Back to stage 4 (Austin, Cleveland, Atlanta: school, university, office)

[ScoPro]

I am not telling anyone what to do... just giving intelligent advice to the deniers so we don’t go back to all the hated restrictions. It isn’t rocket science, it is common sense... which has been embarrassingly devoid in 25% of our adult population.

[dicipher]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

I am not telling anyone what to do... just giving intelligent advice to the deniers so we don’t go back to all the hated restrictions. It isn’t rocket science, it is common sense... which has been embarrassingly devoid in 25% of our adult population.

There's a difference between denying, being aware of risks and wanting to be cautious, and being responsible. One can still be responsible and not take the "damn shot" if they want to wait until this game of ping pong starts to settle down.

[VAF84]

People can do what they want at this point. The risks are known, treatments are better, vaccines are available. Personally, I got the vaccine primarily to be left alone about having to wear a mask, second because I travel extensively and it facilitates things.

IMO it's absolutely absurd to try and talk everyone into getting vaccinated, only to have the same vax'd people have to act like they're not. In fact it makes me more than a little upset. If I knew we'd still have to wear masks around, I would have probably skipped the vaccine. So I'm sure this is not going to do a great job of convincing the vaccine hold-outs on getting the shot. At this point, the only thing keeping me from ignoring a business request to wear a mask is respect for the business owner and private enterprise; but I will continue to adjust my shopping habits to support places that will not deny a customer's patronage due to a lack of having a dirty piece of cloth across the nose and mouth.

On that note has it been 100 days yet? When is the FDA dropping the mask mandate on flights? My youngest just turned 2, which means he now has to wear a mask, and it's about to be a bigger nightmare to fly. The older one got better about it during our trips over the last year, but we're probably going to have to duct tape the 2 year olds on. Absolute insanity asking 0-5 year olds to mask up on a flight. Seriously, whoever decided this must not have kids.

Eventually people are going to figure out that covid is here to stay, and will be known as the common cold or flu for the vaccinated. I'm guessing a few more years of media covidporn, and scares, before it slips into the background.

[riaelise]

I am exposed to unvaxxed people - my elderly mom and my ten year old daughter. It’s not about just me..I can get sick (even mildly) and infect them. Since they’re unvaxxed they can get very sick. So it’s back to the mask for me and reducing crowd exposure. Pandemic or no I wish people wouldn’t get so close to me. There’s no reason to be right on top of me in a store. Respect my personal space

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by dicipher

There's a difference between denying, being aware of risks and wanting to be cautious, and being responsible. One can still be responsible and not take the "damn shot" if they want to wait until this game of ping pong starts to settle down.

I don't tell anyone to 'get the shot'; however, not getting the shot is in no way related to being responsible or cautious. It is the opposite. Outside of a minute number of very specific exceptions, not getting a shot is deciding to take a huge risk instead of a very small risk. There is absolutely nothing else to it - just rationalization.

At this point, I don't really care anymore - we are all vaccinated and un-vaccinated people can spread it to their hearts content. I wear a mask again, as I don't want to spread it myself by some chance. HEB near my house was probably back up to ~50% masking, I would estimate.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

I don't tell anyone to 'get the shot'; however, not getting the shot is in no way related to being responsible or cautious. It is the opposite. Outside of a minute number of very specific exceptions, not getting a shot is deciding to take a huge risk instead of a very small risk. There is absolutely nothing else to it - just rationalization.

At this point, I don't really care anymore - we are all vaccinated and un-vaccinated people can spread it to their hearts content. I wear a mask again, as I don't want to spread it myself by some chance. HEB near my house was probably back up to ~50% masking, I would estimate.

Your youngest is vaxxed?

[dicipher]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

I don't tell anyone to 'get the shot'; however, not getting the shot is in no way related to being responsible or cautious. It is the opposite. Outside of a minute number of very specific exceptions, not getting a shot is deciding to take a huge risk instead of a very small risk. There is absolutely nothing else to it - just rationalization.

At this point, I don't really care anymore - we are all vaccinated and un-vaccinated people can spread it to their hearts content. I wear a mask again, as I don't want to spread it myself by some chance. HEB near my house was probably back up to ~50% masking, I would estimate.

I respectfully disagree. If one follows proper protocols, the likelihood of contracting the virus (and eventually dying of it) is miniscule (you're pretty much just splitting hairs because the likelihood on either side of the coin is extremely small). The current information from Israel says the vaccine is only 39% effective vs the Delta Variant. The big plus is it doesn't typically lead to anything severe. They also have implied that the vaccine's effectiveness is waning and those vaccinated in January are only looking at a 16% effectiveness at this point (basically within a little over 2 months, they will be no better than someone that is unvaccinated and they aren't much better now).

I have no interest in the Mrna vaccines, but will be interested when Novavax does eventually come out. I respect people to make the right decision for themselves. I'm not interested in hurling insults just because we have a difference of opinion or insist that a specific viewpoint is correct.

[ScoPro]

People questioning the validity should rely on what the vast majority of the doctors are saying, and NOT on what Internet bloggers are trying to claim.

Vaccines do not keep you from catching a virus, they keep you from getting extremely sick and dying from the disease. That is how they have worked since Edward Jenner was the first to vaccinate a person (against smallpox) 225 years ago.
Again, nearly ALL the Covid hospitalizations, ICUs, and deaths lately are the unvaccinated. That is not difficult to understand.

Those 60 legislators ought to just stay in Washington DC as far as I care. They’ll do less damage to Texas.

[dicipher]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

People questioning the validity should rely on what the vast majority of the doctors are saying, and NOT on what Internet bloggers are trying to claim.

Vaccines do not keep you from catching a virus, they keep you from getting extremely sick and dying from the disease. That is how they have worked since Edward Jenner was the first to vaccinate a person (against smallpox) 225 years ago.
Again, nearly ALL the Covid hospitalizations, ICUs, and deaths lately are the unvaccinated. That is not difficult to understand.

Those 60 legislators ought to just stay in Washington DC as far as I care. They’ll do less damage to Texas.

No family doctors I know of are infectious disease experts. I tend to trust the info coming out of Israel's medical community much more so then the info from the U.S. who always seem to be behind the curb on taking action. I think it's been like 3 weeks since the WHO recommended everyone going to masks and we're just getting around to it now. The CDC still hasn't changed their guidance as far as I know. Nor has Abbott and he won't unless the hospitals are overflowing.

No one knows the long term impact of the vaccines.

[Trainwreck20]

Even after the effectiveness of getting Covid has fallen, the likelihood of severe results is still hugely reduced. And 'following protocols' means not shopping w/o a mask, distancing from people (especially ones not wearing masks), and not going back into an office.