When are you going to stop wearing masks indoors (stores, etc)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Magnus Carlson was defeated in Chess by a 16 yr old Indian Chess player. MC made a lot of mistakes in the game. A LOT. Not a small mistake. A LOT.

I read a news article that said that MC felt that he is having difficulty focusing because he is still recovering from COVID.

This is what COVID can do to the brain of a genius like Magnus Carlson.

What matters is whether he is going to recover, and how quickly.

Sounds like an excuse to explain having his a$$ handed to him by a kid.

I agree. I hope he recovers completely and quickly.

BTW, I am an Indian-American who follows chess. I feel a great sense of pride when any Indian (or Indian-American kid) does well - especially when they manage to hold their own against top-rated players. But this is something that has been discussed in many chess forums and people are really concerned. The kid is a very good player but this was not an expected upset at this tournament. The kid had lost to two of his competitors just the day earlier. MC inability to focus and brain fog after recovering from COVID (and he was still feeling very poorly throughout the tournament) is very concerning because of what COVID does to the brain. MC made several mistakes that others could spot (and so did the teen!) so he was certainly not at his best.

I am not making excuses because at professional tournaments players come to play because of the huge cash rewards, and if someone is having a bad day then oh well. But, as a person who is interested in finding out all the fallouts of a COVID infection, this is scary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Fully vaccinated” — only if you had a booster within the last four months. Check the percent of people who fall in that category, it’s much lower than you would think. A lot of people don’t understand that nuance at all.

Please clarify. We're boosted and it's been more than 4 months. I know it won't work as well now, but we're not even eligible for another booster (not immunocompromised), so aren't we "fully vaccinated" at least in name?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When the community transmission rate where I live falls below 10 cases per 100,000 population. I think there should be some metrics around this decision; it shouldn’t just be based on feelings. My family is vaxxed/boosted. No one in my house has had it yet (knock wood). We go to stores, school events, work, travel some, and basically live our lives, but wear masks. When omicron surged we upgrade to better masks and suspended indoor dining.

I know there is nothing magical per se about the 10/100000 but it keeps me from making exceptions based on emotion and is an easy bright line rule for me and m family. If I’d already had omicron I would have a different threshold.

Isn't it possible we will never be below 10 / 100,000?

That seems highly likely. Look at endemic seasonal flu rates- they’re well above the 10/100,000 metric. Why would we expect covid to be so much less common?

Right. We've been below 10/100000 before and I expect we will be again, but the numbers will fluctuate. When it's above a certain number ("substantial" spread), is it going to be mask time again?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I plan to keep on wearing a mask because it has helped my pollen allergies in the spring AND helped me not get a cold or flu the past two years.

I don't care what anyone else does or doesn't do, this has been a life changer for me.

Just be aware that immunologically you are not doing yourself any favors by avoiding exposures for the rest of your life. By the time you are old you might die of a simple cold your grandkid or your fellow nursing home resident gave you.

+1. And all those parents that are thrilled to keep their babies/kids home, masked etc are doing a serious disservice to their child’s immune system.

No, they aren't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Fully vaccinated” — only if you had a booster within the last four months. Check the percent of people who fall in that category, it’s much lower than you would think. A lot of people don’t understand that nuance at all.

Please clarify. We're boosted and it's been more than 4 months. I know it won't work as well now, but we're not even eligible for another booster (not immunocompromised), so aren't we "fully vaccinated" at least in name?

I think you’re up to date if youre age 12 and up and you’ve had one booster after 5 months from the last shot of your primary series.
The CDC should really not be “should-ing” boosters to be considered up to date if you’re < 50 with no high risk factors. It should just be a permissive recommendation meaning you can get it if you want. But no one should be able to mandate it for people under 50 like colleges etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I plan to keep on wearing a mask because it has helped my pollen allergies in the spring AND helped me not get a cold or flu the past two years.

I don't care what anyone else does or doesn't do, this has been a life changer for me.

Just be aware that immunologically you are not doing yourself any favors by avoiding exposures for the rest of your life. By the time you are old you might die of a simple cold your grandkid or your fellow nursing home resident gave you.

+1. And all those parents that are thrilled to keep their babies/kids home, masked etc are doing a serious disservice to their child’s immune system.

This is simply not true. To have a strong immune system, you need exposure but a "limited exposure" so that your body can fight various microbes as well as produce antibodies against it to protect against future infections. However, if it is a particularly virulent and terrible microbe then more exposure only serves to increase the "viral load" that your body can not handle and you are basically gasping at the ventilator.

Think of your immune system as the Capitol Police. If a bad element tries to come inside the Capitol, they can easily overpower that criminal. However, if thousands of armed criminals, traitors and insurrectionists try and capture the capitol and kill our elected representatives, just so a fair election can be overturned and they can subvert democracy - then the Capitol Police is basically up the shitz creek.

By wearing a mask, you are still getting some particles of all kinds of microbes in your body. However, your exposure is so low that not only your immune system can handle it, but it will actually become stronger by this exposure. This is especially true for kids, elderly, people with weak immune system or comorbidities.

Which further translates into - to be healthy in the time of pandemic - have a healthy lifestyle, socialize and meet people using common sense, wear masks, get vaccinated/boosted, and remain cheerful and connected with others. There is zero reason to be maskless in indoor public places like grocery stores or cinema hall - where you are not going to socialize with others.

What about schools and offices? Restaurants? I would personally wear the mask indoors in schools and offices, since that has not impacted work. I am still skipping sitting inside restaurants, but we are very much dining outdoors without masks. The servers are masking and so as a courtsey we all mask too when they are taking orders or bringing out food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When the community transmission rate where I live falls below 10 cases per 100,000 population. I think there should be some metrics around this decision; it shouldn’t just be based on feelings. My family is vaxxed/boosted. No one in my house has had it yet (knock wood). We go to stores, school events, work, travel some, and basically live our lives, but wear masks. When omicron surged we upgrade to better masks and suspended indoor dining.

I know there is nothing magical per se about the 10/100000 but it keeps me from making exceptions based on emotion and is an easy bright line rule for me and m family. If I’d already had omicron I would have a different threshold.

Isn't it possible we will never be below 10 / 100,000?

That seems highly likely. Look at endemic seasonal flu rates- they’re well above the 10/100,000 metric. Why would we expect covid to be so much less common?

Right. We've been below 10/100000 before and I expect we will be again, but the numbers will fluctuate. When it's above a certain number ("substantial" spread), is it going to be mask time again?

If vaccines are available it should be optional IMO. But it could be recommended at a certain transmission level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. I know there are a lot of people on this board who aren’t from the DC area and I’m curious where OP and a lot of other posters to this thread live. Here in the DC area I still see tons of people wearing masks and I just don’t hear that much complaining or asking when other people are going to stop. You certainly don’t get funny looks if you wear one and no one has ever asked me when I plan to stop.

OP here. DC area, born and raised.

Yes about 80% of people are masked still in stores and things, but it seems like most are doing it because everyone's doing it, and people are waiting for others to make the move to stop wearing them before they follow suit. I just don't see the sense in it anymore. Vaccinated people are very, very rarely experiencing severity and to continue to insist on masking for healthy people is becoming absurd.

What is “severity” to you may be something different to someone else. I’m vaxxed and boosted and have been pretty sick with Covid for 5 days now. My siblings just had it and they were all sick for a week. I spoke to a friend of mine who is a doctor and she said most of her vaxxed/boosted patients are having sinus like congestion for 7-10 days. Can you understand how a lot of people don’t want to get sick like that, since it’s more than a cold?!

Based on what you described, it certainly sounds like a moderately bad cold to me.

Have people forgotten what it is like to get sick?

Ceteris paribus, I'd rather not get sick or 7-10 days (with a small but real chance I could be hospitalized). Getting another shot (#4) or wearing high quality masks in some settings is a small price to pay for wellness for 4-6 months. OTOH, if there are studies showing that getting COVID now will help when I'm in my 80's, I'm open to that information as well. I just haven't seen anything to that effect yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I plan to keep on wearing a mask because it has helped my pollen allergies in the spring AND helped me not get a cold or flu the past two years.

I don't care what anyone else does or doesn't do, this has been a life changer for me.

Just be aware that immunologically you are not doing yourself any favors by avoiding exposures for the rest of your life. By the time you are old you might die of a simple cold your grandkid or your fellow nursing home resident gave you.

+1. And all those parents that are thrilled to keep their babies/kids home, masked etc are doing a serious disservice to their child’s immune system.

This is simply not true. To have a strong immune system, you need exposure but a "limited exposure" so that your body can fight various microbes as well as produce antibodies against it to protect against future infections. However, if it is a particularly virulent and terrible microbe then more exposure only serves to increase the "viral load" that your body can not handle and you are basically gasping at the ventilator.

Think of your immune system as the Capitol Police. If a bad element tries to come inside the Capitol, they can easily overpower that criminal. However, if thousands of armed criminals, traitors and insurrectionists try and capture the capitol and kill our elected representatives, just so a fair election can be overturned and they can subvert democracy - then the Capitol Police is basically up the shitz creek.

By wearing a mask, you are still getting some particles of all kinds of microbes in your body. However, your exposure is so low that not only your immune system can handle it, but it will actually become stronger by this exposure. This is especially true for kids, elderly, people with weak immune system or comorbidities.

Which further translates into - to be healthy in the time of pandemic - have a healthy lifestyle, socialize and meet people using common sense, wear masks, get vaccinated/boosted, and remain cheerful and connected with others. There is zero reason to be maskless in indoor public places like grocery stores or cinema hall - where you are not going to socialize with others.

What about schools and offices? Restaurants? I would personally wear the mask indoors in schools and offices, since that has not impacted work. I am still skipping sitting inside restaurants, but we are very much dining outdoors without masks. The servers are masking and so as a courtsey we all mask too when they are taking orders or bringing out food.

Some people just have a better immune system than others. If my kid catches something, they will be over it in a day or two. It will last weeks for me, and if I give it back to my child, they will give it back to me and it will last another few weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When the community transmission rate where I live falls below 10 cases per 100,000 population. I think there should be some metrics around this decision; it shouldn’t just be based on feelings. My family is vaxxed/boosted. No one in my house has had it yet (knock wood). We go to stores, school events, work, travel some, and basically live our lives, but wear masks. When omicron surged we upgrade to better masks and suspended indoor dining.

I know there is nothing magical per se about the 10/100000 but it keeps me from making exceptions based on emotion and is an easy bright line rule for me and m family. If I’d already had omicron I would have a different threshold.

Isn't it possible we will never be below 10 / 100,000?

That seems highly likely. Look at endemic seasonal flu rates- they’re well above the 10/100,000 metric. Why would we expect covid to be so much less common?

Right. We've been below 10/100000 before and I expect we will be again, but the numbers will fluctuate. When it's above a certain number ("substantial" spread), is it going to be mask time again?

If vaccines are available it should be optional IMO. But it could be recommended at a certain transmission level.

It already is recommended but we need a lot more data before they are mandatory. Both short and long term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I plan to keep on wearing a mask because it has helped my pollen allergies in the spring AND helped me not get a cold or flu the past two years.

I don't care what anyone else does or doesn't do, this has been a life changer for me.

Just be aware that immunologically you are not doing yourself any favors by avoiding exposures for the rest of your life. By the time you are old you might die of a simple cold your grandkid or your fellow nursing home resident gave you.

+1. And all those parents that are thrilled to keep their babies/kids home, masked etc are doing a serious disservice to their child’s immune system.

This is simply not true. To have a strong immune system, you need exposure but a "limited exposure" so that your body can fight various microbes as well as produce antibodies against it to protect against future infections. However, if it is a particularly virulent and terrible microbe then more exposure only serves to increase the "viral load" that your body can not handle and you are basically gasping at the ventilator.

Think of your immune system as the Capitol Police. If a bad element tries to come inside the Capitol, they can easily overpower that criminal. However, if thousands of armed criminals, traitors and insurrectionists try and capture the capitol and kill our elected representatives, just so a fair election can be overturned and they can subvert democracy - then the Capitol Police is basically up the shitz creek.

By wearing a mask, you are still getting some particles of all kinds of microbes in your body. However, your exposure is so low that not only your immune system can handle it, but it will actually become stronger by this exposure. This is especially true for kids, elderly, people with weak immune system or comorbidities.

Which further translates into - to be healthy in the time of pandemic - have a healthy lifestyle, socialize and meet people using common sense, wear masks, get vaccinated/boosted, and remain cheerful and connected with others. There is zero reason to be maskless in indoor public places like grocery stores or cinema hall - where you are not going to socialize with others.

What about schools and offices? Restaurants? I would personally wear the mask indoors in schools and offices, since that has not impacted work. I am still skipping sitting inside restaurants, but we are very much dining outdoors without masks. The servers are masking and so as a courtsey we all mask too when they are taking orders or bringing out food.

Kids, vaccinated or not, are extremely low risk of ending up on a ventilator, and so are adults who are vaccinated. Especially with Covid, where the risk rises exponentially the older you are, it is not in healthy children's best interest to be shielded from a virus that is going to be around for the rest of their lives. It certainly isn't in their interest to be kept at home and shielded from all exposures of all respiratory viruses, nor is it necessary to lessen their viral load with a mask.

And your assertion that wearing masks at school "has not impacted work" is highly debatable and anything but settled science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I plan to keep on wearing a mask because it has helped my pollen allergies in the spring AND helped me not get a cold or flu the past two years.

I don't care what anyone else does or doesn't do, this has been a life changer for me.

Just be aware that immunologically you are not doing yourself any favors by avoiding exposures for the rest of your life. By the time you are old you might die of a simple cold your grandkid or your fellow nursing home resident gave you.

Do you have a source for this? I think it's an important issue that needs to be considered if there is scientific support for it. Otherwise, I have to protect myself now as best I can and hope there will be better therapeutics for the nursing home set if and when I get there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I plan to keep on wearing a mask because it has helped my pollen allergies in the spring AND helped me not get a cold or flu the past two years.

I don't care what anyone else does or doesn't do, this has been a life changer for me.

Just be aware that immunologically you are not doing yourself any favors by avoiding exposures for the rest of your life. By the time you are old you might die of a simple cold your grandkid or your fellow nursing home resident gave you.

Do you have a source for this? I think it's an important issue that needs to be considered if there is scientific support for it. Otherwise, I have to protect myself now as best I can and hope there will be better therapeutics for the nursing home set if and when I get there.

This isn't specific to Covid. A common cold can kill an elderly person. I'm not sure you need a source to tell you that exposures generate immunity, and that someone who has shielded themselves from infections for decades will be more vulnerable to any virus than someone who has encountered a variety of respiratory viruses repeatedly over the years. That's why they say many older people were less vulnerable than the young during the Spanish flu pandemic - they had already had numerous encounters with other flu strains. Coronaviruses tend to affect the young much less than the elderly even without prior exposure, and I have seen experts hypothesize that parents of young children are less vulnerable to Covid because they have so much recent exposure to other (common cold) coronaviruses through their children. It is common knowledge that in general, exposure generates immunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I plan to keep on wearing a mask because it has helped my pollen allergies in the spring AND helped me not get a cold or flu the past two years.

I don't care what anyone else does or doesn't do, this has been a life changer for me.

Just be aware that immunologically you are not doing yourself any favors by avoiding exposures for the rest of your life. By the time you are old you might die of a simple cold your grandkid or your fellow nursing home resident gave you.

Do you have a source for this? I think it's an important issue that needs to be considered if there is scientific support for it. Otherwise, I have to protect myself now as best I can and hope there will be better therapeutics for the nursing home set if and when I get there.

Aren't you vaccinated? That's the way to protect yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Magnus Carlson was defeated in Chess by a 16 yr old Indian Chess player. MC made a lot of mistakes in the game. A LOT. Not a small mistake. A LOT.

I read a news article that said that MC felt that he is having difficulty focusing because he is still recovering from COVID.

This is what COVID can do to the brain of a genius like Magnus Carlson.

Ok, it’s not like this was something that happened months after he had COVID and it was a lasting impact. He was just diagnosed right before the tournament started and he was still getting over it. Report back if this is something he says he’s still suffering from weeks or months from now