No more masks?? (What are your thoughts?)

[Cheerful]

Folks are right that you can't trust others who aren't wearing masks to be vaccinated, but you still aren't in much danger if you, yourself, are vaccinated. Those people who are unvaccinated may get sick, but if they are out unvaccinated with no mask then isn't it really on them at this point?

Children below age 12 cannot get vaccinated.  So they must wear masks and be careful when around people who are not masked.

Vulnerable seniors with co-morbidities are not fully protected by vaccines.  The Qatar study cited by CDC found Pfizer was 89.5% effective against one variant and 75% effective against another.     

I agree with medical analysts who say the CDC guidance is premature.  Why not wait a bit longer until less virus is circulating in communities?  More vaccination and less virus circulating in a region means more protection for all.

[Caracal]

Those people who are unvaccinated may get sick, but if they are out unvaccinated with no mask then isn't it really on them at this point?

While I am CURRENTLY protected against COVID, there are variants that are created every day.  It is the unmistakable nature of a virus.  Those that are accepting the risk of infection are not acting against their own health risks alone/in isolation.  They may well get sick and develop an inoculation resistant variant, ro spread one that is out there already.  As the monitoring system is reactive, not proactive, we wont KNOW if there is a vaccine avoiding variant Until it reaches a level that it can be detected... And by then, it will spread quickly as even those vaccinated are no longer immune OR taking their own precautions, we will back to where we were over a year ago!  We will be facing what India is facing today. 

So these 'decision maker' are in effect the weakest links for our societal health.  We can not, as a whole, be healthy when there are reluctant people INVITING infection! 

As I have said before, sometimes I just want to root for the virus to 'eliminate the surplus population' if idiots and assholes that unilaterally make decisions that impact the health of ALL of us!

In the broadest terms, that's right. However, I think you're overplaying the danger a bit. Vaccines protect well against all the variants and boosters can be added as needed. Of course, its important to get people vaccinated, around the world and in the US, but we aren't likely to end up with some strain that is totally resistant to the vaccines.

[dismalist]

More vaccination and less virus circulating in a region means more protection for all.

More protection for all in that region. The others will lose.

[Caracal]

Folks are right that you can't trust others who aren't wearing masks to be vaccinated, but you still aren't in much danger if you, yourself, are vaccinated. Those people who are unvaccinated may get sick, but if they are out unvaccinated with no mask then isn't it really on them at this point?

Vulnerable seniors with co-morbidities are not fully protected by vaccines.  The Qatar study cited by CDC found Pfizer was 89.5% effective against one variant and 75% effective against another.     

Those are top line numbers. Protection against severe disease and hospitalization is almost always better.

Besides those numbers are quite good. The chance of a vaccinated person catching the virus and passing it to another vaccinated person are very low even if you have only 75 percent protection.

[Cheerful]

Vulnerable seniors with co-morbidities are not fully protected by vaccines.  The Qatar study cited by CDC found Pfizer was 89.5% effective against one variant and 75% effective against another.     

Those are top line numbers. Protection against severe disease and hospitalization is almost always better.

Besides those numbers are quite good. The chance of a vaccinated person catching the virus and passing it to another vaccinated person are very low even if you have only 75 percent protection.

My concern is that there will be more virus circulating in communities when people aren't vaccinated and many aren't wearing masks (vaxxed or not).  Hope I'm wrong.  Thinking that highly-vulnerable loved ones have at least a 25 percent chance of getting a variant is not at all comforting to me.

If they have high virus rates in their regions and now people aren't wearing masks, these vulnerable people will be less likely to take advantage of their vaxxed status and get out to the store, etc. during the summer months before things may get worse again (hope not) in fall/winter.  CDC timing is heartbreaking.

Yesterday's announcement made many people anxious and that's sad.  CNN posted a long interview with a doctor who questions the timing and warns people to be careful.

[Cheerful]

More vaccination and less virus circulating in a region means more protection for all.

More protection for all in that region. The others will lose.

I don't understand.  Please clarify.

[dismalist]

More vaccination and less virus circulating in a region means more protection for all.

More protection for all in that region. The others will lose.

I don't understand.  Please clarify.

Yeah, the vaccine has to come form somewhere.

[Mobius]

A lot of faculty need a to get a grip. They didn't give a damn about immunocompromised students pre-COVID

[Puget]

Thinking that highly-vulnerable loved ones have at least a 25 percent chance of getting a variant is not at all comforting to me.

You are misunderstanding what efficacy numbers mean-- 75% efficacy does not mean a 25% chance of getting infected, it means the prevalence  is 75% lower in the vaccine than control group. The control group never has anywhere near a 100% chance of getting infected, so the chances vaccinated are MUCH lower than 25%.

[Cheerful]

Thinking that highly-vulnerable loved ones have at least a 25 percent chance of getting a variant is not at all comforting to me.

You are misunderstanding what efficacy numbers mean-- 75% efficacy does not mean a 25% chance of getting infected, it means the prevalence  is 75% lower in the vaccine than control group. The control group never has anywhere near a 100% chance of getting infected, so the chances vaccinated are MUCH lower than 25%.

Was hoping that was the case, thanks very much, Puget.  I'll move on now, have posted enough in this thread.  Obviously, not happy and concerned.  Appreciate your posts, thanks again.

[Puget]

Thinking that highly-vulnerable loved ones have at least a 25 percent chance of getting a variant is not at all comforting to me.

You are misunderstanding what efficacy numbers mean-- 75% efficacy does not mean a 25% chance of getting infected, it means the prevalence  is 75% lower in the vaccine than control group. The control group never has anywhere near a 100% chance of getting infected, so the chances vaccinated are MUCH lower than 25%.

Was hoping that was the case, thanks very much, Puget.  I'll move on now, have posted enough in this thread.  Obviously, not happy and concerned.  Appreciate your posts, thanks again.

You're welcome-- I think it is totally fine for different folks to have different risk tolerances, but good for their risk assessment to be based on an accurate understanding of the data.

[hmaria1609]

Both MD and VA are lifting their mask mandates:
https://wtop.com/maryland/2021/05/hogan-maryland-mask-mandate-to-be-lifted-saturday/
Clicking "Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam also announced Friday" will take you to a new page.

From WTOP Radio (5/14/21)

[clean]

Have you been out and about since the change in the mask advice? 

Do you feel safe? 

[ciao_yall]

Have you been out and about since the change in the mask advice? 

Do you feel safe?

Yes. Most people stay masked, but we have had good luck controlling the virus in our region. People have been very compliant and our vax rate is pretty high.

We keep our masks on most of the time partly out of habit, and partly out of respect for those who are not vaxxed for whatever reason.

[pepsi_alum]

I'm fully vaccinated and I live alone, so I appreciate being able to ease up on masks a little bit when I'm out in public. It will be especially nice not have to wear a mask outdoors (not a requirement of my city, but a requirement of my employer until this past week).  That having been said, I fully recognize that not everyone is vaccinated and that there are still people who are vulnerable and/or immunocompromised. For that reason, I still plan to wear a mask when I'm in public indoor places like a grocery store or Wal-Mart that lack social distancing. And I'll of course respect any business that requests people continue to mask for the time being.