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

[DisneyJamieCA]

But...why? The CDC and the ACOG both recommend the vaccine for pregnant women. They’re at higher risk for complications from COVID. It’s so strange to me that doctors are going against these recommendations.

No idea. But it’s not my choice to make, so respecting she’s following the advice of her doctor.

 

[Pink Partridge]

My SIL is almost 8 months pregnant and she was advised by her OB not to get it. And her OB isn’t anti-vaxx because she did have her get the flu shot & Tdap.

I can understand why he OB advised her of that. It affects the female reproductive system in some.

I won't go into details, but ever since my vaccine, I have had female issues. As have many others. I don't mean to scare anyone, as I would actually get the vaccine again if I had to do it over. But I have never in my life had cycles like I have been having. It's downright alarming.

 

[leebee]

Everyone I saw in the grocery store this morning was wearing a mask, and I live in Maine, which has the highest %vaccinated (two doses) in the country. I'll keep wearing my mask, because I don't trust others and my health is my responsibility. The vaccine is supposed to keep me from getting covid severe enough to require hospitalization, not prevent me from getting it at all. I've seen what "mild" covid, covid not severe enough to require hospitalization, looks like, and I don't want it. And then there are the variants. My fully-vaccinated flight attendant brother-in-law has been flying internationally pretty much throughout the pandemic for work. He was in India a few weeks ago for work, and now he's in isolation with a variant that doesn't care that he's vaccinated; he's drastically ill. No thanks, I'll keep wearing my mask for awhile longer.

 

[magik]

I wouldn't worry about it if the CDC had made this change when the US population was, say, 70% vaccinated, but 36% is just too soon, IMO.

I agree. I wish they had worded their new guidance differently. They could have shared the good news about how effective the vaccines are at protecting vaccinated people by maybe stating that it’s safe for fully vaccinated people to forgo masks in *private* settings/gatherings or public places outdoors, and still encourage unvaccinated people to get vaccinated by making removal of mask mandates for indoor settings dependent on either 70% of a state’s population (total population, not just adults) being fully vaccinated (not just one shot) OR new case numbers/hospitalizations/deaths statewide being negligible, whichever comes first. States could have countdown tickers to help keep everyone updated and encourage people to help towards achieving the goal of removing the indoor mandates.

Although I trust the vaccines are protecting against the current variants, the more unvaccinated people not masking/distancing/etc., the more likely they are to potentially be the host that causes the variant that our current vaccines don’t protect against, possibly undoing all our progress. And we all know requiring unvaccinated/partially vaccinated to mask, but leaving it up to the honor system and not requiring proof means that lots of unvaccinated people will stop masking. Getting out of this pandemic is a race against the clock. Can we get enough people vaccinated and starve the virus hosts before it mutates in a way that messes up our current vaccine efficacy?

The COVID numbers have been trending in a good direction, and lots of people are now vaccinated, with more eligible now that 12+ can be vaccinated, but I really hope they didn’t jump the gun by not waiting just 1 or 2 more months. In my state, we’re at 48% with one dose, with obviously less than that fully vaccinated, and we’re in the top half of the country in terms of percentage of population vaccinated, which means more than half the states are even less vaccinated than we are. Even the number 1 state, Maine, only has 48% fully vaccinated. In terms of one dose, the number 1 state, Vermont, has 63%.

In my state, because of the new CDC guidelines, our mask mandate ended yesterday at midnight for fully vaccinated people (with exceptions) although unvaccinated/partially vaccinated are still required to mask pretty much everywhere. These places are the exceptions where everyone must still mask in my state, vaccinated or not:

• k-12 school settings, which I think is smart since even in high schools where 16+ have had a little more time to get vaccinated, tons of students still aren’t. In elementary schools no students are eligible to be vaccinated yet, and in middle schools even those newly eligible may barely have had their second shot by the last day of school. Looking at the active “outbreak” data in my area, it’s almost all in schools and daycares, so easing restrictions in these settings doesn’t seem smart.
• medical buildings,
• public transport,
• “congregate settings”, which from what I can tell seems to mean jails, nursing homes, churches/places of worship, and maybe large entertainment venues
• any business that wants to require everyone wear a mask

Around here, I can’t really tell what mask requirements have actually changed other than stores/restaurants, and since it seems it is up to each individual business, it’s going to be very confusing. I went to the grocery store today (Giant) and every single person I saw in there was masked. I’m not sure if the store was still requiring it, but I am assuming yes since I didn’t see a single person, customer or employee, without a mask. I saw an article that said Walmart, Costco (except the pharmacy and optical centers since they are “medical” so everyone must mask in those areas) and Trader Joes are now allowing vaccinated people to not wear masks, but Target and Kroger still require them for everyone, at least for now.

 

[disneychrista]

They could have shared the good news about how effective the vaccines are at protecting vaccinated people by maybe stating that it’s safe for fully vaccinated people to forgo masks in *private* settings/gatherings

I agree 100%.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

They could have shared the good news about how effective the vaccines are at protecting vaccinated people by maybe stating that it’s safe for fully vaccinated people to forgo masks in *private* settings/gatherings or public places outdoors,

I agree 100%.

They already did that. The guidance was updated for fully vaccinated persons and people were like "that's it!?"...well basically that's what some people's reactions were. That was a few weeks ago? It wasn't that long ago.

This most recent update was about fully vaccinated indoors period. The prior update was about fully vaccinated in private settings and outdoors while still recommending in mixed company like stores and indoors to maintain masks while also avoiding large crowds, etc. This most recent update removes all that.

The cascading effect is basically what you're seeing, a free for all removal of mask mandates in favor of more honor policy of not wearing a mask because you're fully vaccinated. **excluding the places listed and the businesses maintaining the mandates or states/cities/counties/schools maintaining mask mandates.

 

[Foxhound3857]

Well, I asked about the new mask guidelines at work today, Nordstrom Fulfillment Center, and they said they have no intention of relaxing on masks or social distancing any time soon.

I'll ask again next month.

 

[Starwarsfan2]

It was never about keeping the kids safe in school. It was about keeping the teachers safe.

That's was why teachers got vaccinated early on, wasn't it?

 

[White_Rabbit18]

I think it is crazy but I don’t live in the States so I guess we will see how this unfolds. Just like people who wanted to wait and see, I would do that if I was in the States. I would wear my mask for 2-3 months more in an indoor setting. I am already used to it and it doesn’t hurt me to wear it to do an errand.

 

[Christine]

Many months ago they came out and said masks do offer some protection to the wearer. It would be illogical to think/say/assume they don't. If they can stop "germs" getting out, they must offer protection from "germs getting in.

Yes, I agree, they do offer some. I think it was like 17% at most, or something like that. It's better than nothing!

 

[mjkacmom]

All three of my kids, one fully vaccinated, two on their way all said the same as your friend. The poster I quoted thinks vaccinated/unmasked people are going to harass masked people because it will be assumed they are not vaccinated. I personally just don’t see that being a thing (or at least a common one) outside of the internet. I think that for a lot of reasons I’ll decline to get into. I’ll gladly admit I’m wrong if that turns out to not be the case.

There will still be a lot of vaccinated people wearing masks, plus it takes 6 weeks to be fully vaccinated, my second shot is in 2 weeks so I have a month to go (waited a bit because I had covid in March).

 

[mjkacmom]

I can understand why he OB advised her of that. It affects the female reproductive system in some.

I won't go into details, but ever since my vaccine, I have had female issues. As have many others. I don't mean to scare anyone, as I would actually get the vaccine again if I had to do it over. But I have never in my life had cycles like I have been having. It's downright alarming.

Can I ask your age range?

 

[magik]

They already did that. The guidance was updated for fully vaccinated persons and people were like "that's it!?"...well basically that's what some people's reactions were. That was a few weeks ago? It wasn't that long ago.

This most recent update was about fully vaccinated indoors period. The prior update was about fully vaccinated in private settings and outdoors while still recommending in mixed company like stores and indoors to maintain masks while also avoiding large crowds, etc. This most recent update removes all that.

The cascading effect is basically what you're seeing, a free for all removal of mask mandates in favor of more honor policy of not wearing a mask because you're fully vaccinated. **excluding the places listed and the businesses maintaining the mandates or states/cities/counties/schools maintaining mask mandates.

I know they’d said the private indoor and outdoor part for vaccinated people before, it’s the giving vaccination percentages or new case thresholds as the way to remove the mask mandates for all I wish they’d added rather than just opening the floodgates. A quantifiable goal to work towards. The honor system is the part that I don’t see working, which is why I think this guidance came too soon. Instead of not wearing a mask being a perk of being fully vaccinated and a motivator to get vaccinated for those who aren’t, like I’m sure they intended this new guidance to be, it’s basically giving those unvaccinated people who don’t want to wear masks in public and maybe even don’t intend to ever get vaccinated free reign to drop all COVID safety precautions because “who will know?”. Some will still do the right thing, but I personally know too many people in my life who will gleefully do the wrong thing in this case, so that has for sure colored my opinion on this. Too many people I know don’t want to wear masks, don’t want to get vaccinated, and don’t care about the good of the community (preventing new variants). They only care that they, at least in their mind, probably won’t get too sick or die if they get it. The thought that they might be the host body that the virus mutates in making the current vaccines not effective doesn’t cross their minds. With those attitudes in mind, from a practical application and community safety standpoint, it just doesn’t make sense to drop restrictions from some and not for all, so I wish they’d waited until it was safe to drop them for everyone (higher percent fully vaccinated or negligible numbers of new cases, etc.).

 

[karen4546]

I would say 95% of the people I work with including myself have been fully vaccinated but we are still required to wear a mask if we are outside our office But in the building. If someone comes into my office , I have to mask up also.

I live in Louisiana. I went into home goods yesterday and did not wear a mask. It was surreal. I had a mask in my pocket and almost put it on because I am so used to it. I keep my vaccine card in my wallet, in Louisiana we have LA wallet that has our driver‘s license and now COVID vaccine date. You have to download the app and opt in allow the vax inf.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I know eventually that stuff won't be assumed as a wider amount of people stopped wearing masks just a weird time IMO at the moment in a sorta limbo if that makes sense.

It makes perfect sense to me. "Do this...never mind don't do that. Mask up. No, you don't need a mask if you're vaccinated. Wear it, don't wear it." There are messages at odds with one another coming from all over. I'm not talking about the government or anyone in it here...I'm talking about, for example, the largest nurse's union. They slammed the CDC's new guidelines. Who do I trust? Who do I believe? Who do I take my guidance from?

Do I have a negativity bias, as PP said? Probably. When the lockdown started in March 2020 I was scared to death. When I got Covid, I was again scared that I might worsen and die. I was scared for the people I love. I have spent the majority of more than a year being scared. I don't know how to "normalize." It feels like March 2020 again, this uncertainty.

 

[NotUrsula]

You know, I'm actually not a conspiracy-minded person, but I'm shaking my head at this one. It's almost like somebody said the quiet part out loud... "People who refuse to get vaccinated and still won't wear a mask? OK, then, let's set a really big mousetrap!"

FTR, my state's only at 35%. I was out & about today and almost everyone was keeping masks on as usual any time they were near other people.

(Also, lest anyone misunderstand what I meant about the quiet part; that is NOT a political reference, but a reference to medical professionals who have been very frustrated with laymen second-guessing professionals' recommendations all this time.)

 

[dvcgirl67]

You know, I'm actually not a conspiracy-minded person, but I'm shaking my head at this one. It's almost like somebody said the quiet part out loud... "People who refuse to get vaccinated and still won't wear a mask? OK, then, let's set a really big mousetrap!"

Or....maybe offer a really big incentive? It's been said out loud now....that the unvaccinated are the ones who need to worry. Maybe some of those anti-maskers, who have been mostly surrounded by people wearing masks will think twice now?

 

[C&Jx2]

I doubt they could stuff that genie back in the bottle.

Agree. They’ll get WAY too much push back if they try.

 

[OhBother1984]

Or....maybe offer a really big incentive? It's been said out loud now....that the unvaccinated are the ones who need to worry. Maybe some of those anti-maskers, who have been mostly surrounded by people wearing masks will think twice now?

It's the last carrot they have to dangle on the stick. In a month maybe two those people will have at least 1st shot and then masks will mostly be going away most places.

 

[TLSnell1981]

It's the last carrot they have to dangle on the stick. In a month maybe two those people will have at least 1st shot and then masks will mostly be going away most places.

I agree. The original thought was masks would not be required for vaccinated individuals. I'm not sure that message should have been vacated. I believe we would be much further along with the process. It's highly unlikely to transmit outdoors and/or if you've had both jabs. I'd like to see the recommendations change for children too. They have robust immune systems and I'm not enthusiastic about them getting poked at this time. Just my thoughts.