I’ve been in the UK for most of the last 6 weeks and although attitudes had already largely changed (and were always more lax about mask wearing than the stricter parts of the US), the Queen’s funeral was effectively a public acknowledgment that no one needed to wear a mask any more: not a single one was visible amongst thousands of the great and good at Westminster Abbey.
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We have friends from the US who went to Europe, tested positive (one of them was pretty sick) but still flew home a couple of days later (without waiting for a negative test) because they couldn’t afford (time or cost wise) to stay any longer. I think that’s going to be more common now (if people test at all). They did wear masks on the plane.
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As UCB wrote, I am sure it’s happening a lot in the U.S. every day with no travel involved. I don’t really understand why the CDC still has their covid infection protocol on their website, since it’s obvious it’s being ignored and has been for quite a while now. They have repeatedly bowed to public pressure, so this appears to be one of their last holdouts for true interest in public health.
Selfishness reigns. Covid’s over, y’all!
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DH tested positive few days ago. He was told not to come back for testing anymore since only initial test was covered by insurance and it will be $140 charge after that so basically after five days just assume you are good and return to work as per CDC. That makes us uncomfortable since we have elderly we take care of but that’s what CDC recommends
Now that we have vaccines that help reduce mortality and don’t overwhelm hospital systems, the CDC seems to be treating Covid like any other virus. Pre-covid, people flew and went to work/school sick all the time. Some even wore it as a badge of honor.
I’m happy mask wearing indoors in crowds indefinitely. I’ve enjoyed not getting sick the last few years!
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DO you have home tests for him before he sees the relatives?
For my curiousity did he get the new booster?
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Can he use a rapid antigen test (costs much less than $140 even if you no longer have the free ones) before intended seeing of the elderly?
When I got a mild case, I used rapid antigen tests before each possible time that I might have done something that was near others (and did not do it if still positive). It took until day 13 (about a week after the minor symptoms had receded to unnoticeable) before a negative result. So the CDC 5 and 10 day rules do not work for everyone if you are concerned about being a spreader (which it seems a lot of people are not concerned about).
Me too -
H returned on Saturday from his first business trip in 2.5 years. He was in London and Hamburg. He said that in London there were very few masks, but in Germany there were still a lot of masks on public transportation, but not anywhere else. H had both his flu vaccine and the bivalent booster in September so he felt safe while traveling.
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We do have home tests. We both had PPP and did not have Covid as far as we know until now. I will test when he gets to 5 days point and ready to get out of isolation
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If he’s like us, he’ll still test positive at 5 days. I believe I passed it on to my husband on day 5, during an extended car trip, believing I was no longer contagious because my fever had subsided. Our test lines started fading around day 10, so it’s hard to say how long we were contagious.
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I am traveling inJapan right now. I feel much more protected from getting COVID than I do in the US! They are cautious to the point where some might say it’s overkill. 100% masking, outdoors as well as indoors, what I’d call “COVID theater” of temperature check machines and hand sanitizer at many entrances. At two Of our hotels, everyone needs to put on plastic gloves in addition to masks to serve ourselves from the buffet, and there are plexiglass dividers separating the two sides of dining tables. It feels like we are back in April 2020. What’s amazing is that everyone seems to accept these restrictions matter-of-factly. Etiquette is very important in Japan, and masking seems to be the social norm right now…
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When I traveled to China soon after SARS (2003) they were extremely cautious, including having containers outside of shops/hotels/office buildings with bleach water in them - you’d step in, to disinfect the bottom of your shoes before entering.
I didn’t think it was overkill. Frankly SARS didn’t make a comeback in China.
I tested positive last Thursday, symptoms started Wednesday, and I still feel stopped up, but overall much better. Husband tested positive today, symptoms started yesterday. I finished paxlovid today (I take an immune suppressant). I was told I might have a positive test for awhile. Today it was lightly positive.
When can if visit my 92 y/o mother? Thanks
Test before you may go. If still positive, don’t go.
My DD lived in China during Covid and they are not being as careful. Their approach now seems to be keep outsiders out to protect the country and strict quarantines for even small outbreaks. I like Japan’s approach better.
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I just got back from 11 days in Austin. I didn’t see many masks anywhere, even on planes. My husband attended the Formula 1 events on Saturday. There were supposedly 440,000 people in attendance. He said he saw about two masks the whole day, total (of course, he wasn’t wearing one either, ha). Neither one of us has any symptoms, so I guess we got lucky.
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I’m surprised that China wasn’t being as careful as they were with SARS - Like you, I like Japan’s approach better as well.
I sometimes wonder when people report on mask usage if their interpretation is somewhat based on what they WANT to see. Not a knock, just an observation of how we see things - often how we want to interpret it!
I flew this morning through Detroit. By no means a majority of people masking in the airport but a healthy handful. It did not feel weird to wear a mask. I took mine off if I was in an area with no one near me at least 6 feet all directions. I’m assuming those who masked in the airport also masked on the plane. Including me. :). Definitely more unmasked than masked but again, look for your point of view!!!
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I really don’t have a viewpoint at this stage. Just commenting on what I observed.
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