# So I guess everybody is getting Covid



## Chew Toy McCoy

I haven't gotten it yet, that I'm aware of, but it feels like the walls are closing in.  Nobody in close proximity has gotten it recently but it feels almost like a daily occurrence of long distance friends and relatives, and well, covid responsible youtube personalities I follow going "I got covid".   Nobody is dying and there are varying degrees of suckage being shared, but it's really starting to feel like its completely unavoidable.


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## mollyc

my kids have both had it (teenagers) but so far my husband and i have still avoided it. 

my 80+ year old parents also had it earlier this year. 

all of us are vaccinated three times.


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## Apple fanboy

Had 3-4 people go down with it in the office these last couple of weeks. 
I’ve still not had it. But as Mrs AFB can’t be vaccinated it is a constant worry. 
I have a four day photography trade show in September. I’ve told my boss I’ll be stopping in a hotel for the week. When I return home I will quarantine myself until I have done a couple of negative tests.


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## Herdfan

Wife and I had it back in January.  Not too bad.  Mainly a sore throat and occasional coughing fit.  Lasted about 4 days.


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## Eric

I was exposed and tested positive as I mentioned in another post but had really mild symptoms that could've just as easily been allergies or something. It could have been a false positive because all other tests were negative. 

I'm supposed to go to the dentist for a procedure next week and I'm thinking about cancelling and waiting for this surge to calm down as I hate the thought of being unmasked with my mouth open for that entire time.


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## dukebound85

my family and I got it 2 weeks ago despite being vaccinated and boosted.

Swear it was from a mtg where someone who was causing but was quick to say it isn't covid

It definitely wasn't fun going through


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## mac_in_tosh

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> ...but it's really starting to feel like its completely unavoidable.



Yes, because people are acting like it's over when it isn't. There are sports events, even indoors, with unmasked people closely packed together. In stores, about 90% of the people there are not masked. If everyone wore masks and acted responsibly covid could be significantly reduced in relatively short order. But of course wearing a mask has become a major element in today's culture wars thanks to Trump, who got covid himself.


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## mollyc

mac_in_tosh said:


> Yes, because people are acting like it's over when it isn't. There are sports events, even indoors, with unmasked people closely packed together. In stores, about 90% of the people there are not masked. If everyone wore masks and acted responsibly covid could be significantly reduced in relatively short order. But of course wearing a mask has become a major element in today's culture wars thanks to Trump, who got covid himself.





I wore a mask everywhere for a long time...I'd say 18 months or so?? Even after I was vaccinated fully. But everyone I know who has gotten Covid within the past 6-8 months had no more than normal cold symptoms. I don't wear a mask anymore because the new variants just seem so mild that it doesn't seem to matter if you get it. And then having natural immunity coupled with vaccine immunity seems like a better deal anyway....

I'm not antimask in anyway, but after two years of this it just seems like it's starting to become endemic rather than a pandemic, and we do have to move on.

I still wear one in healthcare locations, and I appreciate that some people are higher risk and need to wear a mask when they are out. I generally still avoid large crowds. But the whole point of masking and social distancing was to prevent serious illness and overwhelming hospitals. I think we are pretty much over that part by now? Or maybe I'm just naive about that....


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## Deleted member 215

If it's not causing increased deaths or hospitalizations and for many the symptoms aren't worse than a cold or a flu, then why shouldn't we simply learn to live with it?


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## fooferdoggie

TBL said:


> If it's not causing increased deaths or hospitalizations and for many the symptoms aren't worse than a cold or a flu, then why shouldn't we simply learn to live with it?



because it changes so much and so fast?


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## mollyc

fooferdoggie said:


> because it changes so much and so fast?



In your opinion, should we continue to wear masks indefinitely? (Not looking for an argument...) Colds and flu mutate every year also, which is why the flu vaccine is redesigned every year.


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## fooferdoggie

mollyc said:


> In your opinion, should we continue to wear masks indefinitely? (Not looking for an argument...) Colds and flu mutate every year also, which is why the flu vaccine is redesigned every year.



I doubt you could get anyone to do that anymore. I don't really see a solution but hope it does not get worse. it has become more infectious though .


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## Eric

TBL said:


> If it's not causing increased deaths or hospitalizations and for many the symptoms aren't worse than a cold or a flu, then why shouldn't we simply learn to live with it?



It's just a matter of time, when cases go up so do hospitalizations and deaths. Many places are now on the verge of going back to mask mandates, I'm guessing by next week we'll hear much more about them.









						U.S. COVID hospitalizations have begun to rise again
					

New hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 are on the rise in the U.S., CDC data shows.




					www.axios.com
				






> New hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 are on the rise in the U.S., topping 31,000 over a seven-day average ending July 11, CDC data shows.
> 
> *Why it matters:* We don't know how many cases are individuals admitted for COVID versus those hospitalized for other conditions who happen to have COVID. But with many COVID cases being detected through home testing, experts have increasingly pointed to hospitalizations as an important metric for understanding what's happening at a community level, Insider reports.
> 
> *By the numbers: *Hospitalizations from the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron circulating in the U.S. are about 78% lower than their peaks in January, and deaths remain relatively low. But hospitalizations are on the rise, up 11% over a seven-day period.
> 
> 
> The CDC is forecasting the number of new daily confirmed COVID-19 hospital admissions will increase, with 3,200 to 13,800 likely to be reported on Aug. 5.
> Hospitalizations were up the most in HHS region 6, which includes Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma (21.5%), followed by region 7 (15.3%) which includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.


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## Deleted member 215

Alameda County re-instated their mask mandate when cases rose in the spring and it had no effect whatsoever on their numbers. Cases there began to decline and at the same rate as surrounding counties without mandates.

I'm not saying mask-wearing is "oppression" and obviously we're a far cry from China's pointless and destructive "zero COVID" policy, but I do think we're sort of avoiding the reality that this is never going away, that it is in effect the "new flu" and it should be treated as such (i.e. no masks, no lockdowns, new vaccines on a regular basis).


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## Eric

TBL said:


> *Alameda County re-instated their mask mandate when cases rose in the spring and it had no effect whatsoever on their numbers.* Cases there began to decline and at the same rate as surrounding counties without mandates.
> 
> I'm not saying mask-wearing is "oppression" and obviously we're a far cry from China's pointless and destructive "zero COVID" policy, but I do think we're sort of avoiding the reality that this is never going away, that it is in effect the "new flu" and it should be treated as such (i.e. no masks, no lockdowns, new vaccines on a regular basis).



Do you have a credible source for that? We know that it doesn't fully prevent it but it does help, the more that wear them, the more it prevents the spread.


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## Eric

Folks, it's one thing to voice an opinion but any claims that are stated as fact will need a credible source to back it up, or we'll label it as false. We will not go down that road on this site.


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## mollyc

Not, TBL, but I found this.









						Do mask mandates work? Bay Area data from June says no.
					

Graphs compare Alameda County’s COVID-19 case rates to rates in neighboring counties.




					www.sfgate.com


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## Deleted member 215

Yes, that is the article I was thinking of.


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## Cmaier

mollyc said:


> Not, TBL, but I found this.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Do mask mandates work? Bay Area data from June says no.
> 
> 
> Graphs compare Alameda County’s COVID-19 case rates to rates in neighboring counties.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.sfgate.com




Of course the problem with this is that it only shows you that mask mandates have little effect in a region where most people wear masks when in indoor crowds, or avoid such crowds, anyway.  I was in neighboring Santa Clara county yesterday.  Everyone in elevators was wearing masks. Everyone was eating outdoors at sidewalk tables.  

Even though people wear masks less than they used to in Silicon Valley, there are still a LOT of masked-up people around.  The number of people who would wear a mask because of a mandate but otherwise wouldn’t doesn’t seem likely to be very large, and most of them probably live in Los Altos Hills.


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## Eric

Cmaier said:


> Of course the problem with this is that it only shows you that mask mandates have little effect in a region where most people wear masks when in indoor crowds, or avoid such crowds, anyway.  I was in neighboring Santa Clara county yesterday.  Everyone in elevators was wearing masks. Everyone was eating outdoors at sidewalk tables.
> 
> Even though people wear masks less than they used to in Silicon Valley, there are still a LOT of masked-up people around.  The number of people who would wear a mask because of a mandate but otherwise wouldn’t doesn’t seem likely to be very large, and most of them probably live in Los Altos Hills.




Right, and the article makes this note:


> Alameda County’s mandate was implemented not long after the New York Times published an article titled "Why Masks Work, but Mandates Haven't.” The piece states that high-quality, well-fitting masks can help minimize an individual’s risk of catching or spreading COVID-19, but community-level mandates have failed to affect case rates because the virus is so contagious that it spreads easily in the moments when people take their masks off to eat, drink or be comfortable.




My brother after he got infected, "we wore our masks to the bar and it didn't make any difference" when I asked how he drank his beers he said they all had take them off for that.


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## Renzatic

mollyc said:


> In your opinion, should we continue to wear masks indefinitely? (Not looking for an argument...) Colds and flu mutate every year also, which is why the flu vaccine is redesigned every year.




I think the biggest issue is that the long term effects and behavior of covid is still relatively unknown. It was terrible before, but now it's seemingly devolved into The Sniffles v.2.0. The question is, will it stay mild? Will it go back to being terrible? Will we have a mix and match of the two, with it being mild one year, then killing hundreds of thousands the next?

I don't think we need to consider masks an everyday part of our lives now, but we still need to exercise a bit of caution concerning the issue.


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## Renzatic

Eric said:


> ...when I asked how he drank his bees he said well we had take them off for that.




The hell kinda bars does your brother go to?


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## Eric

Renzatic said:


> The hell kinda bars does your brother go to?



You got me before I fixed it!


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## Deleted member 215

Yes, I think if you wear an N95 mask every time you are around another person and do not remove it, you will have a pretty good defense against catching COVID. That isn't what mandates accomplish, however.


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## Renzatic

Eric said:


> You got me before I fixed it!




Good.


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## Cmaier

TBL said:


> Yes, I think if you wear an N95 mask every time you are around another person and do not remove it, you will have a pretty good defense against catching COVID. That isn't what mandates accomplish, however.




I carry one in my pocket at all times, and have a box of them in my car and another in my house. I wear an N95 any time I am indoors around people. Mandate not necessary for me to behave that way. 

And given that I shared a house with my wife who was symptomatic and tested positive for 13 days and my little girl and I didn’t catch it (or at least we never tested positive), I have to assume that wearing masks whenever we were on the same floor contributed mightily to our safety. 

Wear a mask folks. Mandate or not.


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## mollyc

Cmaier said:


> I carry one in my pocket at all times, and have a box of them in my car and another in my house. I wear an N95 any time I am indoors around people. Mandate not necessary for me to behave that way.
> 
> And given that I shared a house with my wife who was symptomatic and tested positive for 13 days and my little girl and I didn’t catch it (or at least we never tested positive), I have to assume that wearing masks whenever we were on the same floor contributed mightily to our safety.
> 
> Wear a mask folks. Mandate or not.



Yes, when my kids both had it (not at the same time), they stayed in their own rooms and if they had to come to a common area, or I took food to them, masks were worn.

I'm not convinced, personally, about masks in places like the grocery store or hardware store where I'm never next to someone for more than a minute or two at the most. And no one wears them in restaurants for obvious reasons. Some place like a concert or crowed area where you are stuck next to someone I'm more likely to wear one. 

And frankly the notion that never wore masks to the doctor's now has me freaked out and I will probably always wear one there for the rest of my life.


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## Eric

mollyc said:


> Yes, when my kids both had it (not at the same time), they stayed in their own rooms and if they had to come to a common area, or I took food to them, masks were worn.
> 
> I'm not convinced, personally, about masks in places like the grocery store or hardware store where I'm never next to someone for more than a minute or two at the most. And no one wears them in restaurants for obvious reasons. Some place like a concert or crowed area where you are stuck next to someone I'm more likely to wear one.
> 
> And frankly the notion that never wore masks to the doctor's now has me freaked out and I will probably always wear one there for the rest of my life.



I get the sentiment and also think this is why it continues to spread like wildfire. When I'm in the store I'm wearing my N95 whether others are or not wearing theirs, why should I risk it just because they're not? It may not be a catch all but it will at least give me some level of personal protection.


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## mollyc

Eric said:


> I get the sentiment and also think this is why it continues to spread like wildfire. When I'm in the store I'm wearing my N95 whether others are or not wearing theirs, why should I risk it just because they're not? It may not be a catch all but it will at least give me some level of personal protection.



yep, I totally understand why some wear masks still. I make no judgment one way or the other for people who wear them.

but even in the height of the pandemic I was wearing cloth masks anyway.....


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## Herdfan

TBL said:


> Alameda County re-instated their mask mandate when cases rose in the spring and it had no effect whatsoever on their numbers. Cases there began to decline and at the same rate as surrounding counties without mandates.
> 
> I'm not saying mask-wearing is "oppression" and obviously we're a far cry from China's pointless and destructive "zero COVID" policy, but I do think we're sort of avoiding the reality that this is never going away, that it is in effect the "new flu" and it should be treated as such (i.e. no masks, no lockdowns, new vaccines on a regular basis).





Eric said:


> Do you have a credible source for that? We know that it doesn't fully prevent it but it does help, the more that wear them, the more it prevents the spread.




I was going to post this when I first saw it, but really wasn't up for the attacks.  But here it is:









						Do mask mandates work? Bay Area data from June says no.
					

Graphs compare Alameda County’s COVID-19 case rates to rates in neighboring counties.




					www.sfgate.com
				




Is this credible enough?

Edit: Sorry saw that it was posted after I read further down.


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## Herdfan

Eric said:


> I get the sentiment and also think this is why it continues to spread like wildfire. When I'm in the store *I'm wearing my N95 whether others are or not wearing theirs*, why should I risk it just because they're not? It may not be a catch all but it will at least give me some level of personal protection.




There is one question for which I can't seem to find a good answer.

Scenario 1:
Two people, both wearing cloth masks in an indoor setting.  Person A is only wearing one because of a mandate (or just call them me ) and person B is wearing one because they want to be protected.

Scenario 2:
Same two people in the same indoor setting.  Person A is not wearing a mask (no mandates) and Person B is wearing a properly fitting N95.

In which Scenario is B better protected?


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## Herdfan

mollyc said:


> yep, I totally understand why some wear masks still. I make no judgment one way or the other for people who wear them.




In a store or other indoor place, I don't either.

But in your car, by yourself, well...............


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## Roller

To address the point in the thread title: Statistics from the CDC and elsewhere confirm that case numbers are high, and they represent a massive undercount, which is aligned with everyone's anecdotal experience that they know of many more people who are SARS-CoV-2 positive than ever before. This is caused by several factors, including increased transmissibility of the BA.4, BA.5, and the emerging BA.2.75 sub-variants of Omicron, plus evasion of immunity conferred by vaccination or prior infection.

The "everyone is going to get it so no big deal" isn't supported by the evidence. While it's true that hospitalizations and deaths are considerably lower than in previous surges, that doesn't mean no harm is being done. For one thing, the probability of persistent COVID-19 symptoms, so-called long COVID, is unclear, but it is likely that the number of affected patients in the U.S. will be in the millions or more. As well, it is clear that there are long-term effects on organ systems even in people who became asymptomatic after their acute infection. It's also important to recognize that repeated infections appear to have cumulative deleterious affects. Here's an article from Eric Topol about reinfections:









						A reinfection red flag
					

Why a new report is so troubling




					erictopol.substack.com
				




Which brings me to masks. @Herdfan's post about them implies that mandates don't work. However, mandates are not the same as actual masking, and the low efficacy of most cloth masks compared to respirators blunts any positive effect. I switched to N99s last year and plan to continue wearing them. Will I got COVID-19 at some point? Perhaps, but I want to minimize the likelihood of repetition.

Here's a good article about how Japan has fared without mask mandates:









						Japan’s secret to taming COVID: Peer pressure
					

As a policy, the country has never mandated masks or vaccinations. But it has significantly evaded the worst of the fallouts of COVID-19, thanks to a fear of public shaming and the ‘self restraint police’




					www.dtnext.in


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## Eric

Herdfan said:


> There is one question for which I can't seem to find a good answer.
> 
> Scenario 1:
> Two people, both wearing cloth masks in an indoor setting.  Person A is only wearing one because of a mandate (or just call them me ) and person B is wearing one because they want to be protected.
> 
> Scenario 2:
> Same two people in the same indoor setting.  Person A is not wearing a mask (no mandates) and Person B is wearing a properly fitting N95.
> 
> In which Scenario is B better protected?



I think it's subjective, but according to the CDC, the person wearing the N95 will always be better protected and cloth masks have been shown to be less effective.

So if the CDC is to be believed then there is your answer.


> Masks and respirators (i.e., specialized filtering masks such as “N95s”) can provide different levels of protection depending on the type of mask and how they are used. Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, layered finely woven products offer more protection, well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s offer even more protection, and well-fitting NIOSH-approved respirators (including N95s) offer the highest level of protection.


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## Herdfan

mollyc said:


> Yes, when my kids both had it (not at the same time), they stayed in their own rooms and if they had to come to a common area, or I took food to them, masks were worn.




Back when the swine flu was the big thing, my wife caught it.  We locked her in our bedroom and when we came to talk to her or bring her food, we cracked the door and shot a good spray of Lysol in the room before we opened the door.  

It worked.


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## MEJHarrison

Eric said:


> Right, and the article makes this note:
> 
> 
> My brother after he got infected, "we wore our masks to the bar and it didn't make any difference" when I asked how he drank his beers he said they all had take them off for that.




I don't understand people unmasking to eat lunch/dinner.  Get it to go or take it outside.  That's what I do.  I have no interest being indoors with a lot of people not wearing masks.  I still wear my mask everywhere I go.


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## Herdfan

Roller said:


> Which brings me to masks. @Herdfan's post about them implies that mandates don't work. However, mandates are not the same as actual masking,




I have to say that putting on a mask while walking into a restaurant and to the table to only then take it off  for the meal makes little sense.  But that's mandates for you.


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## Eric

MEJHarrison said:


> I don't understand people unmasking to eat lunch/dinner.  Get it to go or take it outside.  That's what I do.  I have no interest being indoors with a lot of people not wearing masks.  I still wear my mask everywhere I go.



I think most people see it as an acceptable risk, even my wife is starting to lean that way and I do get it, I'm so fnk tired of that mask and can't wait to stop wearing it. At the same time I have pretty big risk factors and a lung condition so I just take no risks, I also take my food to go or eat outside and haven't actually dined in since the beginning of this thing.


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## Herdfan

MEJHarrison said:


> I don't understand people unmasking to eat lunch/dinner.  *Get it to go or take it outside.  *That's what I do.  I have no interest being indoors with a lot of people not wearing masks.  I still wear my mask everywhere I go.




Also a great way to embarrass your kid.  We took a card table and chairs.  Picked up our food and sat in the parking lot at our own table and ate.  Daughter was mortified.


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## Deleted member 215

Even worse is the “enclosed outdoor seating” that is really no different from eating inside but supposedly is preventing disease


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## MEJHarrison

Eric said:


> I'm so fnk tired of that mask and can't wait to stop wearing it.




I'm lucky in that I don't mind wearing mine at all.  I'll miss it when it's gone.


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## Cmaier

MEJHarrison said:


> I'm lucky in that I don't mind wearing mine at all.  I'll miss it when it's gone.



Me too. I’m much more attractive when you can’t see my face.


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## Roller

Herdfan said:


> I have to say that putting on a mask while walking into a restaurant and to the table to only then take it off  for the meal makes little sense.  But that's mandates for you.



Yes, that's true. But it's not the mandates, per se, it's the guidelines that they put in place. The 6-foot rule has always been unsupported by evidence as well, given how airborne pathogens spread. Same with the Plexiglas partitions. 

The most frustrating aspect of all this is that the epidemic could be ended or severely curtailed with extensive, worldwide vaccination, coupled with judicious masking and other NPIs. As I've said before, there are preventive measures like intranasal vaccines under development that could also make a major difference.


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## Alli

My daughter got Covid a few weeks ago. Fortunately she was vaxed and boosted so it was extremely mild. My first cousin currently has it. She’s the only one in her house who doesn’t leave the house - doesn’t it figure? She works online and doesn’t socialize at all. I figure one of her kids or her husband brought it home to her.


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## mollyc

Roller said:


> To address the point in the thread title: Statistics from the CDC and elsewhere confirm that case numbers are high, and they represent a massive undercount, which is aligned with everyone's anecdotal experience that they know of many more people who are SARS-CoV-2 positive than ever before. This is caused by several factors, including increased transmissibility of the BA.4, BA.5, and the emerging BA.2.75 sub-variants of Omicron, plus evasion of immunity conferred by vaccination or prior infection.
> 
> The "everyone is going to get it so no big deal" isn't supported by the evidence. While it's true that hospitalizations and deaths are considerably lower than in previous surges, that doesn't mean no harm is being done. For one thing, the probability of persistent COVID-19 symptoms, so-called long COVID, is unclear, but it is likely that the number of affected patients in the U.S. will be in the millions or more. As well, it is clear that there are long-term effects on organ systems even in people who became asymptomatic after their acute infection. It's also important to recognize that repeated infections appear to have cumulative deleterious affects. Here's an article from Eric Topol about reinfections:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A reinfection red flag
> 
> 
> Why a new report is so troubling
> 
> 
> 
> 
> erictopol.substack.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Which brings me to masks. @Herdfan's post about them implies that mandates don't work. However, mandates are not the same as actual masking, and the low efficacy of most cloth masks compared to respirators blunts any positive effect. I switched to N99s last year and plan to continue wearing them. Will I got COVID-19 at some point? Perhaps, but I want to minimize the likelihood of repetition.
> 
> Here's a good article about how Japan has fared without mask mandates:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Japan’s secret to taming COVID: Peer pressure
> 
> 
> As a policy, the country has never mandated masks or vaccinations. But it has significantly evaded the worst of the fallouts of COVID-19, thanks to a fear of public shaming and the ‘self restraint police’
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.dtnext.in



I haven't done a ton of research, but the Omicron variant seems to have far fewer long haul effects on people.









						Worried About Long COVID? You May Be at Less Risk if You Had Omicron
					

New research has found that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 carries significantly less risk of causing long COVID than the Delta variant of COVID-19 did.




					www.healthline.com


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## Renzatic

Herdfan said:


> There is one question for which I can't seem to find a good answer.
> 
> Scenario 1:
> Two people, both wearing cloth masks in an indoor setting.  Person A is only wearing one because of a mandate (or just call them me ) and person B is wearing one because they want to be protected.
> 
> Scenario 2:
> Same two people in the same indoor setting.  Person A is not wearing a mask (no mandates) and Person B is wearing a properly fitting N95.
> 
> In which Scenario is B better protected?




Scenario 1, I'd say, since both people are wearing masks, even if they aren't top of the line, well fitted, or medical grade, and are thus less likely to expectorate all up in each other's covered grills, and/or their clothes.

The N95 mask would better protect you from inhaling someone else's sneezed out mouth waters in an enclosed space, but if they happened to sneeze on your back, and in a moment of inattention later on at your house, you scratch your shoulder, then stick that same finger up your nose, you could contract covid from that.


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## Renzatic

Alli said:


> My daughter got Covid a few weeks ago. Fortunately she was vaxed and boosted so it was extremely mild. My first cousin currently has it. She’s the only one in her house who doesn’t leave the house - doesn’t it figure? She works online and doesn’t socialize at all. I figure one of her kids or her husband brought it home to her.




I don't know if it's just luck of the devil or what, but I have yet to contract the virus (knocks furiously on wood). It's not like I'm particularly safe about things either. I haven't worn a mask in 5 months now.

The great thing is that the government sent me all these covid tests, so I have plenty of ways to test out if I've had it or not. Hell, I'll sometimes break one out, and give it a go when I get a headache or something just to see.


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## Roller

mollyc said:


> I haven't done a ton of research, but the Omicron variant seems to have far fewer long haul effects on people.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Worried About Long COVID? You May Be at Less Risk if You Had Omicron
> 
> 
> New research has found that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 carries significantly less risk of causing long COVID than the Delta variant of COVID-19 did.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.healthline.com



It's wrong to consider Omicron as a monolith. BA.1, BA.2, BA.4, BA.5, and BA.2.75 exhibit different mutations that affect their transmissibility and potentially their virulence. As well, the WHO defines long COVID as symptoms three months after the onset of infection, and some sub-variants were identified more recently. As of today, we're at more than 400 deaths per day in the U.S. and over 40,000 hospitalizations. People like to think the healthcare system is back to its pre-pandemic state, but it's not. Hospitals and other medical facilities are in an extremely fragile condition, as are healthcare workers.


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## Clix Pix

Back in March, in a burst of optimism I made plans with friends to attend a concert and another event that is coming up the weekend a week from now....  Today I made the reluctant decision to cancel out of the whole thing, and definitely concern about COVID-19 and the latest variant was a key factor.  I'm fully vaccinated, two boosters as well, but at my age (77) even though I am in reasonably good health, there's that susceptibility, and in addition,  due to airway issues as a part of Treacher Collins Syndrome I suppose I am still maybe more vulnerable than someone 30 years younger.    I wear a disposable surgical mask to the grocery store, the bank and the library around my home area.

With the reports of the latest variant spreading rather quickly, as time was getting closer for the concert,  I thought about the whole situation and   realized that even masked, I would not feel comfortable sitting practically elbow-to-elbow with strangers in the building in the community where the concert will be held.  I checked and no proof of vaccination needs to be provided, no masks are required to be worn.  Ehhhhh...... This darned virus has not gone away.....  I decided not to take chances with my own health.

There were other elements which also  came into the decision to pass on what would undoubtedly be a fun weekend with friends, so in the long run I think it was the best choice for me.


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## Macky-Mac

Cmaier said:


> Me too. I’m much more attractive when you can’t see my face.




at the height of mask wearing during the pandemic I noticed that most people are much more attractive when they're wearing a mask that covers their nose and mouth


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## Eric

Clix Pix said:


> Back in March, in a burst of optimism I made plans with friends to attend a concert and another event that is coming up the weekend a week from now....  Today I made the reluctant decision to cancel out of the whole thing, and definitely concern about COVID-19 and the latest variant was a key factor.  I'm fully vaccinated, two boosters as well, but at my age (77) even though I am in reasonably good health, there's that susceptibility, and in addition,  due to airway issues as a part of Treacher Collins Syndrome I suppose I am still maybe more vulnerable than someone 30 years younger.    I wear a disposable surgical mask to the grocery store, the bank and the library around my home area.
> 
> With the reports of the latest variant spreading rather quickly, as time was getting closer for the concert,  I thought about the whole situation and   realized that even masked, I would not feel comfortable sitting practically elbow-to-elbow with strangers in the building in the community where the concert will be held.  I checked and no proof of vaccination needs to be provided, no masks are required to be worn.  Ehhhhh...... This darned virus has not gone away.....  I decided not to take chances with my own health.
> 
> There were other elements which also  came into the decision to pass on what would undoubtedly be a fun weekend with friends, so in the long run I think it was the best choice for me.



I think under the circumstances this is a very wise decision on your part.


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## Clix Pix

Thanks, Eric!  So far I have managed to avoid COVID-19 (as far as I know) and I really would like to keep things that way.


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## Alli

Clix Pix said:


> With the reports of the latest variant spreading rather quickly, as time was getting closer for the concert, I thought about the whole situation and realized that even masked, I would not feel comfortable sitting practically elbow-to-elbow with strangers in the building in the community where the concert will be held. I checked and no proof of vaccination needs to be provided, no masks are required to be worn. Ehhhhh...... This darned virus has not gone away..... I decided not to take chances with my own health.



I made that decision some time ago with my season tickets to the opera. They weren’t allowed to even request masking (thanks, Alabama), so I just didn’t go. In April, when things were relatively good, Covid-wise, we went to see Bob Dylan in concert. We kept our masks on throughout the show. I saw one other person wearing a mask.

We’re back to masking anytime we go indoors, unless it’s a restaurant. Neither of us have succumbed. Yet.


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## Scepticalscribe

Over the past month, both of my brothers (and my German sister-in-law) came down with Covid.

All were as vaccinated as possible, and had taken every possible precaution, adhered to all of the regulations, including masks, distancing, etc.

However, Decent Brother had attended his first concert - his first social indulgence in two years - (outdoor, and he wore a mask except when sipping a beer) - a week or so earlier, and believes that this is where he caught Covid.

I, myself, have eaten in a restaurant on three occasions, (twice, with friends, during the past month, and once, earlier, while attending the family gathering after my aunt's funeral in April) - and I write as someone who loves fine dining, and loves dining out with friends in a good restaurant or decent pub - since the outbreak of the pandemic nearly two and a half years ago.


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## Cmaier

I’ll be taking the family to Disneyland in a couple weeks, and that should be the end of my “no covid streak.”  Unfortunately, being shut in for most of the pandemic has had implications to my kid‘s mental health, and getting her out of the house for a few days is an absolute necessity.  I’ll wear masks whenever I can, but given the number of people around who likely won’t, I don’t like my chances.


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## Roller

Alli said:


> I made that decision some time ago with my season tickets to the opera. They weren’t allowed to even request masking (thanks, Alabama), so I just didn’t go. In April, when things were relatively good, Covid-wise, we went to see Bob Dylan in concert. We kept our masks on throughout the show. I saw one other person wearing a mask.
> 
> We’re back to masking anytime we go indoors, unless it’s a restaurant. Neither of us have succumbed. Yet.



The safest way to eat restaurant food is to have it delivered or pick it up. If that’s not doable, eating outside is more risky, but probably acceptable if the people you’re with are vaccinated & asymptomatic, especially if they have a negative antigen test beforehand. 

Inside, your risk is higher than in most indoor settings because none of the patrons will be masked. BA.5 is so transmissible that it doesn’t take much exposure to be infected. All this is worse in Alabama because of the abysmal vaccination and boosting rate.


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## Joe

My friends and I all caught it on our trip to Chicago over Memorial Day weekend. 

It wasn’t too bad. I mainly had a sore throat, coughing and sneezing.


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## Cmaier

They may be morons, but at least they are going to die quicker.









						People in Republican Counties Have Higher Death Rates Than Those in Democratic Counties
					

A growing mortality gap between Republican and Democratic areas may largely stem from policy choices




					www.scientificamerican.com


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## Eric

Cmaier said:


> They may be morons, but at least they are going to die quicker.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> People in Republican Counties Have Higher Death Rates Than Those in Democratic Counties
> 
> 
> A growing mortality gap between Republican and Democratic areas may largely stem from policy choices
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.scientificamerican.com



One of my employees has it again, I think this is the third time. This new variant is really easy to get.


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## Eric

Sounds like this has merit.









						Think You’ve Never Had Covid-19? Think Again
					

Most people have been infected with the virus, epidemiologists say, even if some don’t realize it.




					www.wsj.com
				




https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1551575794375352320/


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## shadow puppet

Eric said:


> One of my employees has it again, I think this is the third time. This new variant is really easy to get.



My Covid Compliance Officer working my current shoot said this BA.5 omicron subvariant is no joke.


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## Deleted member 215

It’s interesting that the news is acting like people who haven’t gotten it are a rare miracle, but it’s still the case that most people I know haven’t gotten it. Although I guess if we’ve all had “symptomless COVID”, then the point is moot.


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## Joe

I saw someone say if you haven't gotten it then you don't have any friends lol


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## MEJHarrison

Joe said:


> I saw someone say if you haven't gotten it then you don't have any friends lol




Hmm....  I've never gotten it.  So I guess you're on to something!


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Cmaier said:


> I’ll be taking the family to Disneyland in a couple weeks, and that should be the end of my “no covid streak.”  Unfortunately, being shut in for most of the pandemic has had implications to my kid‘s mental health, and getting her out of the house for a few days is an absolute necessity.  I’ll wear masks whenever I can, but given the number of people around who likely won’t, I don’t like my chances.




I'm going to Disneyworld in about a month with my cousin and uncle - 3 "kids", the youngest of which is 47.    I imagine between the cross country flights and the parks I'll be coming home with more than just good memories.


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## Cmaier

Welp, my kid just tested positive. She sounded a little nasally on Friday, and told me there were kids at school coughing and sniffling and when she asked them to wear masks around her they told her that they didn’t need to because my daughter wears a mask.


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## DT

Geez, I assume she's pretty caught up on her vaccinations.

So what's the current protocols in your area?


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## Cmaier

DT said:


> Geez, I assume she's pretty caught up on her vaccinations.
> 
> So what's the current protocols in your area?




She’s had four shots, but not the bivalent yet - she is scheduled to get it in a couple of weeks, though now we’ll postpone. 

Protocols now are pretty much “mask optional except in medical facilities.”  She wears a mask at school but it is no longer required, and they don’t do testing at school anymore.  The last I heard, they follow the “come back to school on day 5 after positive test or symptom onset if you have a negative test” scheme.  I emailed the contacts at the school to ask them what we are supposed to do. Obviously she’ll miss at least a couple of days of school. 

My wife’s out of town, so I’ll need to work from home tomorrow. Then I’ll return to work and keep my mask on unless I test positive.


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## fischersd

The only setting that people are required to wear masks here anymore is medical facilities (even dentist offices don't require them anymore).  I do still see a few people wearing them in grocery stores, but they're only about 5%?

More variants that escape any protection that people have spawning every day:








						Omicron sublineage BA.2.75.2 exhibits extensive escape from neutralising antibodies
					

SARS-CoV-2 omicron sublineage BA.2.75 expanded rapidly in parts of the world, but it has so far not outcompeted BA.5 globally. Despite similar geometric mean neutralising titres (GMT) to BA.5, BA.2.75 remained sensitive to classes of antibodies that BA.5 had escaped,1,2 suggesting scope for...



					www.thelancet.com
				




I really don't understand why they're not forcing people to wear masks on planes and trains anymore.  We should have kept all of our protections in place until this thing became as common as smallpox.


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## Roller

The number of sub-variants (all in the Omicron lineage) has expanded massively in the past couple months, to the extent it's very difficult to keep track of them. One thing we know for sure is they are more adept at evading immunity conferred by prior infection and/or vaccines their predecessors. Unfortunately, it's difficult to do studies that account for the many variables in play. I agree that requiring masks indoors and on public transportation would help reduce transmission of COVID-19, flu, and other pathogens. But people rail against even simple measures.


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