Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Franklin: apartments, homes, refrigerator)

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

Just got to let the vaccine do it's thing.

If you can get people to take it

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by rach5

Actually - I disagree with the nothing. Large rallies, politizing mask wearing, encouraging resistance against governors who want to implement restrictions, calling for opening up widely, preventing the CDC from giving scientific advice when it doesn't mesh with their own agenda, not using the defense production act to produce PPE, hiring pseudo-scientists and non-scientists to lead their covid taskforce, and just this week, prevent aid to states that actually may want to save lives and still keep businesses alive, It makes it much easier to shut a state down when you can protect the people whose livelihoods are at risk. I'd argue that they have been busy every step of the way.

You're correct...I should have said nothing productive. And with yesterday's revelation that herd immunity without a vaccine was the strategy all along, that all fits (unfortunately, at a very high cost of lives).

[sawyer2]

Fauci - U.S. could return to normal by mid-fall if most people get Covid vaccine.

"To get back to normal, however, 75% and 85% of the population will need to to get inoculated against Covid-19. That would create an “umbrella” of immunity to prevent further spread of the virus"

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/16/dr-f...d-vaccine.html

[msRB311]

I'm curious to know how long we will have to wear masks for. Years to come? When will restaurants go back to normal, or going to a sporting event, party, etc.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I'm curious to know how long we will have to wear masks for. Years to come? When will restaurants go back to normal, or going to a sporting event, party, etc.

Too many unknowns at this point. I'm wondering if we'll ever get back to pre-covid normal.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I'm curious to know how long we will have to wear masks for. Years to come? When will restaurants go back to normal, or going to a sporting event, party, etc.

A big piece of this depends on whether those who have been vaccinated can still spread the virus. The jury is out for now. The hope is that those who receive the vaccine are immune from any infection, but it's not yet known if the virus can still bloom in the nose of vaccinated individuals. If it can, they can be protected from serious illness but still spread the virus through sneezing, breathing, etc. In that case, the mask would be necessary. I expect we'll be wearing masks in public for the better part of 2021.

[BostonMike7]

I would lump mask usage into a broader "social distancing measures" category.

I think there are way too many variables to really ponder that right now. I would say it ultimately depends on how quickly they can roll the vaccine out to the US population, and what percentage of the population actually accepts/receives it.

I'm also curious to see if there are other factors that slow the distribution such as supply chain issues as well as how the vaccine is rolled out to the rest of the world. I can see the US being able to support vaccinating it's population, but what about countries that are not in as good of a position to do so?

I can see 2021 being very similar to 2020 unfortunately.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by redplum33

Too many unknowns at this point. I'm wondering if we'll ever get back to pre-covid normal.

More than 50% of the country gets the flu vaccine. I imagine that we will be at 70% for COVID-19 by summer. You won’t be able to cross the border without a certificate of vaccination. It’s hard to predict the economic outcome but I doubt the 70% who are vaccinated will have any interest in any restrictions.

[msRB311]

I actually don't mind wearing my mask. Before all this happened if I ever saw someone wearing one on the train (typically an Asian person) I'd get anxious/annoyed and assume they were the ones who were sick and should have just stayed home instead of coming on the train in a mask. But I've realized that many people in Asia still wear masks because of the SARs scares not to mention they are more of a sanitary measure to keep dust particles out and yes other people's germs away from you.

I think some people will be wearing their masks for years, particularly if they are anxious.

[mdovell]

I think I said this before and I'll say it again. If you think you can "hide" from this thing that's not happening. The berkshires have started to flatten but now Franklin county (greenfield) is going up. Awhile ago it was the Berkshires going up. It implies to me as if that people that have it and don't know are going to areas where it is low and raising it.

I'm sorry but deal with it. Look we're all wearing masks and social distancing and we're doing some remote work. Unless you want to take a B line to Taiwan or New Zealand the whole world is dealing with this.

Don't act like "escaping" from covid is possible in rural areas. It's going to overload the small healthcare systems and make issues worse.

If you want to avoid this as much as possible wash your hands, stop touching your face, wear a mask, social distance etc. It's a broken record at this point (remember those?)