This is going to be fairly random, but these are some of my favorite threads and quotes from reddit this week. Particularly, the r/coronavirus subreddit. I’ve refrained from including usernames for the quotes, and will not be linking to the actual threads, but I will include the thread titles and links to the “news” article being discussed in each thread. I urge you to not just read the quotes, but take the time to read the articles as well. The propaganda is poured on pretty heavy in some of them, and it might give you some insight into why these people think the way they do. To make it fun for you, the reader, I’ll let you guess which quotes are the most up or down-voted. Sprinkled in amongst the covidmania, are some rare nuggets of common sense. Without further ado, here we go.
Why Masks still matter
https://time.com/6232830/why-masks-still-matter-covid-19/
We all need to seriously do our part right now because things are getting bad and we need to protect our health care system.
I would say it still makes sense to reduce viral load. I’ve been in many situations where I was exposed to COVID because I only took off a mask to eat quickly, but I didn’t get it due to masking
Don’t assume people who get covid weren’t careful. It’s possible to do everything right and still get sick. I caught covid last June either masked in public transportation (I wear well-fitting 3M auras), completely outside, or perhaps in my hotel room hours after it had been cleaned. I was never maskless inside with anyone else. Never, not once. No restaurants, no stores. It’s a huge mystery to me but it can happen.
Covid-19 boosters could keep thousands of kids out of hospitals, but uptake remains low
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/15/health/covid-booster-child-hospitalization/index.html
Kids aren't in the hospital right now because of covid, they're in the hospital because of RSV, which there is no vaccine, children build up antibodies to RSV in the womb, and through progressive infection during their early childhood. We have now spent the last 2.5 years sheltering away children, so RSV immunity in this age group is very low, and this is why RSV is so crazy this fall, but going forward it should be better in future years as long as we don't lock down again.
This is why my kids were signed up the second they could be. Vaccines save lives.
How about the booster for under 5?
As the Pandemic Drags On, Americans Struggle for New Balance
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/health/covid-attitudes-masks.html
“Setting aside all the political BS, high-quality masks are a ticket to freedom.”
(in response to the above) The big problem is, it's hard to set all that aside. In some areas of the country, it will literally affect how you're treated in public. Worse, it can affect someone's first impression of you which could later impact your personal business or relationship prospects.
Even setting the political aspect aside entirely (as we could just write it off as "that's the other person's problem"), it causes a lot of social anxiety for one to be among the 0.01% (or however small the actual fraction is at this point) of people still wearing a mask anymore. It very clearly advertises us as outliers, while we're practically hard-wired to be social conformists.
Add in that the primary benefit of masking is to prevent disease spread from the wearer (thereby not giving much direct value to the wearer themselves), and it's really hard to see it as worthwhile if we're practically the only ones doing it.
I'm probably the last remaining holdout in my social circle, and I'm getting exhausted from it. I grew up as a social outcast, in certain regards, and I'm not keen to go back to being one when there's hardly any good reason for it. I'm tired of being nearly the only person with a mask on, and even I - as much of an introverted homebody as I naturally am - am getting tired of avoiding things that naturally exist in crowded public spaces.
I'm sorry for the rant. I really wish there was more we could do, but I'm afraid the war is just lost right now and I'm really worn out of trying to pretend it's not.
Good article and interesting comments. We realize people have different priorities, situations, and beliefs. We have found that we didn’t miss gathering indoors with crowds much anyway. So far, 5 shots, no Covid, and we did our first flight since June 2019 two weeks ago. Wore n 95 masks in airport and on planes. Don’t care if anyone gave us strange looks. Most of our preferred activities include outside time, and we did more take-out food, but really didn’t miss eating in. We started using Instacart curbside for groceries, and continue to use it for our big orders. We do go inside stores some now, but with a kn95 mask. Retired, no grandkids, skipped several funerals… we can live this way indefinitely.
A very worrying scenario’: Internal documents on India Covid-19 vaccine raise troubling questions about approval process
This is a very interesting article that I suggest you read. Strangely, reddit shows that it has six comments but does not actually display them, so I have no quotes to pull.
Australia recommends against fifth vaccine dose as fresh Covid wave builds
Treating it like the flu doesn't mean getting a shot 4 times a year.
You're right in that it's a little excessive, I've have 5 shots since May 2021. I would be satisfied with 2 or 3 boosters per year for a few years if it meant we a) sufficiently protected vulnerable populations and b) can live free of restrictions.
One of my parents will almost certainly die if they get COVID, and I'd prefer that doesn't happen. But at the same time we can't go on forcing 100% of the population to shelter-in-place to protect <5% of the population. We need to do what is reasonable to prevent infections in individuals, and limit transmissibility in the event of a breakthrough infection. I believe maintaining anti-body levels accomplishes that goal.
Also US, in a heavily visited community:
Despite working in the ER did not get any shot and helped the community make their own logical decisions.
Wore the N95 only when employer would mandate it, otherwise never wore a mask in public unless absolutely legally mandated.
Continued to go outside and spend time with family and friends for the past 2 years- only quarantining the initial "2 weeks" to flatten the curve.
Sent our kids to private school where masks weren't required
Lived amongst all our friends and family normally because we could.
I know the consensus here will say this is stupid, ignorant, reckless, etc... But we did our research and calculated the risk. We are aware of the risks on ourselves and others but only got together with people aware and on board with our lifestyle.. despite the risk.
If this reaches one person questioning their confirmation bias from the reddit hivemind than great. I am aware of the negative number below and find it more humorous than a fifth booster shot.
I got my second and that was it for me. I'm not going to keep pumping vaccines in myself every 6 months. I'm certainly not an anti-vaxxer, but I'm also not taking 6, 7, 8, 10 shots over the next few years either.
Great strategy for a Long Covid Early Retirement.
God speed friend, no regrats.
Biden Extends Covid Public Health Emergency While States Move On
I still wear an N-95 in public. I like never catching colds, flus, or Covid.
Even some of the "bluest" states have ended their emergency declarations.
I’ll leave it there for now. There’s an endless supply of this stuff so I might be back with part two later this month. Happy reading! In the words of
, do not comply.