Corona Virus Now Spreading

[Antonio65]

I don't get the issue with masks and social distancing. I don't get having issues with no large private gatherings

Probably, the only good thing of this pandemic is that I can avoid people without being unmannered, and I'll be use this excuse even in future. I don't get along too well with people.
But masks are really a trouble to me, I tend to keep them on as short as possible. So, at work I'm forced to wear it when inside, but I can put it off/down as soon as I am out of the building. I've been told that when I don't satnd it anymore, I'm free to get outside and have a break. Which is what I do very very often.
Another thing is that I haven't been shopping in a physical shop for months now, because I can't stand to be in a shop with a mask, and haven't been in a hair salon since February

 

[Antonio65]

Just out of curiosity...

When this pandemic began, we were promptly told to wash our hands often, wear a mask, keep distances, avoid gatherings, not to travel unless necessary, and so on. Alright.
What I can't figure out, though, is if/when the pandemic ends (in a couple of years or a decade) how we will be told that we can go back to do roughly what we used to do before?
I mean, would it be something like:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your beloved President/Prime Minister speaking. I'm glad to announce to you all that as from midnight tomorrow, no masks, hand washing, distances will ever be necessary again. Rejoice!".
Or what? How do you imagine such a transition to a different (not normal) life?

 

[jcat]

How do you imagine such a transition to a different (not normal) life?

That's a really good question. I think it will be similar to the gradual reopening stages we had in May, June, and July. For example, they might say that masks are no longer required at work, school, and in pedestrian precincts, and groups of >10 people can gather starting on March 1, 2021. Other restrictions, e.g., restaurant and bar capacities, foreign travel, will be lifted May 1, etc.. Fines for non-compliance will slowly be reduced or abolished. I highly doubt that all restrictions and recommendations will be stopped over night, because they won't be sure about the efficacy of vaccines or when so-called herd immunity exists.

 

[Antonio65]

That's a really good question. I think it will be similar to the gradual reopening stages we had in May, June, and July. For example, they might say that masks are no longer required at work, school, and in pedestrian precincts, and groups of >10 people can gather starting on March 1, 2021. Other restrictions, e.g., restaurant and bar capacities, foreign travel, will be lifted May 1, etc.. Fines for non-compliance will slowly be reduced or abolished. I highly doubt that all restrictions and recommendations will be stopped over night, because they won't be sure about the efficacy of vaccines or when so-called herd immunity exists.

So, as I always said, a real normality will never be resumed.
What I believe is that keeping distances and no hugs and hand shaking will be in place forever, or at least people will be very wary to abolish those measures of precautions for good.

 

[denice]

I have been keeping up with getting my hair trimmed. I know it isn't essential but those months not getting it trimmed up drove me crazy. My hair has thinned out a lot so it doesn't grow out nice. The salons here are taking all possible precautions so I take that risk. For awhile I was going to a more expensive salon to make sure that precautions were being taken but my hair needs trimmed every 5 or 6 weeks, that was getting too expensive for me. I went back to a much cheaper salon the last time and they are also taking precautions. I think Ohio has put those precautions in place for them to remain open.

 

[Antonio65]

I've been a little congested since Saturday, but I don't know if it's covid, a cold, or pregnancy rhinitis. I have a slight headache today, but I've also done a lot of crying over this and the election stress.

I'm so sorry for you and your plans that have been spoiled by this evil virus.

As for the symptoms, what you have is very generic, but my symptoms were/are just the same. I had nasal congestion, sore throat, headache, weakness, tiredness for months.
I had very slight and atypical symptoms, so, if it wasn't for the swab test, I would have never known I was positive. Some of those symptoms lingered for months, and some nose congestion and occasional sore throat are still here to remind me what I had.

 

[denice]

I read about a woman who was asymptomatic who came back positive. She was considering allowing her daughter to have a few friends over for cake for her birthday. As a precaution she got tested and it was positive. She works from home and her kids are taking online classes. She says she always wears a mask when outside and takes all the precautions, there is no way of knowing if that is true or not. This virus is so strange probably because it is something new to humans. In time hopefully it will become something much more predictable as it mutates and humans become used to it. A few of the viruses that cause the common cold are coronaviruses.

 

[Antonio65]

As a precaution she got tested and it was positive. She works from home and her kids are taking online classes. She says she always wears a mask when outside and takes all the precautions, there is no way of knowing if that is true or not.

She was wearing the mask, others weren't, so she was protecting the others, but wasn't protected from others.

 

[Willowy]

I'm glad to announce to you all that as from midnight tomorrow, no masks, hand washing, distances will ever be necessary again. Rejoice!".

The hand washing should definitely continue! Humans are filthy and we have never washed our hands enough, at least in the US. And wearing a mask during flu season or whenever you have a cough isn't a bad idea either. And hopefully the increased cleaning continues too. Will we ever be comfortable with large gatherings again? Who knows? Anyway, no, I don't think there will be a grand announcement, just a gradual relaxing.

The town I work in is basically COVID central :/. I know of at least 3 families that have current infections right now, and several more who have had it and are now recovered. And now I have a sore throat, but no other symptoms. I don't think they'd allow testing with just one symptom, so I may never know. Anyway I always wear my mask at work so hopefully I'm not spreading anything. I hope immunity lasts at least a few months for most people or we're going to have some issues.

 

[Lari]

I am grateful that not too far from me is a large drive through testing site where you don't need an appointment.

 

[ZombieTiger]

As someone with lifelong ocd, what Willowy said!

Seriously, humans are filthy. The amount of people that don't even wash their hands after being in the bathroom is astounding. So yeah, I hope people continue cleaning.


I think the big mistake when reopening was that they did it too fast. There are still countries/governments around that didn't take it all that seriously the first round and only now are beginning to.

I came from Spain to Norway in May and I can count on 1 hand how many people wearing masks I've seen in Norway since then. It's ridiculous.

Also, I don't and will never understand what the big deal is with masks.

Edit: I keep remembering my brother coming over last December and casually asking if I'd heard about that virus—thingy in Asia somewhere. I think I said something like, "oh well, it's not that many and mostly old people and they live on top of each other in poor conditions, don't they?". Oh boy.

 

[LTS3]

I guess I'm lucky - my employer offers on-site testing and requires all employees to test every 4 days. They do track who is testing and who is not, who is on site daily, etc. Just general info, nothing detailed. The company recently partnered with a local health organization to provide low cost testing to employee family members and roommates. Health insurance may cover some or all of the cost.

Would any anti-masker object to wearing clothes when they go out in public? I bet the answer is no. So why is wearing a mask, basically an extension of clothing, such a huge deal and a whole thing about first amendment rights or whatever?

 

[Talien]

Would any anti-masker object to wearing clothes when they go out in public? I bet the answer is no. So why is wearing a mask, basically an extension of clothing, such a huge deal and a whole thing about first amendment rights or whatever?

It's really not the same thing at all. If you go around naked you get arrested and charged with indecent exposure. If there were young children present then you could possibly be registered as a sex offender as well. If you don't wear a mask the worst you're likely to get are some dirty looks, maybe asked to leave depending on where you are.

Most people who don't want to wear masks is because they heard someone say something about infringing on rights on the internet and jumped on the bandwagon, because it's what they thought all the cool kids were doing and they want to be cool too.

 

[Willowy]

If you go around naked you get arrested and charged with indecent exposure.

Sure, if you're fully naked. But exposure laws only require a bare () minimum of clothing, only covering a few key private areas, yet most people wear far more clothing than that in public, because it's the societal norm. But anti-maskers, even if they'll get a ticket for not wearing a mask, will still refuse.

I agree with the "cool kid" hypothesis. It reminds of of that whole sovereign citizen nonsense that was going around a few years ago.

 

[Antonio65]

The hand washing should definitely continue! Humans are filthy and we have never washed our hands enough, at least in the US. And wearing a mask during flu season or whenever you have a cough isn't a bad idea either. And hopefully the increased cleaning continues too.

Over here in my country we have a good habit of washing hands rather often. I think it's custom for most of us to wash hands when returning home from outside, and always before eating. This should be the lesson we learned after an epidemic in the early 1970's, where we were asked to wash hands oten, and this custom remained.
Wearing a mask often or always is more a habit from the far east. I always see far eastern people wearing a mask when they come here for tourism.
Cleaning too much has already caused problems in water recycling plants over here, due to the huge amount of bleach and other chloride cleaners in the sewer. Recycling plants are struggling because they can't cope with the unprecedented water pollution.

 

[Antonio65]

I think the big mistake when reopening was that they did it too fast. There are still countries/governments around that didn't take it all that seriously the first round and only now are beginning to.

Governments had to surrender to the pressure from the tourism industries, and had to let people move during summer, disregarding most restrictions that were in place until a few weeks before.

I came from Spain to Norway in May and I can count on 1 hand how many people wearing masks I've seen in Norway since then. It's ridiculous.

It's not only that people aren't wearing masks, it's that people don't keep distance as well.
I don't understand why we have the 1-meter rule, and the rest of the world has 2-meter or 6-feet rules. Anyway, these distances are preceded by the words "at least", so anything higher than that should be better. Yet, I don't see anyone keeping 3 or 4 meters from others.

Also, I don't and will never understand what the big deal is with masks.

In my case, I can't stand it, because I always wanted to feel fresh air on my face and around my nose, I had never tolerated even a scarf on my face. Furthermore, the coronavirus left me a nice gift, my nose feels always congested, so I have a bit of trouble at breathing freely. Anything that blocks the air from my nose is a problem for me, because I feel like I'm gasping.

 

[Xraystyle]

I thought I couldn't handle a mask at first. We're lucky here to have enough domestic mask manufacturers for all of us to wear a new KF94 or 80 level mask every day. Hardly anyone wears cloth masks here. I think the fact that we can easily use high level disposable masks has helped with that feeling of being smothered. The paper masks don't get wet as easily. I have to wear mine 13 hours a day at least, and when I first started, I always felt like I was gasping when I ran up the stairs at the train station (or got into the train when the a/c wasn't on). I don't feel that way anymore. Even if I run in an "anti-droplet" mask, which is the thinnest mask we're allowed to wear here, it's more my breath saturation that makes me take it off when I'm not around other people, not that I can't breathe easily enough. Although, I do admit, taking the mask off and getting fresh, cold air into your nose is really nice. It's akin to taking off your bra at night, hahaha.

Korea doesn't have the best handwashing etiquette, so the fact that almost all of us in Seoul wear masks in all public places has kept us, one of the most densely populated cities in the world with a very deeply engrained shared plate culture (eating from the same bowl, sharing drinks, eating as a large group, etc.), relatively safe. I don't think anyone can deny that. We also have very aggressive contact tracing, which is something most other countries can't do due to privacy laws and lack of government funding.

I can't wait until we have the all clear to take off masks though, if just for the sake of my skin I'm hoping it happens before next summer.

 

[denice]

I admit I don't like wearing a mask. It isn't because of some silly culture war thing, I just don't like wearing one. I am fortunate in that I am working from home so I don't have to wear one all day.

 

[Willowy]

Yeah I just started wearing one all day; before I just wore it when customers came in. And yeah it sucks. But so does wearing a bra so oh well, I'll live.

 

[klunick]

Got to the grocery store early and there was plenty of stuff on the shelves. Picked up more disinfectant wipes, multi- purpose spray, dusting spray, bathroom spray, shower spray, toilet cleaner, and Comet for the tubs. I could have/should have gotten more TP and paper towels. Next time for sure.