Coronavirus prep
Replies
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I get the differences in opinion on masks but can we all agree that some are just being silly. I was just driving my car and I am in an area were street are 25 feet wide and both cars and people are not frequent. It is a quiet area. Despite that, when I was out driving I passed a woman walking a dog. No other humans in sight and she was wearing a mask. Those are the people I don’t understand.
Yeah I noticed my neighbour across the street now wears a mask when he cuts his grass or does yard work in his own yard and works in his garage. I am thinking maybe he has allergies and I just never noticed that he wore a mask before? If he is doing it for COVID then I don’t get it at all.3 -
I get the differences in opinion on masks but can we all agree that some are just being silly. I was just driving my car and I am in an area were street are 25 feet wide and both cars and people are not frequent. It is a quiet area. Despite that, when I was out driving I passed a woman walking a dog. No other humans in sight and she was wearing a mask. Those are the people I don’t understand.
Maybe she is not vaccinated or can't be vaccinated. Maybe she has allergies and wants more protection, or she has a cold.
Or maybe she is like me and prefer to hide her wrinkles...
My first thought was allergies also. I think a lot of people have discovered that side benefit of masking up.
There could be any number of valid reasons to wear a mask, so why assume it's covid?10 -
I get the differences in opinion on masks but can we all agree that some are just being silly. I was just driving my car and I am in an area were street are 25 feet wide and both cars and people are not frequent. It is a quiet area. Despite that, when I was out driving I passed a woman walking a dog. No other humans in sight and she was wearing a mask. Those are the people I don’t understand.
Or, maybe she and the dog are going from one place she needs a mask to another place she needs a mask, isn't bothered by wearing the mask, and it's easier to leave it on vs. mess around with it? I've seen people on Facebook and whatnot railing about how stupid it is for a person to wear a mask alone in their car, but I do it semi-frequently . . . did it today, in fact, driving from one store to another.
Frankly if I gave it mind share every time I see someone doing something that doesn't make sense to me, that I wouldn't do personally, but that's of no harm to me, I'd be wasting a lot of potentially better-used cognitive bandwidth. For example, why do men wear caps backwards, and squint, when it's sunny or raining? Why does anyone wear high heeled shoes, or (especially) why do people wear high heeled boots when it's icy? And so forth. 😆
. . . ET fix typo.21 -
Yeah, if someone else wants to wear a mask in situations where I personally wouldn't, it's not really my concern. Doesn't annoy me at all. I don't think it's ridiculous either.
A co-worker of mine always wore a mask in public after he got his transplant. A family member of mine was told to wear a mask for months during chemo. A mask can help with outdoor allergens, especially if they are asthma triggers. Lots of reasons for individuals to wear masks in any given situations.21 -
Frankly if I gave it mind share every time I see someone doing something that doesn't make sense to me, that I wouldn't do personally, but that's of no harm to me, I'd be wasting a lot of potentially better-used cognitive bandwidth. For example, why do men wear caps backwards, and squint, when it's sunny or raining? Why does anyone wear high heeled shoes, or (especially) why do people wear high heeled boots when it's icy? And so forth. 😆
Because they work like ice picks (it's true! I'm one of those people).
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Yeah, if someone else wants to wear a mask in situations where I personally wouldn't, it's not really my concern. Doesn't annoy me at all. I don't think it's ridiculous either.
A co-worker of mine always wore a mask in public after he got his transplant. A family member of mine was told to wear a mask for months during chemo. A mask can help with outdoor allergens, especially if they are asthma triggers. Lots of reasons for individuals to wear masks in any given situations.
I wear mine all the time when I leave the house. You never know when you're going to run into people, so it's easier to just put it on straight away.
The lack of allergies and colds is a nice side effect - I used to roll my eyes when tourists came to my city and wore masks - but over the last year, they've become completely normal to me.
I haven't been vaccinated yet, and I know I could still catch and pass on Covid, so it's masks indefinitely for me. Not everyone can get vaccinated, and I feel a personal responsibility to those people. It must be terrifying not being able to get the jab for clinical reasons and instead relying on people around you to be considerate.13 -
I support anyone wearing a mask who wants to,
but today I shopped at Costco without my mask.
It was a weird feeling since most others were masked up.
(Costco doesn't require masks if vaccinated)8 -
Our Costco was about half & half today.3
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it is interesting to me that on a site where people work so hard to learn skills to take care of their own selves, how people have time/energy to wonder about why other random people wear masks.
my free time is planning meals/workouts and logging food. if someone wears jeans, I don't notice. If someone wears makeup, I don't care. If someone wears a mask, I assume they have a reason that is sufficient to their own self.
I don't know, I am at a weight loss plateau and my hunger rises each day so my brain is occupied on my own self.16 -
I get the differences in opinion on masks but can we all agree that some are just being silly. I was just driving my car and I am in an area were street are 25 feet wide and both cars and people are not frequent. It is a quiet area. Despite that, when I was out driving I passed a woman walking a dog. No other humans in sight and she was wearing a mask. Those are the people I don’t understand.
I go walking, jogging,in a park near us in Central Rome early every morning, and have been doing so since October. I missed perhaps 7 times for poring rain. Masks are required here, and I wear one as soon as I'm out the door. Once I'm in the street or park and there's no one around, or at a distance, my mask is down around my neck. As soon as I'm close to someone it goes up, and then down again when they pass.
I also prefer not to wear a mask, and some runners passing me don't have one (however some do), so I protect myself from them. I go around 7 in the morning because I encounter fewer people.
Masking is just good sense. I will finally get my 1st dose of Pfizer Saturday. I've managed to avoid COVID up to now and don't want to get it before my vax (as happened to 2 of my brothers in Minnesota---a week or two before their appointments they got it).
Luckily our numbers in Italy are plummeting. I hope this keeps up and we can take off the masks. Up until I feel safe I won't though.11 -
I get the differences in opinion on masks but can we all agree that some are just being silly. I was just driving my car and I am in an area were street are 25 feet wide and both cars and people are not frequent. It is a quiet area. Despite that, when I was out driving I passed a woman walking a dog. No other humans in sight and she was wearing a mask. Those are the people I don’t understand.
Or, maybe she and the dog are going from one place she needs a mask to another place she needs a mask, isn't bothered by wearing the mask, and it's easier to leave it on vs. mess around with it? I've seen people on Facebook and whatnot railing about how stupid it is for a person to wear a mask alone in their car, but I do it semi-frequently . . . did it today, in fact, driving from one store to another.
Frankly if I gave it mind share every time I see someone doing something that doesn't make sense to me, that I wouldn't do personally, but that's of no harm to me, I'd be wasting a lot of potentially better-used cognitive bandwidth. For example, why do men wear caps backwards, and squint, when it's sunny or raining? Why does anyone wear high heeled shoes, or (especially) why do people wear high heeled boots when it's icy? And so forth. 😆
. . . ET fix typo.
When you see women wearing spike heels on a cobbled street in Downtown Rome, and the the heel gets caught in a hole,---- that makes me scratch my head. It's so elegant hopping around on one foot trying to get your shoe unstuck (I've seen this).8 -
https://www.studyfinds.org/mild-covid-19-antibody-for-life/
I am glad the former confusion is getting cleared up.1 -
I get the differences in opinion on masks but can we all agree that some are just being silly. I was just driving my car and I am in an area were street are 25 feet wide and both cars and people are not frequent. It is a quiet area. Despite that, when I was out driving I passed a woman walking a dog. No other humans in sight and she was wearing a mask. Those are the people I don’t understand.
Maybe she knows she's sick and was just being extra careful. Maybe her mask is comfortable and it wasn't bothering her (I have one that I forget I'm wearing sometimes). It's a face covering, I'm not even sure why we'd expect someone to justify wearing something that isn't hurting anyone at all.17 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »https://www.studyfinds.org/mild-covid-19-antibody-for-life/
I am glad the former confusion is getting cleared up.
I'd caution that this is one study of 77 patients and they don't extrapolate to explain how the fact that there are still antibodies and means of antibody production after close to a year leads them to conclude "forever". And it's documented that's it's not unheard of for people to get covid multiple times. But the fact that this kind of data is starting to come in is a great sign! They can start to compare and see what factors determine how long you are immune and what type of immunity you have.9 -
Just doing a general response. Remember I put this in context. I did not bring up any of the other individuals where their mask choice may have not been mine, but I could figure out a scenario where it made sense.
This woman was in a neighborhood where no destination walks go on in this area. Streets are super wide. I began walking them myself last fall and have been never come closer than the 25 ft width of the street (yes, due to action and choice but still never close). So, from a COVID point of view, the choice this woman made happens to not make sense to me. Though, I had not thought of the point of view of allergies or pollen and that may be the case. From a contagion point of view, in this scenario as outlined, it made no sense. And yes, I can agree it is her choice, but I am also allowed to think it is illogical. I have done nothing to harm or shame her so these thoughts that I have have done nothing to hurt her either.
@galehawkins thanks for sharing that. Something I wonder though is does that change the expected or required vaccination actions of those with previously diagnosed COVID cases.8 -
I think it's important to remember that not everyone is annoyed by wearing a mask, and there are more reasons to wear a mask than just "I'm scared if covid 19". I walk out of stores and keep my mask on until I'm in the car because wearing it is a habit, I forget it's on, so I don't think to rip it off like I'm being freed from a jail cell. It's quite possible other people are judging me somehow that I'm wearing my mask outside I guess.
I've heard lots of people with spring allergies who were amazed at how few symptoms they had this spring and attribute it to masks. People going through cancer treatments or many other medical processes that can tamp down your immune system are recommended to wear a mask in public. Some introverts or people with social anxiety have found masking to be a bit of a security blanket and may hang onto it as long as they can. I could go on, but I'd love it if we'd normalize people choosing to wear a mask in public places for all kinds of reasons, where it doesn't phase us if a person is or isn't wearing a mask. Except people who come to the office sick and breathe all over everything - I will judge them lol.
ETA: @SModa61 we posted at the same time, so I apologize if something in my post sounds like beating a dead horse after your post!15 -
I think it's important to remember that not everyone is annoyed by wearing a mask, and there are more reasons to wear a mask than just "I'm scared if covid 19". I walk out of stores and keep my mask on until I'm in the car because wearing it is a habit, I forget it's on, so I don't think to rip it off like I'm being freed from a jail cell. It's quite possible other people are judging me somehow that I'm wearing my mask outside I guess.
I've heard lots of people with spring allergies who were amazed at how few symptoms they had this spring and attribute it to masks. People going through cancer treatments or many other medical processes that can tamp down your immune system are recommended to wear a mask in public. Some introverts or people with social anxiety have found masking to be a bit of a security blanket and may hang onto it as long as they can. I could go on, but I'd love it if we'd normalize people choosing to wear a mask in public places for all kinds of reasons, where it doesn't phase us if a person is or isn't wearing a mask. Except people who come to the office sick and breathe all over everything - I will judge them lol.
I walk to do a lot of my errands and I'll often just wear a mask between stops because it's easier than putting it on, taking it off, putting it on again a few minutes later, taking it off, etc. When I see someone wearing a mask in a situation where I might not, I just default to assuming that they have sufficient justification FOR THEM to wear it, which may or may not be sufficient for me. But that's how I approach a lot of things. If I see someone doing something I don't necessarily understand, I assume they DO understand it. They don't really need for me to understand it, it's their business.7 -
@kimny72 I am assuming your response relates to my latest comment. I keep saying that my comment was in context. I would ask you that if you had no allergies and you were in your private backyard with no one in sight, would YOU where a mask in that situation? I wear mine in all public settings and often it is still on when I get to the car. I don't rip my mask off either and am always respectful of the mask wearing - even the ones who wear it and wear it wrong. I embarrass no one. I am shocked that I am getting such blowback given it was a specific scenario that I was addressing and describing.7
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@kimny72 I am assuming your response relates to my latest comment. I keep saying that my comment was in context. I would ask you that if you had no allergies and you were in your private backyard with no one in sight, would YOU where a mask in that situation? I wear mine in all public settings and often it is still on when I get to the car. I don't rip my mask off either and am always respectful of the mask wearing - even the ones who wear it and wear it wrong. I embarrass no one. I am shocked that I am getting such blowback given it was a specific scenario that I was addressing and describing.
I personally had a strong response to the "some are just being silly," because really you don't know if she just finds it easier to leave it on or if she forgot she had it on or if maybe she has allergies. It just seemed like a harsh judgment for a completely harmless activity -- wearing a mask in a situation where you personally wouldn't.
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@kimny72 I am assuming your response relates to my latest comment. I keep saying that my comment was in context. I would ask you that if you had no allergies and you were in your private backyard with no one in sight, would YOU where a mask in that situation? I wear mine in all public settings and often it is still on when I get to the car. I don't rip my mask off either and am always respectful of the mask wearing - even the ones who wear it and wear it wrong. I embarrass no one. I am shocked that I am getting such blowback given it was a specific scenario that I was addressing and describing.
You mustve replied while I was adding the ETA to my response. We posted at the same time so I hadnt seen your post.4 -
So many of these responses are tangential and do not apply to the scenario described.
As for those mentioning acceptance, sure I get that. BUT, when you are mentioning acceptance of masks, please honestly answer this question. How accepting would you have been a year and a half ago if someone with social anxiety wanted to wear a mask into a bank? My point is that our sudden acceptance of this new norm of wearing masks is not because we suddenly care about the feelings of those with social anxiety, it is because this past year with COVID has made masks normalized. You NEVER could wear a mask into a bank, yet now it is required.
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@kimny72 I am assuming your response relates to my latest comment. I keep saying that my comment was in context. I would ask you that if you had no allergies and you were in your private backyard with no one in sight, would YOU where a mask in that situation? I wear mine in all public settings and often it is still on when I get to the car. I don't rip my mask off either and am always respectful of the mask wearing - even the ones who wear it and wear it wrong. I embarrass no one. I am shocked that I am getting such blowback given it was a specific scenario that I was addressing and describing.
You mustve replied while I was adding the ETA to my response. We posted at the same time so I hadnt seen your post.
I appreciate that @kimny72. thanks for the ETA and I appologize for directing my next comment back at you.2 -
So many of these responses are tangential and do not apply to the scenario described.
As for those mentioning acceptance, sure I get that. BUT, when you are mentioning acceptance of masks, please honestly answer this question. How accepting would you have been a year and a half ago if someone with social anxiety wanted to wear a mask into a bank? My point is that our sudden acceptance of this new norm of wearing masks is not because we suddenly care about the feelings of those with social anxiety, it is because this past year with COVID has made masks normalized. You NEVER could wear a mask into a bank, yet now it is required.
As we learn new information and encounter new situations, different acts become normalized. We make room for varying types of behavior that meet individual needs. This seems like a positive thing overall, not a negative.12 -
janejellyroll wrote: »So many of these responses are tangential and do not apply to the scenario described.
As for those mentioning acceptance, sure I get that. BUT, when you are mentioning acceptance of masks, please honestly answer this question. How accepting would you have been a year and a half ago if someone with social anxiety wanted to wear a mask into a bank? My point is that our sudden acceptance of this new norm of wearing masks is not because we suddenly care about the feelings of those with social anxiety, it is because this past year with COVID has made masks normalized. You NEVER could wear a mask into a bank, yet now it is required.
As we learn new information and encounter new situations, different acts become normalized. We make room for varying types of behavior that meet individual needs. This seems like a positive thing overall, not a negative.
While accepting new behaviors is part of life. I personally do not consider masks a positive. I miss facial expressions and seeing people smile. I do not like that people can better hide their identities. I fully accept that some may need them for medical reasons. I am so happy to be fully engaging with people again. Did you hear the story on the news last week about the young boy that encountered his teacher outside of the masked school setting? She had no idea who he was. We can relate and connect with people better when we can see our expressive faces.10 -
janejellyroll wrote: »So many of these responses are tangential and do not apply to the scenario described.
As for those mentioning acceptance, sure I get that. BUT, when you are mentioning acceptance of masks, please honestly answer this question. How accepting would you have been a year and a half ago if someone with social anxiety wanted to wear a mask into a bank? My point is that our sudden acceptance of this new norm of wearing masks is not because we suddenly care about the feelings of those with social anxiety, it is because this past year with COVID has made masks normalized. You NEVER could wear a mask into a bank, yet now it is required.
As we learn new information and encounter new situations, different acts become normalized. We make room for varying types of behavior that meet individual needs. This seems like a positive thing overall, not a negative.
While accepting new behaviors is part of life. I personally do not consider masks a positive. I miss facial expressions and seeing people smile. I do not like that people can better hide their identities. I fully accept that some may need them for medical reasons. I am so happy to be fully engaging with people again. Did you hear the story on the news last week about the young boy that encountered his teacher outside of the masked school setting? She had no idea who he was. We can relate and connect with people better when we can see our expressive faces.
But for another individual, wearing a mask may be a net positive because it allows them to engage in interactions they wouldn't feel comfortable with otherwise. I think the world is big enough for you AND for those who might want to wear masks in various situations. I don't think we'll ever be in a situation where most people choose to wear masks most of the time, so it's not like you're truly in danger of losing the type of engagements that you prioritize.
As someone who has worked from home since March of 2020 and am still in a city with a requirement of indoor masking outside the home, I've also missed seeing full faces . . . but I also appreciate how masks have allowed more types of connection that I otherwise would have had, as well as allowed my co-workers who didn't have WFH options to work in a safer way. It's not that I don't get the desire to see full faces, I do. But I also appreciate that as mask requirements are lifted, people can choose how they feel safest and some people might be masking longer than others due to comfort level with risk or specific health factors that make COVID more dangerous for them or those in their lives.13 -
So many of these responses are tangential and do not apply to the scenario described.
As for those mentioning acceptance, sure I get that. BUT, when you are mentioning acceptance of masks, please honestly answer this question. How accepting would you have been a year and a half ago if someone with social anxiety wanted to wear a mask into a bank? My point is that our sudden acceptance of this new norm of wearing masks is not because we suddenly care about the feelings of those with social anxiety, it is because this past year with COVID has made masks normalized. You NEVER could wear a mask into a bank, yet now it is required.
I understand the bank comment, but I *did* see people wearing masks before the pandemic. (I live in a big university town, and there are many international students, some of whom come from cultures - mostly Asian - where wearing a medical mask is standard in certain circumstances). I'm not sure I would've been un-accepting of someone wearing an obvious medical mask (like the blue disposable ones) going into a bank, though I don't know how the bank services would've been affected (and might've wondered about it in that sense).
As far as I can recall my own reactions, when I saw masks in the past, I noticed it as an unusual thing, but don't remember giving it much thought beyond that. I can't think of a time when I saw someone who "looked USA-ian" wearing a mask outside a medical facility - might have done at a cancer support group meeting - but I probably would've assumed they were immune compromised, having gone through that myself at one point.@kimny72 I am assuming your response relates to my latest comment. I keep saying that my comment was in context. I would ask you that if you had no allergies and you were in your private backyard with no one in sight, would YOU where a mask in that situation? I wear mine in all public settings and often it is still on when I get to the car. I don't rip my mask off either and am always respectful of the mask wearing - even the ones who wear it and wear it wrong. I embarrass no one. I am shocked that I am getting such blowback given it was a specific scenario that I was addressing and describing.
I think this is more amusing than really a counter-case or anything, but I actually literally did the bolded yesterday. I normally wear a bandana over a medical mask, because it stays in place better for me with less fussing, but it's also a little fussier to put on and take off. (I do try to fuss with or handle it as little as possible, while community transmission here is still significant, though dropping.)
I'd left the mask on between stores, then for the short hop home from the last stop. I have a specific place I put it, and sometimes leave it on until it's logistically convenient to put it there. When I got home, I noticed that some outdoor plants were looking pretty dehydrated, so got a watering can, filled it a couple times from the outdoor spigot, watered the plants (back yard) then went out to get the mail (front yard but area with no sidewalks, busy road) . . . while wearing the mask. It was not needful for any reason at all, it was just more convenient to leave it on.
FWIW, perhaps it was a misplaced reaction to chance phrasing, but I had a reaction similar to Jane's to "I get the differences in opinion on masks but can we all agree that some are just being silly." I'm open to believing you didn't mean it that way, but the phrasing hit some notes I've heard before in conversations where the clear subtext was reinforcement of certain social norms, and "othering" of people who didn't follow them. From the totality of your posts here, you seem like a reasonable, kind person, so probably my reaction was off.13 -
I have to say there have been times when I have just put on my mask and kept in on in stores or when I ran errands then still wore it in the car- I thought nothing of it- so maybe some people just forget about it until they get home-- I just don't want to forget to wear it when i do need it- until I feel comfortable--- and as well all know- everyone is different-- it will take time to get rid of our masks- I am in no hurry12
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I support anyone wearing a mask who wants to,
but today I shopped at Costco without my mask.
It was a weird feeling since most others were masked up.
(Costco doesn't require masks if vaccinated)
I was at my Costco last weekend and it was about 50/50...the weekend before it was still around 90% wearing masks, but the governor's mandate for the state had just been lifted late Friday. It's been a couple of weeks now and definitely starting to see masks becoming more the minority while out running errands, but people have been pretty slow and cautious about it.
We still have various private businesses still requiring masks despite no mandate...went to Subway to pick up lunch today and they are still requiring them of the public. I asked about it and they said as long as it was policy for their workers to wear one, they would also require the public to wear one. Seems fair enough. The gas station I most frequent also requires them to go inside.
I carry mine around everywhere still because I'm not sure when I'm going to go to an establishment that still requires them. My gym now has signage that says "strongly encourage"...did my workout last weekend without one for the first time in a long time and it felt good...but weird.10 -
I get the differences in opinion on masks but can we all agree that some are just being silly. I was just driving my car and I am in an area were street are 25 feet wide and both cars and people are not frequent. It is a quiet area. Despite that, when I was out driving I passed a woman walking a dog. No other humans in sight and she was wearing a mask. Those are the people I don’t understand.
I really do think for some it's just political symbolism. I'm a Dem myself and live in an area where mostly everyone else is, and here most don't wear masks outdoors, but I've definitely seen on Twitter people saying they will keep wearing masks everywhere so as not to be taken as Rs.
I also am near an area that is largely Asian and we had people masking pre covid, but that's not what I'm talking about.4 -
janejellyroll wrote: »So many of these responses are tangential and do not apply to the scenario described.
As for those mentioning acceptance, sure I get that. BUT, when you are mentioning acceptance of masks, please honestly answer this question. How accepting would you have been a year and a half ago if someone with social anxiety wanted to wear a mask into a bank? My point is that our sudden acceptance of this new norm of wearing masks is not because we suddenly care about the feelings of those with social anxiety, it is because this past year with COVID has made masks normalized. You NEVER could wear a mask into a bank, yet now it is required.
As we learn new information and encounter new situations, different acts become normalized. We make room for varying types of behavior that meet individual needs. This seems like a positive thing overall, not a negative.
While accepting new behaviors is part of life. I personally do not consider masks a positive. I miss facial expressions and seeing people smile. I do not like that people can better hide their identities. I fully accept that some may need them for medical reasons. I am so happy to be fully engaging with people again. Did you hear the story on the news last week about the young boy that encountered his teacher outside of the masked school setting? She had no idea who he was. We can relate and connect with people better when we can see our expressive faces.
100% agree with this.1
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