Wearing mask after COVID

[HollyCD]

I've read a number of posts that the current situation with having to wear masks has actually opened up some opportunities for many of us because of the little extra bit of anonymity provided by the mask. In some cases, it gave enough confidence to allow someone to venture out for the first time. For others, it offers additional comfort in helping to protect their identity. I realize there are many on here that are able to be out freely without much concern for either of these issues, but quite a few just do not have that luxury and are still trying to build confidence or have to remain cautious due to personal or professional limitations. For those who have benefited from wearing masks, do you expect to continue to wear one in public as things return to normal? While I expect most of the population is ready to have a mask burning party, I expect a few will continue to wear a mask due to additional respiratory health concerns, whether warranted or not. Before COVID, anyone wearing a mask in public stood out a bit. Now that everyone has been conditioned to public masking, it will probably be mostly ignored if a few are still wearing one going forward, especially as cold and flu season rolls around in a few months.

[GretchenM]

There is no need to lose the mask anytime soon. Things are improving fast, but it is still a dangerous world for those who have not been vaccinated. And for those who have been, like old farts like me, it is not certain that we cannot still get the virus and spread it to others. We have more freedom with others who have been fully vaccinated but those are the only ones. I suspect there will still be a need to wear a mask late into the year.

It is about the only thing that has been good about this pandemic. The anonymity of a mask has allowed many of us more shy people to venture into what we kind of fear as a wilderness of predators ready to pounce on us if we are read for wearing the wrong clothes. The effect hasn't been that great on me because I have still avoided being in public anymore than I have to because the real predator (Covid) far outweighs the imaginary ones.

And I think you bring up a good point about cold and flu season. There really wasn't one this winter and it is a direct result of mask wearing to avoid Covid. Hopefully, a lot of people see the message in there to be applied going forward. In some parts of the world, especially Asia, if you get a cold you put on a mask to protect others from getting it. Maybe mask wearing will become more widespread as a behavior that is kind and helpful to others and not a message that you have a terrible disease and need to be avoided at all costs. There are still some who think crossdressing is also a sign of a person who has at least a few loose screws upstairs. Hopefully, the world can become more considerate of others and the diversity we humans have.

(Finally, congrats Holly on reaching the magic number of 10. Enjoy the opening up of the larger world to you.)

[Linda E. Woodworth]

The soon we get rid of those $(#*($(#*@ masks the better!

[Pixie_94]

No matter if this virus gets erradicated or something close, I'll keep wearing a mask when I go out. They have been quite useful, especially since I'm an asthmatic (no, they don't make it hard to breathe, no idea of what the people mean by that) and I actually feel comfortable by having part of my face covered.

[KimberC]

The mask has helped with hiding my beard :)

[jenabrooks]

Linda,Don't be so harsh about the mask lighten up the language.

[Teresa]

Holly,
Mixed feelings about this question .

OK I fall into the group that don't need a mask to hide my identity but I also appricate those that have found them a good way of trying out the RW .

Mask wearing in the Far East is regular . some choose to wear them because of polution problems .

The one problem I see is some could retain them to disguise themselves for criminal activities so it might be a case when we no longer need them we may be advised to stop wearing them so we aren't accused of criminal activities .

I personally will be glad to see the back of them because they smear my makeup , steam my glasses up and prevent me from wearing my hearing aids . As Gretchenm comments it will possibly be a while yet .

[Stephanie47]

Dr. Fauci was on Stephen Colbert last night and he was asked about Covid's future, whether it would be eradicated. He was point blank and said it was hoped it Covid will become manageable. He did point only small pox has been eradicated. Covid is a new critter that's on the lose and it is here to stay. He said too many people have become infected for it to be eradicated. He said he hopes there will be some sense of normalcy soon.

I'm 73. Age alone puts me in the comorbidity category. With age there is a decrease in the effectiveness of the immune system. Throw in low grade under control diabetes 2 with neuropathy and I am a bigger target. You have to keep in mind pre-covid there were tens of thousands of flu deaths. Turns out with masking the seasonal flu admissions are down 98%. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out masks work. Social distancing works. There are many Asian populations where there is mask wearing during the seasonal flu season. Given the mortality rates of Covid and the bad effects on organs, if Covid does not kill you I will be still wearing a mask.

My personal belief is Covid vaccinations will become an annual shot. And, since this is a new virus nobody really knows what will happen down the line. If you had chicken pox as a kid fifty years ago there is a good possibility you're going to get shingles. This critter is not going away.

[AngelaYVR]

There is an interesting article in Politico magazine about how this virus started. Not sure about providing a link so I won’t but unless things change, we can probably expect new releases of different viruses in the future. So expect a lot of mask use to continue. For myself, I am more than ready to send mine to a fiery end.

[Genifer Teal]

Happy for those it helps i am not interested to continue wearing masks.

[abby054]

I am seriously considering using the mask after covid fades. Other than getting COVID this winter, I caught nothing, none of the usual round of colds and flu like illnesses. Mask and distancing work on the old fashioned illnesses. COVID not so much, I am here to tell you. I caught it fully masked up working with asymptomatic university students. I know who they are because they got nabbed and quarantined in random testing by the university.

I lived for a while in Korea. Most people there mask up when in public in the wintertime. Every winter without fail. They may be onto something.

COVID appears to be finally running low on people to infect for now. When we find out how long immunity from vaccinations or infections lasts, I agree with you that we will get periodic shots.

[jazmine]

There's something wrong with me. I wish I could be like the majority. I don't understand why I'm not. The short of it is; I don't want to live in a world where everyone is masked. It's not natural to me. It freaks me out and bums me out. Makes me super sad. I want to see people's beauty & smiles when I'm out in the world experiencing this short flicker of life. Lately it feels as though I'm in the twilight zone. Especially with my resistance against the mask. I feel like I'm in a nightmare. I don't see this ending. I feel horrible for feeling this way. Why can't I be on board with it? I just want to make people feel comfortable. That's why I do wear one, but I feel I'm about to lose my mind. It's so bad, that I feel like I need help, and need to talk to someone. Unfortunately, I would have to wear a mask in the session. That won't help me, but have the opposite effect. Not interested in zoom sessions. I feel as though my life has become a zoom session. So impersonal. How can I accept this like everyone else and be chill about it? Sometimes I think I need a frontal lobe lobotomy to fix my problem. I'm not trying to be sarcastic or a smart ass either. I just want to be cool with it like everyone else.

[jacques]

Hello Holly,
I think I will still wear a mask some days - the hide my makeup and beard!
luv J

[Teri Ray]

I am looking forward to the day where wearing masks become just a memory.

[jessica33]

Every year without exception when cold and flu season comes I have mask on .

[docrobbysherry]

I'm not in a hurry to return to no masks. As I was thrown out of several malls, stores, and Vegas casinos for wearing a mask! :doh:

Now, they ALL require that I and everyone wear one!:tongueout

[Karren H]

I will be wearing masks for a long time. For mainly stopping the virus but in the winter it keeps my face warm and I do not need to brush my teeth as much! Lol.

[Angela Marie]

I don't like wearing a mask; especially when it is warm and I'm made up. But I do it because it is a sensible way to avoid being infected and infecting others. Both my wife and I have had both vaccine shots but we still wear masks. I do it out of concern for my health and respect for other people. This will pass as more and more people are vaccinated.

[Crissy 107]

The soon we get rid of those $(#*($(#*@ masks the better!

I may take some heat for this but let me know where the next mask burning event is being held.

[Brenn]

I'm ready to get rid of the masks.

[Michele14]

If I don't know the people where I am at I will wear a mask. If I do know the people I won't. All my friends and family members have been very good in telling me if they have been exposed or not.

[Jillcder]

For my dressing I hate the mask I enjoy my lip stick but the straps on my ears are a pain with earrings. I?m happy for others that use it to hide beards and other male features. I will continue to wear a mask until the restrictions are lifted.

[Beverley Sims]

I do agree masks are handy, I can get away and not shave for two days if I wear a mask.

[MysecretSummerlife]

I'm ready to get rid of them but at the same time it has been nice to shop as a man in a female section and nobody can see my face.

[Krisi]

Anyone can certainly wear a mask if they want to, but I remember yeas ago before Covid, I would occasionally see someone wearing a facemask in public and say to myself "There is something wrong with that person." So, if 99% of the people are no longer wearing masks, but you are, you will be calling attention to yourself.

Hopefully, the world will get back to normal (whatever that is) in a year or two and masks will not be worn by most. It is pretty dehumanizing and makes it hard to understand some people.

[Teresa]

Jill,
I haven't worn earrings for well over a year , I might have big ears ( which I hate ) but I'm running out of space with wearing earrings , hearing aids , glasses and a mask then I have to get my wig to fit comfortably so I gave up on earrings and hearing aids and suffer my glasses steaming up when I'm trying to read small print . That's also not forgetting makeup being smudged .

I will never use it as an excuse to not shave everyday as I don't wear a mask all the time , I usually slip it off when I'm returning to my car after returning the supermarket trolley and don't usually wear one when filling the car with fuel .

Even after Covid injections I will still play safe to repect and protect others .

[LydiaL]

As I have chronic sinus issues, I must pull down the mask regularly to replenish the lungs adequately. My masks will be indeed be retired the instant restrictions are lifted here. (Or before if they remain in place beyond what is reasonable.)

Would love to have a mask burning, but suppose I will just pack them away to be ready for the next declared pandemic crisis.

Time for us to share our smiles again.

[Barbara Jo]

Before the pandemic, I have sometime seen some females wearing a mask.. like like at a grocery supermarket etc.
Looking back, it was most likely because their doctor thought that they thought that they might have TB

Anyway, I remember thinking that I would like to do that to hide my face for the most part .
Now with the pandemic I can and it has really emboldened me to go anywhere.
BTW, it also makes it ease to leave my apt with minimal make up.

Now, i can fully understand that those with a very pretty face with no telltale marks on it can not wait for a mask no longer being needed.
However there are some of us where this is not the case to one extent or another. So the mask is welcomed.

Personally, i thin\k that some will continue to ware the mask for a long time to come and they will not seem out of place. :)

[Lori Ann Westlake]

The soon we get rid of those $(#*($(#*@ masks the better!

My pet hate about masks is that if you wear glasses like me, my breath steams them up so I can't see as well,