Basically, wanted to know where people are at with mask wearing (as it relates to containing covid and all), I know it’s been a while since it started. And I’ve seen people who say covid can still be threatening, like through long covid and such, even if the initial impact doesn’t tend to be as bad. Being in the US, it’s especially hard to tell what makes sense because the gov sorta gave up on containment a while back and only ever half-assed pushing mask wearing. And wearing a mask alone was a controversial thing in some places, even in the very beginning. Then there’s vaccines, which of course help, but seems to be a thing like the flu where you have to get boosters to be fully covered for variant strains.

So in general, I’m wondering stuff like:

  1. Do you still wear a mask or not and why? And do you have distinctions like large crowds or anything like that?

  2. How does mask wearing compare by country, from what you know? For example, I’m sure China has a more pro-mask-wearing culture and policy overall, but I’m not clear on where they’re at this late into it.

Partly asking cause I want to re-assess my own position on it, see if it makes sense to change it at all by now. I’ve still been doing it, in part out of inertia, but the US management of it is such a mess, in gov and culture, it’s hard to tell when it makes sense to stop vs. just caving to peer pressure of people who were never acting responsibly to begin with.

  • Drewfro66@lemmygrad.mlEnglish
    0·
    15 days ago

    I stopped masking basically the day I was no longer required to. I mask in hospitals/doctor’s offices (even though that’s no longer required in my area) and when dealing with the elderly (which is rarely). I mask when I visit my elderly mother if I’ve been feeling sick recently. I don’t mask at work, and I don’t mask at political events unless they require a mask (the only people who do are Anarchists who mostly only do it because they’re paranoid about “opsec”, because god forbid someone be able to tie together your name, face, and political beliefs - something that doing yourself, loudly and proudly, I believe is a prerequisite to considering yourself a Communist).

    I work in a grocery store. I’m currently sitting in the cafe waiting for my shift to start. Practically nobody is wearing a mask. The only people who do are (1). the Chinese workers in the sushi department and (2). a few transfeminine co-workers who I imagine are not primarily wearing masks for the health benefits but due to face dysphoria. Maybe once a week I see an elderly person masking or a transfeminine customer, but that’s about it.

    I agree with the other commenters - masking while practically no one around you is is functionally worthless and more of an act of virtue signaling than anything else. Someone elsewhere in the thread brought up the Chinese Long March and the dedication necessary for that. That comparison would be apt if masking was widespread, but masking while no one else is is about as useful as trekking through the Tibetan plateau alone.