets me. I feel for these elderly folks who are venturing out, but are scared. They’ve made it through the year and gotten their vaccines, and they want to start doing normal things, but they don’t want to get this far only to get Covid now. They know they are the ones most likely to have a bad outcome with a breakthrough case. My parents are in this group. They have been so careful. They feel so nervous around people with no masks. They don’t know if the person has been vaccinated or not. The vaccine is allowing them to venture out now, but they don’t have the luxury of expecting the vaccine to be bulletproof for them. Pre-Covid, they had several vacations on the books that they had to cancel. They still want to do those things. They’re not ready to decide they’ve had a good run and throw caution to the wind. Especially not when we now have an excellent tool that could end this whole thing. 

[Roadrunner]

18 minutes ago, KSera said:

See, this is part of what gets me. I feel for these elderly folks who are venturing out, but are scared. They’ve made it through the year and gotten their vaccines, and they want to start doing normal things, but they don’t want to get this far only to get Covid now. They know they are the ones most likely to have a bad outcome with a breakthrough case. My parents are in this group. They have been so careful. They feel so nervous around people with no masks. They don’t know if the person has been vaccinated or not. The vaccine is allowing them to venture out now, but they don’t have the luxury of expecting the vaccine to be bulletproof for them. Pre-Covid, they had several vacations on the books that they had to cancel. They still want to do those things. They’re not ready to decide they’ve had a good run and throw caution to the wind. Especially not when we now have an excellent tool that could end this whole thing. 

the risk of contracting Covid in a county with a handful of cases while being fully vaccinated and then having a negative outcome even for elderly is tiny. The idea behind vaccinations is to return to normal. I think (unless somebody is an organ transplant  recipient or falls into a severe medical category), the fear needs to correspond to the reality on the ground. Where we live, there is no reason to be afraid. I am not sure where you are located.  

But yes, if people aren't comfortable being without masks, they should keep them on. 

My mom lives in a country where vaccines aren't available. I haven't seen her in two years. She has been mostly home alone for over a year now. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Roadrunner

[KSera]

50 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

the risk of contracting Covid in a county with a handful of cases while being fully vaccinated and then having a negative outcome even for elderly is tiny. The idea behind vaccinations is to return to normal. I think (unless somebody is an organ transplant  recipient or falls into a severe medical category), the fear needs to correspond to the reality on the ground. Where we live, there is no reason to be afraid. I am not sure where you are located.  

I know. That’s a reasonable perspective,  I’m just saying I feel for them and understand why they are masking and why they feel better when others do, too. They’ve lived through a pandemic that was hitting their demographic scary hard. It’s been a scary time for them. Cases are not as low here as in much of the country, and Delta is increasing, which I think is a reasonable concern due to the higher vaccine breakthrough rate, including hospitalizations. 

[Laura Corin]

Update from the big city. I was in Edinburgh yesterday. People were socially distanced on the train, but it wasn't too busy anyway.  Almost everyone was masked - as required - on the train and in shops.  In the newly-opened shopping centre, each store had a roped off area for queuing and someone on the door managing crowding.

Restaurants were open, so it was odd when people getting takeaways were masked and those sitting in were not. People were relaxed when customers got confused - no one was challenged that I saw.

83 percent of adults have had at least one jab with 61 percent fully-vaccinated. 

Edited June 27, 2021 by Laura Corin

[HomeAgain]

I let my 11yo go camping with the scouts this weekend at a council-wide event.  The council dropped the masking requirements for outdoors, scouts are in individual tents for sleeping, and masking is encouraged but not required indoors (I don't even think there were indoor activities at this event).

Scoutmaster sent out pics to the parents in which a number of scouts were wearing masks in their individual patrols and spacing themselves out.  They're doing their best to protect the under-12s, and it's appreciated.

 

 

[KungFuPanda]

On 6/24/2021 at 10:05 PM, I talk to the trees said:

Ok, did I multi-quote you? Or did you fill it in? I can’t figure out how what looks to me like an empty box showed up in my post. 🤪

I wanted to write inside your mystery box, but it didn't show up when I quoted you.  I ended up erasing your top quote and must writing in that box. 😁

On 6/24/2021 at 10:58 PM, Roadrunner said:

the risk of contracting Covid in a county with a handful of cases while being fully vaccinated and then having a negative outcome even for elderly is tiny. The idea behind vaccinations is to return to normal. I think (unless somebody is an organ transplant  recipient or falls into a severe medical category), the fear needs to correspond to the reality on the ground. Where we live, there is no reason to be afraid. I am not sure where you are located.  

But yes, if people aren't comfortable being without masks, they should keep them on. 

My mom lives in a country where vaccines aren't available. I haven't seen her in two years. She has been mostly home alone for over a year now. 

People are still cautious here.  Most people in grocery stores and medical facilities are still masked.  My county is 69% vaccinated, but the state is hovering just above 50% and that's not too encouraging. Most people are still masking their younger kids and camps are requiring masks.  People don't seem fearful, just remaining vigilant until we see how the numbers work out and how the delta variant plays out locally.  Apparently not enough people are vaccinated to prevent a spike due to this variant.

[KSera]

I posted this in a different thread a couple days ago, but seems relevant to this one: WHO urges fully vaccinated people to continue to wear masks as delta Covid variant spreads

 

Hopefully delta vaccine breakthrough cases don’t result in many serious cases. 

[LucyStoner]

100% of the campers and parents and camp staff milling around at my son’s camp bus drop off this AM were wearing masks. Odds are high these are all vaccinated people as well.  We uploaded his vaccine card to the online portal + they were doing rapid Covid testing before everyone got on the bus.  

[busymama7]

I was the only one masking in our women's meeting at church today. I didn't really look around to see how many in the main service.   I am only masking because I'm not vaccinated and that is the directive from the state.  I am so over it.   I'm fine with masking in theory but don't like being the only one. My kids are pretty much the only ones who are as well even though some are in the age group when it's required and they are too young for a vaccine.  I really don't want to wear one but feel like it's a matter of integrity to follow the law.  

[KSera]

33 minutes ago, busymama7 said:

I really don't want to wear one but feel like it's a matter of integrity to follow the law.  

Thanks for doing it. I imagine it must be difficult under your circumstances, and I respect and appreciate your integrity.

[regentrude]

Almost noone here is masking. Covid cases in my county have doubled within a week, then increased by factor 1.5 within three days. It's concerning,  especially since vax rates are very low in this rural, conservative, midwestern area.

[melmichigan]

I currently have little immune system from pulse therapy so my family is often the only people masking except when we go into the hospital or other medical facility.  My county is stuck at 44% with one dose, and around 38% with two doses.  We've made almost no progress on that and almost no one is testing anymore.  Everyone just wants to be done with it.

New information from Australia is suspecting kappa to be spread in less than a minute of contact. Israel reinstated quarantine to those exposed to delta regardless of vaccination, has changing the mask mandates because of the number of vaccinated getting it, and is debating other restrictions.  We have confirmed cases of delta (B.1.167.2) in the next county, with much movement between the two and it expected to be dominant in the next few weeks. We will continue to mask indoors and in large groups for now.  I just avoid people because I'm sick of hearing about how I can take the mask off now. 😞

Edited June 27, 2021 by melmichigan
clarify kappa vs delta

[mommyoffive]

15 minutes ago, melmichigan said:

I currently have little immune system from pulse therapy so my family is often the only people masking except when we go into the hospital or other medical facility.  My county is stuck at 44% with one dose, and around 38% with two doses.  We've made almost no progress on that and almost no one is testing anymore.  Everyone just wants to be done with it.

New information from Australia is suspecting delta to be spread in less than a minute of contact. Israel reinstated quarantine to those exposed to delta regardless of vaccination, has changing the mask mandates because of the number of vaccinated getting it, and is debating other restrictions.  We have confirmed cases of delta (B.1.167.2) in the next county, with much movement between the two and it expected to be dominant in the next few weeks. We will continue to mask indoors and in large groups for now.  I just avoid people because I'm sick of hearing about how I can take the mask off now. 😞

Sigh.  So scared.  This all just sucks.

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

I posted this in a different thread a couple days ago, but seems relevant to this one: WHO urges fully vaccinated people to continue to wear masks as delta Covid variant spreads

 

Hopefully delta vaccine breakthrough cases don’t result in many serious cases. 

Ok.  Glad I never stopped.  Are we supposed to be wearing them in all cases?  Just inside?  

[Spryte]

29 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Ok.  Glad I never stopped.  Are we supposed to be wearing them in all cases?  Just inside?  

Wondering that as well.  Is WHO encouraging people to mask outdoors as well as indoors?  
 

Sigh.  I’m ready to just say, “I’m done!” … Like so many others.  I won’t, because I’m determined to be stronger than that, but man, this is a long haul.  

[mommyoffive]

Just now, Spryte said:

Wondering that as well.  Is WHO encouraging people to mask outdoors as well as indoors?  
 

Sigh.  I’m ready to just say, “I’m done!” … Like so many others.  I won’t, because I’m determined to be stronger than that, but man, this is a long haul.  

I don't mind masking.  I mean I had some trouble with it in heat/higher altitude but I was wearing a KN94.  A surgical one probably would have been better.  But we were in crowds outdoors.  

I do want this to be over.  So much.  I want normal life.  I want to be able to put kids in things without the stress and worry.   But I find it so stressful to always know what to do.  Always be reading the updated info that is always changing.  Dh just got back from a work trip.  We don't know what he is supposed to be doing to protect our kids (younger than 12) .  I mean I guess we all are at risk even though we are fully vaccinated.  

[lynn]

Sometimes I go shopping and it's 50/50  other times only 10-20% masked.   

[sassenach]

My county is 80% vaccinated (including kids too young to be vaccinated) and yet I would say about 75% of people are still masking. I don't get it but I'm trying not to be bothered by it. As long as I have the option not to, I need to let the rest go.

(Though seriously, I truly don't understand the people still wearing a mask into restaurants and then taking them off at their indoor table.)

[Farrar]

With the WHO advice, I'm good continuing exactly what I was doing. Mask indoors in public spaces. Unmasked outdoors. Unmasked indoors with small groups where everyone is vaxed.

But the numbers here are really good. Vaccination rates are decent, case numbers are super low, testing levels are still good. We had zero reported Covid deaths in my not-a-state (support statehood) for an entire week. Case numbers have now repeatedly fallen into single digits in the daily reporting. If it gets like some of these low vax rate, no masks states again, maybe I'll shift my thinking.

[Roadrunner]

We are still waiting for instructions about the camp for my 14 year old. So far all we know is kids will get single rooms and food will be served outside where those without vaccinations can be without masks. We are hoping that new state guidelines will mean they can be maskless indoors as well if vaccinated. So far this isn’t confirmed. 
Here also numbers looks good. Only one person in the county is hospitalized and both infection and vaccination numbers are good. 
 

[mathnerd]

On 6/23/2021 at 9:49 PM, Arcadia said:

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.  

I went to my local large TJ's (San Jose) today and I counted the # of people wearing masks. There were 2 employees without masks indulging in continuous loud talking to each other across aisles, every other employee wore masks. The younger employees (looked like college students) were all wearing masks. As for customers, there were around 80 approximately, and I counted 6 without masks (midday crowd). The customers without masks were either middle aged or older people.

There is a fast food place next-door and most were stopping in wearing masks and taking their food to go rather than choosing to eat there.

WHO is urging people to use masks because of the spread of Delta variant: 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/25/delta-who-urges-fully-vaccinated-people-to-continue-to-wear-masks-as-variant-spreads.html

I am glad to see many people in my area taking precautions against the Delta variant. The current # of Delta infected patients in my county is under 60. I hope that it stays low.

[KSera]

6 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Ok.  Glad I never stopped.  Are we supposed to be wearing them in all cases?  Just inside?  

I’m pretty sure just inside (or in crowds outside),  but I’d have to find the whole statement to be sure. I will share if I find it.

4 hours ago, sassenach said:

My county is 80% vaccinated (including kids too young to be vaccinated) and yet I would say about 75% of people are still masking. I don't get it but I'm trying not to be bothered by it. As long as I have the option not to, I need to let the rest go.

It bothers you when other people mask?

Edited June 28, 2021 by KSera
typo

[TravelingChris]

5 minutes ago, KSera said:

I’m pretty sure just inside ( we’re in crowds outside),  but I’d have to find the whole statement to be sure. I will share if I find it.

It bothers you when other people mask?

It does me because I know the person has anxiety and that bothers me.  I am specifically thinking about a small group of women in my book club.  One lady is so scared that even though we were all vaccinated and outdoors, she put her mask on.  And I know her well enough that I know there is no medical reason for that mask.

[sassenach]

5 minutes ago, KSera said:

 

It bothers you when other people mask?

It does and I recognize that it shouldn’t. I guess it just feels hopeless. Like if we’re living in a place that’s 80% vaccinated, has no hospitalizations, case rate of 1.8/100k and the majority of people are masking, I feel like it’ll just always be this way and there’s some grief in that for me. 
 

 

[sassenach]

11 minutes ago, KSera said:

 

It bothers you when other people mask?

Also, it genuinely upsets me when people mask in nonsensical situations.  I still see people outdoors, exercising alone, masked. That’s upsetting because something has really gone sideways in the mask messaging and I wish the messengers had done a better job with that. 

[KSera]

3 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

It does me because I know the person has anxiety and that bothers me.  I am specifically thinking about a small group of women in my book club.  One lady is so scared that even though we were all vaccinated and outdoors, she put her mask on.  And I know her well enough that I know there is no medical reason for that mask.

Maybe it will help you knowing that it doesn’t always mean the person has anxiety. My whole family masks indoors in public still, and none of us for anxiety reasons (I do have a kid with pre-existing anxiety, but none of the rest of us do it due to anxiety, nor do they). I do believe there are some people who do it due to anxiety. And I give them grace for that after what we’ve lived through. 

1 minute ago, sassenach said:

It does and I recognize that it shouldn’t. I guess it just feels hopeless. Like if we’re living in a place that’s 80% vaccinated, has no hospitalizations, case rate of 1.8/100k and the majority of people are masking, I feel like it’ll just always be this way and there’s some grief in that for me. 
 

 

I don’t think it will always be this way. It’s just that it’s not over yet. We got vaccinated to protect ourselves and others from catching Covid, not so that we could stop masking (though that will be nice), so I may have a different outlook. 

[sassenach]

16 minutes ago, KSera said:

I don’t think it will always be this way. It’s just that it’s not over yet. We got vaccinated to protect ourselves and others from catching Covid, not so that we could stop masking (though that will be nice), so I may have a different outlook. 

Yeah, I guess I'm of the thought that covid is not going away. I think it'll always be circulating. We masked to protect others (and ourselves when we wore N95s). My vaccine is more effective than a cloth mask at protecting others. So putting those 2 thoughts together (vaccine>mask plus Covid is with us forever) I'm not sure what the trajectory is from here. 

[SlowRiver]

We have low cases here but masking is still mandated indoors, and I don't often see anyone without. There has been a certain % of elderly people who have masked under the nose all along, I assume because they find it somehow difficult not to.

I'm noticing some real rumblings though. People here are almost always pretty ready to pitch in, sometimes even when they should probably ask more questions. But I'm hearing more and more people saying that they won't mask or follow other restrictions that much longer and they are coming to the end of their willingness to carry on. I suspect that when we get to most people being fully vaccinated many people will stop, even if there is another variant in the mix and it's still mandated.

Edited June 27, 2021 by SlowRiver

[SlowRiver]

1 minute ago, sassenach said:

Yeah, I guess I'm of the thought that covid is not going away. I think it'll always be circulating. We masked to protect others (and ourselves when we wore N95s). My vaccine is more effective than a cloth mask at protecting others. So putting those 2 thoughts together (vaccine>mask plus Covid is with us forever) I'm not sure what the trajectory is from here. 

Yes, I don't think there is any reason to think it will go away. Has anyone involved in the medical side ever said it might? 

[KungFuPanda]

37 minutes ago, sassenach said:

Also, it genuinely upsets me when people mask in nonsensical situations.  I still see people outdoors, exercising alone, masked. That’s upsetting because something has really gone sideways in the mask messaging and I wish the messengers had done a better job with that. 

If it's any consolation, the normalization of masks has people using them for other reasons.  I have friends with allergies who prefer the mask to allergy meds.  Hopefully we'll become a society that masks if we go out with a cold so we don't share with our neighbors.

[LucyStoner]

4 hours ago, Spryte said:

Wondering that as well.  Is WHO encouraging people to mask outdoors as well as indoors?  
 

Sigh.  I’m ready to just say, “I’m done!” … Like so many others.  I won’t, because I’m determined to be stronger than that, but man, this is a long haul.  

I doubt I will be wearing masks outside unless I’m in a pretty crowded situation.  I can see the need for inside, especially when social distancing isn’t realistic.  But with vaccine rates being as high as they are in the places I go and with what we know about out of doors transmission, I’m not really feeling the need to commit to outdoor masking across the board, especially since none of the things I do outside are vaguely crowded.  Most are in fact quite solitary or just with my (vaccinated) family.  

[Arcadia]

@mathnerd Cost Plus Serramonte was about two-thirds masked and quite empty. The rest of Serramonte Center was more crowded than before Covid. Cars circling around to find parking. Grocery Outlet Hickey was about half. Costco South SF was almost all masked but people were pulling down mask to eat samples from sample stations. Also the Costco staff at the door checking receipts has his mask on his chin. 

[sassenach]

15 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

@mathnerd Cost Plus Serramonte was about two-thirds masked and quite empty. The rest of Serramonte Center was more crowded than before Covid. Cars circling around to find parking. Grocery Outlet Hickey was about half. Costco South SF was almost all masked but people were pulling down mask to eat samples from sample stations. Also the Costco staff at the door checking receipts has his mask on his chin. 

Sample stations are back?! That might be the most shocking thing I’ve read on this thread. (I’ve been back to Costco exactly once since the pandemic began and it was way too crowded for me. Now that I’m vaxxed I just can’t muster up the will to go back. 

[Arcadia]

43 minutes ago, sassenach said:

Sample stations are back?! That might be the most shocking thing I’ve read on this thread. (I’ve been back to Costco exactly once since the pandemic began and it was way too crowded for me. Now that I’m vaxxed I just can’t muster up the will to go back. 

The sample stations has been back for more than a week in north bay and south bay.  They might have been back in Fremont as well.

[importswim]

I had Covid and have been vaccinated so I don't wear a mask unless it's required and then I'll don one without a problem. It's rare to see masks where I live and has been for a long while. As of today 34% of the population in my county are vaccinated, that means 66% are not vaxxed but are not masking or being at all careful. 😥

[Terabith]

I saw only a handful of people masked in TN, KY, IL, IN, or OH.  In Pennsylvania, one particular college required masks, but in the community, I didn't see anyone masking.  Now that we are back in VA, I'm also seeing pretty much nobody mask.  

I mean, we've returned to masking, but we've been the only ones.  It's hard to figure out if we need to start social distancing again or not.  Numbers are still really low here, but with Delta, it seems like there might not be a lot of warning.

[mathnerd]

2 hours ago, Arcadia said:

Costco South SF was almost all masked but people were pulling down mask to eat samples from sample stations. Also the Costco staff at the door checking receipts has his mask on his chin. 

I go to the SF costco and the Coleman costco often. Almost everyone wears a mask in both of these places. Some do wear them around their mouths, which is better than no mask at all. But, bay area had many people masking even in Feb 2020 which makes this not so surprising.

3 hours ago, sassenach said:

Yeah, I guess I'm of the thought that covid is not going away. I think it'll always be circulating. We masked to protect others (and ourselves when we wore N95s). My vaccine is more effective than a cloth mask at protecting others. So putting those 2 thoughts together (vaccine>mask plus Covid is with us forever) I'm not sure what the trajectory is from here. 

The virus is lurking still, it is mutating, Delta variant is spreading in LA and the Bay Area and we might see a more virulent variant emerging. If someone is vaccinated, then the virus may not take a hold on them if they are exposed to the Delta variant. If we assume that 10% of the vaccinated population will not have protection against the Delta variant (which is what Pfizer claims) then, that would mean 15 million people in a vaccinated population of 150 million are vulnerable to hospitalization through covid . That is no small number and many choose to wear masks for that reason.

We are using vaccines with the intention of bringing the levels of covid circulating in our society so low that there is no more threat to living a normal lifestyle. But, vaccines are not 100% bulletproof at this point. The vaccines will prevent the majority of us from death if we catch the disease, prevent us from being hospitalized and we will hopefully bounce back from infections because of the scientific marvel that these vaccines are and continue on in our lives.

In reality, what we might see happening is that the vaccines will make each "wave" of covid hitting our area become smaller and smaller and at some point, either through vaccines/boosters or getting infected, our entire society will be able to fend off the virus and it will vanish and the pandemic will be gone for good.