this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 62 points 10 months ago (4 children)

There was a moment in my life where I was optimistic about masks. I pictured a cyberpunk future we didn't get sick as much and had a cool new fashion accessory we could have fun with. It is wild how capitlaism couldn't even resist the power of covid

[–] [email protected] 42 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Covid has taught me that we will not do enough, then complain that we did too much. I am not optimistic about things if this new strain is as bad as the first ones.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

If a zombie virus ever legitimately happened, too many people would purposely get bitten to "prove them wrong".

I want to be optimistic and all, but too many people bought too much toilet paper for a goddamn respiratory virus that it isn't even funny.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

Same here. I was hopeful that covid would get people to at least be more conscious about not going places when sick, wearing masks when they are not feeling well, etc. But where I am at, people go to work, church, recreational activities, etc. with the flu and covid, even with positive test results knowing that they are contagious. I don't understand it and it hasn't gotten better.

As far as cyberpunk... I still want a full face respirator with a clear face shield (so people can see your lips when you talk), an integrated HUD (for navigation, air quality monitoring, and browsing lemmy), and some LEDs for night time illumination (and aesthetics)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Seriously? I found masks uncomfortable and annoying, I would hate the idea of it being the new norm for the rest of our lives.

I live in a climate which gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I was often getting hot under the mask or fogging up my glasses so bad I couldn't see where I was going.

I would honestly rather just get the latest vaccine and risk getting a little sick by not wearing a mask than going through that whole mask thing again

[–] [email protected] 34 points 10 months ago

The material conditions dictate that it's the norm for the rest of our lives, unfortunately.

We're ignoring a grinding sound in our car right now.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I hated them too but they're an effective public health tool if they're actually used. 🤷

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago

I gotta say, N95s done right are much more comfortable then cloth and surgical masks. I just didn't know at the start of the pandemic.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It is hot here but it doesn't get very humid. So maybe it is easier. It could get uncomfortable at time but I still liked it. It did take a few tries to get masks that worked for my glasses, this is also true.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

It doesn't get humid where I am either, I personally never found a mask I was really happy with, then I just got fed up with it and only wore it when I didn't have a choice.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I dunno. Maybe I am just weird but I like wearing work gloves and touching stuff I know wouldn't be good to touch bear handed. I always kinda get that same feeling from wearing a mask.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago

As someone who didn't try to not to get sick, avoided wearing a mask whenever I could, went to crowded bars with friends during the height of covid, etc, and never once got noticeably sick, I didn't find the air I was breathing to be all that dangerous to warrant protection.

I'm not denying that COVID exists, I got my vaccine the second it was available to me, I just didn't feel as threatened by it as some others did.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You'd be a hero if you kept trying.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Sorry, guess I'm not a hero then, I think trying for two years was more than enough.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's mad that people can go "hey my actions put people at risk of death and injury and I'm just going to do it"

Coming from someone living with a person with long-COVID, someone who got infected AFTER being fully vaccinated and AFTER the emergency period, I just gotta say that this kind of thinking is really disappointing. Can you imagine if there was an afterlife, and you had to explain your actions to your higher power.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's mad that people can go "hey my actions put people at risk of death and injury and I'm just going to do it"

Yeah, you know, I realize that driving my car around puts others at risk, it pollutes the air, I might hit and kill someone accidentally, but I have to get food and go to work somehow. I guess screw me for just trying to live my life, right?

Can you imagine if there was an afterlife, and you had to explain your actions to your higher power

I would ask why that higher power thought creating covid was a good idea in the first place, or why he didn't care enough to stop it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Guy, you drive a car under the speed limit, sober, and when you have the right of way. If you fail to do any of those, and someone gets hurt, you are definitely at fault. You need to reasonably limit how much air pollution your car has and not roll coal.

God definitely gave you the means to stop it. It's masks, filtration, ventilation, and obviously vaccines.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Am I not putting people at risk of death and injury by driving my car even if I do it while sober and follow the rules? Am I not harming people with my exhaust, even if it's stock and legal? We all do stuff that puts others at risk, it's part of life.

God could have made it not even happen in the first place, he needs to answer for creating a death virus, and cancer, and all the other horrible stuff he is responsible for.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Am I not putting people at risk of death and injury by driving my car even if I do it while sober and follow the rules? Am I not harming people with my exhaust, even if it's stock and legal? We all do stuff that puts others at risk, it's part of life.

As I already mentioned, the risk is much greater and is considered murder if it's outside of what's necessary. You drive but don't speed.

I see your comment that you didn't even mask during the mandate. Guy, after the suffering I've seen, your actions are appalling. But a sociopath like you will never get that no matter how many reasons you hear.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The rush may be greater if I don't follow the laws, but then finding the laws the risk still exists. I don't feel bad for driving and putting others at risk while I just try to get to work or home.

I did mask during the mandate what I had to, I also didn't mask during the mandate when I didn't have to. It's not like I went into a nursing home without a mask, I went out with other people who were also willing to not use masks, it's not like I intentionally exposed my breath on those who wanted to stay isolated and masked up. If it's appalling to hang out with other intentionally un-masked individuals, I don't know what to tell you.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

As someone who didn't try to not to get sick, avoided wearing a mask whenever I could, went to crowded bars with friends during the height of covid, etc, and never once got noticeably sick,

You're a sociopath. BTW, Most COVID infections spread through an asymptomatic carrier. You likely did give many people COVID and did cause death and disability. Please stop replying to me, you knob.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If I gave covid to anyone, it was someone who either got it even though I was wearing a mask, or they were intentionally at an unmasked event where neither of us was required to wear one. Either way, I'm not going to be sorry for following the rules and trying to socialize during the pandemic.

I highly doubt I caused anyone death or disability, relatively few people got disabilities or death from covid compared to the whole population.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I said stop replying to me you knob

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

You are welcome to stop this conversation any time by not replying

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

I agree with you, at the same time it would be great if our air output would be viewed as "unclean" with masks being the worst fix for that if no better ventilation systems are available. We need to stop recirculating somebody elses waste air in indoor environments to make airborn diseases less common.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The 3M Aura and Vflex both breathe easily as heck. I've worn them on 40 degree days and I felt fine. They don't block air like surgical masks.

Good luck getting a new booster in most Western countries.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago (2 children)

If it comes down to then being required again I'll look out for those and give them a try.

I'm in the US, I think we have had maybe the best access to these vaccines. I just checked one pharmacy in my area, 17 locations within 30 miles all with appointments today, I can even choose between Moderna and Pfizer. I haven't gotten a booster in a while, but I want to say I've gotten the first two shots and like 2-3 boosters. The last booster was an updated one I think for Delta.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

boosters don't have much impact on you getting other people sick. you can get a spray to stop glasses fogging up, you can get cooling towels or a personal fan to deal with overheating. wear a fucking mask please

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I've tried those anti fog things on glasses, never got one that worked for me and didn't smear my lenses like crazy.

Sorry, nobody is wearing a mask anymore In my city, I'm not about to try and start that trend back up. Nobody cares anymore, so I won't either.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

"nobody cares", except people with medical conditions who can't risk getting COVID so can't go out in public since people stopped wearing masks, or those of us who don't want to be part of a large-scale experiment about the debilitating effects of long COVID. maybe try different anti-fog products, there are some that definitely work. and wear a fucking mask

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If you have medical conditions where you can't risk getting covid, then you shouldn't be going outside with other people in the first place, mask or not.

I don't know how to make this more clear, literally basically everyone doesn't wear a mask anymore here, there is no point to me being the one person wearing one.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

wow what a disgusting take - people with medical conditions can't go out in public for the rest of their lives because wearing a facemask is mildly inconvenient for you?

you wearing a mask could prevent you from infecting dozens if not hundreds of people with COVID over the rest of your life, several of whom could die or get longterm disabilities from it. very unclear how what other people are doing affects that

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If getting sick is that high of a risk, do you really think relying on everyone in public to do something is worth the risk? If it only takes one person not doing something to put yourself at risk, you will be at risk, because you just can't trust everyone in public to do it.

Yeah, I'm not writing a mask for the rest of my life, sorry. Nobody else is wearing one, everyone is agreeing to be out in public without a mask, that's just how life is now.

If everyone around me is not wearing masks, the chances that me specifically will be the cause of someone getting so sick they have disabilities is extremely low. If everyone not wearing a mask would infect dozens or hundreds as you claim, we are already screwed.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

we are very screwed, in large part because of people like you, enthusiastically volunteering to help with propaganda in support of corporate real estate and retail tycoons.

you could be part of the solution by wearing a mask.

perhaps research the effects of repeated COVID infections on otherwise-fine people, reconsider how transmission and probability works ("oh, there's no point using condoms, anyone I have any kind of sex with is likely to get HIV from someone else"), and try and imagine how you'd feel if you or someone you care about had an immune system disorder and couldn't safely go outside in your area because of healthier people who prioritise their comfort in not wearing a small piece of cloth on their faces

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

we are very screwed, in large part because of people like you, enthusiastically volunteering to help with propaganda in support of corporate real estate and retail tycoons.

Where in the hell did you get that from? What does anything I said have to do with real estate?

you could be part of the solution by wearing a mask.

Me being the only person wearing a mask isn't going to help solve anything.

Did you seriously just compare a bad flu virus to HIV? You are just being ridiculous now.

Do you think it's safe outside for an immune compromised person if im the only one wearing a mask? No, obviously it's not. Me staying a mask is going to have no effect on their safety in public. If I went over to this person's house, sure, I would wear a mask if they wanted me to, but in public where nobody is wearing one it's kinda pointless.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

I guess for the West, the US has more access. Other countries, such as the UK, are paring back boosters except for the really vulnerable. It is still weird that the current vaccine is for a strain in 2021, though. Our societies should be doing better.