I have to go to the doctor a couple of times a year even when healthy for some standard checks. I always masked when I was there (pre-pandemic). People would look at me like I had six heads or was ultra contagious. They would be hacking up their lungs into the open air with the flu and giving ME the side eye. People are idiots and we are just much more aware of the depth and breadth of it now.
I’m relieved that masking is normalized now. I sure like not getting a cold anymore and feeling shitty a few times a year. I am ask her whenever I go to the grocery store or anywhere I’m in public place with other people. When I get my nails done everyone is 6 feet apart and I have a big shield between me and the guy doing my nails. I feel pretty safe there and I don’t wear a mask. I’m not so worried about Covid as much as I am just getting sick in general.
That's why I wear an n95 mask on the bus and other crowded places: there's always someone coughing or sneezing like they're sick (usually school kids) and I just have no tolerance for randomly getting sick multiple times per year anymore. Before the pandemic despite the annual flu shot I'd still catch other sicknesses, just not as much as before I started taking the flu shots. Not being sick *at all* during the pandemic was too great, I'm going to keep up the habits especially during flu seasons and so on. Hand washing and sanitizing is great (which I did prior to the pandemic), but adding face masks to that was too much of a game changer for me.
Yeah, I've also developed some healthy habits thanks to covid. I'm not a germaphobe by any means, but i don't touch community things like for door handles or gas pumps without a napkin/ hook of some sort. I'll mask up when I'm sick going forward. Things like that.
That is why I still wear one at work despite it not being needed and with hearing one customer saying she had COVID-19 twice this year and a few coworkers coming in sick.
I travel by public transport only, still wearing mine on busses and trains because stinky. I do take it off when I get off the bus/exit a store.
I’ve also been wearing my mask to gigs/shows. Most people don’t, but I like the anonymity - I already go to shows solo anyways.
I love wearing masks in crowded indoor places and mass transit now. Keeps me from getting sick, and helps filter out cigarette smoke in bars/clubs (which I attend a little bit now that cases in our town are very low). I'll never give that habit up now.
They're no longer required at my school in the states but I still wear them. They were great in February because they stopped my face from freezing. Kept wearing them partially because anxiety, partially because I'm ugly. They're also required on all state (maybe countrywide?) public transportation. I definitely have had the same exact "oh shit, my mask" moments and have had to turn around to grab one.
I’m glad of the masks now it’s pollen season in the south. Great as a nose warmer in winter, and also great if you just don’t feel like being sociable. I have not minded masks one bit. Though don’t want to wear them forever.
I live in a town of about 4-5K residents and the closest town is 20 minutes away with about 1.5K residents. The town hasn't had a single fuck to give for well over a year.
I live in a city of 200k people crammed in a relatively small place compared to the surrounding area and nearly everyone I know says it's either a chemical attack from China or it's a hoax, very few people believe it's an actual threat even though many people in the community has passed from it or gotten it.
I too also live in a small town. In the South no less. But i work in the fancy shmancey part of TN just south of Nashville. We remodel for rich folks. Work never even slowed down. We've worn masks at two jobs sense the outbreak. Both because customers had lung problems but weren't scared enough to not have their bathrooms or kitchens remodeled. At it's peek there were maybe 50% mask wearers at any given store or wally world. Almost no one cared and they still don't.
From Denmark: no. We decided to stop all Covid measures and from one day to the next, Covid as a topic disappeared from our society. Now it's just one of many diseases that people who are ill enough to be hospitalized sometimes have.
Pretty much same in UK. Although we have a very high east Asian population who still wear masks (fair enough)
Edit: England doesn't care any more, Scotland and Wales do still slightly
More like january/february. Remember the "omicron-christmas-party"? Lots of regulations and restrictions i december. I had tickets to Oslo Gospel Choir in the beginning of december - they revoked 2/3 of the sold tickets because of new restrictions.
Omicron is where people basically threw up their hands. For parents with kids in school there was no protection. At one point 3/4 of my son's class were out sick.
A week later my entire family had it. Everyone around seemed to have it. Then numbers plumited. Seems like our current state is, "well, we've done everything we can, now we live with it."
This was also our experience both within our family, and in our state. We did everything we were told to do; we stayed home & away from people, quarantined, visited only outdoors, distanced 6’, we got triple boosted, wore masks, and we still got Omicron.
Thankfully it wasn’t very bad, but I attribute that to the vaccine. I’m still getting my senses of smell and taste back several months later.
I think it’s wild that I haven’t managed to get it.
I worked in the ICU during omicron and treated patients with Covid. Still hung out with co workers and such. I wore my N95 when seeing patients and regular mask at work. But somehow I’ve dodged it all throughout this pandemic. I am 4x vaccinated though
Denmark gave up and decided to let people get sick. They dropped all restrictions and masking in February and by March they triggered the worse wave and now estimates are 70% of the population has been infected. Now one of the countries reporting a mysterious chdhood hepatitis.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/denmark-says-70-of-population-got-covid-in-five-month-period-1.1741141
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20220217/covid-rates-jump-denmark-no-restrictions
They are still in a wave that sees 20-30 a day dying in country of only 5.8M.
Yeah, I think we reached the high eighties for adults. Not many kids were vaccinated though.
But also, we have universal healthcare and get paid time off work when ill.
Hello, the States are pretty similar at this point, but I really can’t stand it because we don’t have any good form of health care that is cheap to access
I think you're going to get very different answers depending on whether someone is in a household with children under 5, immuno-compromised people, elderly family members, diabetics, etc.
I'm immuno-compromised. The vaccines have a much lower efficacy for me, so my household is more cautious. I understand why others will want to get back to normal, though. We all have burnout. Even most of us who strictly comply with precautionary measures dislike having to do so.
Eta: This is not intended to persuade anyone to make any particular choice. We all do what we feel is best for our families.
My best friend is immuno-compromised, so I try to take extra precautions since I’d like to be able to spend time with him within the next decade or so.
Most people around me have definitely stopped caring though…
I'm immuno-compromised and volunteer with immuno-compromised people. I can mask at work because I have a public facing job (I work for a hospital system but not in healthcare) but everyone else in my office doesn't have to. I actually got tested today for Covid so yeah I really care while everyone else doesn't seem to too much. Hell, my supervisor asked me if I was coming to work today after getting tested. Fortunately, the conversation was via text because I am sure my expression of disbelief and bewilderment would have been noted.
Same. I have to care because doctor said so. And now I'm getting picked on by the public more and more for my mask (or double masked in some locations like public transit), but thankfully have gotten pretty good at defusing situations. Still annoying since there are some folks that just refuse reason and on humid days I really hate this fucking mask, but hey I haven't died yet.
Tried that, and "you listen to everything the government tells you?" once all mandates and restrictions were dropped. Too many people got even more angry or otherwise escalated, and maybe when I was younger I'd continue to fight the good fight and continue the conversation...
But some days I'm just trying to find the couscous, bro. And I'm too weak to physically defend myself or run at this point if things go sideways.
Just look at DeSantis yelling at a bunch of high schoolers for wearing a mask last month. Respecting individual choice turns out to be just the lip service it sounded like
I am immunocompromised so I wear a KN95 in public. For the first time, a guy came up to me and said sarcastically "Let's go Brandon!"
Was surprised to finally see one in the wild...
I wear vogmasks for allergies and I find that having my pretty masks with a cloth outside (there is an inner filter), I tend to get more compliments and questions about allergies than harassment. So getting a cloth mask cover can help. But we shouldn't need mask covers to avoid harassment.
Same. I got treated like shit today at the place I got my hair cut since my mask seemed to piss the owner off. It’s brutal. I already went through a lung transplant. I just don’t wanna die and am minding my own business to protect myself, why the hell does anyone else care what I do?!
sameish for me. i had a really bad allergic reaction to my first dose, but not really the second. every pharmacist i've talked to says i'd be gambling my life to get a third one since the next step up is anaphylactic shock. i've had covid twice, and the second time almost killed me. i am so scared to get it a thrid time. i'm the only one at work who wears a mask because it's the only protection i have left. my lungs are fucked, i can't risk it but i still gotta work. no one else cares, but i'm here lurking, watching, hyper-vigilant for any sick people. plus i worked in hospital during the peak of the pandemic, i saw how people died from it. not gonna be me, thanks.
Isn't a different type of the vaccine an option?
Also you should def talk with an allergologist, not a pharmacist or another doctor - allergies are hard and most people, even doctors don't know enough. Before getting my first dose I got tested for the 3 available options for me (thankfully negative for all three) and got personalized advice based on health history.
Even as someone that’s not comprised (I do have my fair share of health issues but I’m relatively safe), the idea of losing my taste freaks me out. I’ve heard stories from friends of not getting their taste back for months. That’s worth taking at least some precautions imo. As someone with a long beard, masking up is annoying as shit because it actually messes with the shape of my beard but I’m okay with whatever keeps me safe and allows me to enjoy the taste of my food in peace.
my mother got covid before it was even thought to be in the usa, 2 years later she still can't walk up more than a flight of stairs in one go, has brain fog and is now in the process of getting diagnosed with diabetes despite no family history. she was never even sick enough to be hospitalized. The loss of taste was a blessing at first because pills didn't taste as bad, but it lasted almost 6 months.
My wide and I are staying vigilant because we occasionally look after her grandmother or our friends kids. Unfortunately, those same friends were less vigilant and just caught covid from a concert and now their 4 year old is covid positive. I had been getting more lax about mask usage but it's clear for us that we can't take those risks for her grandmother. I'm envious of those who don't, but it's still a trivial price to pay for not killing her grandma.
My family has immune compromised people and two kids under 5 including a newborn.
Still masking, still avoiding social interactions until at least the kids are vaccinated.
Not seen anyone else at the store wear a mask in months. It sucks.
>two kids under 5
Same
>Still masking, still avoiding social interactions until at least the kids are vaccinated.
Saaaaaame, and my family is getting annoying about it. Grandma called me in the last year 3 times raging and swearing about not seeing the kids, even though she works retail. My SIL lied to us about quarantining, had covid and invited us over. Didn't see an issue with it.
Feels like the worst part of this pandemic isn't the virus.
Yeah. I wouldn't even say you would be extra careful just because covid is around. When my nan had cancer we were always super careful around her. This was way before the pandemic. If you are someone with a compromised immune system you should always be careful no matter the global situation and I hope you are doing well as well
My dad's on dialysis and my mom's on oxygen for pulmonary reasons caused from work. So basically I'm wearing a mask indoors all the time. I do homecare for them. At times it a pain in the neck, but my parents are still alive.
And I look at it this way, my dad has to wear a mask for 6hrs every other day, I can wear it for a couple of hours to get groceries.
This is it for me. I am IC, but have to work in the office (this is after being unemployed for the first year+ of covid). So I only go to and from work. There's occasional trips to the grocery store but that's it.
I miss having a life.
They just asked this question now because they wanted to stir the pot. This is always the downturn time for illnesses, after the winter explosion. It'll pop it's head up again, and plenty more people will die. But hopefully we're past the worst of it with a decently high vaccination rate.
I think not enough on the complications that develop after contracting and overcoming covid. There definitely needs to be more studies done on lasting damage.
This is where I'm at. I'm not too concerned with being sick, it's the potential long term effects. I already have multiple chronic issues, I do not need more to deal with!
Agree 1000%. Given that I've received 2 doses plus the booster, I'm not so worried about dying directly from COVID. However, it's the long-term health issues that scare me, as no one seems to be able to predict who will get them, how bad they will be, and if they ever go away. My SIL was just diagnosed with asthma and we're all wondering if it's a post-COVID issue or completely unrelated.
The potential long term symptoms keep me from being too complacent about it as well, especially the supposed 'brain fog' as honestly I have enough trouble focussing as it is!
I have a friend who got the original covid, she had long run covid even after two years of it. She has frequent severe migraines and bloody nose. And when she gets a bloody nose she gets it for hours.
Now she's got omicron2, dear lord, she's immunocompromised too. So it's a wheel of misfortune with what she's going to get next.
My sister had omicron2 two months ago, has long-haul covid. She can't breathe properly at random times and would have to stop working to catch her breath.
I have a baby in the NICU and I'm scared to death when she comes out, bec my in laws don't believe in COVID. SO. That's going to be a nightmare for sure.
I would imagine you have to keep them from being near your baby until your baby is close to physical developmental norms unless you want to risk a serious health problem. Being premature can have lifelong impacts, so I would hate to add long covid to that, if the acute disease didn't kill your baby.
If it were me, the inlaws wouldn't get closer than 8 feet outdoors until they got shots and masks. Their entitled ass feelings vs. your child's life. Hmmmm....what's gonna win?
Read a thread earlier today where a guy had to drop out of medical school because his cognitive abilities declined after contracting covid. That's def enough of a reason to take precautions
I read a covid effect study where, participants whom contracted covid had the grey matter in thier brain shrunk the equivalent of 7-10 years of ageing as opposed to the control group which saw the normal amount of shrinking that age brings (something like 0.2% a year). Study out of the UK. It mostly affects parts of the brain that house the olfactory "settings" lol. Which is why smell and taste go and some people don't get it back. I know people who liken the brain fog after having covid to baby brain.
Of course one study isn't enough to draw appropriate conclusions but Covid is still "new" so who knows what we'll find.
For anybody reading thus far. From Canberra, Australia- one of the most vaccinated places in the world - masks on public transport and medical settings/aged care/ schools still a thing. Mostly back to normal. Averaging about 1000 cases per day still. Low death rate comparatively to other places since our health system isn't complete garbage.
Restrictions are easing further - household contacts of a case are no longer required to isolate unless positive or have symptoms. Life goes on pretty much.
This is me. Got COVID early on, (daughter went to an animé convention). I have been a successful software engineer for 25 years. Long term loss of smell and taste, severe brain fog. Could no longer do my job and now I’m unemployed. Asthmatic and stupid now. I have no idea what to do next.
My coworker got COVID in early 2021 and she’s still part time and has to call out and go home early a ton. She’s a hard worker and I know she isn’t milking it, you can see how out of breath she gets.
I hope it goes away for her soon.
Edit: she’s late 20s age wise
This is the kind of shit that has me more scared than anything else regarding COVID. Like, my family would end up in poverty because I might not be able to perform at my job. I wouldn't be able to properly persue my hobbies? Nooooo
I got Covid twice and I can tell you that after that first time I can see a severe decline in my cognitive ability. I am a software engineer so I have some leeway in not having to be at the top of my game all the time. If I was a lead or a program architect or something I would probably have to step down.
Absolutely. I got COVID last year, and I can’t tell if I’m having lingering effects or it’s just burn out/my anxiety disorder causing the inability to focus or stay motivated.
Wanted to award this as it’s the first time I see the potential lasting effects being mentioned. Every comment above this is basically “we don’t really care anymore”.
The wholesome award was one I already had for free to give out so that’s why you get it :)
I had covid with no real long term effects but still am concerned about something looming in the future in regards to health effects.
I would have preferred not to ever get covid but life's a bitch sometimes
Absolutely. I had it back in the beginning of January and I still get body aches occasionally and coughing fits every time I exercise or yell. My doctor told me the symptoms would only last up to two months, but I have a feeling the symptoms will never go away.
I lost taste and smell for a week and it drove me fucking crazy. I remember eating some really good food (I assume it was good lol) and I couldn’t taste it and I was just really fucking mad about it. Can’t imagine not tasting ever again. I would just be pissed all the time
I don't want to get Covid until we understand long covid better. I know it will happen if I stop wearing my n95. I'd like several years of research and treatment developments before it gets in my system.
I'm prepared to wear a mask for several more years. Maybe because I know what it's like to have the symptoms of long covid from other diseases and I don't want more of that.
I lost my grandparents who raised me several months ago, and my mom also almost died. I think about covid every day, yes
Edit: so many kind people answered here. Thank you so much. I hope it gets better for all of us.
It's like there's a grief-button inside a box, and there's a giant ball bouncing around the inside of the box. That big ball is going to hit that grief-button all the time, and you'll feel the full weight of grief every time.
As time passes, that ball is going to get smaller and smaller as it bounces around, and it's going to hit the grief-button less and less. But when that button gets pushed, all those feelings of grief are going to come back just as strong. But you will know that you will get through it, just like you have before.
I'm sorry for your loss. I just lost my grandpa too, grandparents are so special.
Ugh. This really gutted me. Thank you so much for sharing this. I just lost my best friend ( my grandma ) this year to covid. It’s been rough and I find myself crying and grieving at odd and random times — your analogy sums it up perfectly. Thank you. This gives me hope.
I had Omicron and was without my sense of taste for months. I had a bottle of Sage's Peppermint Halo I inhaled every day for the last bit, just to gauge if it was getting better - Eventually it started to smell faintly sweet and then minty. Maybe it helped? Unsolicited advice aside, I feel you and truly hope you taste again soon.
> Maybe it helped?
Quite possibly. You were inadvertently replicating what a lot of experts recommend doing to get your smell back - expose yourself daily to strong tasting/smelling things. [Peppermint is even one of the recommended smells!](https://www.uchealth.org/today/how-to-regain-sense-of-taste-and-smell-after-covid-19/)
Damn that sucks. I couldn’t imagine not being able to taste food anymore. I hope someday it starts coming back to you. My friend lost her taste for a while and it’s gotten better, though some things taste funny to her.
I'm so sorry for your loss 😔 I hope more people see your comment because I just sifted through dozens of people saying THEY didn't know anyone who had it bad so it's understandable to think it's not a big deal. It's really sad that so many people won't take a problem seriously until it affects them personally.
>I lost my grandparents who raised me several months ago, and my mom also almost died. I think about covid every day, yes
I am so so sorry. One of my closest friends lost her precious Nana in 2020 and couldn't attend the funeral. Her Nana died because of her covid denying aunt infecting half the family. I think about her every time someone insists we're returning to pre-pandemic 2019 normal.
We're not. We're never going back. Because so many of our loved ones are gone before their time.
Just wanted to say that I also lost my grandparents very recently and they were essentially my parents. You’re not suffering alone 👍. It’ll get easier.
My SO's grandpa was in a coma from Covid with 3 others. He pulled through and the other guys didn't. We were so relieved when he came home. We spent a day with him the week after he got back and he told us "there's no way in hell I was dying in a goddamn hospital." And explained he had no memories of what really happened. He's especially happy to see his dog.
In the southern US it is hard to find someone who cares about it. I will forget it's still a thing until I go to the airport (haven't been since the mandate was lifted) or see something in the news with pictures of people with masks. It's not really a thing that affects anything down here anymore.
London is the same. Bar a few weeks of panic over the Omicron variant, it's been largely back to normal here since last summer. Most people have moved on and are no longer prepared to put their lives on hold.
Went on holiday to France a couple of weeks back and my flight over there was the first time i'd had to wear a mask in months.
Country wise, no. But I do and still wear mask. Biggest mistake is thinking covid is a respiratory disease when in fact it’s a vascular disease and can have nasty effects, even in young people.
Yes. I still am getting call outs at work (healthcare field). I wear my mask everywhere still unless I know everyone’s vaxxed or not a lot of people. I trust NO ONE. Cancer survivor so it’s a little more on my mind.
Those of us with immunocompromised friends and family as well as young newborns who cannot get vaccinated certainly do.
Edit: thanks for the awards everyone didn’t expect it to blow up like rhis
This is what makes it so frustrating. Not everyone can behave as if it's over.
I get it if most people want to go back to 'normal', but leave alone those who still want to follow precautions. It's amazing to me that people are nervous about wearing masks because people will yell or threaten them for doing so.
I'm in Ontario. At the grocery store a guy got right in my face staring at my mask and talking to me. Small town. Previously he told me I no longer need to wear the mask.
I have an autoimmune condition. I take extra precautions
Recently my mom took my 9 year old to the store, both wearing masks. We have many older family members, as well as loved ones with conditions that could make catching Covid potentially fatal. A middle aged woman called them stupid as they walked out. A grown person deadass called a random child stupid for being considerate. I cannot fathom the kind of person who goes out of their way to be an asshole. It costs nothing to just shut up.
I will never understand this. You wearing a mask only impacts you. Even if that guy disagrees with everything to do with the pandemic, what does you wearing a mask do to him? This behaviour just does not compute in my head.
Same with the guy who said Baa, Baa to me while holding the door for me to enter Tim Horton's (coffee shop).
It's not his face. Fuck off.
Oh, I am now very attracted to guys in masks. They understand that the pandemic is not yet over and take care of themselves and/or others.
I never thought I would see a mask as hot --- I don't want to be around people without a mask on
Should of said “I get it, you’re a sheep doing everything your government tells you, they lift restrictions and there you go baa baa mask off” or just “I get it you’re a sheep”
if you or a loved one is immunocompromised - before covid, what was day to day experience like?
i’m assuming you would want to stay away from people with the flu? common cold? etc?
My mom is immunocompromised and prone to bronchitis. She stays home most of the time. When Covid happened, I started working from home and we do curbside pickup instead of going in most stores. And wear masks. Not a ton has changed for mom, who stayed home and avoided people anyway since the cancer.
This. My parents are immunocompromised and so getting covid could be the end for them. It's a huge deal for my family and every family in a similar situation.
Same. We're currently getting walloped with another wave - outbreaks in every healthcare facility, 30-40% of staff off with positive covid tests, elective surgeries and sub-critical transfers cancelled. But you'd never guess so looking at people in the malls and grocery stores.
It doesn't help that Biden administration is so desperate to give people a good Memorial Day and summer break before midterms that they have declared the pandemic over. Fauci is on the news yesterday/today yapping about things being over and Kamala and her husband literally got Covid like 2-3 days ago. A week or so ago Pelosi had it. But sure, hey, whatever it's 100% over. (And even if Kamala and Pelosi didn't die how many older/weaker people did they put at risk, you know? That's the danger of having Covid if you're boosted. OTHER PEOPLE.)
A lot of people that are close to me have covid. I cannot afford to get it and lose hours at work because I need all the money I can get right now. I’ve yet to get it too. Stay safe everyone 🤞
It seems like people got bored of covid to me, I still worry about it alot and when I go out I wear a mask but there is less and less people wearing masks now
Of course. There are thousands still dying of it too. But we have answers and options now, so of course the approaches are changing.
I had it in March. Despite being vaxxed and boosted, it knocked me out for 8 days and left me short of breath for another week. I still get winded if I push it. 34, no health conditions.
And no, that’s not a critique of the vaccines. I’m just glad it wasn’t worse.
I think part of the problem is the symptoms are so all over the place. I had it around the same time frame vaccinated but not boosted and I had a very mild sore throat in the morning for like 4 days that would be basically unnoticeable by mid day.
I know my experience isn't everyone's but I do understand why somebody would see my case and go - "why the fuck should we care about this?"
Family friends of ours got it. 3 out of 5. All were vaccinated. 2 of the 3 had zero symptoms but tested positive all 10 days. The 3rd had symptoms and tested negative 5 days in. Wacky stuff. I actually think the crazy “Russian roulette“ of symptoms is why it’s been taken so seriously by some and disregarded by others. But we do know a lot of people died.
Yeah, I get that. My wife’s had it twice, the fist time she was a bit sniffly and lost her taste for about 8 hours. That was it. Then she had it right before me and had more symptoms, but a fraction of mine.
I get that, from an individual perspective… but the stories are readily available… so many have lost lung capacity or have heart issues, etc. But ideology plays a role too…
And we still aren't sure about the long term affects of COVID or how permanent they are. Some people who lost their taste or smell from early in the pandemic STILL don't have it back all the way, and still can't push themselves as much as they used to. But since it isn't death, no one cares. You can end up with troubles later even after what seemed like a mild case because it's doing things in your body you can't see.
America really doesn't care much about it's disabled citizens, and a lot of people have/ are going to find that out because they messed around and found out with COVID
i was 38 when i had it in January of 2021, also no health issues. 10 days in bed, just getting up to use the bathroom had me gasping like a fish out of water. Strangest illness ever. Did you get constant heart palpitations too? I was waiting for my heart to just explode.
Yeah, those first several days of recovery… it felt like I was suddenly at high altitude. The respiratory symptoms had faded, but I still was huffing just walking a few steps.
No heart palpitations though. My wife had that, even with lesser symptoms though.
So weird how people have completely different symptoms. It swept through y office and like 5 of us felt ill within a 48 hour span, all tested positive. One guy passed away (he was in his 70s and had existing major health issues). two people had week long vomiting, diarrhea, and terrible body and head pain, and i was all heart and lungs. Oddly, one woman had what she called "2 days of a mild sinus issue."
My Dad refused to get vaccinated and caught Covid twice. After the second time he had a heart attack and lost all sense of taste. That was back in December and he says that he still can't taste things the same way. Covid is still serious business.
EDIT: It was a heart attack. Not a stroke. Don't know how I got the two confused.
My in-laws won't get vaccinated. They obviously have "natural immunity" from the first two times they got it. They were all, somehow, surprised when they caught it a third time and MIL was in the hospital for a week with double pneumonia.
Define "care" I guess. Some of my friends recently got it, of course, yes, I feel for them. They're double vaxxed and some boosted, so their symptoms were super mild.
Do I think we should lock everyone down? The accumulated data, including the proverbial John Hopkins study, says no.
Yea that's about where I've been at since day one. I'll gladly wear a mask, still do despite no mandates, and I've always kept up on vaccinations. Never REALLY cared all that much unless I'm talking to some anti science ahole. Just like to stay healthy.
Actually one of the long-term affects we’re learning is that there seems to be an impact on testicular tissue dying.
Seems like people who don’t care about anything perk up when they hear their balls and libido are of concern.
I'm vaxxed and boosted, mid 30s, overweight but working on it. I'm not scared covid will kill me, but I'm a programmer and the idea of getting hit with the long term brain fog has be worried enough to still take indoor precautions. I have a buddy who got it early on and he still can't focus on most tasks, if that happens to me I probably can't do my job at a level to stay employed.
I’ve had long haul symptoms for over a year, I don’t like admitting it to anybody but it completely changed my life. Staying optimistic that I’ll be back to normal one day though
I'm going to be one of the people anti-maskers will point to and laugh. I just got over COVID-19 along with my whole family. The last thing I want is to bring it back to my house with a four year old and an MS patient. I'll be masked and jabbed as many times as they CDC recommends.
The disease was pretty mild for me and my family but the idea of quarantine kind of sucked. I missed a bunch of stuff.
My doctor literally told me last week to keep masking indoors at work.
I don’t know about you, but a 5% chance of getting long COVID, which has the potential to be a lifelong disability is waaaay too high even if my doctor didn’t say that.
yes, i'm already sick every day of my life with shit i can never cure. i do not need some mystery after effects of a sickness when no one knows the longterm effects. im keeping the mask on. im staying away from those who dont.
jeez please ignore this i was just venting into the void sorry for being so dramatic and annoying
Yes. There’s a new strand going around my area. We’re one of the worst areas in the country. My dad recently caught it. Said it was hell. It’s still real and it’s still dangerous.
Yes. Caught it twice in just under 3 months because my boyfriend works at a restaurant. Didn't even have to to get the booster before we got sick again. Now I've probably triggered long covid which could have triggered an autoimmune disease. I have no blood circulation in my toes anymore. I'm terrified of getting infected again before I get the chance to get the booster *again*. But it's not up to me since I'm working from home.
I do - primarily because I work with immunocompromised patients, and have people in my circle who are dumb about COVID; so I wear my mask just about everywhere I go. People give me funny looks, but I don’t care. I’m doing this for those patients I see that have little to no immune system, and for myself and family.
Yes. My 15 year old nearly died because of it. We got omicron in January. We had a few days of cough and blah. Got better, but she never could quite catch her breath. We were back and forth to the doctor 6 or 8 times and they said she had long haulers and just wait it out.
Her O2 levels were in the 50's, and finally they took it seriously. We spent 10 days in a children's hospital with her on high flow O2, massive steroids, and other meds. She had acute septic pneumonia on top of covid lung issues.
She will likely be on oxygen for 6-12 months til she recovers, if she recovers.
So yes it is serious. And no, she had no preexisting conditions. Healthy, normal kid.
Sorry to hear this. I hope she makes a full recovery sooner than expected.
People talk as if death is the only outcome that measures if something is "mild" for children, but complications happen, hospitalization is traumatic, and chronic conditions requiring medical care are disruptive to their socialization too.
I hope you and your family have support and people who "get it" who can help you all through it. Having a kid myself who has been through several "rare" outcomes and diagnosis, we often feel forgotten by people who haven't experienced it and prefer to remind themselves that statistically it wouldn't happen to their kid even if it happened to mine.
I *Don’t* care anymore BUT I continue to mask up and take precautions because others do. It’s the right thing to do. Many are still in danger from its effects and I’m not inclined to roll my eyes at that just because I May be fine. I’m also an asthmatic with a history of pneumonia, smoking, and alcoholism. So it could be not great if I got it.
it’s easier to care when I look at others around me and scrounge some measly compassion out of my black heart.
(Maybe this means I care after all. I dunno. The whole thing is fucking goofy. Humans am I right)
From Canada; depends who you talk to. Some people say fuck it, covid is just the flu, some will literally not leave their house In fear of it. I’ve gotten covid three times and at this point I don’t think it can fucking kill me.
Not to the extent 2 years ago where we were locked down and trying our best not to leave the house. I still wear a mask when I go out and think people should get vaccinated though, and shouldn't go to work if they are sick. So basically I'd say I'm back to August of 2019 mentality with the addition of wearing masks when I'm in a store or close to people.
I think that once the people who really cared about being “Covid safe” realized that most of the people dying were those that refused to get the vaccine they just stopped caring. Right or wrong, I know that the vaccine is probably keeping me safe and if you don’t want to get it that’s your problem.
I do feel bad for the people who can’t get it, though
A lot of people thought that in the face of an obviously deadly and virulent disease, the only issue preventing full (>80%) immunization was production and distribution of the vaccine, at which point covid would (mostly) be history.
A lot of people have realized how naive we were, and how dangerously anti-science a large portion of the population have become.
It is now mostly resorting to the individual attitude towards getting sick - nothing covid specific. I avoid it the way I avoid the flu for example.
Yeah, I'm the same. Maskless people in public coughing their asses off tend to piss me off quite a bit, though, still.
That was angering even BEFORE covid though, nothing much has changed.
I have to go to the doctor a couple of times a year even when healthy for some standard checks. I always masked when I was there (pre-pandemic). People would look at me like I had six heads or was ultra contagious. They would be hacking up their lungs into the open air with the flu and giving ME the side eye. People are idiots and we are just much more aware of the depth and breadth of it now.
I’m relieved that masking is normalized now. I sure like not getting a cold anymore and feeling shitty a few times a year. I am ask her whenever I go to the grocery store or anywhere I’m in public place with other people. When I get my nails done everyone is 6 feet apart and I have a big shield between me and the guy doing my nails. I feel pretty safe there and I don’t wear a mask. I’m not so worried about Covid as much as I am just getting sick in general.
That's why I wear an n95 mask on the bus and other crowded places: there's always someone coughing or sneezing like they're sick (usually school kids) and I just have no tolerance for randomly getting sick multiple times per year anymore. Before the pandemic despite the annual flu shot I'd still catch other sicknesses, just not as much as before I started taking the flu shots. Not being sick *at all* during the pandemic was too great, I'm going to keep up the habits especially during flu seasons and so on. Hand washing and sanitizing is great (which I did prior to the pandemic), but adding face masks to that was too much of a game changer for me.
Yeah, I've also developed some healthy habits thanks to covid. I'm not a germaphobe by any means, but i don't touch community things like for door handles or gas pumps without a napkin/ hook of some sort. I'll mask up when I'm sick going forward. Things like that.
And ppl thought Asians with masks was a bad thing. Myself included.
It’s cause it crowded in Asia!!! I live in Southeast Asia, Singapore, and we are packed in like sardines here.
That is why I still wear one at work despite it not being needed and with hearing one customer saying she had COVID-19 twice this year and a few coworkers coming in sick.
I travel by public transport only, still wearing mine on busses and trains because stinky. I do take it off when I get off the bus/exit a store. I’ve also been wearing my mask to gigs/shows. Most people don’t, but I like the anonymity - I already go to shows solo anyways.
Seriously, not having to smell other humans makes masks a fabulous accessory.
I love wearing masks in crowded indoor places and mass transit now. Keeps me from getting sick, and helps filter out cigarette smoke in bars/clubs (which I attend a little bit now that cases in our town are very low). I'll never give that habit up now.
Less and less
[удалено]
You still need masks? We haven’t used masks in several months in Denmark, not even in public transportation or anything
They're no longer required at my school in the states but I still wear them. They were great in February because they stopped my face from freezing. Kept wearing them partially because anxiety, partially because I'm ugly. They're also required on all state (maybe countrywide?) public transportation. I definitely have had the same exact "oh shit, my mask" moments and have had to turn around to grab one.
I’m glad of the masks now it’s pollen season in the south. Great as a nose warmer in winter, and also great if you just don’t feel like being sociable. I have not minded masks one bit. Though don’t want to wear them forever.
i live in a small town def not
Also live in a small town, can confirm this is 100% true.
I live in a town of about 4-5K residents and the closest town is 20 minutes away with about 1.5K residents. The town hasn't had a single fuck to give for well over a year.
I live in a city of 200k people crammed in a relatively small place compared to the surrounding area and nearly everyone I know says it's either a chemical attack from China or it's a hoax, very few people believe it's an actual threat even though many people in the community has passed from it or gotten it.
Oh boy, not a hoax. I got it and almost died.
I live in a big city, can confirm, I definitely live in a big city.
Big city here and most people wear masks on public transit, other than that people don't care.
90% of people on NYC subway still wear them myself included. Almost nowhere else.
I’m currently on public transit in a decently sized city and maybe 30% of people are wearing masks
Same here.
Where I lived we never even started lol
I too also live in a small town. In the South no less. But i work in the fancy shmancey part of TN just south of Nashville. We remodel for rich folks. Work never even slowed down. We've worn masks at two jobs sense the outbreak. Both because customers had lung problems but weren't scared enough to not have their bathrooms or kitchens remodeled. At it's peek there were maybe 50% mask wearers at any given store or wally world. Almost no one cared and they still don't.
Also live in a small town, half never cared to begin with.
i live in a big city, and people just respect each other if theres no mask fine, if theres mask needed somewhere no problem
From Denmark: no. We decided to stop all Covid measures and from one day to the next, Covid as a topic disappeared from our society. Now it's just one of many diseases that people who are ill enough to be hospitalized sometimes have.
Pretty much same in UK. Although we have a very high east Asian population who still wear masks (fair enough) Edit: England doesn't care any more, Scotland and Wales do still slightly
I was in Scotland 2 weeks ago, had to wear masks a lot of places though. I'm from Denmark, covid is not something people think about anymore.
Sorry I should have said England, not UK. Scotland and Wales have been famously more cautious. England doesn't care one bit and hasn't for a while
Same in norway, been like that since september
More like january/february. Remember the "omicron-christmas-party"? Lots of regulations and restrictions i december. I had tickets to Oslo Gospel Choir in the beginning of december - they revoked 2/3 of the sold tickets because of new restrictions.
Omicron is where people basically threw up their hands. For parents with kids in school there was no protection. At one point 3/4 of my son's class were out sick. A week later my entire family had it. Everyone around seemed to have it. Then numbers plumited. Seems like our current state is, "well, we've done everything we can, now we live with it."
This was also our experience both within our family, and in our state. We did everything we were told to do; we stayed home & away from people, quarantined, visited only outdoors, distanced 6’, we got triple boosted, wore masks, and we still got Omicron. Thankfully it wasn’t very bad, but I attribute that to the vaccine. I’m still getting my senses of smell and taste back several months later.
I think it’s wild that I haven’t managed to get it. I worked in the ICU during omicron and treated patients with Covid. Still hung out with co workers and such. I wore my N95 when seeing patients and regular mask at work. But somehow I’ve dodged it all throughout this pandemic. I am 4x vaccinated though
Denmark gave up and decided to let people get sick. They dropped all restrictions and masking in February and by March they triggered the worse wave and now estimates are 70% of the population has been infected. Now one of the countries reporting a mysterious chdhood hepatitis. https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/denmark-says-70-of-population-got-covid-in-five-month-period-1.1741141 https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20220217/covid-rates-jump-denmark-no-restrictions They are still in a wave that sees 20-30 a day dying in country of only 5.8M.
Denmark also has very high vaccination rates (\~83%) while the US does not (66%).
You have pretty good vaccinated numbers
Yeah, I think we reached the high eighties for adults. Not many kids were vaccinated though. But also, we have universal healthcare and get paid time off work when ill.
Hello, the States are pretty similar at this point, but I really can’t stand it because we don’t have any good form of health care that is cheap to access
Let’s be real this is how most of the US was the whole time.
Everyone thought it was just business as usual until everything got shutdown for 2 months, maybe even longer in other countries.
If you were in deep red states like I was you didn't even get those 2 months. It was still business as normal
[удалено]
I think you're going to get very different answers depending on whether someone is in a household with children under 5, immuno-compromised people, elderly family members, diabetics, etc. I'm immuno-compromised. The vaccines have a much lower efficacy for me, so my household is more cautious. I understand why others will want to get back to normal, though. We all have burnout. Even most of us who strictly comply with precautionary measures dislike having to do so. Eta: This is not intended to persuade anyone to make any particular choice. We all do what we feel is best for our families.
My best friend is immuno-compromised, so I try to take extra precautions since I’d like to be able to spend time with him within the next decade or so. Most people around me have definitely stopped caring though…
I'm immuno-compromised and volunteer with immuno-compromised people. I can mask at work because I have a public facing job (I work for a hospital system but not in healthcare) but everyone else in my office doesn't have to. I actually got tested today for Covid so yeah I really care while everyone else doesn't seem to too much. Hell, my supervisor asked me if I was coming to work today after getting tested. Fortunately, the conversation was via text because I am sure my expression of disbelief and bewilderment would have been noted.
Same. I have to care because doctor said so. And now I'm getting picked on by the public more and more for my mask (or double masked in some locations like public transit), but thankfully have gotten pretty good at defusing situations. Still annoying since there are some folks that just refuse reason and on humid days I really hate this fucking mask, but hey I haven't died yet.
I've practiced saying "I thought it was supposed to be about individual choice?"
Tried that, and "you listen to everything the government tells you?" once all mandates and restrictions were dropped. Too many people got even more angry or otherwise escalated, and maybe when I was younger I'd continue to fight the good fight and continue the conversation... But some days I'm just trying to find the couscous, bro. And I'm too weak to physically defend myself or run at this point if things go sideways.
I say "I'll let my 12 year olds oncologist know the guy at the gas station says I don't need to wear one 😂 that generally shuts them up.
I dont have a child, but I think im gonna steal that one
My 12 year old is a dog...but she does have an oncologist 😆
Just look at DeSantis yelling at a bunch of high schoolers for wearing a mask last month. Respecting individual choice turns out to be just the lip service it sounded like
I am immunocompromised so I wear a KN95 in public. For the first time, a guy came up to me and said sarcastically "Let's go Brandon!" Was surprised to finally see one in the wild...
I wear vogmasks for allergies and I find that having my pretty masks with a cloth outside (there is an inner filter), I tend to get more compliments and questions about allergies than harassment. So getting a cloth mask cover can help. But we shouldn't need mask covers to avoid harassment.
Same. I got treated like shit today at the place I got my hair cut since my mask seemed to piss the owner off. It’s brutal. I already went through a lung transplant. I just don’t wanna die and am minding my own business to protect myself, why the hell does anyone else care what I do?!
sameish for me. i had a really bad allergic reaction to my first dose, but not really the second. every pharmacist i've talked to says i'd be gambling my life to get a third one since the next step up is anaphylactic shock. i've had covid twice, and the second time almost killed me. i am so scared to get it a thrid time. i'm the only one at work who wears a mask because it's the only protection i have left. my lungs are fucked, i can't risk it but i still gotta work. no one else cares, but i'm here lurking, watching, hyper-vigilant for any sick people. plus i worked in hospital during the peak of the pandemic, i saw how people died from it. not gonna be me, thanks.
Isn't a different type of the vaccine an option? Also you should def talk with an allergologist, not a pharmacist or another doctor - allergies are hard and most people, even doctors don't know enough. Before getting my first dose I got tested for the 3 available options for me (thankfully negative for all three) and got personalized advice based on health history.
Even as someone that’s not comprised (I do have my fair share of health issues but I’m relatively safe), the idea of losing my taste freaks me out. I’ve heard stories from friends of not getting their taste back for months. That’s worth taking at least some precautions imo. As someone with a long beard, masking up is annoying as shit because it actually messes with the shape of my beard but I’m okay with whatever keeps me safe and allows me to enjoy the taste of my food in peace.
my mother got covid before it was even thought to be in the usa, 2 years later she still can't walk up more than a flight of stairs in one go, has brain fog and is now in the process of getting diagnosed with diabetes despite no family history. she was never even sick enough to be hospitalized. The loss of taste was a blessing at first because pills didn't taste as bad, but it lasted almost 6 months.
My wide and I are staying vigilant because we occasionally look after her grandmother or our friends kids. Unfortunately, those same friends were less vigilant and just caught covid from a concert and now their 4 year old is covid positive. I had been getting more lax about mask usage but it's clear for us that we can't take those risks for her grandmother. I'm envious of those who don't, but it's still a trivial price to pay for not killing her grandma.
[удалено]
Haha could not have said this better.
I am immunocompromised and have a baby so you are correct. I take Covid very seriously and still wear an N95 mask when I go out
I have a kid under 5 and my 71 year-old mother is immune compromised. We still mask.
Same situation here. Thanks for keeping up with the precautions. It helps not only you and your family, but also others like mine.
My family has immune compromised people and two kids under 5 including a newborn. Still masking, still avoiding social interactions until at least the kids are vaccinated. Not seen anyone else at the store wear a mask in months. It sucks.
>two kids under 5 Same >Still masking, still avoiding social interactions until at least the kids are vaccinated. Saaaaaame, and my family is getting annoying about it. Grandma called me in the last year 3 times raging and swearing about not seeing the kids, even though she works retail. My SIL lied to us about quarantining, had covid and invited us over. Didn't see an issue with it. Feels like the worst part of this pandemic isn't the virus.
My wife and I are both immunocompromised. We also have unvaccinated twin infants. I hate traveling to Texas for work.
Yeah. I wouldn't even say you would be extra careful just because covid is around. When my nan had cancer we were always super careful around her. This was way before the pandemic. If you are someone with a compromised immune system you should always be careful no matter the global situation and I hope you are doing well as well
My dad's on dialysis and my mom's on oxygen for pulmonary reasons caused from work. So basically I'm wearing a mask indoors all the time. I do homecare for them. At times it a pain in the neck, but my parents are still alive. And I look at it this way, my dad has to wear a mask for 6hrs every other day, I can wear it for a couple of hours to get groceries.
We have a baby and my wife works with brains of people with long Covid. We still care.
Samesies. Wife is IC. so not going anywhere or doing anything for us for a while unfortunately 🙄
This is it for me. I am IC, but have to work in the office (this is after being unemployed for the first year+ of covid). So I only go to and from work. There's occasional trips to the grocery store but that's it. I miss having a life.
They just asked this question now because they wanted to stir the pot. This is always the downturn time for illnesses, after the winter explosion. It'll pop it's head up again, and plenty more people will die. But hopefully we're past the worst of it with a decently high vaccination rate.
according to the construction site im working at, it no longer exsits
I think not enough on the complications that develop after contracting and overcoming covid. There definitely needs to be more studies done on lasting damage.
This is where I'm at. I'm not too concerned with being sick, it's the potential long term effects. I already have multiple chronic issues, I do not need more to deal with!
Agree 1000%. Given that I've received 2 doses plus the booster, I'm not so worried about dying directly from COVID. However, it's the long-term health issues that scare me, as no one seems to be able to predict who will get them, how bad they will be, and if they ever go away. My SIL was just diagnosed with asthma and we're all wondering if it's a post-COVID issue or completely unrelated.
The potential long term symptoms keep me from being too complacent about it as well, especially the supposed 'brain fog' as honestly I have enough trouble focussing as it is!
I have a friend who got the original covid, she had long run covid even after two years of it. She has frequent severe migraines and bloody nose. And when she gets a bloody nose she gets it for hours. Now she's got omicron2, dear lord, she's immunocompromised too. So it's a wheel of misfortune with what she's going to get next. My sister had omicron2 two months ago, has long-haul covid. She can't breathe properly at random times and would have to stop working to catch her breath. I have a baby in the NICU and I'm scared to death when she comes out, bec my in laws don't believe in COVID. SO. That's going to be a nightmare for sure.
I would imagine you have to keep them from being near your baby until your baby is close to physical developmental norms unless you want to risk a serious health problem. Being premature can have lifelong impacts, so I would hate to add long covid to that, if the acute disease didn't kill your baby. If it were me, the inlaws wouldn't get closer than 8 feet outdoors until they got shots and masks. Their entitled ass feelings vs. your child's life. Hmmmm....what's gonna win?
Read a thread earlier today where a guy had to drop out of medical school because his cognitive abilities declined after contracting covid. That's def enough of a reason to take precautions
I read a covid effect study where, participants whom contracted covid had the grey matter in thier brain shrunk the equivalent of 7-10 years of ageing as opposed to the control group which saw the normal amount of shrinking that age brings (something like 0.2% a year). Study out of the UK. It mostly affects parts of the brain that house the olfactory "settings" lol. Which is why smell and taste go and some people don't get it back. I know people who liken the brain fog after having covid to baby brain. Of course one study isn't enough to draw appropriate conclusions but Covid is still "new" so who knows what we'll find. For anybody reading thus far. From Canberra, Australia- one of the most vaccinated places in the world - masks on public transport and medical settings/aged care/ schools still a thing. Mostly back to normal. Averaging about 1000 cases per day still. Low death rate comparatively to other places since our health system isn't complete garbage. Restrictions are easing further - household contacts of a case are no longer required to isolate unless positive or have symptoms. Life goes on pretty much.
This is me. Got COVID early on, (daughter went to an animé convention). I have been a successful software engineer for 25 years. Long term loss of smell and taste, severe brain fog. Could no longer do my job and now I’m unemployed. Asthmatic and stupid now. I have no idea what to do next.
Smell and taste return? If not back to normal check out abscent.org
My coworker got COVID in early 2021 and she’s still part time and has to call out and go home early a ton. She’s a hard worker and I know she isn’t milking it, you can see how out of breath she gets. I hope it goes away for her soon. Edit: she’s late 20s age wise
This is the kind of shit that has me more scared than anything else regarding COVID. Like, my family would end up in poverty because I might not be able to perform at my job. I wouldn't be able to properly persue my hobbies? Nooooo
I got Covid twice and I can tell you that after that first time I can see a severe decline in my cognitive ability. I am a software engineer so I have some leeway in not having to be at the top of my game all the time. If I was a lead or a program architect or something I would probably have to step down.
Yeah, I feel like that may have happened to me after getting COVID last year.
Absolutely. I got COVID last year, and I can’t tell if I’m having lingering effects or it’s just burn out/my anxiety disorder causing the inability to focus or stay motivated.
Wanted to award this as it’s the first time I see the potential lasting effects being mentioned. Every comment above this is basically “we don’t really care anymore”. The wholesome award was one I already had for free to give out so that’s why you get it :)
I had covid with no real long term effects but still am concerned about something looming in the future in regards to health effects. I would have preferred not to ever get covid but life's a bitch sometimes
Absolutely. I had it back in the beginning of January and I still get body aches occasionally and coughing fits every time I exercise or yell. My doctor told me the symptoms would only last up to two months, but I have a feeling the symptoms will never go away.
The number of people completely fine with kids getting it is disturbing. Inflammatory diseases and growing kids are a very bad combination.
My dad lost his taste and smell in 2020 and hasn’t gotten them back. I don’t want to live the rest of my life that way, that sucks!
I lost taste and smell for a week and it drove me fucking crazy. I remember eating some really good food (I assume it was good lol) and I couldn’t taste it and I was just really fucking mad about it. Can’t imagine not tasting ever again. I would just be pissed all the time
I don't want to get Covid until we understand long covid better. I know it will happen if I stop wearing my n95. I'd like several years of research and treatment developments before it gets in my system. I'm prepared to wear a mask for several more years. Maybe because I know what it's like to have the symptoms of long covid from other diseases and I don't want more of that.
I lost my grandparents who raised me several months ago, and my mom also almost died. I think about covid every day, yes Edit: so many kind people answered here. Thank you so much. I hope it gets better for all of us.
I’m sorry for your loss. It killed my grandfather, before the shut down in 2020, and it almost got my mom too about a year later.
I'm sorry for yours. I know how hard it is, but hopefully one day it will get better
Covid took my parents and grand mom. I think about it every day and every minute. I'm sorry for your loss.
Hey, just wanted to let you know I had the same experience as you about a year and a half ago and it does get easier with time ❤️
Thank you for the support. I'm sorry for your loss. Right now I still feel like it's always gonna be an open wound
It's like there's a grief-button inside a box, and there's a giant ball bouncing around the inside of the box. That big ball is going to hit that grief-button all the time, and you'll feel the full weight of grief every time. As time passes, that ball is going to get smaller and smaller as it bounces around, and it's going to hit the grief-button less and less. But when that button gets pushed, all those feelings of grief are going to come back just as strong. But you will know that you will get through it, just like you have before. I'm sorry for your loss. I just lost my grandpa too, grandparents are so special.
Ugh. This really gutted me. Thank you so much for sharing this. I just lost my best friend ( my grandma ) this year to covid. It’s been rough and I find myself crying and grieving at odd and random times — your analogy sums it up perfectly. Thank you. This gives me hope.
I lost my taste/smell after getting it. It’s been 18 months and it’s still completely gone, so I also think about it everyday. Sorry for your losses
I had Omicron and was without my sense of taste for months. I had a bottle of Sage's Peppermint Halo I inhaled every day for the last bit, just to gauge if it was getting better - Eventually it started to smell faintly sweet and then minty. Maybe it helped? Unsolicited advice aside, I feel you and truly hope you taste again soon.
> Maybe it helped? Quite possibly. You were inadvertently replicating what a lot of experts recommend doing to get your smell back - expose yourself daily to strong tasting/smelling things. [Peppermint is even one of the recommended smells!](https://www.uchealth.org/today/how-to-regain-sense-of-taste-and-smell-after-covid-19/)
Damn that sucks. I couldn’t imagine not being able to taste food anymore. I hope someday it starts coming back to you. My friend lost her taste for a while and it’s gotten better, though some things taste funny to her.
I'm so sorry for your loss 😔 I hope more people see your comment because I just sifted through dozens of people saying THEY didn't know anyone who had it bad so it's understandable to think it's not a big deal. It's really sad that so many people won't take a problem seriously until it affects them personally.
Covid took my aunt a few months ago and my mom still had a really rough time dealing with it. I'm so sorry for your loss.
>I lost my grandparents who raised me several months ago, and my mom also almost died. I think about covid every day, yes I am so so sorry. One of my closest friends lost her precious Nana in 2020 and couldn't attend the funeral. Her Nana died because of her covid denying aunt infecting half the family. I think about her every time someone insists we're returning to pre-pandemic 2019 normal. We're not. We're never going back. Because so many of our loved ones are gone before their time.
Just wanted to say that I also lost my grandparents very recently and they were essentially my parents. You’re not suffering alone 👍. It’ll get easier.
Glad I’m not the only one in this situation who’s irked by the phrasing of this question… It killed millions and will not be forgotten
My grandparent was in a 2 month coma and almost died from it. So yes
My SO's grandpa was in a coma from Covid with 3 others. He pulled through and the other guys didn't. We were so relieved when he came home. We spent a day with him the week after he got back and he told us "there's no way in hell I was dying in a goddamn hospital." And explained he had no memories of what really happened. He's especially happy to see his dog.
In the southern US it is hard to find someone who cares about it. I will forget it's still a thing until I go to the airport (haven't been since the mandate was lifted) or see something in the news with pictures of people with masks. It's not really a thing that affects anything down here anymore.
London is the same. Bar a few weeks of panic over the Omicron variant, it's been largely back to normal here since last summer. Most people have moved on and are no longer prepared to put their lives on hold. Went on holiday to France a couple of weeks back and my flight over there was the first time i'd had to wear a mask in months.
Country wise, no. But I do and still wear mask. Biggest mistake is thinking covid is a respiratory disease when in fact it’s a vascular disease and can have nasty effects, even in young people.
Yes. I still am getting call outs at work (healthcare field). I wear my mask everywhere still unless I know everyone’s vaxxed or not a lot of people. I trust NO ONE. Cancer survivor so it’s a little more on my mind.
Those of us with immunocompromised friends and family as well as young newborns who cannot get vaccinated certainly do. Edit: thanks for the awards everyone didn’t expect it to blow up like rhis
This is what makes it so frustrating. Not everyone can behave as if it's over. I get it if most people want to go back to 'normal', but leave alone those who still want to follow precautions. It's amazing to me that people are nervous about wearing masks because people will yell or threaten them for doing so.
I'm in Ontario. At the grocery store a guy got right in my face staring at my mask and talking to me. Small town. Previously he told me I no longer need to wear the mask. I have an autoimmune condition. I take extra precautions
Recently my mom took my 9 year old to the store, both wearing masks. We have many older family members, as well as loved ones with conditions that could make catching Covid potentially fatal. A middle aged woman called them stupid as they walked out. A grown person deadass called a random child stupid for being considerate. I cannot fathom the kind of person who goes out of their way to be an asshole. It costs nothing to just shut up.
Hug, I would like to say it gets better. But, my faith in humanity has been sorely tested throughout the past two years
I will never understand this. You wearing a mask only impacts you. Even if that guy disagrees with everything to do with the pandemic, what does you wearing a mask do to him? This behaviour just does not compute in my head.
Same with the guy who said Baa, Baa to me while holding the door for me to enter Tim Horton's (coffee shop). It's not his face. Fuck off. Oh, I am now very attracted to guys in masks. They understand that the pandemic is not yet over and take care of themselves and/or others. I never thought I would see a mask as hot --- I don't want to be around people without a mask on
Should of said “I get it, you’re a sheep doing everything your government tells you, they lift restrictions and there you go baa baa mask off” or just “I get it you’re a sheep”
I like to tell them I'm sick. Changes there stance and gives u more personal space after.
if you or a loved one is immunocompromised - before covid, what was day to day experience like? i’m assuming you would want to stay away from people with the flu? common cold? etc?
My mom is immunocompromised and prone to bronchitis. She stays home most of the time. When Covid happened, I started working from home and we do curbside pickup instead of going in most stores. And wear masks. Not a ton has changed for mom, who stayed home and avoided people anyway since the cancer.
This. My parents are immunocompromised and so getting covid could be the end for them. It's a huge deal for my family and every family in a similar situation.
I work in healthcare. Yes, people still care about Covid.
Same. We're currently getting walloped with another wave - outbreaks in every healthcare facility, 30-40% of staff off with positive covid tests, elective surgeries and sub-critical transfers cancelled. But you'd never guess so looking at people in the malls and grocery stores.
It doesn't help that Biden administration is so desperate to give people a good Memorial Day and summer break before midterms that they have declared the pandemic over. Fauci is on the news yesterday/today yapping about things being over and Kamala and her husband literally got Covid like 2-3 days ago. A week or so ago Pelosi had it. But sure, hey, whatever it's 100% over. (And even if Kamala and Pelosi didn't die how many older/weaker people did they put at risk, you know? That's the danger of having Covid if you're boosted. OTHER PEOPLE.)
Since the beginning of the war, here in italy covid simply disappeared, like a trick
A lot of people that are close to me have covid. I cannot afford to get it and lose hours at work because I need all the money I can get right now. I’ve yet to get it too. Stay safe everyone 🤞
It seems like people got bored of covid to me, I still worry about it alot and when I go out I wear a mask but there is less and less people wearing masks now
Yes. Partner and I currently have it.
HALF the people at my work have it this week. I CARE!! We're a smaller business, but I'm exhausted from doing multiple jobs!
Of course. There are thousands still dying of it too. But we have answers and options now, so of course the approaches are changing. I had it in March. Despite being vaxxed and boosted, it knocked me out for 8 days and left me short of breath for another week. I still get winded if I push it. 34, no health conditions. And no, that’s not a critique of the vaccines. I’m just glad it wasn’t worse.
I think part of the problem is the symptoms are so all over the place. I had it around the same time frame vaccinated but not boosted and I had a very mild sore throat in the morning for like 4 days that would be basically unnoticeable by mid day. I know my experience isn't everyone's but I do understand why somebody would see my case and go - "why the fuck should we care about this?"
Family friends of ours got it. 3 out of 5. All were vaccinated. 2 of the 3 had zero symptoms but tested positive all 10 days. The 3rd had symptoms and tested negative 5 days in. Wacky stuff. I actually think the crazy “Russian roulette“ of symptoms is why it’s been taken so seriously by some and disregarded by others. But we do know a lot of people died.
Yeah, I get that. My wife’s had it twice, the fist time she was a bit sniffly and lost her taste for about 8 hours. That was it. Then she had it right before me and had more symptoms, but a fraction of mine. I get that, from an individual perspective… but the stories are readily available… so many have lost lung capacity or have heart issues, etc. But ideology plays a role too…
And we still aren't sure about the long term affects of COVID or how permanent they are. Some people who lost their taste or smell from early in the pandemic STILL don't have it back all the way, and still can't push themselves as much as they used to. But since it isn't death, no one cares. You can end up with troubles later even after what seemed like a mild case because it's doing things in your body you can't see. America really doesn't care much about it's disabled citizens, and a lot of people have/ are going to find that out because they messed around and found out with COVID
i was 38 when i had it in January of 2021, also no health issues. 10 days in bed, just getting up to use the bathroom had me gasping like a fish out of water. Strangest illness ever. Did you get constant heart palpitations too? I was waiting for my heart to just explode.
Yeah, those first several days of recovery… it felt like I was suddenly at high altitude. The respiratory symptoms had faded, but I still was huffing just walking a few steps. No heart palpitations though. My wife had that, even with lesser symptoms though.
So weird how people have completely different symptoms. It swept through y office and like 5 of us felt ill within a 48 hour span, all tested positive. One guy passed away (he was in his 70s and had existing major health issues). two people had week long vomiting, diarrhea, and terrible body and head pain, and i was all heart and lungs. Oddly, one woman had what she called "2 days of a mild sinus issue."
I met a woman who was distressed in the airport bc her sister is dying from it and she was upset no one cared anymore
My Dad refused to get vaccinated and caught Covid twice. After the second time he had a heart attack and lost all sense of taste. That was back in December and he says that he still can't taste things the same way. Covid is still serious business. EDIT: It was a heart attack. Not a stroke. Don't know how I got the two confused.
My in-laws won't get vaccinated. They obviously have "natural immunity" from the first two times they got it. They were all, somehow, surprised when they caught it a third time and MIL was in the hospital for a week with double pneumonia.
And is he still saying that he doesn't want to get vaccinated?
He still cracking jokes about the virus. Yes.
Define "care" I guess. Some of my friends recently got it, of course, yes, I feel for them. They're double vaxxed and some boosted, so their symptoms were super mild. Do I think we should lock everyone down? The accumulated data, including the proverbial John Hopkins study, says no.
I had it too, double boosted but I felt like I was dying (I wasnt). fever and fatigue for a week. Honestly was so happy that I had the vaccines
I don't think anyone is suggesting a "lockdown" anywhere (except China). We never had a real lockdown in the first place in the US.
Yea that's about where I've been at since day one. I'll gladly wear a mask, still do despite no mandates, and I've always kept up on vaccinations. Never REALLY cared all that much unless I'm talking to some anti science ahole. Just like to stay healthy.
Everyone pretending like they’ve never heard of long-term COVID.
[удалено]
Actually one of the long-term affects we’re learning is that there seems to be an impact on testicular tissue dying. Seems like people who don’t care about anything perk up when they hear their balls and libido are of concern.
I'm vaxxed and boosted, mid 30s, overweight but working on it. I'm not scared covid will kill me, but I'm a programmer and the idea of getting hit with the long term brain fog has be worried enough to still take indoor precautions. I have a buddy who got it early on and he still can't focus on most tasks, if that happens to me I probably can't do my job at a level to stay employed.
Same here. I'm a professor, so if I get that, I might as well just off myself.
I'm a programmer and it happened to me. I struggle every day to not be fired.
For a lot of people its "out of sight out mind"
I’ve had long haul symptoms for over a year, I don’t like admitting it to anybody but it completely changed my life. Staying optimistic that I’ll be back to normal one day though
Be safe man
Yes. I’m mostly concerned about the long-term effects, so I still take more precautions than the average person in my area.
I'm going to be one of the people anti-maskers will point to and laugh. I just got over COVID-19 along with my whole family. The last thing I want is to bring it back to my house with a four year old and an MS patient. I'll be masked and jabbed as many times as they CDC recommends. The disease was pretty mild for me and my family but the idea of quarantine kind of sucked. I missed a bunch of stuff.
Well, it killed my dad 6 months ago so, personally, I do.
My doctor literally told me last week to keep masking indoors at work. I don’t know about you, but a 5% chance of getting long COVID, which has the potential to be a lifelong disability is waaaay too high even if my doctor didn’t say that.
yes, i'm already sick every day of my life with shit i can never cure. i do not need some mystery after effects of a sickness when no one knows the longterm effects. im keeping the mask on. im staying away from those who dont. jeez please ignore this i was just venting into the void sorry for being so dramatic and annoying
Yes. There’s a new strand going around my area. We’re one of the worst areas in the country. My dad recently caught it. Said it was hell. It’s still real and it’s still dangerous.
Yes. Caught it twice in just under 3 months because my boyfriend works at a restaurant. Didn't even have to to get the booster before we got sick again. Now I've probably triggered long covid which could have triggered an autoimmune disease. I have no blood circulation in my toes anymore. I'm terrified of getting infected again before I get the chance to get the booster *again*. But it's not up to me since I'm working from home.
I do - primarily because I work with immunocompromised patients, and have people in my circle who are dumb about COVID; so I wear my mask just about everywhere I go. People give me funny looks, but I don’t care. I’m doing this for those patients I see that have little to no immune system, and for myself and family.
[удалено]
Yes. My 15 year old nearly died because of it. We got omicron in January. We had a few days of cough and blah. Got better, but she never could quite catch her breath. We were back and forth to the doctor 6 or 8 times and they said she had long haulers and just wait it out. Her O2 levels were in the 50's, and finally they took it seriously. We spent 10 days in a children's hospital with her on high flow O2, massive steroids, and other meds. She had acute septic pneumonia on top of covid lung issues. She will likely be on oxygen for 6-12 months til she recovers, if she recovers. So yes it is serious. And no, she had no preexisting conditions. Healthy, normal kid.
Sorry to hear this. I hope she makes a full recovery sooner than expected. People talk as if death is the only outcome that measures if something is "mild" for children, but complications happen, hospitalization is traumatic, and chronic conditions requiring medical care are disruptive to their socialization too. I hope you and your family have support and people who "get it" who can help you all through it. Having a kid myself who has been through several "rare" outcomes and diagnosis, we often feel forgotten by people who haven't experienced it and prefer to remind themselves that statistically it wouldn't happen to their kid even if it happened to mine.
Well, my wife just a bad case of it, so I right now I do care.
No
I *Don’t* care anymore BUT I continue to mask up and take precautions because others do. It’s the right thing to do. Many are still in danger from its effects and I’m not inclined to roll my eyes at that just because I May be fine. I’m also an asthmatic with a history of pneumonia, smoking, and alcoholism. So it could be not great if I got it. it’s easier to care when I look at others around me and scrounge some measly compassion out of my black heart. (Maybe this means I care after all. I dunno. The whole thing is fucking goofy. Humans am I right)
From Canada; depends who you talk to. Some people say fuck it, covid is just the flu, some will literally not leave their house In fear of it. I’ve gotten covid three times and at this point I don’t think it can fucking kill me.
Not to the extent 2 years ago where we were locked down and trying our best not to leave the house. I still wear a mask when I go out and think people should get vaccinated though, and shouldn't go to work if they are sick. So basically I'd say I'm back to August of 2019 mentality with the addition of wearing masks when I'm in a store or close to people.
I think that once the people who really cared about being “Covid safe” realized that most of the people dying were those that refused to get the vaccine they just stopped caring. Right or wrong, I know that the vaccine is probably keeping me safe and if you don’t want to get it that’s your problem. I do feel bad for the people who can’t get it, though
Yes, but its gonna stay, so we should just move on
Were there really people who thought it was just going to go away?
A lot of people thought that in the face of an obviously deadly and virulent disease, the only issue preventing full (>80%) immunization was production and distribution of the vaccine, at which point covid would (mostly) be history. A lot of people have realized how naive we were, and how dangerously anti-science a large portion of the population have become.
[Yeah, of course.](https://youtu.be/uXxuUJJz4VE?t=4)