No, but there are situations where one feels unwell and has to leave the house, such as going to the doctor’s or picking up a prescription from the pharmacy where they don’t have others who are able to do it for them. I’d prefer they mask in those situations, if they can’t stay home.
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But you aren’t claiming that you aren’t wearing a mask because the FDA is telling you to do so.
This. Or even if they have to work, because they can drag themselves in and they won’t make the rent of they stay home. There are lots of reasons why people who don’t feel well go out in public, and wearing a mask when you do so significantly reduces the risk to others. (Especially if you know how to wear a mask…)
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correct, but it’s probably a good starting place (“because the FDA is telling you to do so” <> "here are the pros and cons, and our recommendation is…). recommendations from FDA, CDC, WHO, NIH, etc should be viewed with a very skeptical eye. not out of spite but because of track record, revolving doors, regulatory capture, etc. many things at the intersection of drugs & health, and govt are sus.
i assume that the masking advocates here all have clean shaven faces, at least those areas where the mask comes in contact with the skin.
Well I don’t think my old lady chin hairs are THAT prominent, but now I’m second guessing myself.
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You’re probably safe, but I see the occasional bearded woman when I’m out and about so I kept the language sex neutral.
On more than one occasion, I have said to myself, “f— it. I don’t want to bother shaving well; I’ll just wear a mask.”
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Prepandemic I did not realize how effective masks were for keeping germs out of my system
I wear them on planes all the time (I’m usually the only one)
I haven’t really been sick in ages. It is kind of amazing
The oldest is going to daycare soon though so I’m probably screwed going forward
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I think most Americans will look at continued masking guidance that treats COVID differently from other viruses and ask “what is the point”? Nearly everyone at this point is a COVID survivor with second or third infections generally of less consequence than the first one. Deaths so far this year (last 3 months) based on the CDC estimate of 3.8 per 100k translates into less than 15k deaths and continues to decline…I suspect most of those came in January.
The CDC has the most recent flu death estimates at 23k for the past season. It will almost certainly overtake COVID in the next 12 months.
I guess if I am the CDC, I’d like to keep some momentum on the idea that if you are sick with something, take steps to prevent whatever it is from spreading. Sure, you might be peak contagious at different periods for different viruses, but that’s going to get lost in any ask to the public. The other thing you need to consider is that you can be contagious and not spread COVID to anyone given widespread public immunity…we are in year 5 of this…
So yeah, if you are sick, dont visit grandma regardless of what you have.
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It is sad that people need this general advice that has always been reasonable (even before it became fashionable).
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My grandma, who survived the 1918 flu pandemic, was a strong proponent of not infecting others if you were sick.
Interesting. I know an awful lot of people who were sicker the second time. I wonder if that varies with age, or if I just know unlucky people.
Were they vaccinated initially? I can think of a few people who said that, but caught COVID early before vaccines were available.
Of the 15-20 closest family/friends/coworkers that I’d know their full COVID experience, its 3 that caught covid first pre-vaccine, 10 that caught it post vaccine, and 6 that have never had it. I think all of the 3 have had it twice, and they had a worse time with it on #2, but nothing severe, while it was mild the second time for the vaccinated group.
For the group 2 that are coworkers, case #1 was 2-4 days of PTO and barely functional enough to send an email while #2 was maybe a day off but everyone could have powered through it at reduced capacity.
It seems a little bit like how the original vaccine was worse for those who had COVID before while the booster/dose #2 was worse for those who never had it.
Since we’re doing anecdotes, most of the unvaxed people I know have had Covid once or twice (once for me), with the second round being far less severe than the first infection. I know way more people who are vaxed and that’s where I’m seeing 3 and 4 rounds of Covid infection, more colds, etc.
Those are among the possible reasons.
I would expect anyone unvaxxed to be sicker the first time they catch it, because almost everyone gets sicker if they catch something with a naive immune system than after they develop some immunity. That’s the point of vaccines, to develop that immunity without the initial serious illness. (Dengue is an exception.)
My anecdotes are for old people who were vaxxed.
My young friends mostly didn’t get very sick from covid. My older friends often did get pretty sick, although many didn’t.
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but, as you say, an awful lot of people were sicker the second time. were they vaxed or unvaxed? equally in both camps or heavier in one or the other?
The relevant comparison is first to second time for vaxxed people as compared to second to third time for unvaxxed people. The first time for unvaxxed people is likely to be worse than any subsequent case.
I was talking about vaxxed people.
I mean, if you want to trade anecdotes about the difference in severity of initial cases between vaxxed and unvaxxed people, i knew at least half a dozen unvaxxed people who died from their first case, two of them in their 40s, and only one vaxxed person who died from her first case, and she was 80 and severely immune compromised.
anecdata is fun. i know 1 unvaxed who died from first covid infection, old and unhealthy. i know several people, mostly young and healthy, who died suddenly and unexpectedly shortly after vax.
not dead, but i know 2 doctors who had to give up their practices shortly after vax, 1 a surgeon. sudden onset of hand tremors.
Right, Dengue was the thought I had…but am admittedly not educated as to why that one is different and if there would be any reason to expect something similar from covid. I thought immune overreaction was a bit of the mechanism that was discussed early on for some younger covid deaths.
Anecdotally, my parents generation is in their 60s and early 70s, and my grandparents generation has mostly passed, so a bit of luck on the timing of covid for those around me and impacts personally have been fairly limited.
For 2-3 years you’ll pick up every disease that is common in the USA… enjoy your bout of hand foot & mouth!
Then your immune system will be fantastic and you won’t need to bother with masks.