Americans at high risk advised to wear masks as new Covid variant detected

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s amazing to me that there are so many people who are only immunocompromised when it comes to the covid virus.

No, we have issues with colds and flu as well. Sadly, you would know as those of us with serious issues mostly stay home and at this point I have to even limit things like medical care as my doctors don’t mask and see sick patients every morning. We don’t have doctor choice so I sometimes have to private pay but it’s not affordable to do it a few times a month which I need so I just go without the care I need. Last time I was at the doctor for my kid I picked up a bad cold. It took weeks and multiple rounds of antibiotics and steroids to get me through it.

When did doctors wear masks before covid and outside of surgery or special procedures? You didn't get it then, why do you insist it is done now if the issue for you is ANY virus, not just Covid?

Covid was new, caused neurological damage and clotting in some people - unlike colds. My friend has permanent vision damage and facial disfigurement and I had a heart attack young. Though it seems to be getting more mild, it’s still more important to protect from Covid because we’re still learning about it.

And pediatricians have separate well/sick waiting rooms and exam rooms to reduce spread of everything. Because it has always mattered.

Covid and covid vaccines can lead to neurological and clotting/cardiac issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the problem with wearing a mask while sitting in a medical waiting room?

I can understand why elementary school kids struggle with masks but think it should be required indoors for middle and high schoolers. A lot of student and staff absences could be avoided.

Here’s hoping no one agrees with you. No mask mandates should ever be forced on anyone ever again. Especially school age children. Thankfully, Most people have learned this lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High risk individuals are being advised to wear masks in public. There is a new covid strain that isn't in any of the vaccine shots or booster shots BA.2.86 and this is why where is a huge spike in cases and hospitalizations right now.

Be safe out there!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/24/new-covid-variant-masking-high-risk-people

The bolder displays many degrees of untrue.

:roll: Why do you lie? Covid hospitalizations are up 60% according to the CDC:
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/covid-hospitalizations-up-60-as-booster-slated-to-arrive-soon/

Yawn

Yes. And the acute covid hospitalization totals are even smaller than what the overall figures show. Covid hospitalizations include those i) with acute covid, ii) conditions related to covid -- i.e. get dehydrated from covid, fall, and break hip, and iii) asymptomatic positives for other unrelated admissions like labor and delivery. The acute covid component is a subset of total covid hospitalizations. Rhode Island breaks out its covid hospitalizations into these three categories. In August, only 1/3 of RI covid hospitalizations were due to acute, symptomatic covid.
https://ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com/
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Nq25JKlbQphdBKqZc09mjRKF0HWHO9280p9xCnVvOyY/edit#gid=244885031

Right. Gradual increases are more indicative of a similar, gradual increase in cases, rather than any sort of sign of increased severity.

Are cases up? It’s certainly possible. But not in a way that looks troubling.

Are you kidding? EVERYTHING looks troubling to the Covid crazies.

My parent is in the ICU right now. You can call someone else crazy but you are completely out of touch as you live in a selfish little bubble where as long as it doesn't impact you everything is ok.

Your parent is what— in their 70s? Maybe 80s? Did you think they were going to live forever? If not covid, something else would have caught up them.

I know that sounds crass, and I suppose it is. But it is also true.

You continue to sound like a jack ()$ responding to someone with a relative in extremis in this way.

Continue? I’m not sure which poster you think I am.

Regardless, the other poster seems to have wildly unreasonable and unrealistic expectations regarding geriatric health. I would cut her more slack if not for how she’s been treating other posters in this (and other) threads. She really needs to get some perspective. I’m sure I’m not going to be the one to provide it, but hopefully she’s listening to her parent’s doctors so that she doesn’t put her loved one through unnecessary procedures/treatments if there’s little hope for meaningful recovery. So many people these days have lost their ability to think rationally about end-of-life care.

Yep. Continue to sound like a jack()$.

I am the original PP who said everything looks troubling to Covid crazies. Who cares if you think I, or the other PP, sound like a jacka$$? Luckily in science, your opinion doesn’t matter. PP was spot on with their last post. It may hurt your fee-fees but oh well. Some of us understand science and reality and can make decisions based upon that. Just because you can’t, doesn’t make us jacka$$e$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge spike?

it’s honestly like these people get excited from contemplating a “huge” spike

There is a difference between giving a warning and getting "excited."

If you don't already have long covid, and don't want to mask, fine. Go for it.

We don't want mandates coming back because of those who want to mask and, most importantly, can't wait to force everyone to mask again. In some places mandates already restarted. The idea that we will continue living like this with masking and possibly lockdown waves every now and then and all the division and friction among people doesn't make me happy. If it makes you happy, you are a sociopath. We know that this virus isn't going away, it's a merry-go-round thing. Masking and lockdowns didn't stop it even in places implementing most draconian measures. And it's not about personal protection, this has been always available to everyone who wanted. Some continued wearing masks and never stopped, they were not unicorns.
and nobody really cared about this until the usual "recommendations" that lead to mandates in some places first (already started) and then spread like cancer all over, into every classroom, office, store, public transit, etc.

It doesn’t make us “happy” to acknowledge that this is in fact what is happening. It is reality. There will be waves. They are disproportionately dangerous for some in our society and not to others. The question is: how do we respond to those facts?

Your preference is we all act like it’s not happening and some degree of eugenic selection occurs and in fact may even be celebrated (as it has been in this very thread).

My preference is a society that values inclusion of disabled people, and in a society like the one I want there will be some masking required—especially in places where personal presence is not optional.

For those of us who cannot take the chance of repeated COVID infection, those mask rules make us more free to move around the world with the same freedom you claim to so prize for yourself and in general.

We can each repeat ourselves about this forever. The bottom line is you are highly ideologically motivated to act like masks do not matter and I am highly motivated by a desire to keep living as normally as possible, and without additional disability, to act like they do. Don’t confuse that with whether I am “happy” about it or not.

But if the mask protects the wearer, why do you need others to wear the mask?

because they are in love with the slogan “my mask protects you and your mask protects me.” I have a very sweet friend who would get upset about this because she truly believed that as long as anyone else believed that her masking would help them, she should do it. she didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. she wasn’t open to discussing the actual science or acknowledging that some people really dislike masking (or are prejudiced by it) because it upset her to feel like people were being “mean” about it.

Ah, no. That is not the answer to the question the PP asked me. I’m pretty confident in my own N95 (which has been fit-tested)

Masks reduce transmission. The science is clear. But as that science also demonstrates, masking as a practice is imperfect—not everyone wears or can wear them correctly, has access to high-filtration masks that fit, etc.

When the variants are highly contagious, reducing the total amount of virus circulating, especially in spaces people are required to be in, improves everyone’s chances of avoiding illness. That reduction happens by masking and it also happens by filtration and ventilation.

All of that has a disproportionate positive impact on people who are experiencing disproportionate negative impacts in trying to be present and participating in our shared society most of the rest of the time.

My view on this has nothing to do with making anyone comfortable or uncomfortable. Comfortable or not, mean or not—it’s irrelevant to this view. The question is: are we doing all we can to keep people in my community—who are also in the disabled community—alive and as healthy as possible, or not?

My answer is we should be. Yours is that we shouldn’t.

No, my answer is a) you are wrong about the benefits of masking and b) you are showing huge cognitive bias in decreeing one rather random thing that means we are “doing all we can to keep people alive and as healthy as possible.” How about universal health care? Reducing air pollution? Getting everyone to wear sunscreen? Taking the bus instead of driving to reduce global warming? Did you fly on vacation this year and emit a ton of carbon just so you could have fun? You’re NOT “doing all you can.” You’re fixated on one arbitrary, mostly talisman symbol of what you think represents “I care more than Republicans do.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge spike?

it’s honestly like these people get excited from contemplating a “huge” spike

There is a difference between giving a warning and getting "excited."

If you don't already have long covid, and don't want to mask, fine. Go for it.

We don't want mandates coming back because of those who want to mask and, most importantly, can't wait to force everyone to mask again. In some places mandates already restarted. The idea that we will continue living like this with masking and possibly lockdown waves every now and then and all the division and friction among people doesn't make me happy. If it makes you happy, you are a sociopath. We know that this virus isn't going away, it's a merry-go-round thing. Masking and lockdowns didn't stop it even in places implementing most draconian measures. And it's not about personal protection, this has been always available to everyone who wanted. Some continued wearing masks and never stopped, they were not unicorns.
and nobody really cared about this until the usual "recommendations" that lead to mandates in some places first (already started) and then spread like cancer all over, into every classroom, office, store, public transit, etc.

It doesn’t make us “happy” to acknowledge that this is in fact what is happening. It is reality. There will be waves. They are disproportionately dangerous for some in our society and not to others. The question is: how do we respond to those facts?

Your preference is we all act like it’s not happening and some degree of eugenic selection occurs and in fact may even be celebrated (as it has been in this very thread).

My preference is a society that values inclusion of disabled people, and in a society like the one I want there will be some masking required—especially in places where personal presence is not optional.

For those of us who cannot take the chance of repeated COVID infection, those mask rules make us more free to move around the world with the same freedom you claim to so prize for yourself and in general.

We can each repeat ourselves about this forever. The bottom line is you are highly ideologically motivated to act like masks do not matter and I am highly motivated by a desire to keep living as normally as possible, and without additional disability, to act like they do. Don’t confuse that with whether I am “happy” about it or not.

But if the mask protects the wearer, why do you need others to wear the mask?

because they are in love with the slogan “my mask protects you and your mask protects me.” I have a very sweet friend who would get upset about this because she truly believed that as long as anyone else believed that her masking would help them, she should do it. she didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. she wasn’t open to discussing the actual science or acknowledging that some people really dislike masking (or are prejudiced by it) because it upset her to feel like people were being “mean” about it.

My view on this has nothing to do with making anyone comfortable or uncomfortable. Comfortable or not, mean or not—it’s irrelevant to this view. The question is: are we doing all we can to keep people in my community—who are also in the disabled community—alive and as healthy as possible, or not?

My answer is we should be. Yours is that we shouldn’t.

The basic answer to this is of course we’re not. We’ve never gotten close. But if this was really your objective, you should be focusing your advocacy on universal healthcare and food/housing security, not mask-wearing.

Speaking as someone on universal health care, let me tell you how much it sucks. We regularly get denied specialists or referred out and only the absolute worst doctors take the insurance. And, if we can be seen on base its months to see any doctor. And, you cannot get a primary care within a month and when you email you're told to go to the ER or urgent care but you cannot go to an urgent care without a referral which takes days to approve so you end up out of pocket. And, the pharmacy refuses to fill prescriptions about 1/3 the time and it's a huge back and forth between the pharmacy and doctors. I've been off a medication for months because the pharmacy claims it's not in the system and the doctor insists it is and refuses a new prescription. And, they keep you on things like cholesterol medications and refuse to test yearly now to even see if you need them as the medication is cheaper than a blood test. And, to get new prescriptions you have to use one system, refills another and they cannot be picked up at the same place and both have extremely limited hours. However, the ER staff are generally nice and helpful but then you risk getting something worse. Pre-covid I used the ER for my primary care. Oh, and things like MRI's and CT scans, are a few month wait. And, if you have lump in your breast you are also waiting months for it to get checked (they used to have same day appointments but none of the clinics can schedule their own appointments so you have to beg the appointment line and usually they say contact the clinic who sends you back to the appointment line). And, the appointment line sometime has an hour or two wait to speak to someone and they put you on hold a lot so often you get disconnected and have to start over. And, the worst is you schedule appointments months out with specific doctors only to see a resident or intern and at best you see their supervising doctor for all of two minutes and those appointments take 2-3 hours as they don't know what they are doing. And, often you get sent away with no help as they shrug their shoulders and say its too complicated for their skill level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s amazing to me that there are so many people who are only immunocompromised when it comes to the covid virus.

No, we have issues with colds and flu as well. Sadly, you would know as those of us with serious issues mostly stay home and at this point I have to even limit things like medical care as my doctors don’t mask and see sick patients every morning. We don’t have doctor choice so I sometimes have to private pay but it’s not affordable to do it a few times a month which I need so I just go without the care I need. Last time I was at the doctor for my kid I picked up a bad cold. It took weeks and multiple rounds of antibiotics and steroids to get me through it.

So, if you’re a person who is sensitive to many viruses and have always (before 2020) worn an N95 and limited contact with others, this isn’t directed at you.

But the fact remains that there is a whole segment of the population that freak out about Covid and want everyone restricted but, don’t care about any other virus.

No one is restricting anything. People would like others to be decent and stay home when sick. How is that unreasonable? So, because you cannot do something as simple as that, my life sucks and I basically rarely can leave home because I cannot risk someone like you sharing what ever the current illness is with me.

You’re not saying that. You’re saying you want people to stay home based on the mere chance that they might still be sick. And you want people to broadly wear masks— presumably everyone, due to the high rates of asymptomatic infections— apparently because you can’t be expected to wear PPE correctly.

I'm still very confused about how you lived before covid. Particularly during the winter. Logically you would have similarly locked yourself down, except then I don't think you'd be so fixated on this in the special case of covid.

In medical settings everyone who can should be masking. The CDC just advised people at high risk to mask. One way masking helps but it's also the germs on the surface that are unavoidable and at the doctor, usually they ask you to take off your mask when they are checking the ears and throat. Last physical for my child, I got really sick going into the office. The doctor was annoyed when my kid questioned them if it was a good idea for them to unmask as the doctor wasn't masked and right up in their face.

I have been locked down since covid started. I have no other choice.

However, the point of this thread is basic precautions per the CDC recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge spike?

it’s honestly like these people get excited from contemplating a “huge” spike

There is a difference between giving a warning and getting "excited."

If you don't already have long covid, and don't want to mask, fine. Go for it.

We don't want mandates coming back because of those who want to mask and, most importantly, can't wait to force everyone to mask again. In some places mandates already restarted. The idea that we will continue living like this with masking and possibly lockdown waves every now and then and all the division and friction among people doesn't make me happy. If it makes you happy, you are a sociopath. We know that this virus isn't going away, it's a merry-go-round thing. Masking and lockdowns didn't stop it even in places implementing most draconian measures. And it's not about personal protection, this has been always available to everyone who wanted. Some continued wearing masks and never stopped, they were not unicorns.
and nobody really cared about this until the usual "recommendations" that lead to mandates in some places first (already started) and then spread like cancer all over, into every classroom, office, store, public transit, etc.

It doesn’t make us “happy” to acknowledge that this is in fact what is happening. It is reality. There will be waves. They are disproportionately dangerous for some in our society and not to others. The question is: how do we respond to those facts?

Your preference is we all act like it’s not happening and some degree of eugenic selection occurs and in fact may even be celebrated (as it has been in this very thread).

My preference is a society that values inclusion of disabled people, and in a society like the one I want there will be some masking required—especially in places where personal presence is not optional.

For those of us who cannot take the chance of repeated COVID infection, those mask rules make us more free to move around the world with the same freedom you claim to so prize for yourself and in general.

We can each repeat ourselves about this forever. The bottom line is you are highly ideologically motivated to act like masks do not matter and I am highly motivated by a desire to keep living as normally as possible, and without additional disability, to act like they do. Don’t confuse that with whether I am “happy” about it or not.

But if the mask protects the wearer, why do you need others to wear the mask?

because they are in love with the slogan “my mask protects you and your mask protects me.” I have a very sweet friend who would get upset about this because she truly believed that as long as anyone else believed that her masking would help them, she should do it. she didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. she wasn’t open to discussing the actual science or acknowledging that some people really dislike masking (or are prejudiced by it) because it upset her to feel like people were being “mean” about it.

Ah, no. That is not the answer to the question the PP asked me. I’m pretty confident in my own N95 (which has been fit-tested)

Masks reduce transmission. The science is clear. But as that science also demonstrates, masking as a practice is imperfect—not everyone wears or can wear them correctly, has access to high-filtration masks that fit, etc.

When the variants are highly contagious, reducing the total amount of virus circulating, especially in spaces people are required to be in, improves everyone’s chances of avoiding illness. That reduction happens by masking and it also happens by filtration and ventilation.

All of that has a disproportionate positive impact on people who are experiencing disproportionate negative impacts in trying to be present and participating in our shared society most of the rest of the time.

My view on this has nothing to do with making anyone comfortable or uncomfortable. Comfortable or not, mean or not—it’s irrelevant to this view. The question is: are we doing all we can to keep people in my community—who are also in the disabled community—alive and as healthy as possible, or not?

My answer is we should be. Yours is that we shouldn’t.

No, my answer is a) you are wrong about the benefits of masking and b) you are showing huge cognitive bias in decreeing one rather random thing that means we are “doing all we can to keep people alive and as healthy as possible.” How about universal health care? Reducing air pollution? Getting everyone to wear sunscreen? Taking the bus instead of driving to reduce global warming? Did you fly on vacation this year and emit a ton of carbon just so you could have fun? You’re NOT “doing all you can.” You’re fixated on one arbitrary, mostly talisman symbol of what you think represents “I care more than Republicans do.”

This is not about individual virtue-signaling behavior. This is about who the society will show care for and who it chooses to treat as discards.

What ARE you willing for us, as a society, to do going forward to minimize the number of disabled people getting killed or seriously injured by COVID because we encounter it in public spaces that we have no choice but to go to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High risk individuals are being advised to wear masks in public. There is a new covid strain that isn't in any of the vaccine shots or booster shots BA.2.86 and this is why where is a huge spike in cases and hospitalizations right now.

Be safe out there!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/24/new-covid-variant-masking-high-risk-people

The bolder displays many degrees of untrue.

:roll: Why do you lie? Covid hospitalizations are up 60% according to the CDC:
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/covid-hospitalizations-up-60-as-booster-slated-to-arrive-soon/

Yawn

Yes. And the acute covid hospitalization totals are even smaller than what the overall figures show. Covid hospitalizations include those i) with acute covid, ii) conditions related to covid -- i.e. get dehydrated from covid, fall, and break hip, and iii) asymptomatic positives for other unrelated admissions like labor and delivery. The acute covid component is a subset of total covid hospitalizations. Rhode Island breaks out its covid hospitalizations into these three categories. In August, only 1/3 of RI covid hospitalizations were due to acute, symptomatic covid.
https://ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com/
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Nq25JKlbQphdBKqZc09mjRKF0HWHO9280p9xCnVvOyY/edit#gid=244885031

Right. Gradual increases are more indicative of a similar, gradual increase in cases, rather than any sort of sign of increased severity.

Are cases up? It’s certainly possible. But not in a way that looks troubling.

Are you kidding? EVERYTHING looks troubling to the Covid crazies.

My parent is in the ICU right now. You can call someone else crazy but you are completely out of touch as you live in a selfish little bubble where as long as it doesn't impact you everything is ok.

Your parent is what— in their 70s? Maybe 80s? Did you think they were going to live forever? If not covid, something else would have caught up them.

I know that sounds crass, and I suppose it is. But it is also true.

You continue to sound like a jack ()$ responding to someone with a relative in extremis in this way.

Continue? I’m not sure which poster you think I am.

Regardless, the other poster seems to have wildly unreasonable and unrealistic expectations regarding geriatric health. I would cut her more slack if not for how she’s been treating other posters in this (and other) threads. She really needs to get some perspective. I’m sure I’m not going to be the one to provide it, but hopefully she’s listening to her parent’s doctors so that she doesn’t put her loved one through unnecessary procedures/treatments if there’s little hope for meaningful recovery. So many people these days have lost their ability to think rationally about end-of-life care.

Yep. Continue to sound like a jack()$.

I am the original PP who said everything looks troubling to Covid crazies. Who cares if you think I, or the other PP, sound like a jacka$$? Luckily in science, your opinion doesn’t matter. PP was spot on with their last post. It may hurt your fee-fees but oh well. Some of us understand science and reality and can make decisions based upon that. Just because you can’t, doesn’t make us jacka$$e$.

You’re telling a person with a parent in an ICU with COVID that they “should have been prepared to lose the parent sooner or later anyway” and you think you have a leg to stand on in talking about the relationship between feelings and facts? LOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge spike?

it’s honestly like these people get excited from contemplating a “huge” spike

There is a difference between giving a warning and getting "excited."

If you don't already have long covid, and don't want to mask, fine. Go for it.

We don't want mandates coming back because of those who want to mask and, most importantly, can't wait to force everyone to mask again. In some places mandates already restarted. The idea that we will continue living like this with masking and possibly lockdown waves every now and then and all the division and friction among people doesn't make me happy. If it makes you happy, you are a sociopath. We know that this virus isn't going away, it's a merry-go-round thing. Masking and lockdowns didn't stop it even in places implementing most draconian measures. And it's not about personal protection, this has been always available to everyone who wanted. Some continued wearing masks and never stopped, they were not unicorns.
and nobody really cared about this until the usual "recommendations" that lead to mandates in some places first (already started) and then spread like cancer all over, into every classroom, office, store, public transit, etc.

It doesn’t make us “happy” to acknowledge that this is in fact what is happening. It is reality. There will be waves. They are disproportionately dangerous for some in our society and not to others. The question is: how do we respond to those facts?

Your preference is we all act like it’s not happening and some degree of eugenic selection occurs and in fact may even be celebrated (as it has been in this very thread).

My preference is a society that values inclusion of disabled people, and in a society like the one I want there will be some masking required—especially in places where personal presence is not optional.

For those of us who cannot take the chance of repeated COVID infection, those mask rules make us more free to move around the world with the same freedom you claim to so prize for yourself and in general.

We can each repeat ourselves about this forever. The bottom line is you are highly ideologically motivated to act like masks do not matter and I am highly motivated by a desire to keep living as normally as possible, and without additional disability, to act like they do. Don’t confuse that with whether I am “happy” about it or not.

But if the mask protects the wearer, why do you need others to wear the mask?

because they are in love with the slogan “my mask protects you and your mask protects me.” I have a very sweet friend who would get upset about this because she truly believed that as long as anyone else believed that her masking would help them, she should do it. she didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. she wasn’t open to discussing the actual science or acknowledging that some people really dislike masking (or are prejudiced by it) because it upset her to feel like people were being “mean” about it.

Ah, no. That is not the answer to the question the PP asked me. I’m pretty confident in my own N95 (which has been fit-tested)

Masks reduce transmission. The science is clear. But as that science also demonstrates, masking as a practice is imperfect—not everyone wears or can wear them correctly, has access to high-filtration masks that fit, etc.

When the variants are highly contagious, reducing the total amount of virus circulating, especially in spaces people are required to be in, improves everyone’s chances of avoiding illness. That reduction happens by masking and it also happens by filtration and ventilation.

All of that has a disproportionate positive impact on people who are experiencing disproportionate negative impacts in trying to be present and participating in our shared society most of the rest of the time.

My view on this has nothing to do with making anyone comfortable or uncomfortable. Comfortable or not, mean or not—it’s irrelevant to this view. The question is: are we doing all we can to keep people in my community—who are also in the disabled community—alive and as healthy as possible, or not?

My answer is we should be. Yours is that we shouldn’t.

No, my answer is a) you are wrong about the benefits of masking and b) you are showing huge cognitive bias in decreeing one rather random thing that means we are “doing all we can to keep people alive and as healthy as possible.” How about universal health care? Reducing air pollution? Getting everyone to wear sunscreen? Taking the bus instead of driving to reduce global warming? Did you fly on vacation this year and emit a ton of carbon just so you could have fun? You’re NOT “doing all you can.” You’re fixated on one arbitrary, mostly talisman symbol of what you think represents “I care more than Republicans do.”

This is not about individual virtue-signaling behavior. This is about who the society will show care for and who it chooses to treat as discards.

What ARE you willing for us, as a society, to do going forward to minimize the number of disabled people getting killed or seriously injured by COVID because we encounter it in public spaces that we have no choice but to go to?

Thousands of people, especially elderly, die of the flu and other illnesses every year. Besides a flu shot, no extra measures were ever recommended prior to Covid times. So that's my tolerance limit. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge spike?

it’s honestly like these people get excited from contemplating a “huge” spike

There is a difference between giving a warning and getting "excited."

If you don't already have long covid, and don't want to mask, fine. Go for it.

We don't want mandates coming back because of those who want to mask and, most importantly, can't wait to force everyone to mask again. In some places mandates already restarted. The idea that we will continue living like this with masking and possibly lockdown waves every now and then and all the division and friction among people doesn't make me happy. If it makes you happy, you are a sociopath. We know that this virus isn't going away, it's a merry-go-round thing. Masking and lockdowns didn't stop it even in places implementing most draconian measures. And it's not about personal protection, this has been always available to everyone who wanted. Some continued wearing masks and never stopped, they were not unicorns.
and nobody really cared about this until the usual "recommendations" that lead to mandates in some places first (already started) and then spread like cancer all over, into every classroom, office, store, public transit, etc.

It doesn’t make us “happy” to acknowledge that this is in fact what is happening. It is reality. There will be waves. They are disproportionately dangerous for some in our society and not to others. The question is: how do we respond to those facts?

Your preference is we all act like it’s not happening and some degree of eugenic selection occurs and in fact may even be celebrated (as it has been in this very thread).

My preference is a society that values inclusion of disabled people, and in a society like the one I want there will be some masking required—especially in places where personal presence is not optional.

For those of us who cannot take the chance of repeated COVID infection, those mask rules make us more free to move around the world with the same freedom you claim to so prize for yourself and in general.

We can each repeat ourselves about this forever. The bottom line is you are highly ideologically motivated to act like masks do not matter and I am highly motivated by a desire to keep living as normally as possible, and without additional disability, to act like they do. Don’t confuse that with whether I am “happy” about it or not.

But if the mask protects the wearer, why do you need others to wear the mask?

because they are in love with the slogan “my mask protects you and your mask protects me.” I have a very sweet friend who would get upset about this because she truly believed that as long as anyone else believed that her masking would help them, she should do it. she didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. she wasn’t open to discussing the actual science or acknowledging that some people really dislike masking (or are prejudiced by it) because it upset her to feel like people were being “mean” about it.

Ah, no. That is not the answer to the question the PP asked me. I’m pretty confident in my own N95 (which has been fit-tested)

Masks reduce transmission. The science is clear. But as that science also demonstrates, masking as a practice is imperfect—not everyone wears or can wear them correctly, has access to high-filtration masks that fit, etc.

When the variants are highly contagious, reducing the total amount of virus circulating, especially in spaces people are required to be in, improves everyone’s chances of avoiding illness. That reduction happens by masking and it also happens by filtration and ventilation.

All of that has a disproportionate positive impact on people who are experiencing disproportionate negative impacts in trying to be present and participating in our shared society most of the rest of the time.

My view on this has nothing to do with making anyone comfortable or uncomfortable. Comfortable or not, mean or not—it’s irrelevant to this view. The question is: are we doing all we can to keep people in my community—who are also in the disabled community—alive and as healthy as possible, or not?

My answer is we should be. Yours is that we shouldn’t.

No, my answer is a) you are wrong about the benefits of masking and b) you are showing huge cognitive bias in decreeing one rather random thing that means we are “doing all we can to keep people alive and as healthy as possible.” How about universal health care? Reducing air pollution? Getting everyone to wear sunscreen? Taking the bus instead of driving to reduce global warming? Did you fly on vacation this year and emit a ton of carbon just so you could have fun? You’re NOT “doing all you can.” You’re fixated on one arbitrary, mostly talisman symbol of what you think represents “I care more than Republicans do.”

This is not about individual virtue-signaling behavior. This is about who the society will show care for and who it chooses to treat as discards.

What ARE you willing for us, as a society, to do going forward to minimize the number of disabled people getting killed or seriously injured by COVID because we encounter it in public spaces that we have no choice but to go to?

Thousands of people, especially elderly, die of the flu and other illnesses every year. Besides a flu shot, no extra measures were ever recommended prior to Covid times. So that's my tolerance limit. Sorry.

The flu isn't comparable but now that we have colds, flu and covid, basic precautions are common sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High risk individuals are being advised to wear masks in public. There is a new covid strain that isn't in any of the vaccine shots or booster shots BA.2.86 and this is why where is a huge spike in cases and hospitalizations right now.

Be safe out there!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/24/new-covid-variant-masking-high-risk-people

The bolder displays many degrees of untrue.

:roll: Why do you lie? Covid hospitalizations are up 60% according to the CDC:
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/covid-hospitalizations-up-60-as-booster-slated-to-arrive-soon/

Yawn

Yes. And the acute covid hospitalization totals are even smaller than what the overall figures show. Covid hospitalizations include those i) with acute covid, ii) conditions related to covid -- i.e. get dehydrated from covid, fall, and break hip, and iii) asymptomatic positives for other unrelated admissions like labor and delivery. The acute covid component is a subset of total covid hospitalizations. Rhode Island breaks out its covid hospitalizations into these three categories. In August, only 1/3 of RI covid hospitalizations were due to acute, symptomatic covid.
https://ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com/
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Nq25JKlbQphdBKqZc09mjRKF0HWHO9280p9xCnVvOyY/edit#gid=244885031

Right. Gradual increases are more indicative of a similar, gradual increase in cases, rather than any sort of sign of increased severity.

Are cases up? It’s certainly possible. But not in a way that looks troubling.

Are you kidding? EVERYTHING looks troubling to the Covid crazies.

My parent is in the ICU right now. You can call someone else crazy but you are completely out of touch as you live in a selfish little bubble where as long as it doesn't impact you everything is ok.

Your parent is what— in their 70s? Maybe 80s? Did you think they were going to live forever? If not covid, something else would have caught up them.

I know that sounds crass, and I suppose it is. But it is also true.

You continue to sound like a jack ()$ responding to someone with a relative in extremis in this way.

Continue? I’m not sure which poster you think I am.

Regardless, the other poster seems to have wildly unreasonable and unrealistic expectations regarding geriatric health. I would cut her more slack if not for how she’s been treating other posters in this (and other) threads. She really needs to get some perspective. I’m sure I’m not going to be the one to provide it, but hopefully she’s listening to her parent’s doctors so that she doesn’t put her loved one through unnecessary procedures/treatments if there’s little hope for meaningful recovery. So many people these days have lost their ability to think rationally about end-of-life care.

Yep. Continue to sound like a jack()$.

I am the original PP who said everything looks troubling to Covid crazies. Who cares if you think I, or the other PP, sound like a jacka$$? Luckily in science, your opinion doesn’t matter. PP was spot on with their last post. It may hurt your fee-fees but oh well. Some of us understand science and reality and can make decisions based upon that. Just because you can’t, doesn’t make us jacka$$e$.

You’re telling a person with a parent in an ICU with COVID that they “should have been prepared to lose the parent sooner or later anyway” and you think you have a leg to stand on in talking about the relationship between feelings and facts? LOL.

Yes, that is exactly what they are telling me, going on a week in the ICU. Of course if it was their parent, they'd feel differently.

[Anonymous]

The psychiatric community really needs to do something about the crazy antimaskers. It really looks like a mental health problem to have such an outsized reaction to someone wearing a mask or be enraged at mask recommendations. Some type of anxiety, cognitive decline or emerging paranoia going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge spike?

it’s honestly like these people get excited from contemplating a “huge” spike

There is a difference between giving a warning and getting "excited."

If you don't already have long covid, and don't want to mask, fine. Go for it.

We don't want mandates coming back because of those who want to mask and, most importantly, can't wait to force everyone to mask again. In some places mandates already restarted. The idea that we will continue living like this with masking and possibly lockdown waves every now and then and all the division and friction among people doesn't make me happy. If it makes you happy, you are a sociopath. We know that this virus isn't going away, it's a merry-go-round thing. Masking and lockdowns didn't stop it even in places implementing most draconian measures. And it's not about personal protection, this has been always available to everyone who wanted. Some continued wearing masks and never stopped, they were not unicorns.
and nobody really cared about this until the usual "recommendations" that lead to mandates in some places first (already started) and then spread like cancer all over, into every classroom, office, store, public transit, etc.

It doesn’t make us “happy” to acknowledge that this is in fact what is happening. It is reality. There will be waves. They are disproportionately dangerous for some in our society and not to others. The question is: how do we respond to those facts?

Your preference is we all act like it’s not happening and some degree of eugenic selection occurs and in fact may even be celebrated (as it has been in this very thread).

My preference is a society that values inclusion of disabled people, and in a society like the one I want there will be some masking required—especially in places where personal presence is not optional.

For those of us who cannot take the chance of repeated COVID infection, those mask rules make us more free to move around the world with the same freedom you claim to so prize for yourself and in general.

We can each repeat ourselves about this forever. The bottom line is you are highly ideologically motivated to act like masks do not matter and I am highly motivated by a desire to keep living as normally as possible, and without additional disability, to act like they do. Don’t confuse that with whether I am “happy” about it or not.

But if the mask protects the wearer, why do you need others to wear the mask?

because they are in love with the slogan “my mask protects you and your mask protects me.” I have a very sweet friend who would get upset about this because she truly believed that as long as anyone else believed that her masking would help them, she should do it. she didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. she wasn’t open to discussing the actual science or acknowledging that some people really dislike masking (or are prejudiced by it) because it upset her to feel like people were being “mean” about it.

Ah, no. That is not the answer to the question the PP asked me. I’m pretty confident in my own N95 (which has been fit-tested)

Masks reduce transmission. The science is clear. But as that science also demonstrates, masking as a practice is imperfect—not everyone wears or can wear them correctly, has access to high-filtration masks that fit, etc.

When the variants are highly contagious, reducing the total amount of virus circulating, especially in spaces people are required to be in, improves everyone’s chances of avoiding illness. That reduction happens by masking and it also happens by filtration and ventilation.

All of that has a disproportionate positive impact on people who are experiencing disproportionate negative impacts in trying to be present and participating in our shared society most of the rest of the time.

My view on this has nothing to do with making anyone comfortable or uncomfortable. Comfortable or not, mean or not—it’s irrelevant to this view. The question is: are we doing all we can to keep people in my community—who are also in the disabled community—alive and as healthy as possible, or not?

My answer is we should be. Yours is that we shouldn’t.

No, my answer is a) you are wrong about the benefits of masking and b) you are showing huge cognitive bias in decreeing one rather random thing that means we are “doing all we can to keep people alive and as healthy as possible.” How about universal health care? Reducing air pollution? Getting everyone to wear sunscreen? Taking the bus instead of driving to reduce global warming? Did you fly on vacation this year and emit a ton of carbon just so you could have fun? You’re NOT “doing all you can.” You’re fixated on one arbitrary, mostly talisman symbol of what you think represents “I care more than Republicans do.”

This is not about individual virtue-signaling behavior. This is about who the society will show care for and who it chooses to treat as discards.

What ARE you willing for us, as a society, to do going forward to minimize the number of disabled people getting killed or seriously injured by COVID because we encounter it in public spaces that we have no choice but to go to?

Thousands of people, especially elderly, die of the flu and other illnesses every year. Besides a flu shot, no extra measures were ever recommended prior to Covid times. So that's my tolerance limit. Sorry.

That’s a lot of words to say “nothing.” But: it’s clear where you stand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge spike?

it’s honestly like these people get excited from contemplating a “huge” spike

There is a difference between giving a warning and getting "excited."

If you don't already have long covid, and don't want to mask, fine. Go for it.

We don't want mandates coming back because of those who want to mask and, most importantly, can't wait to force everyone to mask again. In some places mandates already restarted. The idea that we will continue living like this with masking and possibly lockdown waves every now and then and all the division and friction among people doesn't make me happy. If it makes you happy, you are a sociopath. We know that this virus isn't going away, it's a merry-go-round thing. Masking and lockdowns didn't stop it even in places implementing most draconian measures. And it's not about personal protection, this has been always available to everyone who wanted. Some continued wearing masks and never stopped, they were not unicorns.
and nobody really cared about this until the usual "recommendations" that lead to mandates in some places first (already started) and then spread like cancer all over, into every classroom, office, store, public transit, etc.

It doesn’t make us “happy” to acknowledge that this is in fact what is happening. It is reality. There will be waves. They are disproportionately dangerous for some in our society and not to others. The question is: how do we respond to those facts?

Your preference is we all act like it’s not happening and some degree of eugenic selection occurs and in fact may even be celebrated (as it has been in this very thread).

My preference is a society that values inclusion of disabled people, and in a society like the one I want there will be some masking required—especially in places where personal presence is not optional.

For those of us who cannot take the chance of repeated COVID infection, those mask rules make us more free to move around the world with the same freedom you claim to so prize for yourself and in general.

We can each repeat ourselves about this forever. The bottom line is you are highly ideologically motivated to act like masks do not matter and I am highly motivated by a desire to keep living as normally as possible, and without additional disability, to act like they do. Don’t confuse that with whether I am “happy” about it or not.

But if the mask protects the wearer, why do you need others to wear the mask?

because they are in love with the slogan “my mask protects you and your mask protects me.” I have a very sweet friend who would get upset about this because she truly believed that as long as anyone else believed that her masking would help them, she should do it. she didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. she wasn’t open to discussing the actual science or acknowledging that some people really dislike masking (or are prejudiced by it) because it upset her to feel like people were being “mean” about it.

Ah, no. That is not the answer to the question the PP asked me. I’m pretty confident in my own N95 (which has been fit-tested)

Masks reduce transmission. The science is clear. But as that science also demonstrates, masking as a practice is imperfect—not everyone wears or can wear them correctly, has access to high-filtration masks that fit, etc.

When the variants are highly contagious, reducing the total amount of virus circulating, especially in spaces people are required to be in, improves everyone’s chances of avoiding illness. That reduction happens by masking and it also happens by filtration and ventilation.

All of that has a disproportionate positive impact on people who are experiencing disproportionate negative impacts in trying to be present and participating in our shared society most of the rest of the time.

My view on this has nothing to do with making anyone comfortable or uncomfortable. Comfortable or not, mean or not—it’s irrelevant to this view. The question is: are we doing all we can to keep people in my community—who are also in the disabled community—alive and as healthy as possible, or not?

My answer is we should be. Yours is that we shouldn’t.

No, my answer is a) you are wrong about the benefits of masking and b) you are showing huge cognitive bias in decreeing one rather random thing that means we are “doing all we can to keep people alive and as healthy as possible.” How about universal health care? Reducing air pollution? Getting everyone to wear sunscreen? Taking the bus instead of driving to reduce global warming? Did you fly on vacation this year and emit a ton of carbon just so you could have fun? You’re NOT “doing all you can.” You’re fixated on one arbitrary, mostly talisman symbol of what you think represents “I care more than Republicans do.”

This is not about individual virtue-signaling behavior. This is about who the society will show care for and who it chooses to treat as discards.

What ARE you willing for us, as a society, to do going forward to minimize the number of disabled people getting killed or seriously injured by COVID because we encounter it in public spaces that we have no choice but to go to?

I’m certainly not willing to mask, because it’s not effective. And why do I have a specific moral responsibility about COVID? I mostly take public transport, do you? I’m saving many more lives that way than masking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge spike?

it’s honestly like these people get excited from contemplating a “huge” spike

There is a difference between giving a warning and getting "excited."

If you don't already have long covid, and don't want to mask, fine. Go for it.

We don't want mandates coming back because of those who want to mask and, most importantly, can't wait to force everyone to mask again. In some places mandates already restarted. The idea that we will continue living like this with masking and possibly lockdown waves every now and then and all the division and friction among people doesn't make me happy. If it makes you happy, you are a sociopath. We know that this virus isn't going away, it's a merry-go-round thing. Masking and lockdowns didn't stop it even in places implementing most draconian measures. And it's not about personal protection, this has been always available to everyone who wanted. Some continued wearing masks and never stopped, they were not unicorns.
and nobody really cared about this until the usual "recommendations" that lead to mandates in some places first (already started) and then spread like cancer all over, into every classroom, office, store, public transit, etc.

It doesn’t make us “happy” to acknowledge that this is in fact what is happening. It is reality. There will be waves. They are disproportionately dangerous for some in our society and not to others. The question is: how do we respond to those facts?

Your preference is we all act like it’s not happening and some degree of eugenic selection occurs and in fact may even be celebrated (as it has been in this very thread).

My preference is a society that values inclusion of disabled people, and in a society like the one I want there will be some masking required—especially in places where personal presence is not optional.

For those of us who cannot take the chance of repeated COVID infection, those mask rules make us more free to move around the world with the same freedom you claim to so prize for yourself and in general.

We can each repeat ourselves about this forever. The bottom line is you are highly ideologically motivated to act like masks do not matter and I am highly motivated by a desire to keep living as normally as possible, and without additional disability, to act like they do. Don’t confuse that with whether I am “happy” about it or not.

But if the mask protects the wearer, why do you need others to wear the mask?

because they are in love with the slogan “my mask protects you and your mask protects me.” I have a very sweet friend who would get upset about this because she truly believed that as long as anyone else believed that her masking would help them, she should do it. she didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. she wasn’t open to discussing the actual science or acknowledging that some people really dislike masking (or are prejudiced by it) because it upset her to feel like people were being “mean” about it.

Ah, no. That is not the answer to the question the PP asked me. I’m pretty confident in my own N95 (which has been fit-tested)

Masks reduce transmission. The science is clear. But as that science also demonstrates, masking as a practice is imperfect—not everyone wears or can wear them correctly, has access to high-filtration masks that fit, etc.

When the variants are highly contagious, reducing the total amount of virus circulating, especially in spaces people are required to be in, improves everyone’s chances of avoiding illness. That reduction happens by masking and it also happens by filtration and ventilation.

All of that has a disproportionate positive impact on people who are experiencing disproportionate negative impacts in trying to be present and participating in our shared society most of the rest of the time.

My view on this has nothing to do with making anyone comfortable or uncomfortable. Comfortable or not, mean or not—it’s irrelevant to this view. The question is: are we doing all we can to keep people in my community—who are also in the disabled community—alive and as healthy as possible, or not?

My answer is we should be. Yours is that we shouldn’t.

No, my answer is a) you are wrong about the benefits of masking and b) you are showing huge cognitive bias in decreeing one rather random thing that means we are “doing all we can to keep people alive and as healthy as possible.” How about universal health care? Reducing air pollution? Getting everyone to wear sunscreen? Taking the bus instead of driving to reduce global warming? Did you fly on vacation this year and emit a ton of carbon just so you could have fun? You’re NOT “doing all you can.” You’re fixated on one arbitrary, mostly talisman symbol of what you think represents “I care more than Republicans do.”

This is not about individual virtue-signaling behavior. This is about who the society will show care for and who it chooses to treat as discards.

What ARE you willing for us, as a society, to do going forward to minimize the number of disabled people getting killed or seriously injured by COVID because we encounter it in public spaces that we have no choice but to go to?

I’m certainly not willing to mask, because it’s not effective. And why do I have a specific moral responsibility about COVID? I mostly take public transport, do you? I’m saving many more lives that way than masking.

You’re not answering the actual question, which is not about individual behaviors.

Congratulations on riding the bus.