It's not just Covid. Flu and RSV mean masks need to come back.

[pstokely]

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/holiday-travel-covid-rsv-flu-means-time-bring-mask-mandates-back-rcna58186

Unfortunately, as mask mandates and public health messaging have disappeared and complacency or resignation takes hold, the public’s voluntary compliance with healthy behaviors such as wearing masks and getting booster shots is waning, while businesses continue to roll back sick leave and remote work policies.

Hospitals remain overwhelmed as they face the chronic strain of the past few years and staffing issues. Though pediatric hospitals are the most affected, the whole system is struggling, and emergency room wait times have increased. Masking may not prevent all infections, but preventing any infections helps alleviate the burden.

Mask mandates not only stem the spread of diseases but also have helpful psychological benefits. It’s difficult for people to get adequate, high-quality information about risk and apply it in a society that has returned to pre-pandemic norms. Promoting mask-wearing through official messaging (ideally supported by free provision of high-quality masks like N95s) removes the onus on individuals to figure out “what is safe.”

[Blues Heron]

1. US COVID-19 cases slowly rising over the last 5 weeks

Def. going in the wrong direction

from the CDC data tracker

week ending - total new cases
11/23 - 305,082
11/16 - 281,691
11/09 - 290,879
11/02 - 274,451
10/26 - 262,483
10/19 - 261,423

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. I still wear my mask when i am out in public

[pstokely]

4. but how many others?

?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. About 20%

It is interesting to see who is wearing masks

[Skittles]

9. people who care about others

that's who

[appalachiablue]

3. K/R We plan on masking for quite a while given the issues.

[SheltieLover]

6. Now there is a new polio type respiratory disease killing 1 in 8 kids!

Looking now for post from this morning!

😷

[republianmushroom]

7. LIKE

[MissMillie]

8. mine never went away

people are still catching COVID every day, and people are still dying from it.

I have a 91 year-old Dad. I would never forgive myself if I infected him.

[lambchopp59]

10. Just by sheer luck I'm where masking is mandatory

Contracted on the Navajo reservation for the winter, masking policy here is really strict and it works: transmission rate here, exception of a quickly quelled breakout in a local school district has not risen.
I'm also glad about this because I'm just too old and tired a caregiver to go through another exhausting, overwhelming wave of epidemic.