The COVID-19 vaccine is having a stunning impact.
Take, for instance, nursing homes. Though they were the site of more than 26,000 COVID-19 deaths between thanksgiving and New Years, they’ve seen deaths decline by 66 percent since vaccinations began in December.
I expect to be wearing a mask into 2022. I just ordered a few cool but multilayered masks from my local hat maker. I already have filters that fit. She uses remnants from her creations.
I plan on social-distancing until which time the Covid transmission rate matches the Flu transmission rate.
And masking up on public transit (even after vaccination) until the year 2065 (or beyond).
I can only speak for myself (I’m an immunologist who has worked on vaccines). Once I and my loved ones get vaccinated, and they are widely available, after a few weeks to reach full immunity, I intend to resume reasonably normal life. That may include continuing to wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces, especially in wintertime, as they do in many Asian countries, while carrying on a full life.
I am not going to curtail my life for those who refuse the vaccine when it is available to them for what ever silly reason. My pro-social sentiments extend to protecting those who can’t protect themselves but stop at those who will not protect themselves…
Problem with relaxing things for vaccinated people is that they don’t exactly issue a forehead tattoo when you get the vaccine.
And especially with limited supply to date, that means that you’re only going to encourage people who can’t yet get the vaccine to go out and mingle regardless.
May as well suck it up that we’re with the general things for some months to come, not try to create multiple subsets of people with varying restrictions. Some things, like international travel, do make more sense once there’s a verified passport for that.
I’m just writing 2021 off as 2020 2.0 and we may as all just deal with that.
In a nation of fools and lunatics, it’s best to protect yourself.
That’s my policy.
2A argument right there!
I do too, but not everywhere. The way it’s going to evolve for me personally is being able to be in close mask-less contact with friends and family on a “pod” basis; i.e. everyone vaccinated. My wife and I got our first vaccinations last week, and we’re scheduled for the booster in a few weeks. We’re taking a short road trip after that to celebrate, dropping off a musical instrument at a luthier shop the next state over, then back home.
Getting back into indoor dining at restaurants even on a limited basis will feel weird for a while, but we want to support local restaurants so we’ll do what we can. I expect we’ll be wearing masks in all the other “non-pod” situations except when actually eating at a restaurant at least through December.
I also expect many people to stop wearing masks after they’re vaccinated in places where they really should, but nothing we can do about that.
Liked for the intent, but flu transmission rate is far too weak a goal. In a regular year millions catch the flu and tens of thousands die.
Agreed, but for my whole adult life I’ve been getting the flu vaccine, riding the CTA during flu season, going to bars, meeting with students, flying home to Mama, etc, all unmasked, & without incident or fear.
I’ll do so again if/when Covid reaches that level of deadly tepidity.
Take, for instance, nursing homes. Though they were the site of more than 26,000 COVID-19 deaths between thanksgiving and New Years, they’ve seen deaths decline by 66 percent since vaccinations began in December.
Being down by 66 percent needs some supporting info IMO. How has the population of nursing homes changed in the last year? I certainly would expect that there are now less residents, and of those longer term residents, I would assume those who survived the initial assault were healthier. This number sounds good, but could be meaningless.
Given the dive bars of your choice, a tetanus shot is way more important than a mere mask.
Oh shit. 
ETA: not to mention rabies.
It’ll pay to watch what the germans are doing around this. As usual on matters of public health policy, they’ve been discussing and planning for this since april. Not that the germans’ handling of the epidemic has been perfect; every time they relax restrictions the public goes on a spree of group recreation that results in a new infection spike.
I had this debate with my Republican relatives last evening. They are eager to see an end to social distancing and mask wearing now. They want to restart the economy. When I point out that it might be way too early they respond by saying once all the old people and people with comorbidities receive the vaccination the rest of the population can take their chances. When I point out that strategy risks a mutation that renders the vaccine ineffective and puts us all at risk again, they laugh at me and tell me I shouldn’t watch MSNBC. It seems a lot of Republicans want to be Covid’s Henry Gunther.
It’s real, real easy. Life after vaccination stays exactly like life before vaccination. Masked and separated.
Except with less dying going on. Less dying is good.
Once we get down below what, 10 COVID-19 deaths in the US per day, something like that; then we can start talking about the theater, and concerts, and sports events, etc
Probably should just take penicillin with your cereal.
Hilarious
I’m not sure why tweets copy an unrelated tweet below it It bugs me.
Quaker Oats, are you listening??
We are fully vaccinated now. What that means, I think. We can now enjoy our grandkids, sons in-laws, all but two sons in-law are fully vaccinated. We are looking forward to a gathering.