People still masking every day at work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sometimes mask because I nearly died when I had Covid. Sounds like my mask makes YOU anxious- maybe get a handle on your own anxiety.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's so freaking weird when I see people out walking alone with a mask on. SO WEIRD.

They are probably going somewhere or run into people and dont want to put masks on and off constantly

I sometimes wear gloves out because I do need to use hand sanitizer occasionally (immunosuppressed) and it tears up my hands.

[Anonymous]

I mask

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sometimes mask because I nearly died when I had Covid. Sounds like my mask makes YOU anxious- maybe get a handle on your own anxiety.

This is what it's really about. It makes them anxious.

[Anonymous]

I mask and Im truly not judging anyone except for my belief that medical providers should mask at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sometimes mask because I nearly died when I had Covid. Sounds like my mask makes YOU anxious- maybe get a handle on your own anxiety.

This is what it's really about. It makes them anxious.

Look at the post a page back about J6 and Trump. You would never guess my politics from my choices on masking and vaccination.

[Anonymous]

I get masking to reduce the risk of illness.

But if you are at high risk for fatal complications due to cancer or whatever, you're crazy to think masking is enough for you to go around in crowded places every day.

I know someone who masks a lot, fine, and works with non-maskers, OK, but also insists other people to mask whenever they go into the supply room. That seems ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I figure that one of the following applies:

-they or someone they live with is immunocompromised, so they are trying to avoid catching viruses as much as possible (not just covid). Masks have been normalized by the pandemic, so maybe they do things now with a mask on, whereas in the past they might have avoided going to things.

-they are sick with some sort of respiratory virus at the moment and trying not to spread their illness. Again, with normalization of masks, people that might have stayed home will now go out and just mask.

-they have long-term anxiety about covid for some reason. As some have mentioned, it might be because they had a severe case or lost someone to the virus.

All of these things should evoke compassion, not derision, so I am not bothered.

People like OP seem to have another kind of trauma after the pandemic where viewing others in masks sets them off.

If the worst thing that has happened to you is having to wear a mask to help others from getting sick and dying you are very fortunate. That is not trauma or PTSD. Having my parent on a ventilator last year and watching them turn it off to take their final breath is more about COVID trauma.

I am the PP you are responding to and I agree it is a different level, but it does seem like they are having some sort of anxious reaction which is manifesting as irrational anger. They say such unkind things about the mental state of others, but they need to take a breath and look in the mirror.

[Anonymous]

Not reading all the previous comments but I find it weird too. In some cases I know people who mask that aren't immunocompromised, nor do they live with anyone who is. On the other hand, I know actual immunocompromised and high risk people that don't mask. I think it's over the top in 2024 and seems like virtue signalling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get masking to reduce the risk of illness.

But if you are at high risk for fatal complications due to cancer or whatever, you're crazy to think masking is enough for you to go around in crowded places every day.

I know someone who masks a lot, fine, and works with non-maskers, OK, but also insists other people to mask whenever they go into the supply room. That seems ridiculous.

Some of us are forced to go into the office in person, even with health issues. If we weren't forced, we wouldn't be requesting you mask in small cramped spaces.

I don't care whether most people mask or not, doesn't matter most of the time. If you are the type of person who knows your coworker or their family has health issues, and still refuse to mask when you are in a tight space at work with them? That says more about you than them.

In the one case I've encountered at work, with a coworker like this who was a rabid antimasker, karma caught up with them in the form of their very own autoimmune disease they developed a couple of months post Covid infection. They decided to leave work at that point, rather than coming in once a week. And that autoimmune condition, much like mine, is for the rest of their life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't even need to read this. It's 5 pages of MYOB, you're a monster who doesn't care about people, they're immunocompromised or they have allergies or they live with someone who is immunocompromised. And why do you care anyway???????????? Who are you to judge???????????????

Am I right?

Yes, OP I also notice and I know people in my life who still mask and I know their personal situations and it's not any of the above. Some portion of these people just have mental health issues (anxiety) but saying that or thinking that will just get you berated.

Was coming here to post just this. Yes, there are legitimate reasons for some to mask. But the one person I know who still does religiously—and carries around not one, but two CO2 monitors AND requires her teenagers to mask outside—has none of those reasons and had mental health problems before Covid came along to give her something new to fixate on.

We're also supposed to act like it's perfectly normal to talk to these people with masks on and never see their face and it's no trouble hearing them either. If you mention any of that, you will similarly get berated.

Just don't say anything OP.

Yes, you are supposed to "act like...". Too bad so sad.
About a year and a half ago a duo from the DOD IG office came to interview a team regarding a routine audit, we met with them one at a time, during my meeting, at the beginning, one of the guys said "oh I won't be able to hear you with your mask"--we were sitting around a very small table. I ignored him and meeting proceeded.

Er...what if he legitimately had a hearing problem? For some people they need to read lips.

And, he can get a hearing aid. Very few people are lip readers and if they were they'd identify themselves.

I am severely hearing impaired and wear hearing aids. You clearly have no idea what it’s like to have hearing loss, as hearing aids cannot completely fix the problem and give the users perfect hearing. They are not like glasses or contacts. Those who wear hearing aids rely heavily on lip reading and body language to understand speech. Masks are an absolute disaster for me and I thank God I don’t have to go to an office and interact with masked people because I would never have any idea what’s going on.

Perhaps I don’t want to “identify myself” to jerks like the PP who refuse to unmask even when asked by someone with a real handicap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I see someone in a mask I would assume a health issue or family with a health issue but if I know it’s not that, I would definitely avoid that person outside of necessary interaction because I think that person would likely be high drama and/or irrational.

100% this. I know both types. Wouldn’t even bat an eye at the former, but the latter are just daring everyone to judge them. And I guarantee they are judging all the non-maskers.

As someone who masks, I couldn't care less what you do. If you want me to stop masking, then stay home when you get a cold or flu. It's not always about covid or just covid. Your cold that lasts 2-3 days, lasts months for me.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't even need to read this. It's 5 pages of MYOB, you're a monster who doesn't care about people, they're immunocompromised or they have allergies or they live with someone who is immunocompromised. And why do you care anyway???????????? Who are you to judge???????????????

Am I right?

Yes, OP I also notice and I know people in my life who still mask and I know their personal situations and it's not any of the above. Some portion of these people just have mental health issues (anxiety) but saying that or thinking that will just get you berated.

Was coming here to post just this. Yes, there are legitimate reasons for some to mask. But the one person I know who still does religiously—and carries around not one, but two CO2 monitors AND requires her teenagers to mask outside—has none of those reasons and had mental health problems before Covid came along to give her something new to fixate on.

We're also supposed to act like it's perfectly normal to talk to these people with masks on and never see their face and it's no trouble hearing them either. If you mention any of that, you will similarly get berated.

Just don't say anything OP.

Yes, you are supposed to "act like...". Too bad so sad.
About a year and a half ago a duo from the DOD IG office came to interview a team regarding a routine audit, we met with them one at a time, during my meeting, at the beginning, one of the guys said "oh I won't be able to hear you with your mask"--we were sitting around a very small table. I ignored him and meeting proceeded.

Er...what if he legitimately had a hearing problem? For some people they need to read lips.

And, he can get a hearing aid. Very few people are lip readers and if they were they'd identify themselves.

I am severely hearing impaired and wear hearing aids. You clearly have no idea what it’s like to have hearing loss, as hearing aids cannot completely fix the problem and give the users perfect hearing. They are not like glasses or contacts. Those who wear hearing aids rely heavily on lip reading and body language to understand speech. Masks are an absolute disaster for me and I thank God I don’t have to go to an office and interact with masked people because I would never have any idea what’s going on.

Perhaps I don’t want to “identify myself” to jerks like the PP who refuse to unmask even when asked by someone with a real handicap.

And what does that have to do with regular people out and about? Do you froth at the mouth seeing people masking in grocery stores, or only at the office?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't even need to read this. It's 5 pages of MYOB, you're a monster who doesn't care about people, they're immunocompromised or they have allergies or they live with someone who is immunocompromised. And why do you care anyway???????????? Who are you to judge???????????????

Am I right?

Yes, OP I also notice and I know people in my life who still mask and I know their personal situations and it's not any of the above. Some portion of these people just have mental health issues (anxiety) but saying that or thinking that will just get you berated.

Was coming here to post just this. Yes, there are legitimate reasons for some to mask. But the one person I know who still does religiously—and carries around not one, but two CO2 monitors AND requires her teenagers to mask outside—has none of those reasons and had mental health problems before Covid came along to give her something new to fixate on.

We're also supposed to act like it's perfectly normal to talk to these people with masks on and never see their face and it's no trouble hearing them either. If you mention any of that, you will similarly get berated.

Just don't say anything OP.

Yes, you are supposed to "act like...". Too bad so sad.
About a year and a half ago a duo from the DOD IG office came to interview a team regarding a routine audit, we met with them one at a time, during my meeting, at the beginning, one of the guys said "oh I won't be able to hear you with your mask"--we were sitting around a very small table. I ignored him and meeting proceeded.

Er...what if he legitimately had a hearing problem? For some people they need to read lips.

And, he can get a hearing aid. Very few people are lip readers and if they were they'd identify themselves.

I am severely hearing impaired and wear hearing aids. You clearly have no idea what it’s like to have hearing loss, as hearing aids cannot completely fix the problem and give the users perfect hearing. They are not like glasses or contacts. Those who wear hearing aids rely heavily on lip reading and body language to understand speech. Masks are an absolute disaster for me and I thank God I don’t have to go to an office and interact with masked people because I would never have any idea what’s going on.

Perhaps I don’t want to “identify myself” to jerks like the PP who refuse to unmask even when asked by someone with a real handicap.

And what does that have to do with regular people out and about? Do you froth at the mouth seeing people masking in grocery stores, or only at the office?

And what are you getting on about, frothing at the mouth?! No, I don't CARE if people out and about, or even at an office have a mask on. To each their own. I was replying to the PP who stated that people in meetings who can't hear masked people could just "get a hearing aid" and "very few people are lip readers". That comment simply demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of those who cannot hear. And also a serious lack of empathy again, for someone with a legitimate disability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not understanding why others care so much about this.

Hi! I’m op and it’s not that “I care so much!” - really; I have never asked one them and never will - which is why I asked on an anonymous forum that’s free to use.

But don’t you find it a little bit weird to still be doing this in April 2024 ?

I wouldn't consider having an opinion on it at all. Many reasons to do it and not my concern.