Coronavirus Thread VIII: Shanghai Chokes

[San Lumen]

What do you suggest? Everyone hide behind masks henceforth? We never hold certain events again?

Why is being able to stare at strangers' mouths so vitally important to you that everyone else must put their lives at risk so you can do it?

Are you seriously proposing we remove facial communication from the world?

[Vassenor]

Why is being able to stare at strangers' mouths so vitally important to you that everyone else must put their lives at risk so you can do it?

Are you seriously proposing we remove facial communication from the world?

I can't see your face. We are communicating just fine.

[The Black Forrest]

If eradication is impossible then we will have to live with taking precautions against covid forever. Unless you want to get covid.

No we don't. Getting sick is part of life. It should be up to the individual or business at this point.

I would rather avoid bad things like smallpox. Rights are rightfully reduced in such matters.

[The Black Forrest]

Oh, now we suddenly care what the scientific community has to say.
Weird how that didn't seem to apply much these last couple of years.

Your point is….what exactly?

The people who following trump and the anti-vax people are still telling their lies.

The people who understand the pandemic have always listened to the scientists.

Some people did get educated and made the transition to vaccines are a good thing.

Still……

[The Black Forrest]

Why is being able to stare at strangers' mouths so vitally important to you that everyone else must put their lives at risk so you can do it?

Are you seriously proposing we remove facial communication from the world?

Hey a twofer. We mask for safety and we hid ugly people.

Seriously? Communication is not only facial communication.

[Rusozak]

Are you seriously proposing we remove facial communication from the world?

Hey a twofer. We mask for safety and we hid ugly people.

Seriously? Communication is not only facial communication.

It also did a lot for worldwide bad breath awareness.

[Juristonia]

Oh, now we suddenly care what the scientific community has to say.
Weird how that didn't seem to apply much these last couple of years.

Your point is….what exactly?

The people who following trump and the anti-vax people are still telling their lies.

The people who understand the pandemic have always listened to the scientists.

Some people did get educated and made the transition to vaccines are a good thing.

Still……

My point is that it's weird to see the same people who, for the past two years, have argued that we should ignore the science now suddenly say we should follow the science when it's convenient to them.

[Australian rePublic]

Oh, now we suddenly care what the scientific community has to say.
Weird how that didn't seem to apply much these last couple of years.

What are you talking about? I've been agreeing with the scientific community forever, and now I also agree that you can't eradicate Covid. Covid is here forever. The Spanish flu is here forever, but we don't have any restrictions on that, the Bubonic Plague is here forever, but we don't have any restrictions on that, and Covid is here forever, we can't continue having restrictions on that indefinitely. Sooner or later, we'll have to eliminate all Covid restrictions. But until that point comes, wear a fucking mask. Seriously, it's the least intrusive Covid restriction. There is literarly no reason to intentionally not wear a mask.

[Juristonia]

Oh, now we suddenly care what the scientific community has to say.
Weird how that didn't seem to apply much these last couple of years.

What are you talking about? I've been agreeing with the scientific community forever, and now I also agree that you can't eradicate Covid. Covid is here forever. The Spanish flu is here forever, but we don't have any restrictions on that, the Bubonic Plague is here forever, but we don't have any restrictions on that, and Covid is here forever, we can't continue having restrictions on that indefinitely. Sooner or later, we'll have to eliminate all Covid restrictions. But until that point comes, wear a fucking mask. Seriously, it's the least intrusive Covid restriction. There is literarly no reason to intentionally not wear a mask.

I'm genuinely at a loss where in that post you saw anything that was directed at you personally.

[Page]

A grown adult sometimes wearing a mask in certain settings isn't going to have any major communication issues. But children who are expected to wear a mask all day long at school for the whole school year, especially in the formative years of early childhood, yeah they may end up a bit communicationally challenged. It's like reading. An adult can not read a book for years and then pick up a book and read just fine, but facial communication is a huge part of development.

[Esternial]

A grown adult sometimes wearing a mask in certain settings isn't going to have any major communication issues. But children who are expected to wear a mask all day long at school for the whole school year, especially in the formative years of early childhood, yeah they may end up a bit communicationally challenged. It's like reading. An adult can not read a book for years and then pick up a book and read just fine, but facial communication is a huge part of development.

I would say the same goes for adults. Social skills are very much something you can unlearn, as I've found out returning to the office after all that isolation and remote working.

[The Reformed American Republic]

You don't seem to understand that eradication is impossible. You want to wear a mask go ahead but it should not be mandatory for all henceforth which is what you seem to be suggesting.

If eradication is impossible then we will have to live with taking precautions against covid forever. Unless you want to get covid.

Well, if we're not old and immunocompromised, it's just another pathogen we have to worry about.

[Ifreann]

If eradication is impossible then we will have to live with taking precautions against covid forever. Unless you want to get covid.

Well, if we're not old and immunocompromised, it's just another pathogen we have to worry about.

That's a very strange sentence. You're saying we do have to worry about getting covid, but you've phrased it as if you're saying we don't have to worry about getting covid.

[Stellar Colonies]

A grown adult sometimes wearing a mask in certain settings isn't going to have any major communication issues. But children who are expected to wear a mask all day long at school for the whole school year, especially in the formative years of early childhood, yeah they may end up a bit communicationally challenged. It's like reading. An adult can not read a book for years and then pick up a book and read just fine, but facial communication is a huge part of development.

I would say the same goes for adults. Social skills are very much something you can unlearn, as I've found out returning to the office after all that isolation and remote working.

Yeah, the lockdowns wrecked my social skills development at a fairly crucial time.

I'm still trying to recover lost ground since 2020 in that arena.

[The Reformed American Republic]

Well, if we're not old and immunocompromised, it's just another pathogen we have to worry about.

That's a very strange sentence. You're saying we do have to worry about getting covid, but you've phrased it as if you're saying we don't have to worry about getting covid.

It's not spectacular as far as pathogens go. Yes, it sucks to get sick, but it isn't worse than many of the other pathogens we're exposed to throughout our lives. I would worry if I was visiting someone who is old or immunocompromised, but other than that, it's not worth basing my whole life around.

[Loeje]

I don't know about that either. I did literally everything right. I got every vaccine dose as soon as I was allowed to, I followed social distancing, and wore a mask all the time. I still got covid. It feels like nothing works against it anymore.

So did I. And that's not stopping me continuing to take those steps.

What if “learning to live with COVID” meant learning to live with basic precautions like masks and enhanced air handling rather than living with repeated infections until your long-term health is threatened?

In the ultimate coincidence, covid reached my family again when you wrote this. Kind of depressing, but also kind of funny.

Anyway, I agree that it's important to try to not get sick. Covid sucks and I would like to never ever get it again. But I've been wearing masks for two years, my social skills are stunted to the point that I struggle to have friends at all, and I just don't think I can keep going like this anymore. Especially when it feels like it doesn't make a difference anyway.

[Page]

I don't know about that either. I did literally everything right. I got every vaccine dose as soon as I was allowed to, I followed social distancing, and wore a mask all the time. I still got covid. It feels like nothing works against it anymore.

So did I. And that's not stopping me continuing to take those steps.

What if “learning to live with COVID” meant learning to live with basic precautions like masks and enhanced air handling rather than living with repeated infections until your long-term health is threatened?

Would you mind answering a question? Where - where masks are not mandatory - do you wear them? Do you wear them outside walking around town? Do you wear them if you're at a friend's house? I really would like to know.

[Fartsniffage]

So did I. And that's not stopping me continuing to take those steps.

Would you mind answering a question? Where - where masks are not mandatory - do you wear them? Do you wear them outside walking around town? Do you wear them if you're at a friend's house? I really would like to know.

I wear mine if I'm in a medical facility. A shop with large numbers of people, any building with large numbers of people really. On public transport.

[Celritannia]

Why is being able to stare at strangers' mouths so vitally important to you that everyone else must put their lives at risk so you can do it?

Are you seriously proposing we remove facial communication from the world?

Just stop the hyperbolic nonsense.

Taking precautions against getting sick is a part of life. Do you have this attitude about other diseases as well? No need to wash your hands after handling raw meat, getting sick is a part of life.

You just said that eradication is impossible. Therefore the threat of covid will never go away. You'll always have to take precautions against it. Unless you want to get sick.

What do you suggest? Everyone hide behind masks henceforth? We never hold certain events again?

Please tell us what's wrong with mask wearing?

[Ifreann]

That's a very strange sentence. You're saying we do have to worry about getting covid, but you've phrased it as if you're saying we don't have to worry about getting covid.

It's not spectacular as far as pathogens go. Yes, it sucks to get sick, but it isn't worse than many of the other pathogens we're exposed to throughout our lives. I would worry if I was visiting someone who is old or immunocompromised, but other than that, it's not worth basing my whole life around.

Covid has killed 6.4 million people in two years, and left millions more disabled, the costs of which we will be paying for decades. Very weird to look at that and think "nbd".

[The Reformed American Republic]

It's not spectacular as far as pathogens go. Yes, it sucks to get sick, but it isn't worse than many of the other pathogens we're exposed to throughout our lives. I would worry if I was visiting someone who is old or immunocompromised, but other than that, it's not worth basing my whole life around.

Covid has killed 6.4 million people in two years, and left millions more disabled, the costs of which we will be paying for decades. Very weird to look at that and think "nbd".

And a large chunk of that was early in the pandemic when there was no vaccine.

[Vassenor]

Please tell us what's wrong with mask wearing?

People having to wear bits of cloth on their faces will cause the downfall of society, but it's the people saying we need to do something about COVID are the ones who are doomsaying.

[The Black Forrest]

Hey a twofer. We mask for safety and we hid ugly people.

Seriously? Communication is not only facial communication.

It also did a lot for worldwide bad breath awareness.

Good point. Make that a threefer!

[Dogmeat]

Covid has killed 6.4 million people in two years, and left millions more disabled, the costs of which we will be paying for decades. Very weird to look at that and think "nbd".

And a large chunk of that was early in the pandemic when there was no vaccine.

But a larger chunk of that was after.

[Australian rePublic]

What are you talking about? I've been agreeing with the scientific community forever, and now I also agree that you can't eradicate Covid. Covid is here forever. The Spanish flu is here forever, but we don't have any restrictions on that, the Bubonic Plague is here forever, but we don't have any restrictions on that, and Covid is here forever, we can't continue having restrictions on that indefinitely. Sooner or later, we'll have to eliminate all Covid restrictions. But until that point comes, wear a fucking mask. Seriously, it's the least intrusive Covid restriction. There is literarly no reason to intentionally not wear a mask.

I'm genuinely at a loss where in that post you saw anything that was directed at you personally.

I thought you were addressing everyone who opposed restrictions