Anonymous wrote:I realized at some point that if I instructed my young elementary daughter to wear a mask, it would only be because I feared the repercussions of the most devout mask devotees and their kids, and not because I believed the reduction in risk was worth wearing a mask.

That didn't sound like a great way to go about making decisions, so we asked the kid what she wanted to do, and she said she'll go maskless to try it out and put it back on if she feels uncomfortable at any point.

I don't think there's easy answers.

Yes, this is the exact conversation and thought process my family is having.

I am worried about the other kids and their reactions. As is clear from this forum, people have filled some kids heads with a lot of things and the kids believe it and will repeat it. I also believe some of these parents will tell their kids to avoid a maskless child. I am worried about the teacher's reaction. I am not terribly worried about my daughter not wearing a mask and in fact think it's what is best for her and it's what she wants too.

It sucks.

https://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs_evening_news/video/7VhiWYjKZAjXvhUJrfRfUHEAKesZ_tly/parents-discuss-kids-wearing-masks-in-school/

This clip was shared on AEM of various moms talking about masks in school. I’m curious why the promaskers aren’t wearing one in the interview.

I realized at some point that if I instructed my young elementary daughter to wear a mask, it would only be because I feared the repercussions of the most devout mask devotees and their kids, and not because I believed the reduction in risk was worth wearing a mask.

That didn't sound like a great way to go about making decisions, so we asked the kid what she wanted to do, and she said she'll go maskless to try it out and put it back on if she feels uncomfortable at any point.

I don't think there's easy answers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AEM has a hilarious poll right now on what your kid will do tomorrow, with some of the nuttiest comments underneath. Some people think masks stop the stomach flu (a non-respiratory virus that's prevented via handwashing)! LOL

It's a ton of people who don't follow the science or have any perspective or risk.

This pandemic and the corresponding social media posts have made me realize that Arlington is one of the most educated counties full of absolutely stupid people.

There’s other things people are weighing as well, like are they willing to risk their pricey spring break vacations if their family get Covid leading up to spring break. So I’m hearing many plan to mask through then.

Yep! We are definitely considering this. We have an amazing trip planned and don't want to get derailed after very little travel for 2 years.

Wow - we've traveled normally since summer 2020. We know masks don't make a diference so we're living our lives mask free. Can't wait for mask mandate on planes to end on March 18th too.

DP, regardless of how much we have or haven't traveled, we have an international trip planned and its not worth risking a minor covid infection right before we leave. Simply wearing a mask for the next few weeks is an easy step we can take to help protect ourselves and our trip!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most commonly sited reason I see here and in conversations IRL for ending mask mandates is people are tired of them. History won’t be kind, and rightly so. This isn’t like the flu epidemic when people did the best they could with the known science. People now are ignoring science and prioritizing convenience. Not everyone (there are kids with legit needs that cannot be met wearing a mask), but a disappointing number. I hope I’m able to come out of this still believing it is important to help others, but I sometimes wonder.

Following the science means ending mask mandates. Those Arlington residents who demanded forced masking of children while bars and restaurants were wide open won't be remembered well in history. There's substantial overlap with those people and the ones who pushed for schools to close, which already (less than 1 year later) is remembered as an absolute disaster.

You think the bars and restaurants will be remembered well?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wearing a mask =/= thinking we can control covid.

I am still wearing a mask for the same reason I wear a bike helmet, or a seat belt, or would wear a condom if I had sex with strangers. It is something small I can do to provide some protection (and yes I wear KN95s). Plus, we already had covid in November. It was annoying and disruptive and we were asymptomatic. As long as we still have to quarantine forever I will take steps to prevent getting covid.

I get where you're coming from... but on the other hand your mask didn't prevent you from getting covid in the fall. It seems strange that your response now with the additional antibodies is double down on masking.

DP, but making decreases your dosage, which decreases the severity of the disease you get. If you can limit the amount of virus you breathe in you can help to ensure that you don't get so much of it in your body that it overwhelms your antibodies. I don't understand how we are 2 years into this and people still don't understand how the disease and preventative measures against it work.

Sounds like you don't think vaccines work. Everyone I know has had COVID too so no one cares at this point too.

Of course vaccines work! Vaccines prevent people from getting covid when otherwise they would have gotten it! But there are breakthrough cases where even vaccinated people get covid. In those cases, BOTH vaccines AND masks can help reduce the severity of the covid that does infect you.

I don't know whether you're being willfully obtuse or just really don't understand the science. Ignorance is bliss, as ever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wearing a mask =/= thinking we can control covid.

I am still wearing a mask for the same reason I wear a bike helmet, or a seat belt, or would wear a condom if I had sex with strangers. It is something small I can do to provide some protection (and yes I wear KN95s). Plus, we already had covid in November. It was annoying and disruptive and we were asymptomatic. As long as we still have to quarantine forever I will take steps to prevent getting covid.

I get where you're coming from... but on the other hand your mask didn't prevent you from getting covid in the fall. It seems strange that your response now with the additional antibodies is double down on masking.

DP, but making decreases your dosage, which decreases the severity of the disease you get. If you can limit the amount of virus you breathe in you can help to ensure that you don't get so much of it in your body that it overwhelms your antibodies. I don't understand how we are 2 years into this and people still don't understand how the disease and preventative measures against it work.

Sounds like you don't think vaccines work. Everyone I know has had COVID too so no one cares at this point too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AEM has a hilarious poll right now on what your kid will do tomorrow, with some of the nuttiest comments underneath. Some people think masks stop the stomach flu (a non-respiratory virus that's prevented via handwashing)! LOL

It's a ton of people who don't follow the science or have any perspective or risk.

This pandemic and the corresponding social media posts have made me realize that Arlington is one of the most educated counties full of absolutely stupid people.

There’s other things people are weighing as well, like are they willing to risk their pricey spring break vacations if their family get Covid leading up to spring break. So I’m hearing many plan to mask through then.

Yep! We are definitely considering this. We have an amazing trip planned and don't want to get derailed after very little travel for 2 years.

Wow - we've traveled normally since summer 2020. We know masks don't make a diference so we're living our lives mask free. Can't wait for mask mandate on planes to end on March 18th too.

Wearing a mask entering school =/= wearing a mask inside school. Some of you guys have no idea that masks were optional long before March 1st.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wearing a mask =/= thinking we can control covid.

I am still wearing a mask for the same reason I wear a bike helmet, or a seat belt, or would wear a condom if I had sex with strangers. It is something small I can do to provide some protection (and yes I wear KN95s). Plus, we already had covid in November. It was annoying and disruptive and we were asymptomatic. As long as we still have to quarantine forever I will take steps to prevent getting covid.

I get where you're coming from... but on the other hand your mask didn't prevent you from getting covid in the fall. It seems strange that your response now with the additional antibodies is double down on masking.

DP, but making decreases your dosage, which decreases the severity of the disease you get. If you can limit the amount of virus you breathe in you can help to ensure that you don't get so much of it in your body that it overwhelms your antibodies. I don't understand how we are 2 years into this and people still don't understand how the disease and preventative measures against it work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wearing a mask =/= thinking we can control covid.

I am still wearing a mask for the same reason I wear a bike helmet, or a seat belt, or would wear a condom if I had sex with strangers. It is something small I can do to provide some protection (and yes I wear KN95s). Plus, we already had covid in November. It was annoying and disruptive and we were asymptomatic. As long as we still have to quarantine forever I will take steps to prevent getting covid.

I get where you're coming from... but on the other hand your mask didn't prevent you from getting covid in the fall. It seems strange that your response now with the additional antibodies is double down on masking.

Well, I honestly have no idea how we got covid. So I can't say it wouldn't have prevented us. My child was exposed at baseball unmasked (I can't guarantee this is where he got it from). Also, from what I heard the antibodies only are good for 90 days (it has been that now) and we likely had delta, so doesn't protect us from Omicron. But I don't think I am doubling down. Just not comfortable going mask free yet, not raging about it.

Anonymous wrote:wearing a mask =/= thinking we can control covid.

I am still wearing a mask for the same reason I wear a bike helmet, or a seat belt, or would wear a condom if I had sex with strangers. It is something small I can do to provide some protection (and yes I wear KN95s). Plus, we already had covid in November. It was annoying and disruptive and we were asymptomatic. As long as we still have to quarantine forever I will take steps to prevent getting covid.

I get where you're coming from... but on the other hand your mask didn't prevent you from getting covid in the fall. It seems strange that your response now with the additional antibodies is double down on masking.

Anonymous wrote:The most commonly sited reason I see here and in conversations IRL for ending mask mandates is people are tired of them. History won’t be kind, and rightly so. This isn’t like the flu epidemic when people did the best they could with the known science. People now are ignoring science and prioritizing convenience. Not everyone (there are kids with legit needs that cannot be met wearing a mask), but a disappointing number. I hope I’m able to come out of this still believing it is important to help others, but I sometimes wonder.

Following the science means ending mask mandates. Those Arlington residents who demanded forced masking of children while bars and restaurants were wide open won't be remembered well in history. There's substantial overlap with those people and the ones who pushed for schools to close, which already (less than 1 year later) is remembered as an absolute disaster.

Anonymous wrote:wearing a mask =/= thinking we can control covid.

I am still wearing a mask for the same reason I wear a bike helmet, or a seat belt, or would wear a condom if I had sex with strangers. It is something small I can do to provide some protection (and yes I wear KN95s). Plus, we already had covid in November. It was annoying and disruptive and we were asymptomatic. As long as we still have to quarantine forever I will take steps to prevent getting covid.

Yes, this is the rub.

I no longer fear covid. I don't fear the quarantine (that's if you're a close contact and we are vaccinated so this won't apply to us). I fear the isolation guidelines if we are sick. I don't really want my kids out of school for 10 days over what amounts to a sniffle for most of them. (And yes, I know for some children it's not a sniffle. Please don't respond with your story of how sick your kid was. I understand some of them get very sick.)

Now that masking has gone down, this will be the next frontier of what reasonable people are going to start pushing back against eventually.

wearing a mask =/= thinking we can control covid.

I am still wearing a mask for the same reason I wear a bike helmet, or a seat belt, or would wear a condom if I had sex with strangers. It is something small I can do to provide some protection (and yes I wear KN95s). Plus, we already had covid in November. It was annoying and disruptive and we were asymptomatic. As long as we still have to quarantine forever I will take steps to prevent getting covid.