Mask Mandates Coming Back?

[Teddybear]

CAVEAT EMPTOR - VENTING!

i read this article here in - of all sources - Forbes Magazine:

#BringBackMasks Trends As ‘Tripledemic’ Of Covid-19, RSV, Flu Worsens

Covid-19 transmission levels are now high throughout much of the country, prompting recommendations to wear face masks again.

www.forbes.com

I can not even begin to describe the damage those last 2 1/2 years of lockdowns, mask mandates and limits to movement have done to my mental framework.

The feeling of being made prisoner, of somebody else dictating where I can go and that I am not allowed to breethe freely - I suffer from heavy asthma attacks - combined with that never ending testing madness tore the last vestages of mental health appart inside of me.

This Corona madness will *never* end and if they run out of 1 virus, they swiftly pick up another. For tens of thousands of years communicable diseases were part of the human experience and yes - that people die was also engrained in our consciousness.

Yet here comes this highly paid advocate for commercial enterprise and tells us that personal freedoms like breathing w/o an N95 mask in front of your face (try that for hours with 1/3 reduced lung capacity) are akin to "pooping in a public pool" or running over a stop sign on a crowded street.

All those vaccinations (I got vaxed & boostered three times over) amounted to NOTHING. Here we are in year three of the "pandemic" and still have to morally (if not soon legally again) justify that we wish to breathe freely???

Wtf has gone wrong with us as a species that we let ourselves get scared out of living by the 1 thing *none* of us can escape? The fear of death from a (by now) common respiratory ailmemt shall ensure that we'll never leave house again w/o an N95 face mask on? Me exhaling is like pooping in somebody else's bath water?

And they call that a life worth living?

 

[makethepainstop]

I remember that wearing a mask into a business, bank, or school would result in local law enforcement being called right quickly. When covid was in full swing they might call the cops if you WERE NOT wearing a mask!

 

[Teddybear]

I remember that wearing a mask into a business, bank, or school would result in local law enforcement being called right quickly. When covid was in full swing they might call the cops if you WERE NOT wearing a mask!

One 180 degree turnaround after another after another after … And they call us "mental"!

 

[Teddybear]

The mask mandate never got fully revoked where I live. We've been masking up on public transport since March 2020 without breaks and it's simply an unnecessary inconvenience. You surely get used to it but it still raises the question of what's the point behind limiting yourself when there's always that group of drunk assholes who give zero fucks and spread a handful of diseases every day of their lives. Masks are only useful when you carry the virus yourself, otherwise there's absolutely no protection from it for anybody. I'm anything but a conspiracy theorist but something doesn't seem quite right with these stupid-ass covid measures.

My asthma turns breathing through N95 masks into a hard labor exercise. But what's more: They promised us' "Get vaxed and you'll get your old life back!"

It was a pain in the rear to get a vaccine shot - and I got myself all three of them. The last one put me down with chronic pain for over three weeks.

Yet the mask & testing mandates continue w/o end in sight. They lied to us - that's a fact as undeniable as the rising sun.

 

[makethepainstop]

My asthma turns breathing through N95 masks into a hard labor exercise. But what's more: They promised us' "Get vaxed and you'll get your old life back!"

It was a pain in the rear to get a vaccine shot - and I got myself all three of them. The last one put me down with chronic pain for over three weeks.

Yet the mask & testing mandates continue w/o end in sight. They lied to us - that's a fact as undeniable as the rising sun.

Got ya beat! I have had one Johnson and Johnson shot, two Pfizer shots, Three Moderna shots, and two flu shots. I have had enough shots. If anyone is protected from Covid its me!

 

[Jarni]

Long Covid ruined all my life and milions of other people. So I'm for masks. Pamdemic is not over AT ALL.

 

[Teddybear]

Long Covid ruined all my life and milions of other people. So I'm for masks. Pamdemic is not over AT ALL.

I feel sorry for you, but there will *always* be someone who gets the short end of the stick on an infection that is otherwise harmless for the vast majority of us. My own mother got infected *at the hospital* at 82 years of age. She barely weight 48 kilograms, had double kidney failure and was as frail as frail could be. Yet Corona did exactly *nothing* to her - other than get her stuck in an isolation ward for almost two weeks.

After that time in total isolation she *begged* me to let her die. You know what that does to a man who had to fight all his life for his mom's love? And then I missed the chance for a last talk with her. because when the crisis came and she died on the operating table, I couldn't go and visit her before the surgery, for the Corona test station in my hood had closed w/o advanced notice.

She mental damage these never ending Covid measure take on all of use by far(!) outweigh any medical benefit. Infections are part of normal human life. But now I see people who won't even touch the cracker box at the supermarket w/o medical gloves. This is making us all paranoid and we turn into a society with a bubble boy mentality.

Got ya beat! I have had one Johnson and Johnson shot, two Pfizer shots, Three Moderna shots, and two flu shots. I have had enough shots. If anyone is protected from Covid its me!

Nope, you are NOT PROTECTED AT ALL. Not w/o you and everyone else wearing masks, gloves and not congregating indoors. At least that's the official line of the "we must never stop worrying!!" faction.

 

[WorthlessTrash]

Not masking up, not doing anything. COVID isn't as deadly as people think. Heck, I was moderately overweight and had both pneumonia and covid at the same time and left it untreated for a week, yet I am still unfortunately alive. It is an overhyped virus.

 

[Life_and_Death]

I suffer from heavy asthma attacks

I understand you. I suffer from... Idk.. But I know I don't breath right. Its like I can't breath enough in, deep breathing is physically impossible for me. My nose is permanently clogged so I can't breath through that and I have claustophobia. So I can't wear a mask because I literally cant breath through my mouth or nose and am scared of it.
The government was all like "there's exemptions for conditions" but I don't think a single one was ever actually allowed. "the businesses are allowed to make their own rules" then why make the exemption in the first place!!!!?
The whole thing is stupid and makes me want to pop the government in the nose but brass knuckles are illegal here.

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

I've got everything-fatigue so I just can't be assed to do anything or care about any of it anymore. A Covid article may as well be a Meghan Markle article at this point.

 

[Teddybear]

I've got everything-fatigue so I just can't be assed to do anything or care about any of it anymore. A Covid article may as well be a Meghan Markle article at this point.

Meghan Markle = Privileged Elitist Millionaire (Billionaire?) who thinks a little tan on her skin tone turns her into a victim of royal slavery. A woman who truly believes that someone guessing about the darker skin tone of her baby is hard core racism has never met a hard core racist.

I bet you they never wear masks if no camera is nearby.

I understand you. I suffer from... Idk.. But I know I don't breath right. Its like I can't breath enough in, deep breathing is physically impossible for me. My nose is permanently clogged so I can't breath through that and I have claustophobia. So I can't wear a mask because I literally cant breath through my mouth or nose and am scared of it.
The government was all like "there's exemptions for conditions" but I don't think a single one was ever actually allowed. "the businesses are allowed to make their own rules" then why make the exemption in the first place!!!!?
The whole thing is stupid and makes me want to pop the government in the nose but brass knuckles are illegal here.

I share your sentiment. I've got violent anti-government fantasies of my own which I won't share here for obvious reason.

Honestly, I think there is method behind it all: First terrorism, then Climate and now Covid. Some people have decided that only fear in combination with one guilt trip after another can keep the people in line and steer them in "the right direction".
But I am tired of living in fear and my mom bestowed me with enough guilt for three lifetimes. I sure as heck don't need the government to keep adding and adding on to that.

 

[western_heart]

Mandates aren't coming back, that's what the article is about. There are a bunch of people tweeting about how they wish there were mandates again, but unless you are Elon Musk talking to a Twitter employee, tweets are not orders. Between Covid, RSV, and the flu, viral transmission is objectively high in many areas, hospitals are filling up in some regions, and the most the CDC does is RECOMMEND wearing masks in indoor public spaces in counties where the numbers are high. there is very little political support for actual mandates even in places like LA that previously would do so as soon as CDC recommends it. At this point the best health departments can do is put out toothless recommendations.

ETA: comment applies to US only
For transparency, the only time I've worn a mask in the past few months was in a hospital. I didn't want to get any sick people sicker. Wasn't mandated for patients/visitors and not enforced for employees.

 

[Teddybear]

Mandates aren't coming back, that's what the article is about. There are a bunch of people tweeting about how they wish there were mandates again, but unless you are Elon Musk talking to a Twitter employee, tweets are not orders. Between Covid, RSV, and the flu, viral transmission is objectively high in many areas, hospitals are filling up in some regions, and the most the CDC does is RECOMMEND wearing masks in indoor public spaces in counties where the numbers are high. there is very little political support for actual mandates even in places like LA that previously would do so as soon as CDC recommends it. At this point the best health departments can do is put out toothless recommendations.

ETA: comment applies to US only
For transparency, the only time I've worn a mask in the past few months was in a hospital. I didn't want to get any sick people sicker. Wasn't mandated for patients/visitors and not enforced for employees.

I've learned to be very cautious when the US East coast elites start lecturing the rest of the world about supposed immoral behavior. After all, we are talking Forbes Magazine here and not some small town tabloid newspaper.
And the author of the article claims - rightly or wrongly - that a majority of Twitter users are demanding "#BringBackMasks". The "liberal" mainstream in Europe openly admits, that they take their marching orders from the NYT and Forbes isn't that far away from that.

Any politician reading this will automatically be tempted to jump on the bandwagon of the assumed "moral majority" and ride it all the way to election victory. The very fact that people of influence are still arguing with a straight face that year three of the pandemic should be the same as year one makes me shiver. I know for sure that I won't make it through another lock down and general mask mandates would only be a first step towards all of us getting imprisoned in our own homes once more.

Where I live masks are still mandatory for every bus or train ride and for each visit to the hospital or pharmacy. If they became required for even grocery shopping again, I know I'm gonna loose it completely. :(

 

[western_heart]

The article doesn't claim the majority of Twitter users are demanding masks. Articles written on the Forbes website by contributors are not the same as what appear in Forbes magazine. In this case the article is an opinion piece not endorsed by Forbes written by a public health expert, describing what public health experts are saying on Twitter, and what NYC is doing (or rather not doing - no mandates)

If your non-American politicians are making decisions based on American blog posts talking about what happens in America, that sounds like a local problem. Blaming our "coastal elites" is a cop-out. if those who push for mandates in Europe are citing American social media as their reason, they're manipulating you to divert your attention.

I think the mandates are often warranted, but if you're gonna be opposed to them, you should direct your opposition towards the right target.

 

[Teddybear]

The article doesn't claim the majority of Twitter users are demanding masks. Articles written on the Forbes website by contributors are not the same as what appear in Forbes magazine. In this case the article is an opinion piece not endorsed by Forbes written by a public health expert, describing what public health experts are saying on Twitter, and what NYC is doing (or rather not doing - no mandates)

If your non-American politicians are making decisions based on American blog posts talking about what happens in America, that sounds like a local problem. Blaming our "coastal elites" is a cop-out. if those who push for mandates in Europe are citing American social media as their reason, they're manipulating you to divert your attention.

I think the mandates are often warranted, but if you're gonna be opposed to them, you should direct your opposition towards the right target.

The author said that the "most trending hashtags" were calling for a return to mask mandates. That for me is the same as claiming a majority of Twitter users are calling for it. And I wasn't referring to the City of New York but to the New York Times and the way these news outlets almost dictate political opinion in the rest of the Western world by now.

Pointing out the inappropriate influence US coastal elites have in the decision making process of supposedly sovereign nations throughout the world is not a "Cop out" but a statement of facts. The emotional hysteria with which all of those Covid measures are presented to the public makes a level sided discussion impossible. For if you disagree with only 1 argument of theirs then you are a callous sadist who wants to let granny die.

Over here leading scientists got themselves fired for simply stating the obvious: Personal freedoms should matter in these times, too, and SarsCov-II is not the plague. So what chance is a schmuck with a known history of depression supposed to have in this?

"Hey, you are killing me with your restrictions and lockdowns." - "Oh yeah? Wait until we put your ass in a straight jacket and see how that feels!"

 

[hungry_ghost]

I'm tired of both sides of this whole ordeal, honestly.

Remember when C*VID first started and people thought it was a global cover for children being rescued from tunnels and celebrities being arrested? lmao

Or people making videos about how forced masking is a satanic ritual?

I mean.... look, if there weren't any skepticism about C19 at all, and we all assumed it was legit and contagious, we'd be rightfully following the mask mandate.

If I had the flu right now, or a cough, and had to go out in public, I would wear a mask.

 

[Teddybear]

I'm tired of both sides of this whole ordeal, honestly.

Remember when C*VID first started and people thought it was a global cover for children being rescued from tunnels and celebrities being arrested? lmao

Or people making videos about how forced masking is a satanic ritual?

I mean.... look, if there weren't any skepticism about C19 at all, and we all assumed it was legit and contagious, we'd be rightfully following the mask mandate.

If I had the flu right now, or a cough, and had to go out in public, I would wear a mask.

I wouldn't even go out in public if I had an infectious disease. But the whole concept of Covid mandates and restrictions is that they apply for everybody, regardless of vaccination or infection status.

I took a lot of stress and physical pain upon me just to get myself vaxed three times over. And it made no difference what-so-ever when it came to curfews, travel restrictions or mask mandates.

It makes me feel helpless and like I am institutionalized w/o any court having ever passed judgement over me. If they bring back uniform mandates or curfews I'll rather risk jail over it than to obey this time around.

 

[hungry_ghost]

I wouldn't even go out in public if I had an infectious disease. But the whole concept of Covid mandates and restrictions is that they apply for everybody, regardless of vaccination or infection status.

I took a lot of stress and physical pain upon me just to get myself vaxed three times over. And it made no difference what-so-ever when it came to curfews, travel restrictions or mask mandates.

It makes me feel helpless and like I am institutionalized w/o any court having ever passed judgement over me. If they bring back uniform mandates or curfews I'll rather risk jail over it than to obey this time around.

Yeah, the whole vaccine thing was absolute bullshit, I agree.

They aggressively pushed the campaign all of last year only for this year to be like, "Ah well, if you get it, you get it. If you don't, you don't".

The people who pushed others to get it, shamed them, coerced them, fired them over it, all should be held responsible.

 

[Teddybear]

Yeah, the whole vaccine thing was absolute bullshit, I agree.

They aggressively pushed the campaign all of last year only for this year to be like, "Ah well, if you get it, you get it. If you don't, you don't".

The people who pushed others to get it, shamed them, coerced them, fired them over it, all should be held responsible.

I got myself vaxxed exactly for that promise: "You'll get your old life back" and now they started a worry campaign because of all those other respiratory diseases that might infect people with an immune system untrained in three years of lock downs and mask mandates.

I see no light at the end of that tunnel and that doesn't help one bit to improve my overall mental health.

 

[WorthlessTrash]

Are you still not allowed to fly if you're not vaxxed?

 

[Teddybear]

Are you still not allowed to fly if you're not vaxxed?

For some countries yeas, but I wouldn't want to go there anyway. What bothers me *much* more is the need for cumbersome and costly Covid testing, every time I want to visit the last elderly friend I've got left. She stays at a nursing home, I got no car and public transportation there simply sucks. There is no testing station in the whole small town where she at and trying to get me tested where I am takes me an extra hour+ (last time the station had run out of masks and refused to go on testing). Naturally the train is long gone by then.