I wanna make it clear that I wear a mask anytime I go indoors to shop, or go through a drive thru (just during the actual food handoff / paying), or any close contact situation with someone I don’t know, because I am electing to remain cautious (yes, my actions are utterly ridiculous to some of you)…
Yet, despite being “irrationally / virtue signaling / theater performance” cautious, I still don’t know if, in all those situations combined, I end up wearing a mask for even an hour per week. One hour. Per week. If someone told me it was as little as 45 minutes, I might even believe that.
Unlike my pampered WFH situation, there are people who have had to show up for work and wear a mask since day one of this pandemic. Yet my experience with them is that despite being tired of having to do it, they aren’t angry. They understand why.
I’m getting older… Old enough that I thought that I had the measure of people in general. This pandemic has taught me that I am Jon Snow when it comes to the depths of human selfishness.
Disclaimer: this is an opinion piece, not a news story. However…
People should have complete information and be empowered to make their own decisions about how to address this small risk after being fully vaccinated, perhaps with the additional second layer of protection that masks afford.
In both studies, the chance of infection after full vaccination was about 0.05 percent. The authors noted that the study findings are even more remarkable considering participants were likely to have a higher risk of exposure than average people because they work in health care settings. What’s more, they were tested during a post-holiday surge of cases.
Chicago’s top doctor said earlier this month that the city’s rate of infection post-vaccination was low, with 0.06% of fully vaccinated people contracting the virus.
I look at it this way. I’m pretty high on self governance. People are free to do what they want. It might be different than what I do but that’s perfectly fine. Someone else wearing a mask is fine. I can even understand why they might, it’s just not for me given where we are. At the end of the day - you do you. Mask no mask whatever we are still cool. Don’t give me shit about not wearing and I won’t give you shit for wearing. Like I said it comes back to risk acceptance.
For the record, I have no idea the sacrifices anyone on this board has made in life. I’m sure plenty. I’m not going to judge the merit of someone based on an opinion on a message board. As NWA says, we are all cool.
If a person were placed in a room full of CoVid infected people, with only a mask to wear and not vaccinated, that person would most likely contract CoVid 19. The mask is a feel like we are doing something good and healthy straw dog.
Walmart (masks are the last thing I would worry about people wearing. Pants are at the top of the list), Costco, Publix, Trader Joe’s and Starbucks to name a few are now on the honor system. If they followed the CDC guidance before they have to continue now and remove the requirements for vaccinated folks.
I quit Walmart a while back. There is a Publix 1 mile from my house. It’s the best. Glad to see they are giving people who are vaccinated the choice. It’s the proper thing to do.
I am most likely the oldest person on this board and at my age, even though I have been vaccinated, I still have a strong FEAR to the point of almost paranoia and do not feel comfortable going anywhere in public without wearing a mask. I just feel like the mask is a like a comfort blanket. I realize there is a opposite side to this but at my age I know of many that have the same feelings and not sure how long it will take to overcome these feelings. My two cents worth
Good move for the CDC & our country. They must stop making perfect the enemy of very good. And this is a step in that direction.” — Yale School of Medicine professor Howard Forman
I still don’t quite understand some of these dynamics. If I’m most likely not going to catch it (especially with the Moderna or Pfizer) and I am very unlikely to be spreading it and the purpose of the mask wasn’t for me but to protect others then what is the purpose of the vaccinated wearing the mask? Is it just the unknown of the variants? Is it the smaller percentage of risk is still too high for some folks? Is it the dynamic at home? Or is it just a behavior the breeds comfort at this point? Or is it you have bad teeth and bad breath? J/K on the last one - kinda. Not being an ass here - just trying to understand.
For those that want to keep wearing - where is the line to stop? Is it science driven? Political? Or just behavior?
Start doing things like Buffalo Bills are doing and say if you want to attend events then you must be vaccinated and those numbers will jump much higher. If they said you can’t attend Charlotte games unless vaccinated, would that change your tune ?
This is what irritates me the most. You said it…NWA has said it…and I have said it. Even though we don’t agree with the hypercautious group in this argument…we don’t care. Wear 6 masks if it makes you feel better, take every shot imaginable, stay indoors, social distance…we don’t care. You can be as cautious as you want. Even if we were to think it to be silly or overcautious…ultimately we really and honestly don’t care what you do. If you are that scared of this thing I trust you have your reasons.
Apparently the same consideration is not afforded to us and that’s what pisses me off. If you are vaccinated and masking and distancing…what anybody else does is NOT going to affect you so why do you feel the need to lecture, attack and judge those that simply have decided not to let a 99.9999% survivable virus control their lives???
Jealousy that it doesn’t bother us as much as you?
Jealous that we are not scared and you wish you weren’t too?
So do we have to carry around a vaccination card forever now? Or a big tattoo of a V on our foreheads? Will we need a vaccination ID to vote in person now? If that is the case then yes, I am for it. Otherwise, it is just a bunch of BS. Don’t just cherry pick this requirement. All or nothing. What happens when the next pandemic occurs. Chip implants, of course. Got to keep up with who does what now. Slippery slope people.
If private industry wants to require people wear a mask or show a vaccination card etc I fully support them doing so. I also support private industry allowing smoking, denying service to homosexuals, etc. It’s a private business. Don’t like their rules? Go somewhere else.
As for voting or anything sponsored by the governemnt - thats an interesting topic. On one side I am a pro-some sort of control at voting locations to secure the process on the other hand requiring people to show proof of a vaccination seems to raise all kinds of discrimnatory flags.
The article above about going to a Bill’s game, and policies like Delta’s are going to send the vax rate up to where it needs to be. Trying to get people to get the shot because it is good for the public health is a waste of time.
There are certainly 2 distinct pro-mask attitudes. One being, I am a bit older, I still have a bit of paranoia about this and it just makes ME feel better wearing one. I can totally understand that one.
The other is I got vaccinated for the good of man, I wear a mask for the good of man and those who don’t chose to do as me suck. They have never sacrificed for anything and never will. Not a fan of that attitude.