Coronavirus (San Francisco: home, high school, allergies)

[goodheathen]

Originally Posted by sav858

They’re called South Floridians just like you call yourself a Southern Californian. Bogus metropolis? Haha, don’t pull a muscle with that stretch. Yeah Miami has no freeways, they get around only on surface streets and gondolas in the canals. Their metro rail system opened before LA’s btw. But I guess this is you throwing out bogus statements and just waiting for someone to check the “veracity”. I’ve never seen so many random, off the wall excuses and that says a lot for this site.

FYI Miami-Dade County has a much higher infection rate now and overall since the pandemic began; 1 in 5 have been infected versus 1 in 8 in LA. Broward County 1 in 8 have been infected overall. 1 in 10 have been infected in PB county versus 1 in 12 in OC.

I think the term I was looking for was beltway, not freeway. Almost all metropolitan areas have a beltway or semicircle at least.

Of course Miami-Dade County would have the highest infection rate. It's the most urban. Palm County is like a suburb (with many retirees) and shouldn't be included in the metropolitan area.

[DriveNotCommute]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

The BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine provided 79 percent protection against infection from the Delta variant, compared with 92 percent against the Alpha variant:
https://www.politico.eu/article/delt...cottish-study/

I don't think your link is going to be read by people who are politically invested in their position to the extent that they would go out of their way to bash behaviors that opt for caution.

Don't want to be judged for being mask free? I'm with people on that. Especially now, when the vaccination rates are improved and while we (California) haven't been severely hit yet by an enhanced variant. I'm hoping that we're good for at least a few months. Got a haircut today w/o wearing the mask.

On the other hand, using the concept of being judged as a springboard from which to say that nobody should wear masks, to redefine science as falsehoods, and to generally put politics into this? Not so respectable. Quite a few anti-maskers have been doing exactly that about the idea of masking up, from the earliest days of the pandemic right through the worst days of it.

This "Delta variant" is a good example for why continuing to wear masks is a perfectly rational choice. Even if this one specifically hasn't reached here yet, it or another like it could eventually do so. It's probably early to worry now but for someone who wants to be careful but not have to watch the news for it, it makes sense. Also, those actually more concerned about allergies, cold, flu? A-OK by me, not my business. If it keeps their cold away from me, I see it as a plus.

The vaccines aren't perfect BTW; while it almost guarantees survival if you do get sick, it doesn't keep everyone from getting sick to begin with. If it's bad enough to land someone in a hospital, it'd be a very significant inconvenience to anyone with business/responsibilities to handle. I can sleep off a bad flu but potential hospitalization is a different game, one that I would want to approach conservatively.

Also pointed out by someone in this thread, each person who gets infected by the virus, symptomatic or not, is a lottery ticket for a new and more dangerous variant to develop and spread from. Except instead of getting money, new relatives and new best friends, the person gets to be the champion a-hole who beat the odds at unleashing the next wave of plague on us. It's the perfect scenario for the phrase, "Don't be that guy."

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Finper

I feel so bad for you rational Californians. When I saw people still wearing masks in say Walmart I never did. People have to be trailblazers.

People have to be "trailblazers" with COVID-19? Just an unbelievable comment.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by DriveNotCommute

I don't think your link is going to be read by people who are politically invested in their position to the extent that they would go out of their way to bash behaviors that opt for caution.

Which is too bad; political views should have nothing to do with COVID.

Originally Posted by DriveNotCommute

This "Delta variant" is a good example for why continuing to wear masks is a perfectly rational choice. Even if this one specifically hasn't reached here yet, it or another like it could eventually do so. It's probably early to worry now but for someone who wants to be careful but not have to watch the news for it, it makes sense. Also, those actually more concerned about allergies, cold, flu? A-OK by me, not my business. If it keeps their cold away from me, I see it as a plus.

You're right.

Originally Posted by DriveNotCommute

Also pointed out by someone in this thread, each person who gets infected by the virus, symptomatic or not, is a lottery ticket for a new and more dangerous variant to develop and spread from. Except instead of getting money, new relatives and new best friends, the person gets to be the champion a-hole who beat the odds at unleashing the next wave of plague on us. It's the perfect scenario for the phrase, "Don't be that guy."

Can't rep you again.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by stablegenius

AGREE went to the gym today, Mark’s not required. About 95% unmasked. I was surprised to see anyone masked. They must not know you don’t have to anymore.

I think word has gotten out. Home Depot and the line of contractors was pretty much mask free.

[joosoon]

Originally Posted by sav858

Went to a bar today and someone an empty seat over hands me a menu making sure to tell me he's vaccinated, I thank him of course for the menu. Eventually he moves a couple seats down. Was I suppose to let him know I was vaccinated too or something?

Sounds like it may become the new pickup line; Hey, do you come here often... oh, and are you vaxxed up?

[joosoon]

Originally Posted by DriveNotCommute

This "Delta variant" is a good example for why continuing to wear masks is a perfectly rational choice. Even if this one specifically hasn't reached here yet, it or another like it could eventually do so. It's probably early to worry now but for someone who wants to be careful but not have to watch the news for it, it makes sense. Also, those actually more concerned about allergies, cold, flu? A-OK by me, not my business. If it keeps their cold away from me, I see it as a plus.

I work in schools and I have the same perspective. It's unusual to not get some sort of bug at least once a year, usually more. Up until late spring, I was doing great. It was an unprecedented run of not being sick. But once the bulk of students returned, my luck broke. This is totally anecdotal and it's impossible to pinpoint a source, but it undermined my confidence that masks were keeping colds and other viruses in check. No doubt it helped prior, but there's a break even point where exposure odds exceed the effectiveness of a simple mask. JMO of course.


About the only reason I can see for un-vaccinated people to keep wearing masks is that the only group 100% at risk now is the 0-11 years out there and they have no choice in the matter.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by goodheathen

I think the term I was looking for was beltway, not freeway. Almost all metropolitan areas have a beltway or semicircle at least.

Of course Miami-Dade County would have the highest infection rate. It's the most urban. Palm County is like a suburb (with many retirees) and shouldn't be included in the metropolitan area.

You should probably take a look at a map or something, not sure how Miami doesn't have this or how it's any different than LA to that regard.

Higher than LA yet they seem to be managing fine. It was just an example of another large city/metro area that's decently vaccinated and has been open and mask free for a while. One that does share societal characteristics more so with LA than places like Phoenix.

This reopening is really bothering you it seems. Kind of all over the place with these arguments.

[goodheathen]

Never any objection from me about LA and Miami's cultural similarities. Similarities in risk are where I strongly disagree. I just did look at a map. There are more highways there than I thought (I've never driven myself around Miami), although not really a beltway because the so-called metropolis is very narrow. It's small, and like I said the northern parts don't have much to do with the city of Miami. COVID-19 just isn't going to overrun the region like it has done here. There's too much potential for things to go wrong in LA, period. I've been through it, and it stinks. Widely dumping masks in Los Angeles when there's no good evidence of herd immunity is foolishly risky. All it takes is a highly contagious variant to negate much of the immunity LA does have. As far as I can tell, on this site and from locals speaking out about it elsewhere, Latino men notwithstanding, Los Angeles residents aren't that eager for masks to go away, because they know what can happen.

[sav858]

Land of Fruits and Nuts...

Poll finds surprising number of Californians still won't unmask outdoors

On the issue of outdoor masking, 44% of respondents said they will continue masking outdoors, with 45% stating they will not and 11% unsure. The fact that less than half of respondents stated they will stop masking outdoors is particularly striking when the state softened its outdoor mask mandate for vaccinated individuals at the end of April.