Poll: Have you had Covid?

[GuitarStv]

Wear a fucking mask.

For how long? What's the end game when almost everyone has already been infected and vaccines are only semi-effective at preventing infection?

Let me preface this by saying that I hate wearing a mask.  It's uncomfy, makes it hard to breathe, makes it hard to talk properly, causes my skin to break out - yuck.  Unfortunately, past vaccination and previous infection don't confer lasting protection from covid.  There's also mounting data that shows that reinfection increases risk of lasting health problems.

So my strategy is to vaccinate everyone whenever available (I just got my fifth vaccine last weekend) to try to keep our immune response to covid strong.  We will also continue wearing a mask in most scenarios that make sense.  So I wear a mask to the grocery store, post office, library, etc.  I don't wear a mask outdoors.  My son doesn't wear a mask in his jiu-jitsu classes, (which is probably the single most likely way that our family will pickup the disease) because he wouldn't be able to breathe enough while winded.  He does wear a mask while attending school indoors, but takes it off outdoors, in gym class, and (obviously) when he's eating lunch.

It's not perfect or ideal, but it's the balance that makes the most sense for us.  When does it end?  I guess when it's safe to end.  I am very much looking forward to that day.

[LennStar]

Wear a fucking mask.

For how long? What's the end game when almost everyone has already been infected and vaccines are only semi-effective at preventing infection?

For how long have Asiens used a mask? Are the proud White Boys unable to "endure" what feeble, small, socialist Asiens can?
Sorry, I wanted to be racist once.

Are you asking how long do I have to look left and right when I cross the street? Are you asking How long do I have to check if I take the right pills? Do you ask how long you should avoid jumping from bridges by not looking where I walk?

If it's the sensible thing, do it. There is no "How long" to that. It's not like something has changed, at least not to the better. Well, a flu strain has died out in 2020, but that's not much of a help. 

[sui generis]

Wear a fucking mask.

For how long? What's the end game when almost everyone has already been infected and vaccines are only semi-effective at preventing infection?

I may be more equivocal than LennStar about this, but these seem like really disingenuous question.  No one asks for how long they have to keep wearing a condom every time they have sex (and funnily enough I'm old enough to remember when men used to complain how inconvenient and harmful they were and how much they reduced the pleasure of sex for them, just like masks for life in general, and yet younger people now don't complain the way people in older generations did in the past about condoms!).  People don't ask what the end game is of wearing a rain coat when it's raining, which by the way is also often inconvenient, uncomfortable and yet totally worth it. 

People still wear seat belts even if they've been in a car accident, wearing a seat belt or not, and survived it in the past.  Because an additional car accident can cause more and new harms.

And also, if vaccines are only semi-effective, that seems like all the more reason to wear masks more!

I feel much less interested in mandatory mask policies anywhere and am wearing masks less myself at the moment.  But it seems easy to understand why people would want to continue to wear masks.  I don't get it when people are surprised about it and honestly wonder if they are just trolling.  You can choose not to wear a mask, but not to understand why others would choose to do so seems like it must ....take a lot of work.

[mizzourah2006]

My wife and daughter tested positive back in January. My son and I never tested, but also never had any symptoms. I worked from home at the time, so I just isolated as if I did have it and because our daughter had it our son was required to stay out of daycare for 14 days. My daughter was lethargic for an afternoon and took a nap, she was out jumping on the trampoline that evening. My wife just had a stuffy nose and said she felt a little tired for a day.

My wife and I both got the initial 2 doses in April of 2021 and nothing since.

We've been back to life as normal all of this year though with kids in daycare and school, attending concerts, sporting events, etc.

[Cranky]

Still no.

One person in our household has tested positive twice, symptomatic the first time but not the second. She travels for work quite a bit. None of the rest of us have gotten it, and we've tested regularly.

Dh and I continue to mask in stores and at church. It doesn't bother us. It seems courteous. We've each had five shots. We're old and don't enjoy being sick.

[Michael in ABQ]

Wear a fucking mask.

For how long? What's the end game when almost everyone has already been infected and vaccines are only semi-effective at preventing infection?

I may be more equivocal than LennStar about this, but these seem like really disingenuous question.  No one asks for how long they have to keep wearing a condom every time they have sex (and funnily enough I'm old enough to remember when men used to complain how inconvenient and harmful they were and how much they reduced the pleasure of sex for them, just like masks for life in general, and yet younger people now don't complain the way people in older generations did in the past about condoms!).  People don't ask what the end game is of wearing a rain coat when it's raining, which by the way is also often inconvenient, uncomfortable and yet totally worth it. 

People still wear seat belts even if they've been in a car accident, wearing a seat belt or not, and survived it in the past.  Because an additional car accident can cause more and new harms.

And also, if vaccines are only semi-effective, that seems like all the more reason to wear masks more!

I feel much less interested in mandatory mask policies anywhere and am wearing masks less myself at the moment.  But it seems easy to understand why people would want to continue to wear masks.  I don't get it when people are surprised about it and honestly wonder if they are just trolling.  You can choose not to wear a mask, but not to understand why others would choose to do so seems like it must ....take a lot of work.

My parents are in their 70s and have health issues and will continue to wear masks indefinitely when out in public.  I don't care if others want to wear a mask. I just don't want to be forced to do so again to do normal things like go shopping or fly on a plane. When I see someone who appears to be young and healthy wearing a mask, I do wonder how much of it is a tribal signal vs not wanting to get sick. It's hard for me not to see it through the lens of government overreach and tribal signaling as our governor (New Mexico) enacted some relatively restrictive policies and kept emergency powers in place far longer than reasonably justified.

[GuitarStv]

Wear a fucking mask.

For how long? What's the end game when almost everyone has already been infected and vaccines are only semi-effective at preventing infection?

I may be more equivocal than LennStar about this, but these seem like really disingenuous question.  No one asks for how long they have to keep wearing a condom every time they have sex (and funnily enough I'm old enough to remember when men used to complain how inconvenient and harmful they were and how much they reduced the pleasure of sex for them, just like masks for life in general, and yet younger people now don't complain the way people in older generations did in the past about condoms!).  People don't ask what the end game is of wearing a rain coat when it's raining, which by the way is also often inconvenient, uncomfortable and yet totally worth it. 

People still wear seat belts even if they've been in a car accident, wearing a seat belt or not, and survived it in the past.  Because an additional car accident can cause more and new harms.

And also, if vaccines are only semi-effective, that seems like all the more reason to wear masks more!

I feel much less interested in mandatory mask policies anywhere and am wearing masks less myself at the moment.  But it seems easy to understand why people would want to continue to wear masks.  I don't get it when people are surprised about it and honestly wonder if they are just trolling.  You can choose not to wear a mask, but not to understand why others would choose to do so seems like it must ....take a lot of work.

My parents are in their 70s and have health issues and will continue to wear masks indefinitely when out in public.  I don't care if others want to wear a mask. I just don't want to be forced to do so again to do normal things like go shopping or fly on a plane. When I see someone who appears to be young and healthy wearing a mask, I do wonder how much of it is a tribal signal vs not wanting to get sick. It's hard for me not to see it through the lens of government overreach and tribal signaling as our governor (New Mexico) enacted some relatively restrictive policies and kept emergency powers in place far longer than reasonably justified.

How much of your own choice not to wear a mask is 'tribal signaling'?

[geekette]

And someone who "appears to be young and healthy" may have or live with someone with an autoimmune disorder or undergoing cancer treatment.

[LennStar]

And someone who "appears to be young and healthy" may have or live with someone with an autoimmune disorder or undergoing cancer treatment.

Or has one of the many risk factors. Like an allergy (btw. an FFP2 mask reduces your symptoms. That may also be a reason to wear one, just saying).

How much of your own choice not to wear a mask is 'tribal signaling'?

That's what I am always wondering, seeing how proudly so many people say they don't wear masks. Especially people talking about "governmental overreach".
It's not governmental overreach to mandate masks for closed room gatherings in an pandemic of a virus that is droplet-airborn. It's not governmental overreach when it tries to keep the hospitals from collapsing. Or hundred of thousands of people dropping out of the workforce becaue they can barely manage their life with Long Covid.

Governmental overreach is what happens in China (And that only since the later variants, it would have worked with alpha if everyone had done local hard shutdowns for a few months when needed). Using a mask is not. That's basic common sense and curtesy if you look at it objectivly.

[Michael in ABQ]

Wear a fucking mask.

For how long? What's the end game when almost everyone has already been infected and vaccines are only semi-effective at preventing infection?

I may be more equivocal than LennStar about this, but these seem like really disingenuous question.  No one asks for how long they have to keep wearing a condom every time they have sex (and funnily enough I'm old enough to remember when men used to complain how inconvenient and harmful they were and how much they reduced the pleasure of sex for them, just like masks for life in general, and yet younger people now don't complain the way people in older generations did in the past about condoms!).  People don't ask what the end game is of wearing a rain coat when it's raining, which by the way is also often inconvenient, uncomfortable and yet totally worth it. 

People still wear seat belts even if they've been in a car accident, wearing a seat belt or not, and survived it in the past.  Because an additional car accident can cause more and new harms.

And also, if vaccines are only semi-effective, that seems like all the more reason to wear masks more!

I feel much less interested in mandatory mask policies anywhere and am wearing masks less myself at the moment.  But it seems easy to understand why people would want to continue to wear masks.  I don't get it when people are surprised about it and honestly wonder if they are just trolling.  You can choose not to wear a mask, but not to understand why others would choose to do so seems like it must ....take a lot of work.

My parents are in their 70s and have health issues and will continue to wear masks indefinitely when out in public.  I don't care if others want to wear a mask. I just don't want to be forced to do so again to do normal things like go shopping or fly on a plane. When I see someone who appears to be young and healthy wearing a mask, I do wonder how much of it is a tribal signal vs not wanting to get sick. It's hard for me not to see it through the lens of government overreach and tribal signaling as our governor (New Mexico) enacted some relatively restrictive policies and kept emergency powers in place far longer than reasonably justified.

How much of your own choice not to wear a mask is 'tribal signaling'?

Some, but mostly it's just an uncomfortable annoyance that I don't want to deal with. Especially when most of the time it was all just theater as cloth masks were not really effective.

[Kris]

Wear a fucking mask.

For how long? What's the end game when almost everyone has already been infected and vaccines are only semi-effective at preventing infection?

I may be more equivocal than LennStar about this, but these seem like really disingenuous question.  No one asks for how long they have to keep wearing a condom every time they have sex (and funnily enough I'm old enough to remember when men used to complain how inconvenient and harmful they were and how much they reduced the pleasure of sex for them, just like masks for life in general, and yet younger people now don't complain the way people in older generations did in the past about condoms!).  People don't ask what the end game is of wearing a rain coat when it's raining, which by the way is also often inconvenient, uncomfortable and yet totally worth it. 

People still wear seat belts even if they've been in a car accident, wearing a seat belt or not, and survived it in the past.  Because an additional car accident can cause more and new harms.

And also, if vaccines are only semi-effective, that seems like all the more reason to wear masks more!

I feel much less interested in mandatory mask policies anywhere and am wearing masks less myself at the moment.  But it seems easy to understand why people would want to continue to wear masks.  I don't get it when people are surprised about it and honestly wonder if they are just trolling.  You can choose not to wear a mask, but not to understand why others would choose to do so seems like it must ....take a lot of work.

My parents are in their 70s and have health issues and will continue to wear masks indefinitely when out in public.  I don't care if others want to wear a mask. I just don't want to be forced to do so again to do normal things like go shopping or fly on a plane. When I see someone who appears to be young and healthy wearing a mask, I do wonder how much of it is a tribal signal vs not wanting to get sick. It's hard for me not to see it through the lens of government overreach and tribal signaling as our governor (New Mexico) enacted some relatively restrictive policies and kept emergency powers in place far longer than reasonably justified.

How much of your own choice not to wear a mask is 'tribal signaling'?

Some, but mostly it's just an uncomfortable annoyance that I don't want to deal with. Especially when most of the time it was all just theater as cloth masks were not really effective.

I mean, you *think* that’s mostly what it is.

[GuitarStv]

Wear a fucking mask.

For how long? What's the end game when almost everyone has already been infected and vaccines are only semi-effective at preventing infection?

I may be more equivocal than LennStar about this, but these seem like really disingenuous question.  No one asks for how long they have to keep wearing a condom every time they have sex (and funnily enough I'm old enough to remember when men used to complain how inconvenient and harmful they were and how much they reduced the pleasure of sex for them, just like masks for life in general, and yet younger people now don't complain the way people in older generations did in the past about condoms!).  People don't ask what the end game is of wearing a rain coat when it's raining, which by the way is also often inconvenient, uncomfortable and yet totally worth it. 

People still wear seat belts even if they've been in a car accident, wearing a seat belt or not, and survived it in the past.  Because an additional car accident can cause more and new harms.

And also, if vaccines are only semi-effective, that seems like all the more reason to wear masks more!

I feel much less interested in mandatory mask policies anywhere and am wearing masks less myself at the moment.  But it seems easy to understand why people would want to continue to wear masks.  I don't get it when people are surprised about it and honestly wonder if they are just trolling.  You can choose not to wear a mask, but not to understand why others would choose to do so seems like it must ....take a lot of work.

My parents are in their 70s and have health issues and will continue to wear masks indefinitely when out in public.  I don't care if others want to wear a mask. I just don't want to be forced to do so again to do normal things like go shopping or fly on a plane. When I see someone who appears to be young and healthy wearing a mask, I do wonder how much of it is a tribal signal vs not wanting to get sick. It's hard for me not to see it through the lens of government overreach and tribal signaling as our governor (New Mexico) enacted some relatively restrictive policies and kept emergency powers in place far longer than reasonably justified.

How much of your own choice not to wear a mask is 'tribal signaling'?

Some, but mostly it's just an uncomfortable annoyance that I don't want to deal with.

Really?

I can confidently say that I've never worn a mask to signal anything.  It sucks wearing a mask, I only ever do it because I've weighed the risks as being greater than the discomfort.  If I see someone else who is not wearing one, I figure that they have run the calculation and come to a different conclusion.

I've never really seriously considered that someone would put political group affiliation above their own individuality and health in that way - that's why these types of accusations have always seemed goofy to me.

Especially when most of the time it was all just theater as cloth masks were not really effective.

This is a narrative/anger I don't entirely understand.

One layer cloth masks mostly suck, and in many cases aren't worth wearing.  Two layer cloth masks aren't as effective as a properly fitted N95, but they are reasonably good (depending on specific materials somewhere between 40 - 90% from what I've read) at preventing transmission of covid.

But even if you ignore all that . . . At the time that cloth masks were being recommended, the science on effectiveness of cloth masks wasn't fully studied/proven.  It was always known that n95 respirators were effective at preventing transmission, but early on there were a variety of studies indicating that any masking was likely to be beneficial.  Couple that with early shortages, problems related to cost for people who don't have as much money, and it seems reasonable to both recommend masking everywhere and allow cloth masks, doesn't it?

My family wore cloth masks when they were recommended.  And when surgical masks/n95s were available and recommended instead, we switched to wearing those.  I know a lot of people who wore masks, but they all switched to the recommended masks as the science changed.  Is that the theater you're talking about?

[Fresh Bread]

Wear a fucking mask.

For how long? What's the end game when almost everyone has already been infected and vaccines are only semi-effective at preventing infection?

I guess forever? I had kind of hoped that mask wearing would be more of a permanent thing like in some Asian countries. In Japan I understood this to be mainly a courtesy to others when I visited, in line with their culture.

I'll be going back to wearing a mask in shops and indoor venues. First time I caught Covid was in the UK while visiting - I'd come from a country where mask wearing was the norm but got so many stares that I stopped wearing it so much. Then I returned to Aus, thought I'd ride out my immunity for a bit so went mask free and caught it again pretty much as soon as our laws changed so you'd didn't have to isolate at home if you have Covid. I was in a supermarket with a disorganised checkout area that gets crowded a couple of days before I got sick.

So yep I'll be wearing a mask again, I don't like being ill. Edit to add: It's still quite common to wear a mask here anyway where I live.

[Just Joe]

I've never really seriously considered that someone would put political group affiliation above their own individuality and health in that way - that's why these types of accusations have always seemed goofy to me.

Come visit a red state where some people frequently parrot what they heard on 24 hour news or talk radio. Sometimes they don't have enough information to form their own opinions so they parrot the opinions of people they respect. Also, might be part of the evangelical religious mentality. Repeat what you are taught and told by your chosen leader, don't question the belief system of your elders.

If their peer group (church, family, etc) won't wear masks then they won't either. There is a strong sense of defiance built into their culture. If a liberal or educated professional (elite?) stands up and says we ought to wear masks then they sure as heck aren't wearing masks too. Might be part of why they vote against their own interests at times.  And don't describe them as a group in a negative way or they will never listen to your opinion again.

if what you said is true, I want to visit where you live and see what that is like. We like living here but we rarely engage with people to change their minds. We simply live as we see fit and if anyone takes notice and finds something positive in our ways, so be it. 

[Kris]

I've never really seriously considered that someone would put political group affiliation above their own individuality and health in that way - that's why these types of accusations have always seemed goofy to me.

Come visit a red state where some people frequently parrot what they heard on 24 hour news or talk radio. Sometimes they don't have enough information to form their own opinions so they parrot the opinions of people they respect. Also, might be part of the evangelical religious mentality. Repeat what you are taught and told by your chosen leader, don't question the belief system of your elders.

If their peer group (church, family, etc) won't wear masks then they won't either. There is a strong sense of defiance built into their culture. If a liberal or educated professional (elite?) stands up and says we ought to wear masks then they sure as heck aren't wearing masks too. Might be part of why they vote against their own interests at times.  And don't describe them as a group in a negative way or they will never listen to your opinion again.

if what you said is true, I want to visit where you live and see what that is like. We like living here but we rarely engage with people to change their minds. We simply live as we see fit and if anyone takes notice and finds something positive in our ways, so be it.

Ironic that their sense of "defiance" is basically absolute lockstep allegiance to their peer group.

[PDXTabs]

I've never really seriously considered that someone would put political group affiliation above their own individuality and health in that way - that's why these types of accusations have always seemed goofy to me.

Come visit a red state where some people frequently parrot what they heard on 24 hour news or talk radio. Sometimes they don't have enough information to form their own opinions so they parrot the opinions of people they respect. Also, might be part of the evangelical religious mentality. Repeat what you are taught and told by your chosen leader, don't question the belief system of your elders.

If their peer group (church, family, etc) won't wear masks then they won't either. There is a strong sense of defiance built into their culture. If a liberal or educated professional (elite?) stands up and says we ought to wear masks then they sure as heck aren't wearing masks too. Might be part of why they vote against their own interests at times.  And don't describe them as a group in a negative way or they will never listen to your opinion again.

if what you said is true, I want to visit where you live and see what that is like. We like living here but we rarely engage with people to change their minds. We simply live as we see fit and if anyone takes notice and finds something positive in our ways, so be it.

Ironic that their sense of "defiance" is basically absolute lockstep allegiance to their peer group.

Indeed. But that also sounds very similar to a lot of the progressives I know. They shout "trust experts!" when the experts* are on their side for things like masks and vaccines but quickly change their tune when the experts don't agree with them on things like inflation or student loan relief. It is my least favorite feature of US politics and/or society.

* - ignoring all the experts that questioned masks for the under 12 crowd

[Kris]

I've never really seriously considered that someone would put political group affiliation above their own individuality and health in that way - that's why these types of accusations have always seemed goofy to me.

Come visit a red state where some people frequently parrot what they heard on 24 hour news or talk radio. Sometimes they don't have enough information to form their own opinions so they parrot the opinions of people they respect. Also, might be part of the evangelical religious mentality. Repeat what you are taught and told by your chosen leader, don't question the belief system of your elders.

If their peer group (church, family, etc) won't wear masks then they won't either. There is a strong sense of defiance built into their culture. If a liberal or educated professional (elite?) stands up and says we ought to wear masks then they sure as heck aren't wearing masks too. Might be part of why they vote against their own interests at times.  And don't describe them as a group in a negative way or they will never listen to your opinion again.

if what you said is true, I want to visit where you live and see what that is like. We like living here but we rarely engage with people to change their minds. We simply live as we see fit and if anyone takes notice and finds something positive in our ways, so be it.

Ironic that their sense of "defiance" is basically absolute lockstep allegiance to their peer group.

Indeed. But that also sounds very similar to a lot of the progressives I know. They shout "trust experts!" when the experts* are on their side for things like masks and vaccines but quickly change their tune when the experts don't agree with them on things like inflation or student loan relief. It is my least favorite feature of US politics and/or society.

* - ignoring all the experts that questioned masks for the under 12 crowd

Equating the concepts of "expertise" in virology vs. education or economic policy seems like a strange thing to do.

[PDXTabs]

I've never really seriously considered that someone would put political group affiliation above their own individuality and health in that way - that's why these types of accusations have always seemed goofy to me.

Come visit a red state where some people frequently parrot what they heard on 24 hour news or talk radio. Sometimes they don't have enough information to form their own opinions so they parrot the opinions of people they respect. Also, might be part of the evangelical religious mentality. Repeat what you are taught and told by your chosen leader, don't question the belief system of your elders.

If their peer group (church, family, etc) won't wear masks then they won't either. There is a strong sense of defiance built into their culture. If a liberal or educated professional (elite?) stands up and says we ought to wear masks then they sure as heck aren't wearing masks too. Might be part of why they vote against their own interests at times.  And don't describe them as a group in a negative way or they will never listen to your opinion again.

if what you said is true, I want to visit where you live and see what that is like. We like living here but we rarely engage with people to change their minds. We simply live as we see fit and if anyone takes notice and finds something positive in our ways, so be it.

Ironic that their sense of "defiance" is basically absolute lockstep allegiance to their peer group.

Indeed. But that also sounds very similar to a lot of the progressives I know. They shout "trust experts!" when the experts* are on their side for things like masks and vaccines but quickly change their tune when the experts don't agree with them on things like inflation or student loan relief. It is my least favorite feature of US politics and/or society.

* - ignoring all the experts that questioned masks for the under 12 crowd

Equating the concepts of "expertise" in virology vs. education or economic policy seems like a strange thing to do.

Screaming "trust experts!" when it fits your needs and ignoring them when it doesn't seems like patent hypocrisy to me.

[Kris]

I've never really seriously considered that someone would put political group affiliation above their own individuality and health in that way - that's why these types of accusations have always seemed goofy to me.

Come visit a red state where some people frequently parrot what they heard on 24 hour news or talk radio. Sometimes they don't have enough information to form their own opinions so they parrot the opinions of people they respect. Also, might be part of the evangelical religious mentality. Repeat what you are taught and told by your chosen leader, don't question the belief system of your elders.

If their peer group (church, family, etc) won't wear masks then they won't either. There is a strong sense of defiance built into their culture. If a liberal or educated professional (elite?) stands up and says we ought to wear masks then they sure as heck aren't wearing masks too. Might be part of why they vote against their own interests at times.  And don't describe them as a group in a negative way or they will never listen to your opinion again.

if what you said is true, I want to visit where you live and see what that is like. We like living here but we rarely engage with people to change their minds. We simply live as we see fit and if anyone takes notice and finds something positive in our ways, so be it.

Ironic that their sense of "defiance" is basically absolute lockstep allegiance to their peer group.

Indeed. But that also sounds very similar to a lot of the progressives I know. They shout "trust experts!" when the experts* are on their side for things like masks and vaccines but quickly change their tune when the experts don't agree with them on things like inflation or student loan relief. It is my least favorite feature of US politics and/or society.

* - ignoring all the experts that questioned masks for the under 12 crowd

Equating the concepts of "expertise" in virology vs. education or economic policy seems like a strange thing to do.

Screaming "trust experts!" when it fits your needs and ignoring them when it doesn't seems like patent hypocrisy to me.

Using emotionally loaded words like "screaming" and equating vastly different areas of study while ignoring the realities of what "expertise" means in varying domains (and therefore to what degree expertise might be questioned) seems like patent strawmanning to me.

[PDXTabs]

Using emotionally loaded words like "screaming" and equating vastly different areas of study while ignoring the realities of what "expertise" means in varying domains (and therefore to what degree expertise might be questioned) seems like patent strawmanning to me.

Fair enough. Perhaps I should add that nuanced discussion and disagreement around complicated issues is a liberal value that I hold dear. I see less and less of it in the USA for the last 20 years across the entire political spectrum.

EDITed to add - except I'm not sure that's the definition of a strawman.

[LennStar]

Well, it does not make sense that virus of 13 year olds get blocked by masks, virus from 12 years olds not.

[PDXTabs]

Well, it does not make sense that virus of 13 year olds get blocked by masks, virus from 12 years olds not.

No one said it did. But some governments, including the very liberal government in Scotland, decided that the risk-vs-reward of asking young people to mask for month after month was bad for those young people. But that was never a conversation in the USA because there were two diametrically opposed camps with no space in-between. The GOP said that masks were bad so the Democratic party said "let's do whatever the opposite is."

And that's why I'm still a SNP member but not a Democrat (that's a joke... sort of).

[Omy]

Well, it does not make sense that virus of 13 year olds get blocked by masks, virus from 12 years olds not.

No one said it did. But some governments, including the very liberal government in Scotland, decided that the risk-vs-reward of asking young people to mask for month after month was bad for those young people. But that was never a conversation in the USA because there were two diametrically opposed camps with no space in-between. The GOP said that masks were bad so the Democratic party said "let's do whatever the opposite is."

And that's why I'm still a SNP member but not a Democrat (that's a joke... sort of).

I remember it differently. The experts told us to wear masks, and our former president was the one who made it a political issue - even refusing to wear a mask when he was sick with covid in a car full of secret service agents.

[PDXTabs]

Well, it does not make sense that virus of 13 year olds get blocked by masks, virus from 12 years olds not.

No one said it did. But some governments, including the very liberal government in Scotland, decided that the risk-vs-reward of asking young people to mask for month after month was bad for those young people. But that was never a conversation in the USA because there were two diametrically opposed camps with no space in-between. The GOP said that masks were bad so the Democratic party said "let's do whatever the opposite is."

And that's why I'm still a SNP member but not a Democrat (that's a joke... sort of).

I remember it differently. The experts told us to wear masks, and our former president was the one who made it a political issue - even refusing to wear a mask when he was sick with covid in a car full of secret service agents.

That's half right. Maybe where you were was different but I spent the pandemic in Oregon generally and Portland specifically and all the local leftists said "whatever Trump said, let's do the opposite!" with absolutely no regard for what, for example, the WHO had to say about masking young children at the time. Because remember, mask policies were set on a state-by-state basis, not by what the President said, or even necessarily what the CDC said. This is somewhat analogous to how England and Scotland got to have different masking rules. But in England and Scotland there was an actual debate about what was best with some metric of goodness that wasn't just pure political bullshit.

[Kris]

Well, it does not make sense that virus of 13 year olds get blocked by masks, virus from 12 years olds not.

No one said it did. But some governments, including the very liberal government in Scotland, decided that the risk-vs-reward of asking young people to mask for month after month was bad for those young people. But that was never a conversation in the USA because there were two diametrically opposed camps with no space in-between. The GOP said that masks were bad so the Democratic party said "let's do whatever the opposite is."

And that's why I'm still a SNP member but not a Democrat (that's a joke... sort of).

I remember it differently. The experts told us to wear masks, and our former president was the one who made it a political issue - even refusing to wear a mask when he was sick with covid in a car full of secret service agents.

That's half right. Maybe where you were was different but I spent the pandemic in Oregon generally and Portland specifically and all the local leftists said "whatever Trump said, let's do the opposite!" with absolutely no regard for what, for example, the WHO had to say about masking young children at the time. Because remember, mask policies were set on a state-by-state basis, not by what the President said, or even necessarily what the CDC said. This is somewhat analogous to how England and Scotland got to have different masking rules. But in England and Scotland there was an actual debate about what was best with some metric of goodness that wasn't just pure political bullshit.

This seems like quite an assertion. If there really was a critical mass of leftists saying, “Whatever Trump said, let’s do the opposite!” then, presumably, you could produce a fair amount of evidence of that. Could you show that to us? Because I certainly haven’t seen it, and I would be quite interested.

On the other hand, I certainly have evidence of Trump saying very clearly that whatever Fauci said, he immediately said the exact opposite.

https://youtu.be/iuKJ7_OQFsQ

[PDXTabs]

On the other hand, I certainly have evidence of Trump saying very clearly that whatever Fauci said, he immediately said the exact opposite.

https://youtu.be/iuKJ7_OQFsQ

I'm on the left, I don't listen to Trump. #notmypresident

As to the political backlash for, potentially, arguably, over-masking in schools I'll leave you with a NYT podcast on the subject. Why Democratic Governors Are Turning Against Mask Mandates. But to be fair that podcast (and transcript if you prefer) is about the politics of masking in schools, not the potential downsides to young children. Remember that when you watch the Democrats get clobbered tonight (but not because of me, I didn't vote for the GOP).

[Kris]

On the other hand, I certainly have evidence of Trump saying very clearly that whatever Fauci said, he immediately said the exact opposite.

https://youtu.be/iuKJ7_OQFsQ

I'm on the left, I don't listen to Trump. #notmypresident

As to the political backlash for, potentially, arguably, over-masking in schools I'll leave you with a NYT podcast on the subject. Why Democratic Governors Are Turning Against Mask Mandates. But to be fair that podcast (and transcript if you prefer) is about the politics of masking in schools, not the potential downsides to young children. Remember that when you watch the Democrats get clobbered tonight (but not because of me, I didn't vote for the GOP).

You did assert that “leftists” have been basing their Covid behavior specifically on listening to what Trump stated, and then doing the exact opposite, though.

Do you have any actual evidence of that?

Also, the Democrats may well get clobbered tonight. We’ll see. But that is a totally separate issue. It’s weird to me that you are pivoting so abruptly.

[PDXTabs]

On the other hand, I certainly have evidence of Trump saying very clearly that whatever Fauci said, he immediately said the exact opposite.

https://youtu.be/iuKJ7_OQFsQ

I'm on the left, I don't listen to Trump. #notmypresident

As to the political backlash for, potentially, arguably, over-masking in schools I'll leave you with a NYT podcast on the subject. Why Democratic Governors Are Turning Against Mask Mandates. But to be fair that podcast (and transcript if you prefer) is about the politics of masking in schools, not the potential downsides to young children. Remember that when you watch the Democrats get clobbered tonight (but not because of me, I didn't vote for the GOP).

You did assert that “leftists” have been basing their Covid behavior specifically on listening to what Trump stated, and then doing the exact opposite, though.

Do you have any actual evidence of that?

I'm sorry that I forgot to wear a wire while talking to random people in Portland during the pandemic about politics. Next time I'll try harder. I could certainly scrape some Facebook history and find screenshots if I tried, but I'm not going to do that.

[Kris]

On the other hand, I certainly have evidence of Trump saying very clearly that whatever Fauci said, he immediately said the exact opposite.

https://youtu.be/iuKJ7_OQFsQ

I'm on the left, I don't listen to Trump. #notmypresident

As to the political backlash for, potentially, arguably, over-masking in schools I'll leave you with a NYT podcast on the subject. Why Democratic Governors Are Turning Against Mask Mandates. But to be fair that podcast (and transcript if you prefer) is about the politics of masking in schools, not the potential downsides to young children. Remember that when you watch the Democrats get clobbered tonight (but not because of me, I didn't vote for the GOP).

You did assert that “leftists” have been basing their Covid behavior specifically on listening to what Trump stated, and then doing the exact opposite, though.

Do you have any actual evidence of that?

I'm sorry that I forgot to wear a wire while talking to random people in Portland during the pandemic about politics. Next time I'll try harder. I could certainly scrape some Facebook history and find screenshots if I tried, but I'm not going to do that.

PDX, I find your argument quite disingenuous.

It’s disappointing.

[PDXTabs]

On the other hand, I certainly have evidence of Trump saying very clearly that whatever Fauci said, he immediately said the exact opposite.

https://youtu.be/iuKJ7_OQFsQ

I'm on the left, I don't listen to Trump. #notmypresident

As to the political backlash for, potentially, arguably, over-masking in schools I'll leave you with a NYT podcast on the subject. Why Democratic Governors Are Turning Against Mask Mandates. But to be fair that podcast (and transcript if you prefer) is about the politics of masking in schools, not the potential downsides to young children. Remember that when you watch the Democrats get clobbered tonight (but not because of me, I didn't vote for the GOP).

You did assert that “leftists” have been basing their Covid behavior specifically on listening to what Trump stated, and then doing the exact opposite, though.

Do you have any actual evidence of that?

I'm sorry that I forgot to wear a wire while talking to random people in Portland during the pandemic about politics. Next time I'll try harder. I could certainly scrape some Facebook history and find screenshots if I tried, but I'm not going to do that.

PDX, I find your argument quite disingenuous.

It’s disappointing.

It's an honest accounting of my perception of Portland politics in specific and US politics in general. But you don't have to agree with me. During the Obama years the GOP became the anti-Democratic party that tried to block any Democratic legislation just because the Democrats wrote it. AFAICT we followed suit a few years later.

[Kris]

On the other hand, I certainly have evidence of Trump saying very clearly that whatever Fauci said, he immediately said the exact opposite.

https://youtu.be/iuKJ7_OQFsQ

I'm on the left, I don't listen to Trump. #notmypresident

As to the political backlash for, potentially, arguably, over-masking in schools I'll leave you with a NYT podcast on the subject. Why Democratic Governors Are Turning Against Mask Mandates. But to be fair that podcast (and transcript if you prefer) is about the politics of masking in schools, not the potential downsides to young children. Remember that when you watch the Democrats get clobbered tonight (but not because of me, I didn't vote for the GOP).

You did assert that “leftists” have been basing their Covid behavior specifically on listening to what Trump stated, and then doing the exact opposite, though.

Do you have any actual evidence of that?

I'm sorry that I forgot to wear a wire while talking to random people in Portland during the pandemic about politics. Next time I'll try harder. I could certainly scrape some Facebook history and find screenshots if I tried, but I'm not going to do that.

PDX, I find your argument quite disingenuous.

It’s disappointing.

It's an honest accounting of my perception of Portland politics in specific and US politics in general. But you don't have to agree with me. During the Obama years the GOP became the anti-Democratic party that tried to block any Democratic legislation just because the Democrats wrote it. AFAICT we followed suit a few years later.

You are flinging around a lot of accusations.

Without any proof, I might add.

[Taran Wanderer]

PDXTabs is sharing their experience. It matches my experience pretty well, too. @Kris , maybe you live somewhere else and have a different experience. There’s no need to attack someone else for sharing theirs just because it’s not the same as yours.

[LennStar]

and all the local leftists said "whatever Trump said, let's do the opposite!"

You have to admit, as far as heuristics go, that is a very precise one for the right behavior with minimum effort of research. It's correct 9/10 times at least and all research you need to do is having a glancing look at the page 1 headlines.

[sonofsven]

Back to the poll, switch my vote to YES.
 Ended up at the emergency room with possible heart attack symptoms (tight chest, trouble breathing, lightheadedness, numb left arm) but lo and behold tested positive for covid.
Got the latest booster about three weeks ago. Never had sore throat, hacking cough, loss of smell/taste. In fact the doc thought my symptoms were more aligned with "long covid"?
Honestly, they really don't know, it is the ER after all. They did a chest x ray and a heart test (not sure exactly what, but then again I'm that guy who didn't see a doctor for, uhh, seventeen years) and said "no damage". They attributed my lack of "normal" (?) symptoms to my overall excellent health.
I have had trouble sleeping, breathing, and general weirdness/dizzyness lately,which I attributed to stress/anxiety/heartburn since I've been working my little butt off trying to finish a house.
Interestingly, remember the free tests sent out in the early months of the Biden administration? We got ours out and my gf tested negative today. We don't live together but we spend every weekend together. I also tested negative on that test kit.
We contacted our county health department and we're going to stop by for some new tests.
She (gf) is an acupuncturist/Chinese medicine practitioner and she made me a witches brew tea that has reduced many of the symptoms I've been experiencing.
It's been entirely miserable, and I'm in excellent health and fully vaxed, I feel very very sorry for all who've suffered and died from it, and very fortunate to (so far) be free of permanent damage.

[economista]

I'm curious, did you check the expiration date on the at home tests? They don't have a very long shelf life and may have been expired. The ones I got in the spring are already expired.

[sonofsven]

I'm curious, did you check the expiration date on the at home tests? They don't have a very long shelf life and may have been expired. The ones I got in the spring are already expired.

Good call, exp 7-9-22
They are NOT like Twinkies, apparently.

[dandarc]

At Costco I noticed that the FDA (or whomever the authority is for this) had extended expiration by 6 months on the tests being sold there - and they were relatively cheap at $25 for a five pack. But we still have tests in the cupboard. Will check the expiration on those.

[HPstache]

At Costco I noticed that the FDA (or whomever the authority is for this) had extended expiration by 6 months on the tests being sold there - and they were relatively cheap at $25 for a five pack. But we still have tests in the cupboard. Will check the expiration on those.

I would say at this point there is a very low chance that you will actually test positive with an at-home kit.

[MoseyingAlong]

I'm curious, did you check the expiration date on the at home tests? They don't have a very long shelf life and may have been expired. The ones I got in the spring are already expired.

The FDA extended the expiration date on a lot of the COVID tests.
Before assuming they're no good, you can check the lot number at the FDA website.

Here's a place to start
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests

[sonofsven]

I'm curious, did you check the expiration date on the at home tests? They don't have a very long shelf life and may have been expired. The ones I got in the spring are already expired.

The FDA extended the expiration date on a lot of the COVID tests.
Before assuming they're no good, you can check the lot number at the FDA website.

Here's a place to start
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests

The test kits we got from the county health department yesterday are identical to the kits we already had. They have a sticker with an exp date of 12-19-22, peel off the sticker and find an exp date of 6-19-22.

[wenchsenior]

Husband is heading off to a huge weeklong meeting, so I guess we'll be testing out these new covalent boosters...

My husband's best friend and closest contact at the meeting ended up in the emergency room with covid caught at said meeting. Getting antibiotics for pneumonia + antivirals. This was despite 5 covid shots, but he is immunocompromised (otherwise one of the fittest people I've ever met, regularly bike races/runs 10ks, and is part of a wilderness rescue team). I have no doubt he'd be dead if not vaccinated.

My husband took a PCR test yesterday, so now we wait to see if his recent vaccine shots held the line, or if Thanksgiving will be cancelled for the 3rd time in 4 years.

[LennStar]

Good luck!

Unfortunately being healthy does not safe you. There are profi sportler including active olympionikes who are more or less bound to a life without heavy sport after the infection.

[GuitarStv]

I have to change my response, after testing positive for covid yesterday.  It was a good run, but everyone in the house now appears to have it.  :P

[HPstache]

I have to change my response, after testing positive for covid yesterday.  It was a good run, but everyone in the house now appears to have it.  :P

Feel better soon.  Symptoms not too bad?

[wenchsenior]

Husband is heading off to a huge weeklong meeting, so I guess we'll be testing out these new covalent boosters...

My husband's best friend and closest contact at the meeting ended up in the emergency room with covid caught at said meeting. Getting antibiotics for pneumonia + antivirals. This was despite 5 covid shots, but he is immunocompromised (otherwise one of the fittest people I've ever met, regularly bike races/runs 10ks, and is part of a wilderness rescue team). I have no doubt he'd be dead if not vaccinated.

My husband took a PCR test yesterday, so now we wait to see if his recent vaccine shots held the line, or if Thanksgiving will be cancelled for the 3rd time in 4 years.

The new boosters held, despite absolute certain exposure!

[ChpBstrd]

Husband is heading off to a huge weeklong meeting, so I guess we'll be testing out these new covalent boosters...

My husband's best friend and closest contact at the meeting ended up in the emergency room with covid caught at said meeting. Getting antibiotics for pneumonia + antivirals. This was despite 5 covid shots, but he is immunocompromised (otherwise one of the fittest people I've ever met, regularly bike races/runs 10ks, and is part of a wilderness rescue team). I have no doubt he'd be dead if not vaccinated.

My husband took a PCR test yesterday, so now we wait to see if his recent vaccine shots held the line, or if Thanksgiving will be cancelled for the 3rd time in 4 years.

The new boosters held, despite absolute certain exposure!

This is encouraging (looks at card, sees 5 shots)!

[GuitarStv]

I have to change my response, after testing positive for covid yesterday.  It was a good run, but everyone in the house now appears to have it.  :P

Feel better soon.  Symptoms not too bad?

I felt crappy yesterday, headache/runny nose/cough.  Didn't sleep much last night either as the muscles in my chest kept twitching and were keeping me up (no idea if that's covid related, it was weird and not something that has happened to me before).  Today I've got a runny nose and headache but feeling much better than yesterday.

[jrhampt]

Finally tested positive this morning.  First time I've been sick in over 3 years.

[ChpBstrd]

Husband is heading off to a huge weeklong meeting, so I guess we'll be testing out these new covalent boosters...

My husband's best friend and closest contact at the meeting ended up in the emergency room with covid caught at said meeting. Getting antibiotics for pneumonia + antivirals. This was despite 5 covid shots, but he is immunocompromised (otherwise one of the fittest people I've ever met, regularly bike races/runs 10ks, and is part of a wilderness rescue team). I have no doubt he'd be dead if not vaccinated.

My husband took a PCR test yesterday, so now we wait to see if his recent vaccine shots held the line, or if Thanksgiving will be cancelled for the 3rd time in 4 years.

The new boosters held, despite absolute certain exposure!

This is encouraging (looks at card, sees 5 shots)!

I was finally infected on the day I wrote this comment +/- 1.

[GuitarStv]

I have to change my response, after testing positive for covid yesterday.  It was a good run, but everyone in the house now appears to have it.  :P

Feel better soon.  Symptoms not too bad?

I felt crappy yesterday, headache/runny nose/cough.  Didn't sleep much last night either as the muscles in my chest kept twitching and were keeping me up (no idea if that's covid related, it was weird and not something that has happened to me before).  Today I've got a runny nose and headache but feeling much better than yesterday.

So covid was very weird for me, not like a regular cold at all.

I had a day or two of feeling crappy (with the weird muscle twitching thing that kept me from sleep), then a couple days of feeling mildly sick.  Then about four days later I felt 90% like usual.  So, as I do with every cold I get . . . I started with some light exercise - usually this makes me feel better.

Prior to covid, I've been getting up every morning and running 5-10 km (usually alternating between jogging and sprinting) before work to wake up.  So I first tried doing an easy 1 km run.  Felt OK while running, got back to the house, and then felt extremely nauseous and pukey.  Which is really odd, as I never ever get sick to my stomach.  Then all of my symptoms worsened.  I got a terrible headache, could barely breathe from the amount of snot running out of my nose, and was coughing non-stop.  So I was 'OK, this is clearly not working' and gave up on exercise.

Next day I felt 90% like usual again.  But I figured, OK, maybe take a rest for a bit.  So I did fuck all for three more days after this.  And every day I felt exactly the same.  Mildly congested sinuses, and a little bit of runny nose.  So on the fifth day I did another covid test and it showed negative.  Figured I'd try exercising again.  Thought that maybe the run in the cold air was the problem, so instead tried lifting weights.  I do either squats/bench/pullups or deadlift/overhead press/weighted pullups.  Pre-covid I was working my way up to five reps of 260 lbs for squats a couple times a week.  So I started my first workout with squats, sets of five for each:
Bodyweight, 50, 100, 150, 175, 200

I was feeling fine up until the 200lb set, where I was super dizzy.  So I racked the weight, then felt waves of nausea, then it was a repeat of last time.  All my symptoms came back for the rest of the day.  Headache, crazy runny nose, uncontrollable coughing.  Went to bed, the next morning I felt back to my new 90% of normal normal.

This was getting pretty frustrating.  I took another couple days off.  Since then, I've been alternating between running and squatting each day - starting with half the distance and half the weight that I used when feeling crappy, and increasing by 10% each day.  I still feel crappy after each workout, but it's not the same crazy over the top crappy of the described previous two times.  Things do seem to be getting better, but very, very slowly.  I'm still not back to 100%.

Really weird disease, I've never felt anything like this after a cold before.  Hopefully things continue to get better as I'm still concerned that there might be long term damage, and getting regular exercise is really important for my mental health.