Who here has not gotten COVID? Who has long COVID?

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  1. I do have concern about covid, and try to keep distance from folks when out in stores. (But I certainly don’t mask when walking outside!)

  2. If a mask is requested/required, I will wear it as nbd.

  3. You cannot say with any certainty that there is a “huge benefit”, and this is your assumption.

And 4), covid will be with us for years. It ain’’ going away; that’s just viral science. Most masks that folks wear do not stop covid. Seniors and the immunocompromised need to take steps to remain protected. Asking the rest of the world to remain masked for years with N-95’s is just not realistic (not to mention affordable for most).

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102

I think maybe it comes from what you experienced. Maybe it’s hard for people to see it who didn’t have close experiences.

I live in an area that was hit hard at the start. The closures were not academic for us; they reflected what was going on around us every day. Just off the top of my head:

–in the early months, a former neighbor and a woman from church died of it.
–a forty year old policeman in a nearby town dropped dead from clots in his heart–didn’t know he even had it before it killed him.
–a good friend was found dead in her apartment from it.
–there were refrigerator trucks outside my local hospital, a mile away.
–teaching virtually, I had students telling me about grandparents or other relatives dying. One young woman sent a picture of her uncle (relatively young man, on a vent. He died).
–the next fall, still virtual, my best student’s mom died–she struggled through the semester to take care of siblings and still do exemplary school work)
–more than a hundred people in my town died of it.

Sometimes I think people think–oh it was only old people (as if that makes it okay). These were not “old people” the oldest I think was my friend, who yes, was seventy, but still working and enjoying life. She’d beaten late stage colon cancer and was the most health conscious person I knew–walked miles everyday, ate very healthy, was a qi gong instructor.

I guess my point is, that this," yay no masks I don’t worry about it at all" stance is easier if it never seemed like a big deal.

I may move to less mask wearing this year, but honestly, the last couple years were a permanent trauma, and I envy those who didn’t experience that.

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103

I’ll try to explain my mindset re covid precautions. During the first year of the pandemic, pre-vaccine, I was super-cautious and super-anxious about covid. H, D and I stuck to our pod as much as possible, and when we were in situations where we were with others in unmasked situations (family events such as my S’s wedding, visiting my S and DIL who live in another state, or annual beach vacation with extended family), I was always stressed about the possibility of getting sick. During that time I turned down a lot of invitations including the wedding of one of my best friend’s D. It was a very sad and anxious time. I also spent A LOT of time judging all those around me who were doing things I deemed as quite risky, which affected a few of my friendships. I was hoping all this would end with the vaccines, but of course covid continued to circulate and people continued to get sick. But the invitations to gather with family and friends continued to increase and regular activities resumed. Although I live in a fairly blue area, just about everyone we know stopped masking and stopped worrying about covid. I lived in sort of a limbo land, masking when covid cases were climbing, not masking when they were low or when exposure was minimal. To mask or not to mask, to attend or not attend were questions I struggled with all the time. And I found this approach to be exhausting, while doing nothing to curb my covid anxieties. Covid was on my mind every time I left the house and every time my H went to a business networking function or meeting (frequently.) It was an untenable situation because the anxiety was affecting my health in other ways. And once it became clear that covid wasn’t going away, and that, for me, a zero-covid strategy (do anything possible to never, ever get covid) was in no way realistic, I chose to release my covid anxieties and live life to its fullest.

Having said that, I have not reached the “I never give it a thought” stage, and I do still mask in certain situations (always on public transportation), but I now don’t turn down invitations to go out to dinner, gather for a Super Bowl party, go on a week-end trip with friends, etc. I am back to going to the gym, singing unmasked with the church choir, and we just went on our first post-pandemic vacation that involved flying. All of these things are VERY important to my mental health, which in turn affects my physical health.

I do believe that after 3 years and with covid not going away anytime soon or ever, we have reached a stage where the burden of protection has (mostly) shifted to the individual. If you want/need to avoid covid at all costs, then you do your own risk assessments and act accordingly. I do personally believe there should be mask mandates in doctors offices and on public transportation because the vulnerable do not have an option to avoid being there, and these are places I still mask. But the grocery store or CVS? The transmission risk from me to you is pretty low, and if you want/need it to be zero, you can use curbside pick-up or the drive-through window.

I’m not meaning to be insensitive, because I know what it feels like to be more covid cautious and covid-aware than anyone else around you and it’s a very uneasy place to be. And I don’t have my head in the sand re long covid - I have a close friend who has been suffering with it for almost a year. But for me, I have chosen mental well-being NOW over any potential risks from contracting covid.

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104

My anecdotal observation is the following:

  • Pre-vaccine, ancestral virus: about a third of the small number of people who knew they had COVID-19 had very bad cases and long or medium COVID. But one found out having had an asymptomatic infection by antibody test.
  • Vaccine, no booster: a few people who had unpleasant cases (mainly Delta), possibly weeks of recovery of lung capacity, but no long or medium COVID.
  • Vaccine and booster: know a lot of people who got it (Omicron), but not severely, and no long or medium COVID.
  • Do not know anyone who got COVID-19 twice.

Seems to me that if you have not had COVID-19:

  • You want to get all vaccines and boosters that you can get before you get COVID-19. They may not stop you from getting it, but will greatly reduce the risk of a bad case.
  • If you want to keep avoiding getting it, continue using good masks in indoor public places and avoiding higher risk situations (e.g. crowded).
  • However, since many people now have hybrid immunity, they are much less likely to get it again and be a threat of infection to you.

If you have hybrid immunity, you are probably now lower risk. But if you do get COVID-19 again after hybrid immunity, you now know that your risk is higher than for most people who have hybrid immunity, in which case you may want to proceed accordingly.

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Switching gears here.

Re: hybrid immunity. Are you saying it is long lasting? I was under the impression that all immunities, whether from catching the disease or vaccination, wore off rather quickly. I mean lots of people get Covid more than once. My understanding is that is relatively common. Is that not the case? When you say hybrid, do you mean vax plus getting Covid? Is that some sort of different immunity? Honestly didn’t know it made that much of a difference, especially in light of the relative common-ness of multiple bouts.

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Hybrid immunity means vaccine and prior infection, and is generally considered stronger than either alone.

Antibody studies suggest that antibodies from infection peak about 2-3 months after and then decline to a new higher steady state level around 6-12 months. For mRNA vaccine, the time frame is probably shorter, with a peak probably around 1-2 months, falling to the new higher steady state level around 4-6 months.

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Thanks. It does seem like there’s a lot of reinfection, mentioned on this thread and ones in life I know, but it is good to know if I do get it, maybe it will only be once. :slight_smile:

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I have an unvaxxed acquaintance who’s had it at least three times. Despite much use of all sorts of essential oils, vitamins, and other potions. :roll_eyes:

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110

Seems like:

  • Weaker than normal immune response.
  • Upgrading to hybrid immunity through vaccine is probably the best way to reduce risk.
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111

We’re masking, although it’s unlikely we’d get covid for a while having had it in January. More to be sure for other people, and because I’m coughing still (thanks, asthma!). Fortunately, we live in a state where masking has always been normal and in any public place, even outdoors, you still see a mix of both masked and unmasked. It’s just no big deal. I mean I don’t love them, but the thought that I could make someone sick because they’re unknowingly passing something along to a vulnerable person? Nope. And masks don’t really interfere with daily life.

Yes, I feel strongly about this.

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112

I am the only one in our family that has had Covid twice despite have vaccines and all boosters. No symptoms of long Covid for me fortunately and was fortunate to not be down for more than 2 days each time. Three years into Covid I am not as afraid as I was in the beginning.

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I wouldn’t say I’m “afraid.” Just prudent. I wear a seatbelt too. And put my kids in car seats when they were of the age. Not because I’m afraid of injury or death from an auto accident. But because it’s the prudent thing to do. And so easy.

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114

I think the fear of contracting covid can have just as much negative effect and harm, perhaps more, than contracting an ‘at home’ dose. The daily worry and fear can do a lot of irreversible psychological and physical damage.

I was visiting a pulmonologist back in July 2022; when I arrived in the office, I immediately noticed the receptionist was wearing a ‘chin diaper’. When I approached the desk, she lifted it, checked me in and then dropped it as I moved away. Shortly thereafter, I was shown to the dr.'s office, where I proceeded to wait, fully masked for 30ish minutes. When the dr. eventually came in, he was masked - as soon as he shut the door behind him, he dropped the mask and proceeded to chat with me and an examine me - an unmasked pulmonologist!

115

Perhaps a problem is that most masks that most people wear are neither that comfortable nor that good at filtration, even though more comfortable N95 level masks are available.

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116

Oh, I agree! I no longer wear a mask, except where required, and in always medical settings.
I live in the LA area where is is still not that unusual to see people walking or driving alone, fully masked.

I consider myself a marvel of modern miracles that it took me three years to contract my very very own ‘dose’ of covid! My husband had had it three times (immune compromised and fully vaxxed and boosted); my son, who works in a medical setting, was a very early case in March 2020 and subsequently developed pneumonia, is now fully vaxxed, but got another round about six months ago, and my daughter, also vaxxed because I drove her to the appts. kicking and screaming, and who is not of our ilk :slight_smile: , has had it twice.

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One of my coworkers has had it 3 times - and is at least vax’d with two shots. I don’t know about the boosters. The first time he got it pre-vaccine. But the last 2 were this fall and only ~3 months apart. The second time (first last fall) he had a pretty solid case, coughing for weeks afterwards and lost taste/smell, fever, etc. I thought as along as a new variant is going around, we are all pretty much susceptible. With vax/s and prior infection, just maybe not as bad.

I live in an area where mask compliance was poor, even when it was mandatory and pre-vaccine. Last I looked, which was many months ago, 1 in 140 people in my city has died. So I wouldn’t say we weren’t hard hit. I just think people don’t care or believe it.

But my/H have been in high risk places for almost the whole time. H has taught in person since fall of 2020. Masks were required, but only kept 3’ apart. Contact tracing was a joke. Masks were dropped spring of 2022. Mask wearing in my open office hasn’t existed ever, except by me. And I’ve been in person since June 2020. Even when it was supposedly required, many (including the higher ups) didn’t comply, so enforcement was non-existent. Even medical offices stopped caring a long time ago. It’s been so long, I couldn’t say when exactly. sometime in 2021, I believe.

When did I give up mask wearing? Mostly last summer? I still wear it if I feel at risk, especially when cases are spiking, etc. But that is less and less. H doesn’t wear one at school, so I assumed he’d bring it home at some point, which he did. But I also go to the gym most days. I don’t lift there still, but I am there for 30-60 minutes. I try to stay away from people and super crowded situations, but the risk is there in my every day life.

But one reason I also stopped the mask wearing is that I do think it lowers your body’s immune system to other bugs. I’m the kind of person who goes years between illnesses. At least 18 months for even a mild cold. In the past year I’ve gotten the flu, strep, cold/sinus infection, and then covid. The last time I had antibiotics was roughly 10 years ago and that was for an eye infection!

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As @Brantly said, it’s not “fear.” Or are you afraid of cars and that’s why you wear a seatbelt? I am so tired of that–“you are not living a real life” attitude.

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I didn’t say that. But now that you mention it, perhaps for some people, not all, it is true.

I wear a seatbelt because it is the law, and when it was mandatory to wear a mask, I wore a mask - no questions asked! I am not an anti-masker; and I still wear them where required. Now, after three years, I choose not to live behind the mask. And for the record, I hail from a place where mask wearing is an every day, commonplace sight. When I went with my son about six or seven years ago, pre-covid, the first thing we did was purchase masks from a street vendor, and wear them! We were wearing masks here, weeks BEFORE it was officially recommended as a means to helping prevent the spread of Covid-19…

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I think it’s very different than wearing a seatbelt. A seatbelt decision is very black and white and pertains to one specific situation - being in a car. If X, then Y - if I am in a car, I put it on for the duration. Masking/assessing personal covid risk or my role in protecting others is MUCH more gray - should I wear it while running on the treadmill? While waiting for my food at a restaurant? Every single moment I am with my toddler grandchild (whose house we stay in for days at a time when visiting?) Avoid eating on an airplane so I can keep the mask on 100% of the time? Wear it to wedding but take it off to eat and drink? Or skip the wedding? At an outdoor event like a baseball game, even though there we are in close quarters with those around us? For some, these decisions ARE black and white and I applaud you, but for me they are not and the constant evaluating my choice to wear or not to wear, attend or not to attend was wrought with anxiety that I needed to release. And it was preventing ME from living MY fullest life - like going to the gym or singing with the choir or saying yes to events I wanted to attend - so yes I chose to resume my pre-covid life, because I had given up quite a bit of it over the last 3 years. But my definition of living life will be much different than others - it’s personal, and no judgement on the choices anyone makes (another thing I have worked hard to give up - judging those who made different risk assessments.)

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