Belt and suspenders....

It does make it harder to breathe. I've tried it.

I wear a KN95 under a paper medical mask for work and I have no problem breathing. I'm not taking any chances, being inside with bunches of unmasked kids.

I've seen medical workers being interviewed on the news and they often have on 2 masks.

My job went mask optional and I'm really concerned and careful. I don't want the virus.

The cases are steadily dropping. Everywhere (except Maine and Idaho? Weird, but there you go). So what benchmark will make you comfortable to stop wearing a mask? Is there anything?

Mayo's maps show so much improvement by mid-March, I can see no longer working at home around May. Fully on campus. Mask free even. And I've been super careful. Didn't go to gatherings. Didn't travel. Didn't eat out. Still wear masks. I'm thinking about how life will look. Not jumping into anything.

I have no idea what my benchmark will be. I honestly see myself masking at work for a really long time and maybe loosening up for very, very small social events. Like a walk outside with a friend kinda thing. I have been so careful. I have been trying to protect my elderly parent who lives with me.

I haven't worn a mask in many months. I recently cancelled an Optometrist appointment when told I had to wear a mask, when I didn't have to wear one in the same office 16 months earlier before vaccines. It just made no sense to me.

drewsmaga, why would that bother you so much? Maybe someone in the office has immune problems or others live with elderly parents. Really, its not about just you but those around you.

Wearing a mask for a short period of time, if asked, wouldn't bother me at all.

Jane

I wear a K95 under my cloth mask and will continue to when I'm in a store. It gets warm but I'm only there for less than an hour so it's okay. The mask mandate has been lifted and my husband doesn't wear one in big stores but in smaller ones he does.

It's very difficult to breath with one--two is over kill and really gives you no more protection. We all need to do us without pointing fingers at others. There are treatments in clinical trials that are going well, once they are released the world will move on from this fear and COVID will be synonymous with the flu as far as a feared diseases.

I watch the positivity rate...ours is currently at 2.55%...meaning that nearly 98% of the people being tested are negative. So the odds of running into the disease are pretty low. I've gone back to eating at a restaurant on occasion, but I will still wear a kn95 in public places with lots of people such as grocery stores and other retail outlets. I will go maskless at the gym, but only because it is very large spaces (indoor soccer field) and well distanced.

According to the last map I saw, there are still many areas of the country with high infection rates, mine being among them. Latest CDC guidance is to continue protective measures in these areas.

And I don't find it hard to breathe at all when wearing masks. Seems to me if a person has breathing issues, that's even more reason to want to prevent infection.

My state lifts the mandate today. I’ll continue to wear a mask most places, and it doesn’t bother me to do so. But, I certainly anticipate people tellling me ”don’t you know, bpath, you donl’t have to wear a mask any more?” Aargh. Now it’s my turn to say ”my choice.”

I went to grocery store yesterday, normally not on a Sunday and it was super busy-and due to it being super busy I did see very few mask wearers (normally I rarely see any mask wearers here) AND I am not kidding one bit-all the men of those wearing masks ALL had beards. Do they realize how ridiculous we all think they are when having a beard and wearing a mask? The only KN95 I saw were on a couple of elderly people. I mean, come on, if you are going to wear them, at least wear them right. Otherwise, the rest of us know you are virtue signaling and you look ridiculous.

AND, why go on a weekend in the middle of the day, when it is very busy if you are worried at all about it? The rest of us know why.

I've actually had a couple of doctor appts-and no masks required.

An N95 mask with either a paper mask or cloth mask over it works just fine. A lot of nurses and doctors wear them that way under their faces shields.

Just remember: it only took one case for 5.5+million people world wide to die from eventually.

Just want to add: Alberta is lifting all restrictions tomorrow. I will keep my mask on ESPECIALLY at work where I am face-to-face with too many customers. Mask or no mask I want people to stay out of my bubble. The one thing I've loved these past two years is the 6' social distancing as I hate people (yeah: I work with the public but then who really doesn't?) and I can't stand when people get too close to me. Even before the pandemic, I would back off when people got too close. And I dare anyone to say anything after all, the anti maskers and anti vaxers have been screaming "my body my choice" for 2 years. Wearing a mask is my body my choice.

Thinking people are "virtue signaling" because they have facial hair and wear a mask? At least they are doing something. I don't think you need to use two KN95 masks, though. In my dealings with sick covid patients, I have only worn one mask and no eye protection and have never contracted covid. It was a different story early days of the pandemic, when I would wear two masks and a head piece that looked like a welder's helmet. It was so hot and hurt my head and neck, and I stopped wearing it almost immediately. It is impossible to stay socially distanced from people when caring for them, so I rely on my mask and good hand hygiene.

The problem with this bit about your choice on wearing a mask or not is the risks are asymmetrical. It puts no one else at greater risk if I wear a mask, but it puts others at greater risk if you chose not to.

FWIW, I heard a great comment from a health professional recently. She said we all know that only a certain percentage of people will have a bad outcome if they become infected with the virus, but who wants to find out they're in that percentage?

Not me.

I mean, come on, if you are going to wear them, at least wear them right. Otherwise, the rest of us know you are virtue signaling and you look ridiculous.

What an odd assumption to make. What I see when I go into grocery stores are the mostly male stock workers wearing their masks under their noses. They are mandated to wear them here, and maybe they are virtue-signalling that they don't believe in following the law. Or maybe they just don't care if they infect other people.

I've actually had a couple of doctor appts-and no masks required.

That's nuts!

Yeah I would never go to a doctor's office that didn't require masks. I would be concerned about their judgement and critical thinking skills.

When a guy is sporting a beard - how does he get the mask touching his cheek, or nose, all the way around?

Have you held your hand close to where the mask (is required to) touch the face? When there's a beard present, lots of room for air (including viruses) to pass through that 1/8" or so of space between mask and face inhabited by the beard.

o j

Every medical school has someone who graduates at the bottom of the class

I seriously don't understand the whole beard/mask thing.

I have hair on my head, and I can still wear a hat!

jane__ny My point was I didn't have to wear a mask at the same office before there were vaccines. Our state doesn't require them. It bothers me so much because of childhood trauma, having anything over my nose and mouth for more than a few minutes causes anxiety which can lead to a full-blown panic attack. Not something I want to have happen at a 40-45 minutes exam. I'm going to a different Optometrist.

There is no need to wear 2 N95 masks. Just be sure that the one N95 fits without gaps.

RE bearded men wearing them - it is still much better than no mask, despite the lack of the best mask-to-skin contact.

Cases are dropping rapidly, indeed, but dropping from extreme highs - 3000+ cases per day in my state - and are still in the ~1000 per day range. Still double the number of cases from summer 2020. So I will be waiting to stop wearing a mask.

My DD went to a large grocery store, the first time in weeks, and caught it. She was quite ill (her sats stabilized in the 89-91 range), and Is only this week able to resume doing some housework like washing dishes, and eating normally. That was 8 weeks of acute illness!

For those who said they only wear masks in small stores, that really isn't logical.

ETA: and in the past 2 weeks several local schools had to cancel classes because too many teachers were out sick (the news reports said "sick", not "quarantining"). That to me indicates significant transmission still.

Elmer J Fudd I had lots of people die when I was a child, including my Mother, 3 Grandparents, a young cousin, favorite uncle, etc. I don't know if that would have caused me anxiety/panic attacks. Being pinned down by a trusted adult and smothered to where I was sure I was going to die, and actually passing out did it for me. I followed the mask mandates when they were required by just not going to stores or restaurants, etc. I got vaccinated. I found a new Optometrist. I don't wear a mask. BTW I have 8 Grandchildren. (Maga is an old family name for Grandmother.. My first Grand was Drew -- he's turning 24 later this week. Hence, Drewsmaga) I take care of 2 young ones in their home after school every day. Both their parents recently caught Covid, about a month apart. I still went over after school every day. And didn't wear a mask. I suppose I could catch it tomorrow, even though our state positivity rate is down to 7.3%

Joyfulguy, I know right? It’s not rocket science to know with hair in betwen your face skin and mask that aerosol type virus WILL get out or get in. Especially all these months people wearing cloth masks.

wildchild2x2 Thank you for understanding. Too many people on this forum go off the deep end.

I have hair on my head, and I can still wear a hat!

Yes, but presumably the top of your head isn't emitting aerosols.

Most people don't enjoy wearing masks, but a ventilator would be a lot worse!

I don't understand people who claim not to be able to wear a mask while they shop, but can wear a scarf over their face in -30C weather while going for a walk....

I’ve actualy appreciated wearing a mask outdoors in the cold! Much more comfortable that a scarf. I’m going to hang on to my fabric masks for that purpose.

Our school just went mask optional this week. i asked my high schooler to please consider cintinuing to wear a mask to keep her immunocompromised father nad grandparent safe. i also asked her to wear a mask in any class the teacher is wearing one, to recognize that position and to help keep people safe. teachers havd had far too much to deal with. we have not seen transmission in our schools with people wearing masks, but now im guessing we may see an uptick with fewer masks and spending time in closed rooms together. my daughter had a ”mild” case and missed a month of school. no underlying conditions. she has no desire to experience that again. i have comfortable N95 i wear to physical therapy and when inside buildings.

Masks are optional at school starting tomorrow. I’m leaving it up to the kids. They both seem inclinded to wear them but have said they’ll base it on a combination of what others are doing and how their zits are looking.

I wouldn’t consider going to a medical provider that wasn’t requiring masks, but the note from my mom’s practice raised an eyebrow: “Please consider a video visit or reschedule if you have COVID-19-like symptoms or have been exposed.” I’d prefer ”don’t come.”

Please consider? That's awful. It shouldn't be optional!

foodonastump , "consider a video visit or reschedule". Doesn't that statement mean "don't come"?

I see that Elmer removed his comment to me. Some people just go off the deep end. I pray for them. And whoever told me I need therapy deleted the comment too. Some people just go off the deep end. I pray for them. People are so quick to judge/condemn in their self-righteousness. It's almost like a religion to them. Or a cult.

Consider a video visit, means, still get seen, but not in the office. Just saying "don't come" could keep people from completing what could very easily maintain their health. So please, do it via video if there are issues such as lack of mask ability or existence of symptoms.

As to more beard comments, I must protest. They make masks that accommodate beards. And masks go up to your ears, beards don't. Scoop the hair up and into the mask, and if needed, make sure the mask is ample enough to contain it. If you don't know about those masks, maybe it's because you've never had a beard?

Anything other than these and they're wearing them like under nose people.

I see that Elmer removed his comment to me. Some people just go off the deep end. And whoever told me I need therapy deleted the comment too.

I did not delete my comment and I'm guessing Elmer didn't delete his.

Judi I don't see your comment or Elmer's.

I think someone just went flag happy again. My comment expressing support for drewsmaga's situation went missing too. It's probably just another hit job by some small minded person who only wants to hear one side. Some of the posts may be back if that is the case after admin reviews them.

“Please consider a virtual visit” is more of a suggestion. ”Please reschedule to a virtual visit” would be more of a directive.

Anyway just picked up my kids, and they reported on the first day of lifted mandate. Most kids did not wear masks, but some did. The only ones who got any grief, rightfully so, were the under-nosers. My daughter’s math teacher flipped out on one who kept adjusting her mask. ”Why don’t you just take it off?” ”Because I want to stay safe.” ”What are you trying to save, your chin?!” 😂 And my daughter’s ”hallway crush” is no longer a crush. Apparently he’s not as cute as she had imagined him to be, behind his mask.

Judi I don't see your comment or Elmer's.

Someone else removed them. Not us.

I didn't remove anything.

I don't think it's one-sided wildchild. If they remove judi/elmer AND drewsmaga, that's both sides, isn't it? Mine is gone too, but all I said was please don't insult. I think they removed the entire sidetracked discussion.

wildchild2x2 and rob333 (zone 7a) WOW! Censorship. No one got ugly, but yeah, all the posts deleted! No free speech at KT. I've been posting almost 24 years or less than 21. so, what sets these admins off? It wasn't a sidetracked discussion. It was about someone wearing 2 K95 masks and I commented I haven't masked in months, And then got attacked, which I'm used to. And got supported -- which I'm not used to. Censsorship on here is worse than Facebook. It's the admins page, and they can do whatever they want. Guess I'm not welcome to comment on something that's not approved by MSM?

Since when has Gardenweb ever been a 'free speech' zone?

If anything, it's way less strictly controlled than it used to be when many of us first joined.