Who thinks the CDC will roll back their new mask rules from two days ago?

[DLgal]

When the pandemic started, the point of distancing and masking was to flatten the curve as to not overwhelm hospitals. It seems like the mindset changed at some point to do all these things to avoid getting sick. As of now it seems like said curve has flattened and hospitals are no longer getting overwhelmed so maybe that was taken into account into the decision making?

Yes, this is pretty much the driving factor in all large scale public health decisions.

People will still get sick. Some will die. But it's not possible to completely stop that from happening. We have to accept a certain amount of this illness in circulation for the rest of our lives, unfortunately. It will never be eradicated.

 

[Foxhound3857]

With nearly half of us vaccinated (and continuing to increase) and at least an additional 25-35% (conservative estimates) with some level of immunity due to exposure or infection, this isn't a concern anymore. We have reached a low enough level of community transmission that there will not be further massive spikes that will overwhelm hospitals. It's pretty much a mathematical impossibility.

The resurgences we saw last year after relaxing restrictions happened because we didn't have adequate vaccine protection yet.

Am I just being paranoid then, because I'm looking at the ongoing disaster in India and thinking to myself, "that could still happen to us."

 

[DLgal]

Am I just being paranoid then, because I'm looking at the ongoing disaster in India and thinking to myself, "that could still happen to us."

Yes, to an extent you are being paranoid. India has a HUGE dense population, and only about 1.8% of that population is fully vaccinated. They have over a billion people crammed into that country. India will never happen here.

 

[Cheburashka]

Am I just being paranoid then, because I'm looking at the ongoing disaster in India and thinking to myself, "that could still happen to us."

India has hardly any of its population vaccinated, and it's much harder to social distance there. It isn't comparable to the U.S. at all.

 

[Foxhound3857]

India has hardly any of its population vaccinated, and it's much harder to social distance there. It isn't comparable to the U.S. at all.

Maybe I'm just scarred by bias then, because I've had family die to this thing. My Uncle was rushed to the hospital because he was struggling with an ongoing wound from an amputation from four years ago. The hospital was completely overwhelmed at the time and he had to spend a week sleeping on a gurney in the hallway before they could finally get him a room. Ultimately he contracted Covid in the hospital and died from it.

Part of me can't shake the feeling that, if we lower our defenses now and stop doing the things that helped us to get this thing under control in the first place, it could mean another disaster with hospitals being overwhelmed again.

 

[sam_gordon]

1) The number of Covid cases (and therefore deaths) will NEVER be 0. It will be with us forever (like the flu).
2) It doesn't matter WHY you got the vaccine. If you have it, you have it.
3) There would be a SLIGHT possibility mask mandates come back, *IF* the "science" goes to pot and there's a HUGE influx of new cases. By "slight", I mean 0.0001%. You'd have a better chance of winning the lottery.
4) Yes, IMO, you're being paranoid and comparing a more populous country that has WAY fewer people vaccinated to the US.

ETA: If you take into account the % of people who have been vaccinated, plus the % of unvaccinated but recovered (and no one knows the true numbers for that), we're closer to that "magic" number than you think.

All that being said, if you want to continue wearing a mask to protect you or loved ones, feel free. Personally, I'll wear one if a business requests or requires it, but other than that, nope.

 

[Cheburashka]

Maybe I'm just scarred by bias then, because I've had family die to this thing. My Uncle was rushed to the hospital because he was struggling with an ongoing wound from an amputation from four years ago. The hospital was completely overwhelmed at the time and he had to spend a week sleeping on a gurney in the hallway before they could finally get him a room. Ultimately he contracted Covid in the hospital and died from it.

Was this within the last month? I'm comparing the current state of India to the current state of America in which a large percentage of Americans are vaccinated.

My condolences about the death of your uncle.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

The one where they said that fully vaccinated people no longer have to mask or social distance indoors?

This is fine, science supports. The problem is the half of the adult population and number of children as of yet unvaccinated thinking this applies to them.

 

[Foxhound3857]

Was this within the last month? I'm talking about the present situation in which a large percentage of Americans are vaccinated.

My condolences about the death of your uncle.

About three months ago.

What I'm saying is, I would feel more comfortable if the CDC waited for a larger percentage of the population to become vaccinated before making this change. Maybe 70% is asking for too much, but 50% is within reason and would've been a relatively safe number to start dropping our shields, but 36% I feel is just a bit too soon.

 

[Cheburashka]

About three months ago.

Well yes, 3 months ago American vaccination rates were still very low, so the virus was still raging. That period is over now. That's why the CDC is advocating the loosening of restrictions.

 

[DLgal]

This is fine, science supports. The problem is the half of the adult population and number of children as of yet unvaccinated thinking this applies to them.

That is the kind of thinking that falls under "personal responsibility." If they want to get Covid, that's on them. They should keep wearing their masks, but we all know that some of those people won't do that.

My son is getting his first shot today. The rest of us are fully vaxxed. He will be fully vaxxed by 6/19. Until that point, as we have been doing all this time, we will ALL mask when required, and as a family will not yet eat at indoor dining locations, or go to crowded indoor locations, even if our state lifts the mask mandate before June 19. When he is fully protected, we will lose the masks as permitted by local ordinances.

 

[DLgal]

About three months ago.

What I'm saying is, I would feel more comfortable if the CDC waited for a larger percentage of the population to become vaccinated before making this change. Maybe 70% is asking for too much, but 50% is within reason and would've been a relatively safe number to start dropping our shields, but 36% I feel is just a bit too soon.

The 36% is as a whole. Many states are higher than that and many cities and towns are well above 50% already. Local transmission infection and vaccination rates are more important than how the country is doing overall.

 

[Foxhound3857]

The 36% is as a whole. Many states are higher than that and many cities and towns are well above 50% already. Local transmission infection and vaccination rates are more important than how the country is doing overall.

Then California must not be doing too well if they are still enforcing masks via a state-wide mandate. I doubt Nordstrom Warehouse where I work is going to relax their policies anytime soon.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

That is the kind of thinking that falls under "personal responsibility." If they want to get Covid, that's on them. They should keep wearing their masks, but we all know that some of those people won't do that.

My son is getting his first shot today. The rest of us are fully vaxxed. He will be fully vaxxed by 6/19. Until that point, as we have been doing all this time, we will ALL mask when required, and as a family will not yet eat at indoor dining locations, or go to crowded indoor locations, even if our state lifts the mask mandate before June 19. When he is fully protected, we will lose the masks as permitted by local ordinances.

Yeah but I'm more concerned about more variants arising than someone's personal health at this point.

 

[neverlandsky]

I'm going with 50/50 Yes & No.

No. There's been too big of a push to get back to normalcy and appeasing the masses. What I do see in the future is the CDC making the reccomendation & updating wearing masks for the cold/flu season, visiting the elderly, and/or immune compromised/unvaxed.

Yes. If a nasty virus variant crops up. Fingers & toes crossed this doesn't happen.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Maybe I'm just scarred by bias then, because I've had family die to this thing. My Uncle was rushed to the hospital because he was struggling with an ongoing wound from an amputation from four years ago. The hospital was completely overwhelmed at the time and he had to spend a week sleeping on a gurney in the hallway before they could finally get him a room. Ultimately he contracted Covid in the hospital and died from it.

Part of me can't shake the feeling that, if we lower our defenses now and stop doing the things that helped us to get this thing under control in the first place, it could mean another disaster with hospitals being overwhelmed again.

Then California must not be doing too well if they are still enforcing masks via a state-wide mandate. I doubt Nordstrom Warehouse where I work is going to relax their policies anytime soon.

It’s understandable why you feel hesitant about the relaxations. Anytime something personally touches us, it skews our outlook.

But at some point, we have to accept a new normal. And since 70% is highly unlikely nationwide, it may never be at a place where are all people are comfortable. The CDC has decided we are in a place where it’s likely as safe as it can be. Or that the risk is minimal enough to lower mandates. And things are almost guaranteed to get even better as 12-15 yr olds are getting vaccinated.

CA is actually doing great. We still have the lowest positive percentage in the nation. And our mask mandates will be mostly dropped on June 15th. San Francisco has something like 78% vaccinated. My county announced yesterday we have over 70% vaccinated. That’s before accounting for 12-15 yr olds. That’s huge.

Again, it is understandable your personal experience has led you to question the decisions made right now. But we won’t be India, for reasons laid out by others. And we’ll also never get to 0 zero cases. You should absolutely continue to take precautions that make you feel more comfortable- you won’t be alone in that.

 

[RamblingMad]

I don't think they will roll back unless there is another outbreak. I'm still wearing a mask until the vaccination rates get closer to 70%.

 

[wenrob]

About three months ago.

What I'm saying is, I would feel more comfortable if the CDC waited for a larger percentage of the population to become vaccinated before making this change. Maybe 70% is asking for too much, but 50% is within reason and would've been a relatively safe number to start dropping our shields, but 36% I feel is just a bit too soon.

I think if we all waited for everyone’s level of comfort we would never get anywhere. There comes a time when you have to rip the bandaid off. I’m fully vaccinated but I’m not quite ready for “back into the world, mask free” yet. I think once my kids are fully vaccinated I’ll be more comfortable. At this point we all have to do us and let others do them. I don’t see masks coming back as a mandate. I also don’t see things out of control again. Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part but I don’t see it happening.

Then California must not be doing too well if they are still enforcing masks via a state-wide mandate. I doubt Nordstrom Warehouse where I work is going to relax their policies anytime soon.

California is kicking some butt vaccine wise. You mention Stateline. Do you live in a smaller town rather than one of the bigger cities? I’d feel totally comfortable maskless in some of the places DisneyJamieCA mentioned.

 

[Cheburashka]

I think if we all waited for everyone’s level of comfort we would never get anywhere.

Excellent point. I think some mentally/emotionally vulnerable people have been so traumatized by the past year, that they're never going to feel comfortable returning to normal life.

And all of us will remember this year forever. It's like people who lived through the Great Depression tended to be very mindful of their money for the rest of their lives. I think we'll tend to mindful about the possibility of infectious disease for the rest of our lives.

 

[aggiedog]

That genie is so far out of the bottle, it's in the next universe. No way would they be able to stuff it back in.

I do worry that the anti-vax/anti-mask people will (wink, wink) "why, yes I was vaccinated" and we'll see rates go up. For those folks, that's their choice and let Darwin decide their fate, but it's not fair to those that truly can't be vaccinated - kids, folks with valid medical issues.