Do you think mask wearing will continue after "everyone" gets their Covid shot(s)?

[CTyankee]

I think we might want to consider the non-Covid reasons: we might do so in indoor settings where OTHER germs are lurking. Seasonal flues and other infections due to airborne germs would cause less infections.

As an old person, I might benefit from some protection when indoor shopping, etc. We regularly get our flu shots and had our Shingles shot (I had Shingles. Don't get it!).

Are there generally more not less benefit to wearing a mask indoors?

[secondwind]

1. Yes

[MichMan]

2. Some people are now germaphobes and will wear them for years

[Happy Hoosier]

3. By some people probably.

I will not unless there is a good reason. I don’t like wearing them, but will when I have to.

[llashram]

4. Colds and flu

infections were down also. I will continue, no matter when, where I am.

[Elessar Zappa]

5. I might wear one in the winter during flu season.

For now, I’m going maskless.

[MurrayDelph]

18. Definitely wearing one during flu season

I'm allergic to something in the flu shot (and have no wish to test variants, as the only way to see if they're safe for me is to take one and hope). The mask is a safe and simple alternative for me for the rare times I hang out with someone other than my wife (who does get a flu shot every year).

[soothsayer]

6. I like them.

[agingdem]

15. Me too...

My daughter works retail in Atlanta and one of her customers is a CDC physician...my daughter commented that this was the first year of no cold, no flu, no stomach virus so she's hesitant to give up her mask..the doctor said we are supposed to get whatever is "going around" in order to build up our immunities...that makes sense if you're young but I'm 73, my immune system is crap and I kind of like not having a 7 week residual cough from a "simple" cold that somehow morphed into bronchitis/pneumonia..the mask stays...

[quaint]

29. +++

I'm old and underweight. Plan to mask "forever" now.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

31. The doctor is correct.

Our immune systems are designed to be challenged, for us to get sick and then recover and be immune to whatever we got. I'm pretty sure that the reason my immune system is so robust is that I got sick a lot when I was a little kid. I'm 72 and never get colds any more, haven't gotten flu in about 45 years. I trust my immune system.

John M. Barry references that in his wonderful book The Great Influenza when he talks about farm boys from rural Kansas an other such places being drafted and then sent to live in crowded conditions in camps. They'd never been exposed to much, and now were exposed to all sorts of otherwise benign diseases. It's why for centuries more soldiers died from disease than were actually killed in combat.

[Irish_Dem]

7. I went to Lowe's yesterday wearing a mask. Only one other person had a mask on.

I felt a bit silly wearing it.

[Siwsan]

8. I have a feeling we might be at our peek, when it comes to vaccinations

Everybody seems to be offering walk in service. If people haven't gotten at least their first jab, by now, they probably don't plan to.

I'm still noticing quite a few people wearing masks in the stores, and I'm one of them. I haven't had a cold in well over a year. I normally get 2 or 3 a year.

[In It to Win It]

9. Personally, I intend to keep wearing a mask indoors... and I'm vaccinated

I prefer it now

[napi21]

10. Some will continue. I think anyone with a compromised immune system should just for self

protection. There are lots of diff. germs out there that can do harm to people who are vulnerable. It sure seems to me there are a lot less flu cases & even the common cold this winter & I credit mask wearing.

[Binkie The Clown]

11. It's possible it might become the norm for flu season like it is in Japan. nt

[Haggard Celine]

12. No,I'm not wearing mine anymore.

Hardly anyone around here is wearing them anymore. I occasionally see people with masks, but I think they probably have health issues. I still keep a mask in my pocket when I go somewhere, just in case they want me to wear one, but nobody ever asks me to put one on.

[Rustyeye77]

23. I agree.

Hopefully soon I’m done.

[ananda]

13. As soon as the dangerous variants get here.

...

[Elessar Zappa]

19. The good news in that regard

is that the companies would only have to tweak the current vaccine and we’d get another shot. As it is, the vaccines are working well against the variants and may continue to do so.

[ananda]

37. But we haven't seen the Indian and Nepalese variants yet.

And I understand that our vaccines are rather weak
against the Delta version.

[global1]

14. Every Winter Like Clockwork I Get An Upper Respiratory Condition.....

A clogged and drippy nose. Watery eyes. Congested chest. Sore throat. Trouble breathing and trouble sleeping.

As the pandemic hit - I stocked up on expectorant, nasal sprays, cough drops, etc.

Know what - the 2020 cough and cold season was the first year ever that I didn't have one symptom to deal with. I went the whole season without as much as a stuffy nose.

I attribute that to wearing my mask, social distancing, washing my hands and using hand sanitizer.

So I will be doing all these same things as we move into cough and cold season in 2021.

I don't care what it looks like or what other people might think or say about my mask wearing. I'm going to do it - because I never felt better during that season before in my life.

Why should I have to sacrifice my health - because of what other people say about my mask wearing.

[CTyankee]

16. It might be for other reasons but I generally feel better than I have for along time...

I also take Elavil at night before bedtime due to post Shingles nerve pain. I sleep very well, very soundly. That might have a benefit. But I also stopped drinking wine at night, so that may factor in.

[tinrobot]

17. I think mask stigma is gone (in most places)

Two years ago, it would have been odd to wear a mask.

Not anymore. Wear it if you want.

[PortTack]

20. Yes..

[New Breed Leader]

21. Yes and I will be one of them.

the mask is here to stay.

[dawg]

22. In my small town ...

I'm often the only person wearing a mask.

Close to 50% of people, maybe more, never took the pandemic seriously.

[Midnight Writer]

43. Same here, and state statistics show a 21% vax rate here. Nobody seems to care.

And, also according to state statistics, people are still dying here.

[comradebillyboy]

25. My wife likes wearing a mask. She likes it as a

dust and pollen filter.

[Blues Heron]

26. I like it for walking the dusty polluted avenues of the big cities

also the forest trails during pollen season. I have a good supply of form-fitting, breathable korean k94s that don't fog up your glasses or cause any difficulty breathing.

[Ace Rothstein]

27. If you want to wear a mask, wear a mask.

Most people aren't going to. Have you seen the crowds of people at sporting events over the last few weeks? Almost no mask wearing happening, even indoors.

[Deuxcents]

28. I will wear mine

I’ve had pneumonia twice n like another said, this year was the first year of no colds, flu. I get my flu shot every September n IMO, we’re gonna need boosters for Covid..to many varieties of this horrible strain so I’m gonna keep wearing mine. Too many tourists n snowbirds come here so that’s another reason.

[tanyev]

30. Just got back from grocery shopping and a big difference from last week.

I don’t know if it’s because I was running about an hour later than usual, or if a lot more people decided this week that they were done. Only a couple without masks last week, this week I stopped counting at 14. I’d say easily 50% of everyone I saw were not wearing masks. And then there are still a few half-hearted mask wearers. They have one on their face, but it’s barely or not at all covering their nose. If you’re not going to wear it properly (as I was), and it’s not required, why bother at all?

[ProfessorGAC]

40. See My Post (#39)

I described the same thing you did! And, it happened fast!

[tanyev]

46. This was just my 3rd time back inside the grocery store after achieving

full vaccination in mid May. Just feels a little too fast for my own comfort. If it looks like that again next week at my usual hour I might go back to curbside pickup.

[Vinca]

32. I'm going to take each situation as it comes. If I'm outdoors and can keep my distance from

people, no mask. If I'm in the grocery store, most likely mask. A woman I know recently told me about her friend who was fully vaccinated and came down with one of the variants and landed in the ICU. It might seem like it's gone away, but it hasn't.

[Marrah_Goodman]

33. I think it will for a while at least

I haven't gotten sick at all since I started wearing one.

[brooklynite]

34. Did you wear a mask during flu seasons in the past?

[beaglelover]

35. The ONLY time I MAY wear a mask after 6/15 is when I have to fly on an airplane during

cold/flu season. Other than that, I will NOT wear a mask unless it is required by a business, government agency, hospital, etc.

[Chainfire]

36. I will continue wearing masks until they are no longer required in my Doctor's office.

[liberal_mama]

38. I'm going to keep wearing my mask

I'm immune compromised. In my county, we had 6 fully vaccinated people die in the past month. The vaccine might not be effective for some people.

[ProfessorGAC]

39. No

Last edited Sun Jun 6, 2021, 04:24 PM - Edit history (1)

Stores here are already posting CDC guidelines on the door instead of "Mask Required". Our town shows about 72% of adults vaxxed, and kids 12-15 building as the schools are requiring it for fall.
But, a 2 weeks ago all but 1 person at the supermarket was masked.
Yesterday, about 10 had masks on, and employees were unmasked.
Went from 90+% to 20 in 2 weeks.

[HipChick]

41. Nope, I'm wearing my mask forever...

if get vaccinated and proving it, is only being done on an honor system..

[JCMach1]

42. First time this week not wearing one for grocery shopping

It's now 'optional' in most businesses in Texas.

If you are fully vaccinated and not immuno-compromised, and unlikely to be around an infected person in your day to day activities, there is not a good reason to continue.

And yeah, I'm going to say it felt good to get it off.

And, yes I wore my mask religiously before vaccination despite having respiratory issues from COVID (I was on oxygen for months) and a broken nose (obstructed sinuses) that limits how much I can breathe through my nose.

So yes, it was really, really good to get it off!

[CTyankee]

44. I am fearful of some nutty person yelling at me because they are immuno-compromised if I am not

searing a mask or if I am standing too close in line waiting to check out. Plus, I don't want to argue with anyone over it. It's just easier to wear the damn mask until just about everybody in the store isn't wearing one. There's always someone who wants to lecture you on what they think is right. It gets tiresome...

[Bettie]

45. I'll wear one when the crud is going around

cold and flu season, because I really, really liked not even having a cold this year.

[seaglass]

47. I am really looking forward to everyone being eligible. For now I have a 5 wk old granddaughter so

I am wearing mine inside and when I'm holding her. I know my daughter will get her a vaccine as soon as she can.

I don't like wearing the mask at all, am fully vaccinated but it's not about me.

[Ms. Toad]

48. I'm close to as pro-continuing mandatory masking as you can get.

But once our commmunity hits 70% vaccination, I'll take off my mask - as long as the community infection rate is also low (~50 cases/100,000 people over a 2-week period).

We're at 40% vaccination, and we dipped below 50 cases/100,000 people over a two week period for the first time yesterday.

Personally - I think when the CDC made its announcement about those who are vaccinated no longer needing to wear a mask it should have been framed in a way to protect the community: Masking should remain mandatory until we hit certain markers, however those who can prove they are vaccinated will be exempt from the requirement. It's only framing - but it awards a benefit based on willingness to prove vaccination status (which I expect the vaccinated will be more likely to do) - rather than relying on those who have already proven they are dishonorable to comply with the honor system.

But back to the question - I won't wear my mask, generally, beyond that. I've developed good hygeine habits since 2009 when I had to protect myself from a boss who liked to come to work near death - and I had surgery that I could not afford to delay because I caught a respiratory infection. Since then I've had the flu no more than once, and nothing more than a mild cold perhaps every other year. My job is communication. I am able to articulate clearly enough that most of my students are not speaking out about difficulty understanding me - BUT - when I asked last fall about how many students needed to see my lips, or would benefit from it, hoping for an accommodation to use a shield for the limited period when I was teaching, it was close to have who indicated they use lip-reading to at least some extent.

That said - I probably will wear a mask on the rare occasion I come down with a virus and can't afford to stay home - out of courtesy to others.

[JanMichael]

49. In flu season I probably will. Pre-COVID I should have.

Everyone around me got it after the holidays in early 2019 and I was lucky and did not. Well I was vaccinated but so were some of them.

I suppose a mask is better than spraying Lysol on people and everything around me.