No More Masks For Fully Vaccinated People!

[Pseudonaut]

I got the first shot recently. I'm told my college classes will be in-person this Fall, but everyone has to be vaccinated (how they'll check for this hasn't been made clear). Hopefully after this announcement, while I'm on campus, they won't tell me that I must wear a mask while I'm fully vaccinated and everyone around me is fully vaccinated.

 

Frankly, this announcement doesn't make much difference for me otherwise. I met with my family on Thanksgiving and Christmas (and several times since then), none of them wore masks. Several of them had already had covid and recovered from it by then (none were hospitalized), I think one didn't attend Thanksgiving because he was still contagious. I've been going to a public gym for several months now, not wearing a mask, and neither are most of the people there.

[DuckReconMajor]

50 minutes ago, leejacksonaudio said:

Instead, I'm seeing people scared to death at the prospect of going out without a mask, almost to the point of paranoia. I never would have expected this kind of reaction. I wonder why this is the case?

 

I think everyone got much more used to their masks than expected. Even watching old videos/TV/movies you see people close to each other with no mask it looks weird. It's going to be a slow transition I think. When the habit has been ingrained for a year and it's an active change to go without, i think it's a lot easier to end up being paranoid about it.

 

There does seem to be a disappointing amount of vaccine pessimism. I think they're much more effective than people are giving it credit for. 

In the coming months when (hopefully) numbers drop even more drastically, I think people will finally feel justified in letting their guard down a bit.

 

Being fortunate enough to be vaccinated, I'll probably be a little less vigilant about wearing the mask at every second. But I'll likely just keep wearing it until I see most others stop wearing theirs.

Edited May 13, 2021 by DuckReconMajor

[Major Arlene]

34 minutes ago, Adamast0r said:

Looks like they're doing a pretty good job over at the U.S nowadays.

lol no

[VanaheimRanger]

I haven't been sick at all this year, like, with anything, I think I'm gonna just continue wearing masks and sanitizing indefinitely, not just for covid.

[omx32x]

1 minute ago, VanaheimRanger said:

I haven't been sick at all this year, like, with anything, I think I'm gonna just continue wearing masks and sanitizing indefinitely, not just for covid.

i wonder how long it will be until people start to stare at you like you are crazy for wearing a mask in the future just like people stare at other for playing pokemon go and stuff not that i care btw just wondering

[Killer5]

My state has been open for a while now. Only time I wear a mask is to respect a small business if they request them. People have been about their daily lives for a while.. at parks etc not socially distanced. You don't get vaccinated you accept the risk. Don't hear about anyone being frightened at all.. if this is mainstream media saying this I would take it with a grain of salt.

 

They should just say: 'if you are vaccinated then screw the mask'. They have no idea when this thing is going to be over if Fauci is anything to go off of.. that dude never has answers to anything.

[HyperCynic]

1 hour ago, Doom_Dude said:

That's good news I guess.

 

Canada here. I just got my first shot yesterday (moderna). Gonna be keeping the mask on at least until August when I'll get my 2nd shot.

 

Same here, got my first Moderna shot here in Ontario yesterday evening. Glad to finally have the first one out of the way. I get my second shot on September 1st and it's good to hear that I won't be screwed if I accidentally forget a mask once that time comes. I'll probably still be wearing it just to avoid the psychos who will try to accost me about it though. I deal with some serious anxiety and that is the last thing I need when trying to get bread at 8pm.

[VanaheimRanger]

8 minutes ago, omalefico32x said:

i wonder how long it will be until people start to stare at you like you are crazy for wearing a mask in the future just like people stare at other for playing pokemon go and stuff not that i care btw just wondering

Let them stare, as long as they don't try and attack me over it I'm good.

[HyperCynic]

7 minutes ago, omalefico32x said:

i wonder how long it will be until people start to stare at you like you are crazy for wearing a mask in the future just like people stare at other for playing pokemon go and stuff not that i care btw just wondering

 

Part of me wonders if we will just end up having it as a cultural norm ingrained like Asian cultures have for as long as I've been alive at least. It's not like it's a bad idea if you start to show symptoms of any contagious illness, just put a mask on and lessen the risk of transmission.

 

I sort of hope it does at least, it's not like it's a bad idea.

[adamastor]

13 minutes ago, Major Arlene said:

lol no

Not even in post-Trumpland?

[Major Arlene]

1 minute ago, Adamast0r said:

Not even in post-Trumpland?

Actually, I'm kidding... there was an article around recently saying anti maskers and anti vaxxers were going to start wearing masks to prevent getting the disease from vaccine shedding. So we got that going for us at least. 

[adamastor]

That's sounds like somewhat of a loophole. But, since it ends up being helpful, it's good news as well.

[Gez]

Keep in mind that "fully vaccinated" does not begin immediately after the second shot -- you have to give your body a little bit of time to produce the antibodies after all. A week or two after the second shot is when it's safe.

[Jello]

1 hour ago, Lol 6 said:

And, one thing that concerns me is the time of production, usually the vaccines take between five to x years to be developed. So, I'm not that sure... And like I said, you never know how will your body react.

But, yeah, maybe I should go for it....

I understand the concern about the timeframe, but research on mRNA to fight viruses has been around for 30 years. It was originally started to combat the ebola virus, but it had issues with the immune system fighting off the vaccine. The ebola vaccine took a long time to study mainly because so few people contracted ebola, so it was hard to test. But building off those years of research, and with the fact that Covid-19 became a worldwide virus so quickly, with hundreds of thousands of test patients, it proceeded faster than most vaccines. Plus there were a shitload of people from around the world working on it, because it was so widespread. These people know what they're doing, they've dedicated their lives to it, they don't want the world to burn. I trust them.

 

And yes, some people do have side effects that may not be known yet. Some people get sick, some people get feverish, some people get swollen lymph nodes, some people get nauseas, and you may have to take a few days to rest. We don't know exactly how it will affect everyone. But, as the RN said when I was getting my second shot "We may not know all the side effects of the vaccine yet, but we do know the effects of COVID-19".

 

I trust her, and I trust every single person in that vaccination center, because they've had to deal with this shit for over a year, day in and day out, sometimes for days at a time. They've had to go to work every day knowing that they're exposed to it. They've had to put people on ventilators, they've had to watch people die in excruciating pain, they've had to tell their family members that they can't visit their dying loved ones. Everyone at the center was extremely happy when people walked in, because they knew that everybody vaccinated will help get things back to normal. They were really happy that I came back for my second shot.

 

But as far as side effects, I had none. It was two weeks since my last shot on Tuesday of this week, so I'm technically fully vaccinated. But I didn't have any issues with it. I still tend to wear a mask for the foreseeable future when I'm in crowded stores, but if I'm not in six feet of someone I'll pull it down. You can still get the virus even with a vaccine, it just makes the symptoms far less bad, and you can't spread it nearly as easily. Plus I want to continue to make non-maskers feel awkward when they realize everyone around them is still wearing a mask. Shaming people into getting the vaccine is a noble gesture.

 

But, I always think about those wonderful souls working at the vaccination center, who have had to deal with this constantly for over a year. When the RN made the comment about "We know the effects of COVID", I know she knows.

 

In fact I had to go to the emergency room after tripping over a pallet at work (end of the day, around a blind corner, didn't see it or have time to catch myself, stupid mistake), busted my head pretty good, needed stitches, and when I was there I could hear a guy screaming down the hall "HELP ME! HELP ME! HELP ME!" over and over, another nurse came to the door of the room I was in, the one treating me said "Yeah, he tested positive." The nurse at the door went running down the hallway, and this was just when it was early in the outbreak here, June of last year.

 

So I say get it, if you get the chance. The other option could be far worse than feeling under the weather for a day or two.

 

Edit: Forgot about it while typing. I wanted to let people know I had the Pfizer vaccination and had no side effects. It was either Pfizer or J&J that was available, and Pfizer had 96% efficacy, and J&J had 66%, so I opted for the two shots instead of the one. And had no side effects.

 

My brother and his wife had the Moderna, and they did feel a little fatigued the next day. Otherwise, they haven't had issues. I'm not sure if it makes a real difference which one you get, Moderna has 95% efficacy, and Pfizer has 96%. But just take what's available. Even the J&J shot is better than nothing.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Jello

[Swordofdanu]

Even though I've worked all through the UK lockdowns I'm finally getting my first dose/jab this Saturday. I've gotten use to the mask and I believe it's stopped lot of other nasty stuff like flu (especially in retail where in previous years I'd usually contract a cold every Xmas) 

Edited May 13, 2021 by Swordofdanu

[BaileyTW]

Vaccinated already but I'll probably still keep wearing a mask for as long as is socially acceptable (not that it was here to begin with). Like covering my face and also the air here is so horrible that it's probably healthier to wear a mask even disease aside.

[Jello]

6 minutes ago, BaileyTW said:

Vaccinated already but I'll probably still keep wearing a mask for as long as is socially acceptable (not that it was here to begin with). Like covering my face and also the air here is so horrible that it's probably healthier to wear a mask even disease aside.

I'm seriously considering wearing a mask through all future flu seasons.

 

When I was talking to the nurse while getting my second shot, we were talking about masks. And I said something along the lines of "Maybe the Chinese are actually on to something with these."

 

She responded "Yeah, we always kind of laughed because so many of them wear masks. But I haven't gotten sick this winter, no one I know has, and flu rates have been way down."

 

Well, I didn't get sick either, since last April, after that masks became commonplace. Usually I at least get a bad cold at some point. They might not be a bad idea through cold and flu seasons.

[Mayomancer]

Is that for the United States? the community is pretty international here so it's good to make that distinction.

[insertwackynamehere]

There’s an interesting trend I’ve noticed where some people say “trust the experts” if the experts are pessimistic and say “the experts are wrong” if the experts are optimistic. I think it’s reactionary somewhat to how politicized masks became. Now not wearing a mask has almost become like wearing a MAGA hat, but people have to deprogram themselves because that’s not going to be the case going forward.

[Bauul]

1 hour ago, Jello said:

I understand the concern about the timeframe, but research on mRNA to fight viruses has been around for 30 years.

 

I was going to add this too.  The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is a variation on the SARS virus that has been well recognized since 2003 (SARS-CoV-1).  It's not a hereto unknown killer virus, the vaccines are based on years of research.  It just turns out a global pandemic provides quite the impetus for pharma companies to complete their development!

 

Personally despite being nearly fully vaccinated (I'll be at my two-weeks since the 2nd shot on Wednesday) I'll likely continue to wear a mask out and about, mostly to continue to encourage everyone else to.  Vaccination rates where I live are super high (71% have received one, and 53% are fully vaccinated) so if there's anything I can do to continue to emphasize the importance of getting a vaccine, I'll do so.

[leejacksonaudio]

23 minutes ago, Mayomancer said:

Is that for the United States? the community is pretty international here so it's good to make that distinction.

This is for the United States. The CDC and Dr. Fauci gave a statement earlier this afternoon about the situation.

[Serum]

5 minutes ago, insertwackynamehere said:

Now not wearing a mask has almost become like wearing a MAGA hat, but people have to deprogram themselves because that’s not going to be the case going forward. 

 

This is ironic considering, myself being someone that lives and works in a notoriously liberal college town, I've seen far more face-masks worn down and around chins like face-diapers than I've seen actually properly worn.

[Jello]

1 hour ago, insertwackynamehere said:

There’s an interesting trend I’ve noticed where some people say “trust the experts” if the experts are pessimistic and say “the experts are wrong” if the experts are optimistic. I think it’s reactionary somewhat to how politicized masks became. Now not wearing a mask has almost become like wearing a MAGA hat, but people have to deprogram themselves because that’s not going to be the case going forward.

It is absolutely amazing how politicized they've become, but at least where I'm at (far midwest, South Dakota), there have been a shitload of people who refuse to wear them, all through the pandemic. They're tough, they're farmers, they're ranchers, they build things, hoorah! They're not scared of a little virus. Then we had one of the highest infection and death rates in the country per capita. And they still didn't wear them.

 

So yeah, even though I'm vaccinated, I certainly can't trust anyone else around me who's not wearing a mask to be vaccinated, even if they claim to be so. We have a good percentage in the larger cities vaccinated, (Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Pierre), but those have larger demographics. The people who live in small towns don't have quite as easy access to the vaccine, and quite a few of them don't want it. And quite a few of them drive into the larger towns on weekends to get various supplies, both home and farming.

 

It's not political at all for me, I just think that it's a better idea to follow the advice of people who know about viruses, and have spent their entire lives learning about something than someone who just doesn't want to wear a mask because it restricts their freedom. I can still catch COVID, it won't be as bad because I'm immunized, but I can still catch it and get sick. Until more of the population is vaccinated, I'll keep wearing the mask when in close quarters with others. Because becoming complacent has continued to bite people in the ass, not only throughout this viral outbreak, but throughout human history.

 

"Things are getting better since we introduced these restrictions! Let's stop the restrictions!" And then it gets worse. What we're doing right now is helping, but it's not over. Every time they've relaxed restrictions, they see a spike in the virus. Last fall they decided that kids could go back to school again without masks. Within two weeks they shut the schools down again due to the huge spike in Covid cases. They decided to try it again after Winter Break, within two weeks, schools shut down again.

 

Keep doing what we're supposed to be doing. And even though I would probably be fine without a mask, I don't want an un-vaccinated person seeing me walking around without a mask and thinking to themselves "Well, why the Hell should I wear a mask? Nobody else is!".

Edited May 13, 2021 by Jello
Fixed sentence structure

[Rytrik]

23 minutes ago, Jello said:

Keep doing what we're supposed to be doing. And even though I would probably be fine without a mask, I don't want an un-vaccinated person seeing me walking around without a mask and thinking to themselves "Well, why the Hell should I wear a mask? Nobody else is!".

 

This is the main reason why I'll keep wearing a mask when fully vaccinated. Optics has value.

 

Plus I haven't been sick once since wearing a mask. It's been really nice. Honestly, that's a great reason to keep wearing one.

[Arrowhead]

I think us poor folks in Canada have a while to wait yet. Good to see things are moving forward, though.

[Rytrik]

1 minute ago, Arrowhead said:

I think us poor folks in Canada have a while to wait yet. Good to see things are moving forward, though.

 

Canuck here. I agree, it might take a bit. Hopefully not long. 

[roadworx]

i still have yet to get the vaccine. not because i don't want it - i do - but i keep forgetting to lol

 

i really need to, hopefully i remember to this weekend

 

[leodoom85]

Even if the whole country gets fully vaccinated, usually the neighbors can screw the whole thing up if some measures aren't enough to contain the virus. That goes with other countries too.

 

Don't let your guard down.

[Rudolph]

Even after I get vaccinated, I will keep wearing masks in public and keeping my distances. After all, the COVID-19 vaccine is not supposed to be protecting us from (and preventing us from spreading) the regular flu and other similarly-transmitted diseases.

 

 

[Gokuma]

I've put on an old Russian gas mask at work.