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Will masks come back or are people too sick of them?


MickinMD

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Even though I'm supposedly armed to the teeth with anti-COVID antibodies and memory Beta Cells, I'm still wearing a mask in indoor public places.

Deaths are low but higher in 95%-5-and-over-vaccinated Maryland than last year and hospitalizations are way up since last year:

The government is pushing Pfizer and Moderna, for the Fall, to have a combined booster that creates antibodies for the previous strains and for the latest versions of Omicron.

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Worldwide, Cases are up and France is considering returning to masks.  The USA is averaging 78,000 cases/day compared to 15,000 a year ago.  Almost all are Omicron, for which no vaccine has been authorized yet but Moderna says it's version with be ready and distributed in August.

Every one of the reliable nations in this list have more death now than a year ago except the European Union and Japan.

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I was just talking to family members in Toronto this afternoon.  1 sister put her mask after eating lunch. She and others were indoors at home.

She works full-time in a pediatric hospital. Unfortunately she was exposed to worker with covid a few days ago. My mother @87 yrs. was at the same table..

I expect after the Calgary Stampede this month for lst time after 2 yrs., our area will get a covid surge....if we hear about the results.   

The above figure is not accurate for CAnada. If one self-tests @ home, there's no requirement to report to health authorities for covid outside of hospital.

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No one seems to care anymore.  Tens of thousands gather at sporting events, you rarely see a mask among the fans.  I almost never see masks at stores anymore.

No one cares.  Thousands are still dying every day.  WHO says cases are rising everywhere.  At least 10x the number that die from the flu, but people lose their minds about flu deaths.

As long as I get to see my football game live and drink 18 beers while I'm there, who cares?

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1 hour ago, Square Wheels said:

No one seems to care anymore.  Tens of thousands gather at sporting events, you rarely see a mask among the fans.  I almost never see masks at stores anymore.

No one cares.  Thousands are still dying every day.  WHO says cases are rising everywhere.  At least 10x the number that die from the flu, but people lose their minds about flu deaths.

As long as I get to see my football game live and drink 18 beers while I'm there, who cares?

I agree with your sentiment.  We don’t require them at work and are having exposures daily.  But… we aren’t mandated to mask so people don’t.

 It seems it’s being looked at more like the flu as it’s impacting people more similarly to the flu now.  Yes cases are up, hospitalizations are up and even deaths are up but still well below previous spikes.  It seems our county & state leaders are OK with it and not mandating masks.

 

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I always carry one with me, but mostly only wear it if a store requests it, if I'm in a place with people who are particularly vulnerable (a lot of my neighbors are older) or if I'm going to be with someone in an enclosed space for an extended area (such as on a train ride)

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4 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Masks are gone?  I still see a lot of them. 

In my area, in large grocery stores where I've been, they've been quite rare for past month....except for T&T, large Asian supermarket. I was there 2 days ago for lst time this yr.  It didn't surprise me....for shoppers in addition to employees.

On transit alot of people still mask. But I will find out the latest, since I might have to board transit upcoming wk.

I just think there is an incredible naivete since there are still enough people unvaxxed or 1 shot only.  It's only because each provincial authority is not reporting much. Alberta's reporting is alot skimpier than Ontario's.  early 2022, Alberta chief medical officer had to testify in court on the vaccination mandates....which shows how extreme some folks can be to pressure an authority who did her best  to follow science last 2 yrs. and aligned with the other CAnadian provincial health authorities. 

 I appreciate her leadership under very difficult circumstances in limelight.

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24 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

This won't end in our lifetime.  Hell, the legal games are just starting to ramp up.  

We, as humans, don't seem willing to do what it takes to bring this to an end.  Covid has moved to somewhere around page 9 in the news and the human race seems more interested in what the fall television lineup will look like.  We aren't even interested in the war anymore.

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4 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

We, as humans, don't seem willing to do what it takes to bring this to an end.  Covid has moved to somewhere around page 9 in the news and the human race seems more interested in what the fall television lineup will look like.  We aren't even interested in the war anymore.

true!

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22 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

 In the United States today, only 66.7% of the population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19 – even though we are over two years since the virus first surfaced.

So says article. I doubt CAnada is much better if that.  I recently learned of someone at work where his whole family got covid and him also. In late 2020, he told me he wasn't planning to get vaccinated. Now this is someone I worked alot with, on various assignments.  I was surprised.

I didn't ask him this yr. when he told me of the sickness, if he got vaxxed earlier.

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So I looked up the latest for CAnada for our vaccination rate.  The 80% is as of June 2022. Canada’s COVID-19 response stacks up well against other nations: study | Globalnews.ca  There is a small push for those to get 3rd shot.  

I got my 3rd shot in the first large public push....back in Dec. 2021.

I dunno...there alot more naysayers in various circles this yr.  At least in the province where I am.

But Razak said the success of Canada’s immunization drive emerged as the strongest takeaway from the research, praising officials for engaging with the population and ensuring vaccines were readily available across the country.

More than 80 per cent of eligible Canadians have been fully vaccinated with two doses as of June. The percentage of the vaccinated populations in other G10 countries is between 64 and 77 per cent, according to the study.

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10 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

The challenges IMO are entirely controlled by our motivation to do it.

I selfishly just think for myself in early 60's, that although my health is very good in this age bracket, I can't assume that I will remain physically strong for each virus wave. I'm getting older, not younger.

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So just now, I just found out that 54 firefighters from our fire dept. have covid...they are attributing to gatherings..hockey game attendance, recent retirement parties. :( Some of them may eat together at fire stations.

It's a concern enough that a special set of instructions is issued plus new directives. THe problem is that we can't have alot of firefighters all sick at the same time... 

Now I really think we will get local surge after the Stampede.

Some of the beer tents pack in people, etc.  It's a type of event, a few enthusiastic employees take a few vacation days to enjoy /party up at these events, during Stampede.

 

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6 hours ago, Square Wheels said:

No one seems to care anymore.  Tens of thousands gather at sporting events, you rarely see a mask among the fans.  I almost never see masks at stores anymore.

No one cares.  Thousands are still dying every day.  WHO says cases are rising everywhere.  At least 10x the number that die from the flu, but people lose their minds about flu deaths.

As long as I get to see my football game live and drink 18 beers while I'm there, who cares?

Strange,  my cousins would not visit their parents. Only through the window,  drop off food at their door step to keep them safe. 

But yet attend sporting events unmasked. 

I'd think they would skip the sports ND care for the 86 yo parents first. 

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You know, people for the most part did what they were supposed to do.  I'm not talking about folks out in the country or other individual rights over public rights states.  But after having 2 boosters and knowing other folks who had the same and still got covid, maybe it's time to let is pass through the community.  Not because wearing masks is a drag but because you're bound to get it anyway so why fight it and subsidize the pharmaceuticals?  Honestly, I don't care that much anymore because it's a weaker strain and I've already got some protection against it. I still keep my distance though.  I say get the shots, keep your distance, don't face swap saliva with strangers, and then live life. Masks optional.

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2 hours ago, Dottles said:

You know, people for the most part did what they were supposed to do.  I'm not talking about folks out in the country or other individual rights over public rights states.  But after having 2 boosters and knowing other folks who had the same and still got covid, maybe it's time to let is pass through the community.  Not because wearing masks is a drag but because you're bound to get it anyway so why fight it and subsidize the pharmaceuticals?  Honestly, I don't care that much anymore because it's a weaker strain and I've already got some protection against it. I still keep my distance though.  I say get the shots, keep your distance, don't face swap saliva with strangers, and then live life. Masks optional.

BS.  Every time you "let it go through the community" and infect another a chance for a new mutation occurs.  Eventually we will find a mutation that is much worse.  This let it go attitude is a large part of the problem with not doing enough to contain it now.

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1 hour ago, maddmaxx said:

BS.  Every time you "let it go through the community" and infect another a chance for a new mutation occurs.  Eventually we will find a mutation that is much worse.  This let it go attitude is a large part of the problem with not doing enough to contain it now.

I don't feel that way.  I think in the end we are going to do what we want to do and in fact there will be those that do whatever they want anyway and you're not going to be able to stop them without Draconian laws implemented -- and I don't ever see that happening.  You're dealing with human beings here, Max.  Fallible.  Myopic.  Me-first organisms that have trouble thinking and trusting beyond ourselves  -- particularly when it comes to things we cannot see.  I'm not advocating it --- but it's going to happen.  The same reason I think this planet burns up -- global warming is too big of problem for mankind because by the time one realizes it and accepts it, it's too late.  And how you get all counties on board and who going to get to politice it is almost impossible? The honor system isn’t going to work  same goes with Covid  

It is unsettling.  I'm just saying sooner or later covid is coming to your house no matter what the government and private sector does.  Get your vaccines.

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The primary driver in our house is Wo7. She is immune compromised and over the Covid years she has become overly cautious. Mask up everywhere. If we are where there are others, indoor or out, she will mask up. Restaurant? Only if there’s outdoor seating, usually we do takeout. Where we live, about 10% mask up in stores. Closer to DC the numbers go up, denser population, etc. we were at Costco before noon and masks were 50/50. 

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1 hour ago, Old No. 7 said:

The primary driver in our house is Wo7. She is immune compromised and over the Covid years she has become overly cautious. Mask up everywhere. If we are where there are others, indoor or out, she will mask up. Restaurant? Only if there’s outdoor seating, usually we do takeout. Where we live, about 10% mask up in stores. Closer to DC the numbers go up, denser population, etc. we were at Costco before noon and masks were 50/50. 

I'm glad you're supporting her by being with her, masked, etc.

2 hours ago, Dottles said:

 Myopic.  Me-first organisms that have trouble thinking and trusting beyond ourselves  -- particularly when it comes to things we cannot see.  I'm not advocating it --- but it's going to happen.  The same reason I think this planet burns up -- global warming is too big of problem for mankind because by the time one realizes it and accepts it, it's too late.  And how you get all counties on board and who going to get to politice it is almost impossible? The honor system isn’t going to work  same goes with Covid  

It is unsettling.  I'm just saying sooner or later covid is coming to your house no matter what the government and private sector does.  Get your vaccines.

It depends on personal situations and network of family members and close friends one wishes to see after several yrs. not seeing them.

I got covid back in late Feb. Probably from being in a high ceiling restaurant with lots of ventilation and people spaced out eating. I was with a friend who hasn't gotten covid yet so far as of this wk.  Instead so far, she got a bad cold which she thinks she got from attending several children's birthday parties outdoors.  So I asked that she and I not meet for a wk. or so. Most likely our regular immunity to flu, etc. has been broken down abit.  

In 2 wks., will probably mask up at  staff all-day town hall of 50 people..which only parts will be outdoors if weather is good. I'll bet alot of staff won't mask, even though we are encouraged to be supportive,etc.  My personal reasons are driven now to stay healthy for the next 4 months:

  • Seeing family in person after not seeing them for last 3 years. ..lst set coming to see me in prairie city next month. She is the physician-sister...so really I can't infect her.. She is a primary breadwinner for family of 2 children with hubby. Yes, she sees patients with covid.
  • Then Sept. flying to Toronto for 3 hrs. Good thing airlines still require on-plane masking and in airports. So can stay with family ( this sister works full-time in different hospital) for a wk. See my mother.
  • See nephew and his family of which now they have a immunocompromised baby in hospital for rest of summer. I will have to mask up.. probably around my family indoors most of the time.
  • Probably need to fly out to Vancouver to settle certain things re possessions. This is a legal matter with timelines. And I can't be sick.
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2 hours ago, Dottles said:

I don't feel that way.  I think in the end we are going to do what we want to do and in fact there will be those that do whatever they want anyway and you're not going to be able to stop them without Draconian laws implemented -- and I don't ever see that happening.  You're dealing with human beings here, Max.  Fallible.  Myopic.  Me-first organisms that have trouble thinking and trusting beyond ourselves  -- particularly when it comes to things we cannot see.  I'm not advocating it --- but it's going to happen.  The same reason I think this planet burns up -- global warming is too big of problem for mankind because by the time one realizes it and accepts it, it's too late.  And how you get all counties on board and who going to get to politice it is almost impossible? The honor system isn’t going to work  same goes with Covid  

It is unsettling.  I'm just saying sooner or later covid is coming to your house no matter what the government and private sector does.  Get your vaccines.

I got the vaccines and I wear the mask.  Do your fucking party too.  Everything else is just an excuse for the "you gotta live" folks.

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6 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

I got the vaccines and I wear the mask.  Do your fucking party too.  Everything else is just an excuse for the "you gotta live" folks.

I’ll choose my way forward thank you. And yes as a matter of fact I’m doing my fucking party today and one tomorrow. I recommend you stay home though 

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