People still masking every day at work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anti-maskers: why does your doctor wear one then, when performing surgery?

Why do you think surgeons wear masks? It certainly isn't to to protect themselves from airborne viruses.

[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 don’t find it weird—I do it. My husband, a health care provider who got “mild” COVID at work, has long COVID and is disabled by it. Our kid has one able-bodied parent and needs that parent to stay able-bodies; also, they don’t need the other parent getting COVID again because it may kill him.

We use N95 or KF94 masks in all indoor spaces. To our knowledge, so far neither kid nor I has had COVID.


I assume everyone else doing this has some similarly compelling reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a few people at my federal office who are still masking every day. One of them wears rubber gloves and masks-up every day. One of them drives to work while masked up, alone, in her car.

Should I assume they are unvaxxed? Just super paranoid or something??

I find this so weird.

If they have weak immune system, they need to try to minimize risk of infections in every way possible.

[Anonymous]

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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.

So your answer is that you, 1 person on this thread, potentially website, use lip reading to read?
Seems like that makes the point of pp. This isnt a common occurrence, and you sound like an entitled twit asking someone to risk their health because you hate masks.

Cool it. I'm another person who relies on lip reading as I have terrible hearing. When masking was at its peak, it was definitely a challenge. I put up with it. But now it's rarely a problem because so few people mask, and the few times someone in a mask starts talking to me, I just smile politely and shake my head and otherwise ignore them.

No one masks in my office and haven't masked in my office for about a year and a half. Major F500 firm. I have noticed outside a few specific types of environments, very, very few people are still masking. You see people with masks on subways and trains but they typically take it off as soon as they leave the carriages.

The one place I do see masking are progressive left wing protests and sit-ins. Not sure why they have strongly embraced masking as part of their identity. But it does make me wonder about the mentality that attracts people to still masking. All the health reasons people give on this forum existed before COVID in a world that was just as dangerous to the very sick, but no one masked back then. And I won't forget how we all wore pointless cloth masks for a year and it turned out they were useless.

People couldn't get N-95s in 2020, that is why they wore cloth masks. It's weirdly revisionist to ignore the lack of PPE supply during that time.

I am somebody who owned N-95s for wildfire smoke, pre-covid. It had never occurred to me to wear them to avoid getting/spreading illness. Maybe that makes me stupid but it was just not on my radar until covid. Once I realized I could wear them in places I regularly get sick (like airports) I did and still do. The fact I didn't think to do it earlier doesn't mean anything about doing it now.

The official public health position on masking pre-COVID, whenever it came up and it was pretty rare, was that masking didn't work so they didn't advise it.

People still continue masking because it's a theatre, it helps them think they're doing something proactive even in reality it means very little. It's a form of delusion to think you're protecting yourself from viruses and diseases.

Re the cloth masks - we were *lied* to by public health officials during COVID on the effectiveness of cloth masks. We were required to wear them in lieu of anything else for a year even though they did nothing and offered no benefits. I won't forget that.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is incredibly silly to mask in most situations, but this post is absurd. Of course we knew respirators worked as PPE before covid. They weren't recommended because they're moderately expensive and most people find them very uncomfortable. So it was generally agreed that they simply weren't worth the cost/discomfort in daily life.

Similarly, we knew less protective masks, including surgical and decent cloth masks, would reduce the spread of droplets. And despite the catchphrases of covidians, it is generally accepted that droplets pose a bigger infection risk when in close contact with others. Are they good enough you could count on them to protect yourself? Definitely not. But when the pandemic was really going, a 10-20% drop in transmissions was pretty significant to overall public health, even if it didn't particularly change your individual risk very much. Luckily we've reached a point where covid isn't seriously threatening overall public health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd say 20% of the folks I work with still mask at work. Maybe even a higher percentage.

But masking alone in her car doesn't make sense. I almost don't believe that detail.

DP-I see folks driving around in their cars with masks on —recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a few people at my federal office who are still masking every day. One of them wears rubber gloves and masks-up every day. One of them drives to work while masked up, alone, in her car.

Should I assume they are unvaxxed? Just super paranoid or something??

I find this so weird.

If they have weak immune system, they need to try to minimize risk of infections in every way possible.

The pandemic has convinced a large number of people that they're suddenly and significantly immunocompromised. And some are, but many aren't. If you're not on corticosteroids, biologics, chemo, or radiation therapy, you're probably not significantly immunocompromised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am OP. First,

- thanks to those who could provide rational answers in a calm manner.

Eye-opening to me were those who nearly died of Covid, back when there was no vaccine, and were legitimately traumatized. I can see your point; I wish you peace & health.

As to all those who really flipped out in this thread, became irrational, and even triggered over a simple, reasonable, normal expression of human curiosity: wow.

Just, wow. You’ve confirmed what I suspected all along: mental illnesses in the DMV are out of control and extremely widespread. Mental illness and intolerance. You can’t even tolerate a question without becoming irate? Again - wow.

I believe many who responded here have health issues which a mask is not going to prevent (if you know what I mean). I hope you get help and can find a pathway back to sanity.

No, dude. Talk about projection. You are either the intolerant one (why are you guys still masking in 2024??? I don't understaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand) or were fishing for some drama. Either way, you are the jerk. Stop gaslighting.

The people on this thread have responded with dismay and derision because we know what you are up to. The real question in 2024 is not why some people are still masking, it's why some people like you still feel the need to comment on it and feign ignorance of the many, many legitimate reasons people are still doing it. Or if you are truly that ignorant...where have you been for the last four years?

You have no right to comment on the mental health and anxiety of others in such as nasty way. People who mask are only intolerant of your bad behavior. Which is juuuuust fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a few people at my federal office who are still masking every day. One of them wears rubber gloves and masks-up every day. One of them drives to work while masked up, alone, in her car.

Should I assume they are unvaxxed? Just super paranoid or something??

I find this so weird.

If they have weak immune system, they need to try to minimize risk of infections in every way possible.

The pandemic has convinced a large number of people that they're suddenly and significantly immunocompromised. And some are, but many aren't. If you're not on corticosteroids, biologics, chemo, or radiation therapy, you're probably not significantly immunocompromised.

You have no basis for this statement other than the fact that you are....a big jerk. Who do you think you are? Are the spirit reader? A DCUM psychic.

go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never seen someone masking while appearing symptomatic of any kind of illness. It’s not done out of courtesy—at least, not in this country. In actuality, in America, people mask to be discourteous and shame others who aren’t equally “cautious.”

+1. At this point, it’s mostly crazy people masking. I encountered a couple at Wegmans several weeks ago who started yelling at me in the produce section because they thought I got too close to them. They were both wearing N95s. If you’re inmunocompromised, you’re not shopping at Wegmans in the middle of a Saturday. They just wanted to virtue signal.

Go read the responses on this thread, and then go do some soul searching. You are not a nice person and should work on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd say 20% of the folks I work with still mask at work. Maybe even a higher percentage.

But masking alone in her car doesn't make sense. I almost don't believe that detail.

DP-I see folks driving around in their cars with masks on —recently.

What else has happened recently? Hmm, could it be the explosion of pollen due to the unseasonably high temps?

I didn't go walking yesterday because I just didn't feel like either wearing a mask or using an inhaler. Please just mind your own business and keep going.

[Anonymous]

Why is this in Off-Topic rather than health?

[Anonymous]

Why do people mask outside? Do we assume they have allergies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am OP. First,

- thanks to those who could provide rational answers in a calm manner.

Eye-opening to me were those who nearly died of Covid, back when there was no vaccine, and were legitimately traumatized. I can see your point; I wish you peace & health.

As to all those who really flipped out in this thread, became irrational, and even triggered over a simple, reasonable, normal expression of human curiosity: wow.

Just, wow. You’ve confirmed what I suspected all along: mental illnesses in the DMV are out of control and extremely widespread. Mental illness and intolerance. You can’t even tolerate a question without becoming irate? Again - wow.

I believe many who responded here have health issues which a mask is not going to prevent (if you know what I mean). I hope you get help and can find a pathway back to sanity.

No, dude. Talk about projection. You are either the intolerant one (why are you guys still masking in 2024??? I don't understaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand) or were fishing for some drama. Either way, you are the jerk. Stop gaslighting.

The people on this thread have responded with dismay and derision because we know what you are up to. The real question in 2024 is not why some people are still masking, it's why some people like you still feel the need to comment on it and feign ignorance of the many, many legitimate reasons people are still doing it. Or if you are truly that ignorant...where have you been for the last four years?

You have no right to comment on the mental health and anxiety of others in such as nasty way. People who mask are only intolerant of your bad behavior. Which is juuuuust fine.

They are projecting their anxiety and mental health issues onto others. They regularly start new threads complaining of masking and don’t believe folks when they have good reason or just think it’s a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd say 20% of the folks I work with still mask at work. Maybe even a higher percentage.

But masking alone in her car doesn't make sense. I almost don't believe that detail.

DP-I see folks driving around in their cars with masks on —recently.

Why do you care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never seen someone masking while appearing symptomatic of any kind of illness. It’s not done out of courtesy—at least, not in this country. In actuality, in America, people mask to be discourteous and shame others who aren’t equally “cautious.”

What does symptomatic

I have a very allergic kid who masks a lot in the spring due to pollen. He doesn't "appear symptomatic" if you see him.

That was one thing I discovered during the mask mandates. Very few allergy and asthma symptoms.

+1 It's amazing how well they work for allergies. I loved being able to wear a mask during allergy season.
These days, I am afraid to, because of people like OP. Instead, I am staying home. If I have to go out, I am drugging myself with migraine pills, antihistamines, steroid eye drops and nasal sprays so I don't feel like Sh$$. It was much easier to wear a mask.