Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I went the whole pandemic with no Covid. Almost two weeks ago, I got B5.a. I’ve never been so sick and it won’t end. I am a healthy person. I think this virus is going to be very different than our “new normal”.

+1
I'm healthy and used to walking six miles a day. I'm on day 10 and still testing positive, and more importantly, feeling sick. I keep thinking it has to stop.

You guys are probably feeling extra ill when you finally met this virus because you haven't been challenging your immune systems for more than two years:

"We evolved alongside pathogens, and our regular contacts with them usually allow our immune systems to reup the response without making us very sick.
The system has “enough memory to make it more like a good hearty booster than a bad infection,” Mina said.
The moment you stop seeing a virus on this regular cadence, as happened during the pandemic, that natural balance is upset, Mina said. The extraordinary measures we took to limit exposure to the coronavirus — necessary steps to contain a deadly new foe — also limited our exposure to other viruses. If you do get exposed to a virus again once too much time has passed, you may not be able to protect yourself as well, leading to out-of-season surges across the population and surprisingly virulent infections for individuals."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/13/covid-flu-rsv-viruses/

And this is why it is NOT a good idea to wear a mask for the rest of your life to protect yourself not only from Covid, but from all other respiratory viruses. The people who think they might do this because it is so great never to have a cold again will pay a price at some point, especially once they are older and generally more vulnerable.

+10000

And quit using hand sanitizer/disinfectants. Touch the crosswalk signals. And elevator buttons. And doorknobs. Then eat a snack.

- Have yet to have covid once. My immune system is strong NOT because of genetics, but because I challenge it with harmless little things here and there - it indeed is a muscle - use it or you lose it. I'm vaccinated, but I've been truly living normally for over a year.

I'm the PP you are responding to, and I don't think this is how it works either. Exposure to completely unrelated germs (such as bacteria or stomach viruses - the things you might pick up from elevator buttons) are not going to boost your immune system against respiratory viruses. The pathogens you expose yourself to at a low level to boost your immune system are only going to help you against similar pathogens. There may be some cross-immunity between different coronaviruses and maybe even other respiratory viruses, but mostly you only get a boost against a virus from exposure to the same or very similar viruses. That's why I said, as the article implies, it's probably not a good idea to try to avoid all respiratory viruses in the long run (including Covid), because as you age, you only get more intrinsically vulnerable, and you don't want your immune system to be naive to the latest variants and out of practice against those that are continuously around.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people saying they won’t wear masks and immunocompromised people need to watch out for themselves will be startled when they catch covid for the fourth time and become immunocompromised and then people start telling them they need to watch out for themselves.

I feel so sad for the agoraphobic life you're still leading. It must be petrifying (not to mention miserable) to live with so much anxiety. Good luck. Hopefully one day you can join us in the present.

Same old idiots. No one is terrified but you. Why does a mask scare you so much?

DP. I’m not scared of masks, but they’re terribly uncomfortable (particularly in the summer) and I can’t see when I wear them due to my glasses fogging up. If I want to have any hope of seeing, I need to use thin, single-layer masks without the filters, in which case they’re not doing much anyway. So I do t wear them.

This means that your mask does not fit correctly.

This is correct. I've worn N95 since 2020 and did not get Covid. No fogging. When I wear surgical mask sometimes, it fogs my glasses because the air I'm breathing is coming up and out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I went the whole pandemic with no Covid. Almost two weeks ago, I got B5.a. I’ve never been so sick and it won’t end. I am a healthy person. I think this virus is going to be very different than our “new normal”.

+1
I'm healthy and used to walking six miles a day. I'm on day 10 and still testing positive, and more importantly, feeling sick. I keep thinking it has to stop.

You guys are probably feeling extra ill when you finally met this virus because you haven't been challenging your immune systems for more than two years:

"We evolved alongside pathogens, and our regular contacts with them usually allow our immune systems to reup the response without making us very sick.
The system has “enough memory to make it more like a good hearty booster than a bad infection,” Mina said.
The moment you stop seeing a virus on this regular cadence, as happened during the pandemic, that natural balance is upset, Mina said. The extraordinary measures we took to limit exposure to the coronavirus — necessary steps to contain a deadly new foe — also limited our exposure to other viruses. If you do get exposed to a virus again once too much time has passed, you may not be able to protect yourself as well, leading to out-of-season surges across the population and surprisingly virulent infections for individuals."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/13/covid-flu-rsv-viruses/

And this is why it is NOT a good idea to wear a mask for the rest of your life to protect yourself not only from Covid, but from all other respiratory viruses. The people who think they might do this because it is so great never to have a cold again will pay a price at some point, especially once they are older and generally more vulnerable.

+10000

And quit using hand sanitizer/disinfectants. Touch the crosswalk signals. And elevator buttons. And doorknobs. Then eat a snack.

- Have yet to have covid once. My immune system is strong NOT because of genetics, but because I challenge it with harmless little things here and there - it indeed is a muscle - use it or you lose it. I'm vaccinated, but I've been truly living normally for over a year.

Um, that's not how it works for adults.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I went the whole pandemic with no Covid. Almost two weeks ago, I got B5.a. I’ve never been so sick and it won’t end. I am a healthy person. I think this virus is going to be very different than our “new normal”.

+1
I'm healthy and used to walking six miles a day. I'm on day 10 and still testing positive, and more importantly, feeling sick. I keep thinking it has to stop.

You guys are probably feeling extra ill when you finally met this virus because you haven't been challenging your immune systems for more than two years:

"We evolved alongside pathogens, and our regular contacts with them usually allow our immune systems to reup the response without making us very sick.
The system has “enough memory to make it more like a good hearty booster than a bad infection,” Mina said.
The moment you stop seeing a virus on this regular cadence, as happened during the pandemic, that natural balance is upset, Mina said. The extraordinary measures we took to limit exposure to the coronavirus — necessary steps to contain a deadly new foe — also limited our exposure to other viruses. If you do get exposed to a virus again once too much time has passed, you may not be able to protect yourself as well, leading to out-of-season surges across the population and surprisingly virulent infections for individuals."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/13/covid-flu-rsv-viruses/

And this is why it is NOT a good idea to wear a mask for the rest of your life to protect yourself not only from Covid, but from all other respiratory viruses. The people who think they might do this because it is so great never to have a cold again will pay a price at some point, especially once they are older and generally more vulnerable.

+10000

And quit using hand sanitizer/disinfectants. Touch the crosswalk signals. And elevator buttons. And doorknobs. Then eat a snack.

- Have yet to have covid once. My immune system is strong NOT because of genetics, but because I challenge it with harmless little things here and there - it indeed is a muscle - use it or you lose it. I'm vaccinated, but I've been truly living normally for over a year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I went the whole pandemic with no Covid. Almost two weeks ago, I got B5.a. I’ve never been so sick and it won’t end. I am a healthy person. I think this virus is going to be very different than our “new normal”.

+1
I'm healthy and used to walking six miles a day. I'm on day 10 and still testing positive, and more importantly, feeling sick. I keep thinking it has to stop.

You guys are probably feeling extra ill when you finally met this virus because you haven't been challenging your immune systems for more than two years:

"We evolved alongside pathogens, and our regular contacts with them usually allow our immune systems to reup the response without making us very sick.
The system has “enough memory to make it more like a good hearty booster than a bad infection,” Mina said.
The moment you stop seeing a virus on this regular cadence, as happened during the pandemic, that natural balance is upset, Mina said. The extraordinary measures we took to limit exposure to the coronavirus — necessary steps to contain a deadly new foe — also limited our exposure to other viruses. If you do get exposed to a virus again once too much time has passed, you may not be able to protect yourself as well, leading to out-of-season surges across the population and surprisingly virulent infections for individuals."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/13/covid-flu-rsv-viruses/

And this is why it is NOT a good idea to wear a mask for the rest of your life to protect yourself not only from Covid, but from all other respiratory viruses. The people who think they might do this because it is so great never to have a cold again will pay a price at some point, especially once they are older and generally more vulnerable.

After a day of Covid, I will always wear a mask. This really sucks.

Yes, being sick sucks. It's also part of life. And when you do inevitably catch a virus anyway (Covid or other), you may be sicker because your immune system hasn't been boosted on a regular basis, as the article above explains.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe our new normal is people don’t live as long as they used to. I’m ok with this, myself included.

I do not believe you for 2 seconds. This has been a common platitude from the far right 20 somethings who have no risk.

Believe whatever you want. The majority of people have accepting they may get Covid and have accepted the small risk of complications that comes with it. Do you never go anywhere? Most people aren’t masking, aren’t testing and have moved on and accepted covid

And, crummy people like you end up giving it to people like me. Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I went the whole pandemic with no Covid. Almost two weeks ago, I got B5.a. I’ve never been so sick and it won’t end. I am a healthy person. I think this virus is going to be very different than our “new normal”.

+1
I'm healthy and used to walking six miles a day. I'm on day 10 and still testing positive, and more importantly, feeling sick. I keep thinking it has to stop.

You guys are probably feeling extra ill when you finally met this virus because you haven't been challenging your immune systems for more than two years:

"We evolved alongside pathogens, and our regular contacts with them usually allow our immune systems to reup the response without making us very sick.
The system has “enough memory to make it more like a good hearty booster than a bad infection,” Mina said.
The moment you stop seeing a virus on this regular cadence, as happened during the pandemic, that natural balance is upset, Mina said. The extraordinary measures we took to limit exposure to the coronavirus — necessary steps to contain a deadly new foe — also limited our exposure to other viruses. If you do get exposed to a virus again once too much time has passed, you may not be able to protect yourself as well, leading to out-of-season surges across the population and surprisingly virulent infections for individuals."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/13/covid-flu-rsv-viruses/

And this is why it is NOT a good idea to wear a mask for the rest of your life to protect yourself not only from Covid, but from all other respiratory viruses. The people who think they might do this because it is so great never to have a cold again will pay a price at some point, especially once they are older and generally more vulnerable.

After a day of Covid, I will always wear a mask. This really sucks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I went the whole pandemic with no Covid. Almost two weeks ago, I got B5.a. I’ve never been so sick and it won’t end. I am a healthy person. I think this virus is going to be very different than our “new normal”.

+1
I'm healthy and used to walking six miles a day. I'm on day 10 and still testing positive, and more importantly, feeling sick. I keep thinking it has to stop.

You guys are probably feeling extra ill when you finally met this virus because you haven't been challenging your immune systems for more than two years:

"We evolved alongside pathogens, and our regular contacts with them usually allow our immune systems to reup the response without making us very sick.
The system has “enough memory to make it more like a good hearty booster than a bad infection,” Mina said.
The moment you stop seeing a virus on this regular cadence, as happened during the pandemic, that natural balance is upset, Mina said. The extraordinary measures we took to limit exposure to the coronavirus — necessary steps to contain a deadly new foe — also limited our exposure to other viruses. If you do get exposed to a virus again once too much time has passed, you may not be able to protect yourself as well, leading to out-of-season surges across the population and surprisingly virulent infections for individuals."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/13/covid-flu-rsv-viruses/

yes, well said!!! I never got covid, but I did get hit with several nasty, nasty colds and stomach bugs after the mask mandates ended and we started going out in crowded spaces again- which is a first for me, because I really don't get colds or stomach bugs. the immune system is like a muscle- if you don't use it, you lose it! (well, not wholly, obviously, but all this masking, obsessive hand washing, never exposing yourself to germs etc is NOT good for the immune system. if you didn't exercise your legs for two years, would you be surprised that your legs were sore after you started again? of course not. they're rusty! the immune system is no different.)

Anecdotally, my sister and BIL got Covid recently and my sister, who is a teacher and always exposed to germs, barely had any symptoms whereas super healthy, fit BIL who has been working from home for 2.5 years was down and out for a week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe our new normal is people don’t live as long as they used to. I’m ok with this, myself included.

I do not believe you for 2 seconds. This has been a common platitude from the far right 20 somethings who have no risk.

Believe whatever you want. The majority of people have accepting they may get Covid and have accepted the small risk of complications that comes with it. Do you never go anywhere? Most people aren’t masking, aren’t testing and have moved on and accepted covid

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had Covid last week. I wish I knew if I had this variant or the stealth variant.

I picked it up in NYC

If you tested positive, it wasn't the stealth variant.

You need to stop going around making this claim. That's not what stealth means in this context.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I went the whole pandemic with no Covid. Almost two weeks ago, I got B5.a. I’ve never been so sick and it won’t end. I am a healthy person. I think this virus is going to be very different than our “new normal”.

+1
I'm healthy and used to walking six miles a day. I'm on day 10 and still testing positive, and more importantly, feeling sick. I keep thinking it has to stop.

You guys are probably feeling extra ill when you finally met this virus because you haven't been challenging your immune systems for more than two years:

"We evolved alongside pathogens, and our regular contacts with them usually allow our immune systems to reup the response without making us very sick.
The system has “enough memory to make it more like a good hearty booster than a bad infection,” Mina said.
The moment you stop seeing a virus on this regular cadence, as happened during the pandemic, that natural balance is upset, Mina said. The extraordinary measures we took to limit exposure to the coronavirus — necessary steps to contain a deadly new foe — also limited our exposure to other viruses. If you do get exposed to a virus again once too much time has passed, you may not be able to protect yourself as well, leading to out-of-season surges across the population and surprisingly virulent infections for individuals."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/13/covid-flu-rsv-viruses/

yes, well said!!! I never got covid, but I did get hit with several nasty, nasty colds and stomach bugs after the mask mandates ended and we started going out in crowded spaces again- which is a first for me, because I really don't get colds or stomach bugs. the immune system is like a muscle- if you don't use it, you lose it! (well, not wholly, obviously, but all this masking, obsessive hand washing, never exposing yourself to germs etc is NOT good for the immune system. if you didn't exercise your legs for two years, would you be surprised that your legs were sore after you started again? of course not. they're rusty! the immune system is no different.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I went the whole pandemic with no Covid. Almost two weeks ago, I got B5.a. I’ve never been so sick and it won’t end. I am a healthy person. I think this virus is going to be very different than our “new normal”.

+1
I'm healthy and used to walking six miles a day. I'm on day 10 and still testing positive, and more importantly, feeling sick. I keep thinking it has to stop.

You guys are probably feeling extra ill when you finally met this virus because you haven't been challenging your immune systems for more than two years:

"We evolved alongside pathogens, and our regular contacts with them usually allow our immune systems to reup the response without making us very sick.
The system has “enough memory to make it more like a good hearty booster than a bad infection,” Mina said.
The moment you stop seeing a virus on this regular cadence, as happened during the pandemic, that natural balance is upset, Mina said. The extraordinary measures we took to limit exposure to the coronavirus — necessary steps to contain a deadly new foe — also limited our exposure to other viruses. If you do get exposed to a virus again once too much time has passed, you may not be able to protect yourself as well, leading to out-of-season surges across the population and surprisingly virulent infections for individuals."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/13/covid-flu-rsv-viruses/

And this is why it is NOT a good idea to wear a mask for the rest of your life to protect yourself not only from Covid, but from all other respiratory viruses. The people who think they might do this because it is so great never to have a cold again will pay a price at some point, especially once they are older and generally more vulnerable.

Anonymous wrote:I just flew. No one had a mask including flight attendants. No one is going back to masks either. Enough is enough. I used to wear a mask and shield but I got vaccinated and still got Covid and finally decided that I would keep getting vaccinated as suggested and live life. I assume I will get it again but hook with vaccines will get another Covid case. Wearing a mask is not living life.

To/from DC or was this somewhere else? I just find this hard to believe given the amount of masking that still goes on in this area.

Anonymous wrote:

I went the whole pandemic with no Covid. Almost two weeks ago, I got B5.a. I’ve never been so sick and it won’t end. I am a healthy person. I think this virus is going to be very different than our “new normal”.

+1
I'm healthy and used to walking six miles a day. I'm on day 10 and still testing positive, and more importantly, feeling sick. I keep thinking it has to stop.

You guys are probably feeling extra ill when you finally met this virus because you haven't been challenging your immune systems for more than two years:

"We evolved alongside pathogens, and our regular contacts with them usually allow our immune systems to reup the response without making us very sick.
The system has “enough memory to make it more like a good hearty booster than a bad infection,” Mina said.
The moment you stop seeing a virus on this regular cadence, as happened during the pandemic, that natural balance is upset, Mina said. The extraordinary measures we took to limit exposure to the coronavirus — necessary steps to contain a deadly new foe — also limited our exposure to other viruses. If you do get exposed to a virus again once too much time has passed, you may not be able to protect yourself as well, leading to out-of-season surges across the population and surprisingly virulent infections for individuals."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/13/covid-flu-rsv-viruses/

Anonymous wrote:Maybe our new normal is people don’t live as long as they used to. I’m ok with this, myself included.

I do not believe you for 2 seconds. This has been a common platitude from the far right 20 somethings who have no risk.