Coronavirus

[hmaria1609]

DC has relaxed indoor masking rules as of today:
https://wtop.com/dc/2022/03/dc-dials-back-masking-in-most-indoor-settings/
MD and VA did the same last month.
Posted on WTOP 3/1/22

[Langue_doc]

The latest according to Fauci:

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci said on Sunday that the virus was still a  threat, but that people needed to decide for themselves what risks they would take.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/10/health/fauci-ba2-omicron-covid.html

[Hegemony]

"If we do start seeing an uptick, particularly of hospitalizations, we may need to revert back to being more careful and having more utilizations of masks indoors," he said."

The part I don't like is that we're always reactive rather than proactive. I'd rather prevent the uptick than respond to the uptick. However, I am very clearly in the minority on this. "Better sorry than safe" is the general feeling.

[mamselle]

I feel like he's given up.

M.

[Langue_doc]

The administration's given up--they seem to be more concerned about "back to normal" than offering reliable medical updates on how to stay safe.

In NYC you don't need to be vaccinated or wear a mask, never mind the uptick in cases.

[Parasaurolophus]

Everybodyhas given up. Ontario aloneseems to ha e 100 000 cases a day, and they won't even reintroduce indoor masking.

[secundem_artem]

I got exposed by a student who tested positive a day after meeting with me after class.  I waited a couple of days to wait out the incubation period and then did 2 home antigen tests 48 hours apart.  Both were negative and not symptoms so I think I dodged a bullet - or at least a virus.  Got my 2nd booster as soon as I found I'd been exposed.

But I've gone back to wearing a mask in class and when out and about.  We may be sick of Covid, but Covid ain't nearly done messing with us. 

[Langue_doc]

Philadelphia is reinstating  indoor masking because of the rise in cases.

[Anon1787]

Mask mandates are mainly Covid theater unless people wear (properly) at least KN-95 grade masks given how transmissible Omicron is. Vaccination is the best bet to protect yourself, but it only marginally reduces spread.

[mamselle]

I'd have to disagree. I can't be vaxxed, and only wear masks.

So far, so good...I barely go out, and only early in the day, and only to places where there are just a few folk in the store.

But wearing a mask is far from simple performative gesturing.

M.

[Hegemony]

And a lot of us are indeed wearing N95s. I have worn only N95s since about June 2020. I hand them out free to my students.

The word on the street is that George Washington University, in DC, has reinstated its mask mandate.

[dismalist]

Where is this increase in new cases?

Here's the US from CDC https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_dailycases Looks trivial to me. Newspapers have to have something to report, I guess.

And here are deaths, an indicator of seriousness https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_dailydeaths


Dropping like a lead balloon.

Here are some interesting countries for cases https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2020-03-01..latest&facet=none&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Confirmed+cases&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=true&Color+by+test+positivity=false&country=USA~GBR~DEU~ITA~FRA~ISR~NLD~SWE

And for deaths https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2021-10-24..latest&facet=none&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Confirmed+deaths&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=true&Color+by+test+positivity=false&country=USA~GBR~DEU~ITA~FRA~ISR~NLD~SWE


I find Sweden interesting. Least restrictive policies and low deaths.

For young people, the chance of death from Covid is infinitesimal, maybe 1/1000 of the chance for an 80year old with co-morbidities. This may help explain why young people behave the way they do.

Covid has largely become a private problem and is no longer a public problem. The vaccine did that mainly, of course. There is no solid evidence that masks do anything. [I wear one, because there may be a benefit, and the cost is small -- fogged glasses, really]. There will be those who cannot be vaccinated. They can be accommodated without everyone having to isolate, wear masks, or whatever.

Covid policy is a good example for the benefits of small jurisdictions. If some universities, firms, clubs want to do X, let them. If some want to do not X, let them. The smaller the decision making unit, the better we can all be accommodated.

Whatever, this stuff is or will become endemic. Get your Covid shot every year! :-) :-(

[Anon1787]

And a lot of us are indeed wearing N95s. I have worn only N95s since about June 2020. I hand them out free to my students.

The word on the street is that George Washington University, in DC, has reinstated its mask mandate.

My university, which claims to "follow the science," has required only cloth masks despite being proven to be useless and surgical masks are only somewhat effective. A mandate requiring (K)N95 masks would be even more unenforceable as a practical matter (very few students here have worn them during the pandemic and the general population would be even less likely to do so). So I maintain that they have become Covid theater.

It's most unfortunate that some people can't be vaccinated, but the rest of society can't be expected to continue to take extraordinary measures. It would also help if Congress got its act together and funded purchasing a large stock of therapeutics.

[clean]

I ve been buying and wearing P95 masks.  They are more for particles, but from what I could find, they were pretty close to the 'official' N95s, and no one was faking those. 

I wear a mask TO class, but since Spring Break, I take the mask off during class, but put it on as soon as it is over, and students come close to ask questions.

I think that we are down to maybe 4 tops that regularly wear a mask during class. 

[onthefringe]

Where is this increase in new cases?

The Northeast, where case rates have almost doubled since mid March.

I find Sweden interesting. Least restrictive policies and low deaths.

Unless you compare their total death rate to neighboring similar countries with more restrictive policies