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I sympathize with those who are immunocompromised, and have to take precautions beyond the general public, but there's the flu, cold, pneumonia, etc, and this w

I sympathize with those who are immunocompromised, and have to take precautions beyond the general public, but there's the flu, cold, pneumonia, etc, and this was the case before covid came around. Still, much of this article sounds like people who are lonely and seeking some sort of community. The ability to move on as people and as a culture is important as our country has new headwinds to face, with a closer-to-home war in europe, a complicated and scary economy, and a looming disconnection with China that's going to shake up our everyday lives. I hope maybe these people can move on too, find personal protection equipment that meets their needs, and try to get back to where they were before covid. The CDC in my opinion was right to pull back the guardrails and let people gain natural immunity via exposure so we can try to get back where we were before 2020. We won't get fully there, but shouldn't we keep trying?

eternityforest 4y ago
Why did we ever just accept colds and flus being so common? Many places have a general social expectation of masking if you have any symptoms of anything. Do we know what the long term cumulative effects of normal seasonal illness is? What would happen if we were able to get rid of them?
- VirusNewbie 4y ago
  Many colds spread by fomites, so masking and distancing and all that will do fuck all. The flu doesn’t spread this way, so I do hope the culture of isolation continues for those with the flu and we at least massively reduce the spread there.
  - maxerickson 4y ago
    Wait, why do you think distancing won't slow transmission of infections that spread by surface contact? If you are sick and don't sneeze on a stair railing because you aren't near the stair railing, then you very likely have less transmission. Same with masks, if the material is captured in a mask then it isn't sitting somewhere else waiting to be picked up.
    - VirusNewbie 4y ago
      I mean distancing in the sense of standing six feet apart or only one person in the elevator.
- dude187 4y ago
  Nobody is willing to take the gamble of giving up their life in order to chase the dragon of the impossible goal of eliminating illness. The cure is an extremely worse, torturous form of the thing you're trying to stop
- hellotomyrars 4y ago
  It would be great if we could rid ourselves of all disease. Unfortunately everybody wearing masks all the time forever won’t actually accomplish that that goal and is wildly impractical and unrealistic. I don’t care if other people want to wear masks forever. That is their choice. I was happy to wear a mask when COVID was high in my area (rural, low population). I got my shots. But this is absurd. If we can come up with a permanent vaccine for the flu and the common cold I’ll sign right up but as it is, I’m going to live a normal life unless/until things change.
- logicalmonster 4y ago
  > Why did we ever just accept colds and flus being so common? Is the number of illnesses that exists the only variable that matters in life? Do we know what the long-term cumulative effects of forced masking does on childhood education and development? How about social cohesion and people forming bonds with the community? How about the overall impact on freedom?
eyelidlessness 4y ago
> and try to get back to where they were before covid I’m only one person, but… I don’t want to get back to where I was before covid. I really like not getting sick. I really like limiting my social engagements to those I will especially enjoy—particularly those which are one-on-one, a preference I’ve been pleased to rediscover after a few years as a miserable barfly and a brief stint in much more severe social isolation (unhealthy relationship in a place with no other friends and godawful weather). I’m sure the old normal is a much more appealing prospect to others, and I don’t begrudge them that, but I like my quieter life and my years without infectious disease. And if that means wearing a mask whenever I go into public buildings, that’s fine! I’m not doing it very often, it’s just a mild personal annoyance that harms no one.

eternityforest 4y ago

Why did we ever just accept colds and flus being so common? Many places have a general social expectation of masking if you have any symptoms of anything. Do we know what the long term cumulative effects of normal seasonal illness is? What would happen if we were able to get rid of them?

VirusNewbie 4y ago
Many colds spread by fomites, so masking and distancing and all that will do fuck all. The flu doesn’t spread this way, so I do hope the culture of isolation continues for those with the flu and we at least massively reduce the spread there.
- maxerickson 4y ago
  Wait, why do you think distancing won't slow transmission of infections that spread by surface contact? If you are sick and don't sneeze on a stair railing because you aren't near the stair railing, then you very likely have less transmission. Same with masks, if the material is captured in a mask then it isn't sitting somewhere else waiting to be picked up.
  - VirusNewbie 4y ago
    I mean distancing in the sense of standing six feet apart or only one person in the elevator.
dude187 4y ago
Nobody is willing to take the gamble of giving up their life in order to chase the dragon of the impossible goal of eliminating illness. The cure is an extremely worse, torturous form of the thing you're trying to stop
hellotomyrars 4y ago
It would be great if we could rid ourselves of all disease. Unfortunately everybody wearing masks all the time forever won’t actually accomplish that that goal and is wildly impractical and unrealistic. I don’t care if other people want to wear masks forever. That is their choice. I was happy to wear a mask when COVID was high in my area (rural, low population). I got my shots. But this is absurd. If we can come up with a permanent vaccine for the flu and the common cold I’ll sign right up but as it is, I’m going to live a normal life unless/until things change.
logicalmonster 4y ago
> Why did we ever just accept colds and flus being so common? Is the number of illnesses that exists the only variable that matters in life? Do we know what the long-term cumulative effects of forced masking does on childhood education and development? How about social cohesion and people forming bonds with the community? How about the overall impact on freedom?

eyelidlessness 4y ago

> and try to get back to where they were before covid I’m only one person, but… I don’t want to get back to where I was before covid. I really like not getting sick. I really like limiting my social engagements to those I will especially enjoy—particularly those which are one-on-one, a preference I’ve been pleased to rediscover after a few years as a miserable barfly and a brief stint in much more severe social isolation (unhealthy relationship in a place with no other friends and godawful weather). I’m sure the old normal is a much more appealing prospect to others, and I don’t begrudge them that, but I like my quieter life and my years without infectious disease. And if that means wearing a mask whenever I go into public buildings, that’s fine! I’m not doing it very often, it’s just a mild personal annoyance that harms no one.