I hope masks and staying at home are not here to stay…
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A lower incidence of flu is also related to greatly reduced international travel whether US residents coming and going, or international residents coming here. That reduced international travel is not likely here to stay, similar to New Zealand and Australia being unable to keep their borders virtually closed long-term.
I agree with yearstogo that I hope that things like masks and not touching are not here to stay. Once I am vaccinated and there is little community spread, I will drop those things, and specifically frequent stores, etc. that do not require masks, even though for the past year I have followed all the rules.
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Pediatricians are seeing next to no flu cases in children locally.
I would be willing to mask in indoor public places like stores during the harsh winter flu months in the coming years. Stores will get crowded and busy again when COVID quiets down and that will naturally increase the spread of virus of colds/flu and such. Masks can have a place in the future. But I may be in the minority and once masks are not mandatory I don’t know what % of humans would join me.
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Doesn’t the new New England Journal of Medicine published study from Israel demonstrate that vaccine indeed does prevent infection?
AIUI, the vaccine prevents serious disease. That’s all that was studied in the clinical trials. It likely cuts down on having the virus and transmitting it to other people, but it is not a ‘sterilizing’ type vaccine. A vaccinated person can still harbor the virus and therefore infect those who have not been vaccinated. So those who have been vaccinated still need to distance and mask to protect those who have not yet been vaccinated.
I read they find the virus in the nasal passages (and presumed upper airway) but it does not infect the rest of the body. So yes the vaccine prevents moderate to severe infection in the person who gets the shot. However, the virus may still be released from the nose to infect others.
I wonder if using a product like Xlear (nasal spray that possibly kills COVID) and Listerine gargle will be found to help with this! I have seen studies on those but not peer reviewed and I am not going to cite studies until they are reviewed.
But there can be different interpretations of “need to”. Is that a mandate or an advisory? When do we change from the former to the latter?
And at what point does “not yet been vaccinated” need to distinguish between people who are unable to obtain a vaccination due to lack of availability and those who don’t want to take a readily available vaccine? If vaccines are readily available later this spring but there are some people who can’t be vaccinated (like younger kids) for the time being then should others’ behavior still be restricted?
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But isn’t the hope/point that if everyone that can get a vaccine, does in fact get a vaccine then we reach herd immunity and do not have to worry about the spread. It seems the issue is there are many who do not want to get the vaccine and want everyone to wear a mask. Under this scenario I am not willing to wear a mask.
If at some stage, a credible org comes out and says herd immunity is not going to work (and this is also being done outside the US), then sure, I think most of us are willing to protect those that cannot get a vaccine for medical (i.e., not religious or other) reasons.
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@Twoin18 as I wrote above, with a link, once vaccinated, it still may be possible to transmit the virus to anyone. Even vaccinated people have a chance of getting it, but the chance of severe disease is very low. Until the science tells us otherwise, let’s hope that most people understand this.
Since many aren’t wearing masks, even before being vaccinated, and with people tired of COVID restrictions in general, I expect that many people will loosen their behavior after vaccination. That is relatively safe when the other person is also vaccinated.
It depends on your tolerance for risking infecting others. I am very comfortable being around other vaccinated people. They are not going to make me ill and I am not going to make them ill. However, there is a small risk of a vaccinated person infecting an unvaccinated person and that person becoming very ill. A 5% risk (if the vaccinated person has been exposed to the virus). (Then there are the unknowns with the variants). In any event, I wouldn’t play Russian roulette on some other person with those odds. There are no real mandates. No one is being fined for not standing six feet away from others. It’s always been an advisory.
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Flu is somewhat less contagious than COVID-19*, although it transmits in a similar manner (exhaled droplets). So the social distancing, masking, etc. measures that have some effect on COVID-19 have even more effect on the flu.
*At least in part because flu is most contagious when symptomatic, when the sick people are likely to stay at home anyway, and everyone knows to “keep away from the sick people”, unlike COVID-19 that is most contagious before symptoms start, so that contagious people go about their normal business unknowingly exhaling virus to infect others.
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Some (not all) of the demographic groups with high rates of voluntary vaccine refusal appear to overlap substantially with those who oppose mask wearing and/or deny the seriousness of COVID-19.
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My mil called today.
My bil was one of the first people vaccinated in December and his wife (both medical professionals) have been fully vaccinated since the end of January. My mil and fil had their second vaccination a week ago.
My bil came over to his parents for dinner on Sunday. Now both he and his wife are sick.
My mil called, I think they have colds, they have to have colds, right?
Bil and sil are off work this week, can’t go to work, and have been tested. They probably don’t have Covid. But you can see how even though you are fully vaccinated, that even a cold can keep you from work and you will still need to be tested. At this point at least.
I thought it was a bit of a precautionary tale.
My bil and sil have been having a great time being vaccinated. Traveling, meeting with friends who aren’t vaccinated, dining out, living their lives as they always have.
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I agree, at least that is what I am seeing in my area.
Although, several that were not going to get the vaccine have changed their minds recently and thankfully decided to get it, including my dad. I had tried to encourage him many times and he was not interested but I think the scarcity of the vaccine and just as time passed, knowing more that got the vaccines, he decided to do it.
I suspect this will happen more often, which is why I wish they would focus only on giving the vaccine to those that want it and not worry about the rest. In time, they will changed their minds I suspect.
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I suspect mask wearing in public indoor spaces (transit, stores) will continue a while. My church is still “meeting” via Zoom because the logistical challenges of having an in-person service are too hard to overcome. And when we can meet in person, things like hymn singing and collective response will be imprudent. No more “passing of the peace” either. It’s too bad because these are the things that get me invested in worship.
I’m not keen anymore on certain social customs like handshaking or air kisses and will decline to participate although it might be awkward. I also don’t plan on using buffets and salad bars ever again.
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Well, we risked it and ate at a nice small Italian restaurant, indoor lunch dining. We were one of 3 tables in the restaurant (plenty of distance between tables). Food and service were excellent. Tipped about 40%. It was 1st time dining out in many, many months.
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I will continue to use COVID as an excuse not to be hugged by people I barely know, or do know but don’t want hugs from.
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They probably have colds, not Covid - but you need +2 weeks post vaccine to get to the point of maximum immunity.
I would think it to be quite likely that when vaccinated people shift from isolating to indoor, unmasked socializing that there will be an upsurge in people catching just about everything else in usual circulation (colds, flus, etc.)
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@HImom why do you say you risked it? You’ve been generally careful -do you feel you were at risk?