I agree with everyone saying they will still wear a mask because the overlap between anti-mask people and won't-get-the-vaccine people is probably 100%. I haven't had so much as a sniffle in a year and a half; I'm good with that.
Unfortunately, my 21-year-old son, living in a redder-than-red state for college, has taken on the "I'm vaxxed/numbers are good/no need to wear a mask anymore/I'm young and healthy and invincible" mindset, and he's currently waiting for covid test results. His roommate tested positive on Wednesday (his parents had essentially told him he would be disowned if he gets the vaccine; I argue that he's 21 and can do what he wants, and how would they even know? But he's a bit brainwashed.), and he admitted he's had a sore throat for two days, which he attributed to being back in the pool for training. He got tested yesterday, and should hear back today; fingers crossed he just has a cold. We went out of state (to a red state) for a family wedding over Memorial Day weekend (very small, immediately family only, outdoor wedding, so I felt safe in not wearing a mask), and at every gas stop along the way, my daughter and I still wore our masks into the gas station, but he walked in mask-free, like the world couldn't stop him. I truly hope he tests negative, but will have to refrain but a giant mom "told you so" if he caught it. Sadly, he will learn his lesson the hard way; he qualified for a huge event this weekend, and won't be able to attend if he's positive. That will hurt.
I fully believe in the vaccine, but still believe in the mask. The vaccine isn't 100%.
@enkasongwriter Not sure why you want to do that. Must be more than just that they didn't get vaccinated.
Important information about the Delta Covid variant.
This is the variant which has devastated India. It transmits more easily than other strains and is expected to be the dominate strain in the US before fall.
Pfizer is 88 percent effective if you have both doses. Only 33 percent effective with one dose.
I haven’t read anything on other US vaccinations but Astra Zeneca is 60 percent I believe.
I know most of those viewing this forum have been or are trying to get vaccinated. I urge you to do so if your health allows. This variant is quite concerning.
I live in a red state and am taking a good look at just when I will go maskless in an indoor setting like a store. Only about 40 percent of people here seem to wear masks and I think I will be keeping a close eye on my local news for information on stats.
Also, I have been reading more about people who have Covid but have no symptoms. Remember, you can transmit the virus and not even know you have it.
I read an article today about Texas hospitalization numbers going up. I think more states will follow.
Talk with those who are unvaccinated and let them know about this new variant. You may save a life.
@lovendures Thank you for this vital information. It's so easy to get lax when the social norm is maskless. Today I saw the results of a study. It's a no brainer, but I guess people need to know that the virus is spreading in places where people aren't vaccinated, and diminishing fast where people are vaccinated.
There is a good piece on Slate today entitled "Maybe We're Asking Vaccine Skeptics the Wrong Question". It's a new way to frame the issue.
The key messages:
Sooner or later—and probably sooner, since the supercharged delta variant already accounts for 10 percent of U.S. infections, and that share is doubling every two weeks—people who don’t take one of the approved vaccines will get the virus. They might think of that as an alternative to vaccination, but it’s not. The virus will do the same thing the vaccines do: It will provoke their immune systems to develop antibodies. The difference is that the virus, unlike the vaccines, will attack their bodies and quite possibly kill them.
and..
So if you haven’t been vaccinated, or if you’re talking to someone who hasn’t been vaccinated, the right question to ask isn’t whether to get vaccinated; it’s which vaccine to take. Would you rather come in, at a time of your choosing, to get a vaccine that’s been carefully tested for safety? Or would you rather be ambushed with a virus that has killed millions of people?
Lately, the new deaths are among the unvaccinated. Mostly the red states are the ones getting hit hard. [content removed] My grandma, aunts, and cousins are unvaccinated as they use religion as their excuse. I feel that karma will come to them when they get infected.
@enkasongwriter This is one of the saddest parts of things. When you look at a global population of well over 7 billion and you see global deaths totaling around 4 million (Can't remember the exact stat but CBS Sunday Morning had it this morning) it's easy to do math and say "Well, that's sad and all but it's a small number in the grand scheme of things." or "God will protect me."
Unfortunately that couldn't be farther from the truth.
Preventable deaths - amongst the elderly. Amongst people with underlying health issues. Amongst fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, and offspring. Long haul COVID 19 sufferers like my cousin Kevin who is still, months later, unable to work a full shift. A mathematical number doesn't even begin to cover the human cost.
I'm a slightly aggressive driver - it comes with the territory of driving as often and for as long as I typically do in a non-pandemic year.
But when I have people in my car I always say "I'm taking it easy because you're precious cargo to someone."
Those four million people were precious cargo to someone.
And most of them could have been prevented.
It's so, so sad.
This is why I'm holding my breath as society "reopens:"
https://towardstheedges.com/2021/07/22/the-language-we-use/
This essay started as an exchange on a long-buried thread here in the forum more than a year ago. I want to give a big shout out to @jaidy and especially @cdeanne for contributing ideas that made it into the essay.
I'm glad you like it. You'll notice that I refer to you as "a friend," which is basically true. Anyone who frequents this forum is a friend of mine ? .
Yes, I received a notification when you subscribed. Thank you!
@coyote This was spot on! Thank you! I just subscribed too (now you AND Jeanne both know my real name :P) Look forward to reading some back and future entries!
I also just subscribed. And now you know that my real name is Uncle Petunia.
I am wondering if I need to mask up. In my blue county there are no active covid cases. I double/ triple masked for an entire year , even when going out to the mailbox which is on my porch. I was truly terrified. Now it's been a relief to live normally. I am worried though about the variant.
I hate to go backwards. I feel protected, but I wonder if it's wise to go out unmasked. We drove around on one of our "Covid outings" again without leaving the car.
It makes me feel both sad and angry for and about the anti vaxxers. They are ruining it for all of us, but I mostly feel compassion. They don't deserve a death sentence. I agree Danny boy - it is very very sad.
Forgive me if i'm mistaken, but I thought you and I were local to one another? (I'm just outside Philly in Bucks.) If I am correct, I believe we do have active cases.
Regardless, I'm continuing to wear a mask at the food store even though it increasingly seems like I'm the only one. Other indoor places as well, and I REFUSE to dine indoors at a restaurant -- outdoor seating only for me (when I do go - which isn't often). When I go camping and am outdoors I do not worry about a mask, even when speaking with those outside of my household.
At any rate, that's what I'm doing now. We'll see what happens as we move into fall and things pick up a bit. My kids still aren't eligible for the vaccine and I won't be able to fully relax until they are.
I am wondering if I need to mask up. In my blue county there are no active covid cases. I double/ triple masked for an entire year , even when going out to the mailbox which is on my porch.
I think the best practice for vaccinated people is still to mask up if you are around other people whose status you do not know.
For example, I wear a mask inside stores, but not at work because the people I work with are all vaxxed and we don't usually spend extended time in close proximity anyway. And if we have an outside visitor, I have no hesitation in asking them if they've been vaxxed. No one has been offended (Maybe because so far they have all been vaxxed. If they weren't, I would put on my mask right way)
I have never worn a mask outside, but I would if I had to be on a crowded sidewalk or otherwise in a closely packed group of people. (Usually I make a wide berth around people when passing them on the sidewalk and sometimes I even hold my breath.)
My county has about 52% of the entire population fully vaxxed so we are kind of doing so-so with our rates. Currently the masked rate in stores is only around 10 to 20 percent. I don't care if I look weird or paranoid with my mask.
I've gone back to wearing a mask while in stores etc. (I don't wear one outside.) I've noticed that more people are going back to masks where I live in west-central Illinois. I'm afraid that we will all be back in masks by this fall.