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Concerned about states lifting mask mandates

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 2/10/2022 9:18 PM (GMT -7)
Anyone else concerned about states starting to lift mask mandates??? And it sounds like some of them are not going to require vaccinations?

I don't understand this. We are still fighting Covid. Cases and deaths have gone down some but not enough to say... Oh well...

My granddaughter came home from school shaking. Half her classmates refused to wear masks. She had a terrible reaction to her 1st vaccine and her cardiologist said no more vaccinations. Now she's one of the few still trying to keep her distance and wear a mask. Thank God I bought her a bunch of n95s a long time ago... But still....

We are immune compromised....how is this going to impact us?

Anyone else concerned?
Posted 2/11/2022 1:44 AM (GMT -7)
I'm in europe but I have the same fears. It's like people with medical conditions don't matter.
Posted 2/11/2022 5:29 AM (GMT -7)
I feel the same as you do. I keep hearing people say we have to learn to live with Covid. To me living with Covid as a society means that we all wear good quality face masks, get vaccinated and avoid crowds. But it seems as though when people say living with Covid they mean get rid of all mitigations and live life as we did in 2019. They don't seem to care that many don't live if they get Covid. Yesterday I went to get my blood test for the UNC study. I had to get it at LabCorp that is in a Walgreens. Most of the people weren't wearing masks. I had my kn95 on and stayed as far away from everyone as I could. I guess society is devolving into a survival of the fittest mode. sad
Posted 2/11/2022 10:58 AM (GMT -7)
Feel the same. Here in CA they are saying the unvaccinated will still have to wear a mask. But it’s the unvaccinated who DONT want to wear a mask and since it’s an honor system then they won’t wear a mask so I’ll have to! Irritating!!!!
Posted 2/11/2022 11:24 AM (GMT -7)
Don't forget children under 5, they do not have a vaccine yet for that age range.

It's not like the FreeDumb crowd really cares about anyone but themselves.
Posted 2/11/2022 10:07 PM (GMT -7)
I am a teacher in Illinois we just had a anti-mask judge (everyone knows she is because she never wore her mask correctly) just ruled that our Governor and state health department cannot require masks so all the school districts are jumping ship because they are sick of fight a very vocal and violent 20%. So now I will be entering school on Monday where I am sure very few will wear a mask. My kids go to another school that just did away with masks earlier in the week and about 1/2 are currently wearing them. It’s decreased through the week.

I was getting so upset with my co-workers complaints about masking. They couldn’t think about anyone but themselves and how much they hate wearing a mask.
Posted 2/12/2022 6:22 AM (GMT -7)
I'm still upset about this. I had to go pick up groceries and I had a panic attack! No masks. Even when I asked for a masked person to put them in my car... The mask was down around his chin. So I asked him to pull it up because I was immune compromised. He just looked at me. I told him I'd just had a Remicade infusion... He just looked at me... Then I told him it was like a chemo infusion... Then he suddenly understood and put his mask on correctly. We were screaming thru the rolled up window but he was still inches away from the window. Then when he finally put the darn mask on he started slamming stuff in the back of my SUV like he was the one ticked off. (I hate that there isn't an actual divider between them and me) Muttering away... with the mask back under his chin....and giving me "the look". I hate that look. I rolled down all my windows, got out of my car and stood out there for 15 minutes after he left. I am so full of fear from this disease and anger that we have to even have this fear....that I am a mess. Even my sister's could not talk me down. (I come from a large family with my nieces and nephews having large families) so now I am fielding calls with family members--if they are antimaskers they speak to me really softly like I am crazy. There are sane ones that call and agree with me..but they keep telling me the people that are special circumstances will just have to learn work arounds and live with this disease. Like the vulnerable can determine who is careful or not by just looking at them.

I'm just so confused. Forget about if I had to go out and work. I could not do it. ( It's one of the few good things about being old and retired) I don't understand why we don't have more therapuetics. If we had therapeutics we would not have to worry about if someone was vaccinated or wore a mask...

Sorry guys... It methotrexate day. It makes me sick, emotional and sorta crazy for 48 hours..
Posted 2/12/2022 6:27 AM (GMT -7)
I live in the south and we haven’t had mask mandates since spring 2021. There are no vaccine mandates of any kind here. It doesn’t bother me much. I work from home so I’m not out that often and when I am I just stay away from others. Maybe it’s because we never really had restrictions here but it doesn’t worry me at all. I just don’t interact with people I don’t know out in public.
Posted 2/12/2022 6:53 AM (GMT -7)
Yes, I find it very worrisome. I will obviously keep wearing my mask and so will everyone in my family but it makes me very nervous. My mom is flying in to visit at the end of the month and we were going to let her stay with us but now I am not so sure what airline protocol will be.
Posted 2/12/2022 7:07 AM (GMT -7)
Clo -- I had a similar experience the last time I picked up groceries. I usually ask that whoever brings my order out wear a mask. Last time the woman came out without a mask and I asked her about it. she said no one told her what I requested and no one in the store was wearing a mask. Well duh! That's why I don't go in the store. Sorry your family doesn't understand. Until therapeutics are widely and easily available there is no living with the virus for people like us. You have to take those meds within 5 days of getting symptoms but they won't give them to you until you test positive with a PCR test and those can take several days to get results back.

Haley -- didn't you recently have Covid or was that someone else here?

Usually people are ok when I ask them to wear a mask -- had to have a plumber here and he wore one while in the house. My nephew came over to help me with something and he didn't mind that I asked him to wear a mask. I'm just hoping that this latest surge will be the last one and that this spring and summer I can feel a little more safe. I have friends I would like to hang out with. Been 2 years since I had any kind of social life. I generally don't mind being alone but 2 years is driving me batty.
Posted 2/12/2022 7:27 AM (GMT -7)
Yes I had covid but I caught it on a cruise…where everyone was vaccinated, tested for covid within 48 hrs before boarding and wore masks. So you can really catch it anywhere. I never caught covid in my community where there were no masks or vaccine mandates.

Post Edited (HaleyA) : 2/12/2022 7:39:46 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/12/2022 8:18 AM (GMT -7)
@Clo, most stores now will deliver, have you checked into this? If none of yours have home delivery, perhaps it's time to get your husband or a family member to pick up your groceries for you.

I know where I live it's mostly what I call young kids loading groceries into vehicles. If the store doesn't require masks on the employees, the odds of these kids wearing one is slim to none. Even if you request that they wear one, it does not mean it will happen. Young kids think they are bullet proof.

What you described happening to you sounds too stressful for your own good.
Posted 2/12/2022 10:41 AM (GMT -7)
I live out on a farm... So no delivery for me. My family is really good about wearing masks... 2 of my nephew's have tested positive the day after picking up my groceries and then delivering them to my front porch. They do not come in and they do test themselves before they pick up and deliver the groceries. They are doing everything they can to keep me safe. I just keep thinking how close those calls were.. And that's with people who know and love me.. There's no incentive for strangers to keep me safe. Lol.. I try to be alittle independent. I don't want to rely on others any more than I absolutely have to. Picking up groceries seems like it should be a no brainer easy thing to do...but apparently it's not.

I'm in the south also-so you'd think I would be used to this by now. I guess it's because I am older, a nonresponder to vaccines, and am an immunocompromised chunky person with asthma and kidney disease that I am so fearful. Two of my sister's do not wear masks and run around all over the place. Never been sick. Two others plus sister in law... masked, vaccinated and all have caught Covid. SIL died from it. So I dunno...

Just know I don't even want to go out in public anymore... There are germs out there and people unknowingly spread them.

Post Edited (clo2014) : 2/12/2022 10:46:45 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/12/2022 11:05 AM (GMT -7)
I support the lifting of the mandates, all of them. I am a person at risk and it's my personal responsibility to protect myself. During periods when I am more immune compromised, it's my job to avoid crowds, uncooked food, and places where I may be at increased risk. I can't expect the entire world to restrict their lives for my benefit, that's not realistic.

The mandates are causing so many other ills. Children are not developing properly because they can't see full human faces, seniors are locked in long-term care homes and can't see their loved ones, people have lost their jobs and their livelihoods over a medical choice. The overdose rate from addiction; depression and suicide are skyrocketing. This has to end.

It's not that sick people don't matter. We matter. It's that we can't just focus on one single risk to society while ignoring all the others. If you are afraid, get vaccinated, wear a mask, socially distance, and self-isolate when necessary. Did you ever do all that during cold and flu season in the past? Protect yourself.
Posted 2/12/2022 1:21 PM (GMT -7)
Well. I think we are a society and we have a duty to look after each other.
The problem with masks is you get more protection from other people wearing them than wearing your own.
On public transport and in the supermarkets physical distancing is not always possible, and having mask mandates can make all the difference for vulnerable people, while being little inconvenience for others.
The phase we are at now is not binary - i.e. lockdown or everything open, but we should be asking ourselves how we can keep society open while protecting the vulnerable.
As an example, I've taken a few yoga classes recently. It's not 100% safe, but we have to show our "covid pass" to gain entry (which means either vaccinated or recovered from covid within 6 months, or have a negative test), then we have to stay 1.5 metres apart, and wear a mask everywhere except on our yoga mats, and the room is ventilated (with a system which monitors the CO2 levels). Covid severity is in part related to viral load at exposure so although me doing this is not 100% safe, I feel a lot safer than if the school was just open with no distancing or mask mandates. These kind of measures even though they cannot make individual risk zero, help to lower the positive case rate, in turn reducing the burden on hospitals and ensuring that we can ALL get the care we need.
And for anyone who hasn't been following Clo's story, she has had 3 vaccines and no antibody response because of her medications. Unfortunately vaccinating isn't a magic bullet for everyone. That's why we have a shared responsibility to keep others safe.
Posted 2/12/2022 1:36 PM (GMT -7)
I totally understand both sides and respect everyone’s opinion. I got vaccinated so I believe in the vaccine. I caught covid in an environment where ever person was vaccinated, everyone was wearing masks and where everyone had to test negative before being able to participate. It can happen anywhere at anytime. I just think that’s important to understand also. I don’t believe in mask mandates or vaccine mandates, but I do encourage my friends and family to get vaccinated for their own protection.
Posted 2/12/2022 2:49 PM (GMT -7)
Yes you caught covid but you had a mild case. That's the difference really. I think most people understand that vaccines and masks won't stop them 100% from being infected but can make an infection less likely and less severe.
Posted 2/12/2022 4:56 PM (GMT -7)
I prefer not to debate whether adults with compromised immune systems should mask up, vaccinate, social distance, etc., but I question forcing masks on school children.

The most recent numbers I have seen show that 143 children have died out of 1,800,000 who have been infected with Covid. Many of these children already had comorbidities such as cystic fibrosis and leukemia. Even the CDC admits the chances of the young and healthy dying from Covid are miniscule

Covid Mortality Risk by Age (from the CDC):
0-24:   1 in 250,000
25-44: 1 in 16,666
45-65: 1 in 2,500
65+:    1 in 500

Dr. Leana Wen was one of the most vociferous supporters of mask mandates for the past 2 years. She even advocated forced detention of the unvaccinated.

She has now changed her mind and says “the science has changed”. That mask mandates for children should end, that we need to recognize that masks can have adverse effects on children. The decision to mask should be on individuals and families, rather than government entities.
https://twitter.com/ac360/status/1490863954700210178

Post Edited (IamCurious) : 2/12/2022 5:01:58 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/13/2022 12:09 AM (GMT -7)
Masking children is wrong. Full stop.

The benefit to adults masking is marginal, and there are other risks like bacterial pneumonia and decreased oxygen intake. People who have to wear masks all day eventually start to have health problems. It's not natural.

People who are sick should wear masks. Healthy people should not wear masks.
Posted 2/13/2022 12:29 AM (GMT -7)
I think it's up to the individual and the parents to decide on masks, vaccines, Social distancing etc.

We've given the government too much control in our lives. Plus People have become "right fighters". They aren't trying to find workable solutions. It's all about how their way is the "right" way.

We need to work together to find solutions.
Posted 2/13/2022 5:29 AM (GMT -7)

VanJordan said...
Masking children is wrong. Full stop.

The benefit to adults masking is marginal, and there are other risks like bacterial pneumonia and decreased oxygen intake. People who have to wear masks all day eventually start to have health problems. It's not natural.

People who are sick should wear masks. Healthy people should not wear masks.

Oh please please please tell that to surgeons who have always worn masks long before Covid. And go say that to ICU nurses working 12 hour shifts taking care of Covid patients who refused vaccines and masks.
Posted 2/13/2022 5:54 AM (GMT -7)
I'm in New York City and I support getting rid of the masks. I am vaccinated and boosted but I respect people that choose not to get the vaccine. I know a few people that got vaccinated and boosted and still got Covid, a couple of them were in the hospital.
Posted 2/13/2022 6:29 AM (GMT -7)
Clo -- bottom line is that you need to be careful, wear your mask and avoid people. We have no other choice since "healthy people" don't want to be inconvenienced by wearing a mask. They prescribe to survival of the fittest. I am going with survival of the smartest. Stay safe.
Posted 2/13/2022 7:02 AM (GMT -7)
I can understand not mandating vaccines, because that would be requiring people to do something which comes with medical risks.

But surely it's not a massive inconvenience to wear a mask at the supermarket or on public transport, so that vulnerable people can have a little bit of independence?

I'm not talking about schoolchildren wearing masks. Mandates are not all-or-nothing (at least, they're not where I live. Kids don't have to mask at school. We have to mask in various indoor public spaces like shops and hospitals, and on public transport. I feel safer this way.)

The problem with masks (again), is that people are more protected by others wearing masks than by their own mask. Which is why telling vulnerable people they can look after themselves by masking themselves is missing the point. Surgeons wearing masks are doing it to protect the patient, not themselves.

The stuff about masks causing bacterial infections and oxygen deprivation has been debunked elsewhere. (Maybe if you keep wearing the same disposable mask it's a bit of a hygiene issue 🤣)
Posted 2/13/2022 7:22 AM (GMT -7)
I don’t understand why kids shouldn’t mask in school if it’s required elsewhere. I teach high school and we are about to go mask optional. Kids are afraid that numbers will go up and they will miss fun end of the year activities. I have elementary school children who wear masks and they tell me they don’t even realize they are wearing them. When numbers go down I can see mask optional but when numbers go up masks should return. But then again I am all about the health of everyone.

Post Edited (Twingirls) : 2/13/2022 12:17:20 PM (GMT-7)

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