Yes, that also works! I’m really curious as to what the potential causal mechanisms are here.
1 Like
Derail thoughts
I’m also curious. My guess is drinking, shift work, having less money/more likely to use public transit and walk places? I think the “reckless 20 something male” and “poverty leading to walking in high risk corridors at odd hours” are two strong mechanisms there. I do not know though! Hope someone gives us answers lol.
2 Likes
I think what I’m especially interested in is the passengers bit. Like, is this because of the “bevy of teens driving together” statistics (which we know are bad)? Or is it more widespread than that (protective devices built for adult bodies and not child bodies, for example).
2 Likes
A lot of my friends in real life are mad about mask mandates going away, but I kind of think it’s a good idea? Let people take a break when the numbers warrant it so that we have the capacity to put the masks back on if there’s another surge.
(That said I personally am still masking indoors most places because it has been a dream not getting sick for two years!)
10 Likes
I’m caught in the same situation and struggling with it. A lot of people are BIG MAD about it.
I realize I don’t have unvaccinated kids so my calculus is different, and I don’t work with the public. As someone who is in a mall every single day though, masking has gotten so lazy here even with a mask mandate (as far as dangling noses, kids that aren’t amazing at it) that maybe a break will make compliance a little better later if we have to bring it back. I’m usually at higher risk for things like flu, other infectious diseases, but I feel the numbers are currently low enough that I’d rather be lax now so we can bring it back if a new variant/higher cases happen.
Same! Especially as an immunosuppressed person. I’m looking forward to taking it off for things like intense run-throughs at the rink, though. Working out with K95 on has been fine mostly, but hell for my skin and does suck when I’m doing full run throughs
6 Likes
And I like to drink a LOT of water. 2.5 hours in a classroom in a k95 doing lots of talking…not enough water for me, lol.
3 Likes
Same, I also don’t have unvaccinated kids so that probably helps with my risk tolerance. I do take my mask off to eat indoors now, too. In NYC everyone’s apartments are too small for gathering so most of my social contact has always happened at restaurants and bars, and it feels good to go back again with friends. So my risk is definitely not absolute zero, but every little bit of masking cumulatively reduces my overall exposure to covid, colds, and anything else.
2 Likes
My problem with it, and this might be because Florida is the worst, is that now people are pointing to this to mean that no one will ever have to wear masks again EVER. Hell the state surgeon general put out a statement saying that masks have no benefit and never had. The governor bullied school kids who were wearing masks during one of his press conferences.
10 Likes
I hate how people who are choosing to wear masks are being bullied about it. It’s like socks, you don’t need them, but sure, wear them if you want. Or sunglasses.
We are not wearing masks anymore except in crowded situations. Like, we will wear them at Disney on Ice, and I wear one in staff meetings, but not at my desk, or when the kids go to gymnastics.
10 Likes
I’m looking forward to unmasking at work (vaccine or test required), but will continue to mask in indoor public places.
My 2-year old hasn’t had to mask at school, and my personal feeling is that masking of toddler-age kids isn’t very effective (they eat and nap together, they drool all over their masks and lick each other). I’m looking forward to their teachers being able to unmask (though of course will be supportive if any of them choose to continue masking), because I do think it’s valuable for kids to see faces.
I’ve had my 2 year old wear kn95s periodically, and they’re always soaked after 10 min - not sure about efficacy after that 
.
I hear folks at work talking about how happy they are not to have gotten sick at all the last two years. On average I’ve caught a cold every other month (and I am not immune-compromised). Whatever precautions they take at daycare has not reduced the “normal” viral stuff floating around.
6 Likes
That’s the thing I haven’t experienced a lot of here in Portland, probably largely because we’ve only have about ~2 weeks of not having a mask mandate indoors in the past 2 years.
another way where I hoped that things would improve for people with disabilities during the pandemic,(i.e. people don’t look at you weird if you wear a mask in the west) but instead they’ve only gotten worse. Ugh.
7 Likes
Covid is finally actually here is WA. We’re all vaccinated except the kids. I am supposed to start in-person study/ work. My office is open plan but there’s only 8 people max, same people every day, plus seeing my supervisor in person and his research person/ my friend. I have P2/ n95 masks. My eldest goes to school without a mask on. I don’t know how to gauge risk any more because everything is so different everywhere. I don’t want us to get COVID and some of the long term shit seems awful, but am I totally overreacting to want to work from home and only go in once a week until my kids are vaccinated? We’ve been relying on our parents for childcare and will be stopping that. Up until now all outbreaks were met with lockdown and now we’re living with it and I have to say, I thought I’d feel more sure about everything because I’ve been listening to others make decisions this whole time. Nope.
So I guess I’d just like to reassure anyone who is like “I’ve been making decisions this whole time why aren’t I better?” Coz it’s hard and ever changing.
Population is 2 mill and new cases are ~2.5k/ day, high positivity rate, like 10%+.
9 Likes
I don’t know how to gauge risk with the numbers, but if it is comforting, my husband is vaccinated and has been attending classes even through omnicron and never brought anything home to unvaccinated kid. He wears P95s to class but does not mask in his office.
Our county was the worst for covid in entire state.
8 Likes
In your situation I personally would feel okay going to work if there are only 8 people, especially if everyone is vaccinated and masked. Honestly, your eldest is much more likely to catch it amongst other unvaccinated, unmasked students than from you going to your work.
That said, I also don’t think it’s an overreaction! If it will help your peace of mind and if you’re able to get the approval to work from home, go for it.
7 Likes
164 per 100k. Ain’t nowhere requiring testing so that’s just from folks who are showing symptoms or getting tested for other stuff. Plus a lot of our county’s population is students whose legal residence is not the county so they get counted in their “home” county’s numbers, not ours.
Hell.
6 Likes
I find having to constantly do these risk assessments tough!
Out of curiosity are there air purifiers in your office, your eldest’s school classrooms? I also think requesting to work from home is quite reasonable.
3 Likes
WOW. Is that daily new case rate or weekly? That seems really high still, my county daily new case rate is like 7 per 100,000 now. Things feel quite good up here.
I believe the last of our mask mandates ended Feb 28 (schools and state buildings were the last ones standing). Quite a few people at the grocery store yesterday still had them on, though I went around 2pm and there were a lot of seniors there, so maybe my perception is skewed. It’s going to be getting warmer soon, so more people will be outside rather than clustered in. I did wear a mask yesterday, but at this point I’d go to a restaurant or theater I think (which I have not done this entire time, and in fact the last time I was at my sister’s house I wore a mask there inside). I feel pretty good about the whole situation now.
2 Likes