I would be more concerned for my unvaccinated friend than for myself, since I am vaxxed. COVID is still very much with us.

What we know today:

The vaccine did not prevent people from getting catching the virus. It may or may not have reduced severity in some people. Without carefully controlled studies we will never be certain.

It was discovered early on the vaccine had a shorter term of efficacy than they had hoped for. Its effectiveness will be debated for years.

Being vaccinated did not prevent one from transmitting the virus. Both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated could transmit the virus without even knowing they were ill.

The vaccinated were more prone to staying home and sacrificing 2 or more years of living life fully. The unvaccinated mostly went about their lives and kept those 2 or more years.

The pandemic part of this is history. Time to move on.

I agree that Covid is still very much with us. The psychiatric facility where my friends son is admitted is locked down right now for a Covid outbreak and she couldn't visit him yesterday. Same with the assisted living where another friends mother is recuperating from a stroke. He's been taking her to his house on weekends for lunch - he couldn't this last weekend. Maybe tomorrow for the holiday, he doesn't know yet.

As for the unvaccinated, I really don't know. Two fully vaccinated friends became quite ill in March. We'd had dinner with them on a Thursday, and Saturday she began coughing. She tested positive for a full two weeks and she took the anti viral - they both did. Her husband became sick just a few days after she did.

Trying to trace their steps, she blamed it on the unvaccinated former student of her husbands.

She had wanted to make a crab dinner for her sister in law about two nights before we'd met them in a restaurant for dinner. The former student picked them up, drove them down to his boat where he had a crab catch in the hold, picked out their live crab and drove them home again. When returning them to their house, he mentioned he'd felt feverish all week and had a headache. It didn't sink in that he may have had Covid until she called him and he admitted to testing positive - and admitted he'd had no shots.

And on the subject of the shots, I'm really confused about ours right now. We've had them all including the bivalent last day of Sept. My sisters oncologist told her we are fine for a year and should have another this coming Fall. I asked my endo two weeks ago and she disagreed with him, she said we are due now since it's been 9 months. Her suggestion was now, and again just before the holidays so TWO more shots before years end. I hadn't really planned on two more than the 5 we've already had but am so undecided as to what we should do.

DH has a class reunion next month and the venue they've chosen is smaller. The turn out is always large and it could be crowded. I've been to other events there and the acoustics are bad, people will surely be raising their voices to have conversation in a crowd. There will be buffet dinner and I'm picturing pretty much shoulder to shoulder seating for eating if the typical large number make the effort to come.

As I understand it, the currently circulating Covid virus isn't one that the available medicines are effective in providing immunity to. But that having had it can reduce chances of getting a serious case if the disease is contracted.

I think these days most people who feel ill (without knowing the reason) have the consideration to minimize or avoid exposing others. Not all, though.

If there is any doubt get vaccinated. That simple.

I am definitely vaccinated. I have had all the boosters available to me. If they offer one for my age group in the autumn, I'll do it! It's my friend who isn't vaccinated and I find it upsetting.

Covid is still here. A friend traveling from Florida was very ill with it for two weeks. I'm almost sure she is fully vaccinated because her husband is a surgeon. I don't mask anymore and I have all the boosters but will wait till fall to figure what's next.

Y it is still here, but I don't worry about visiting with my unvaxed friends...the acquisition rate seems to be very low in our area, and most of the most recent cases I've heard of have been from people who have flown to other places or were in hospital where they are exposed to lots of illness and lots of people.

I still mask in public places - like work. Lots of unvaxxed people here, it seems.

I am still masking indoors with everyone except the person I live with--my elderly parent. I'm still pretty careful.

If you are vaccinated, had a course of COVID--like most have you have no more to fear from your friend than anyone. Masks have been proven to not be protection. The strains are less and less potent. What's out there is about as dangerous as the flu. Time to join the world again.

I have not had Covid. I'm pretty sure masks are very effective!

My neighbor mentioned recently that a woman in town (head of the city economic development corp, and a Rotary club member which is how he knows her) has had Covid four times. She has some lingering effects such as impaired sense of taste and whatever else. No info on whether she's vaccinated ... it's TX, so many people are not. Neighbor is vaccinated and boosted, he had Covid once, thus a mild case. I am vaccinated and boosted, I've not had Covid ... or I was completely unaware if I did to the point of not exhibiting any symptoms or a need to test.

I am fully vaxed/boostered and all. To my knowledge, I have not had covid. I was definitely exposed twice that I know but did not get it. My view is that covid will not disappear and is similar to the flu. I get the flu shot ( senior version) yearly and haven't had the flu. The flu is still around and yes people do get the flu even after getting the flu shot, but usualy the case is less severe.

In any case, my view is that it's still with us. I don't mask and I pretty much do everything I did before covid. Of course, to Elmer's point, if I don't feel well, I don't socialize.

"What's out there is about as dangerous as the flu."

Well, guess what. I don't want the flu, either!

My thanks to all who ave gotten the appropriate vaccinations. You're not just protecting yourself, you are protecting vulnerable people like me who could become seriously ill or even die from Covid.

DH and I may be the only people masked at the grocery or library, but so far, no Covid -- or flu -- for either of us.

The last time I checked and it has been awhile 1,130,000 people had died of Covid in the US over a period of about two years. In that same period of time approximately 70,000 people would die of flu in any normal flu year. That means that One million sixty thousand MORE people died of Covid that would die of flu. Therefore it is not the same as flu. It is getting harder to get numbers because the covid dashboards aren't kept current but as people stay current with their vaccinations it is apparently abating.

If masks didn't work doctors would not wear them during surgeries. Of course they don't wear them under their noses.

My opinion hasn't changed since 2020--don't expose yourself needlessly. I still wear a mask indoors. Why not? It's painless.

Here's some recent news.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-covid-variant-eu-1-1-cdc/

I still find a very few people wearing masks in stores. I am going to a funeral next week and I think I might wear a mask or at least take it with me. I read a statistic that one in four has not had covid. At the risk of jinxing myself, I have not, neither have my kids or grands but we all masked back when it was more virulent . If masks don't work, why do doctors and hospital workers wear them? ..Edited to add we were all fully vaxxed.

My 70+ year old neighbor has Covid. This is the first local case I have heard of in months.

She said she hasn’t felt like eating, had a bad cough for a day, and feels fine now. She was diagnosed 3 days ago and her doctor told her to self-quarantine for 5 days total. I do not know if she was vaxxed, but less than 40% of our county is.

From what I've heard and read, cloth masks are ineffective.

These days when people talk about masking, they generally mean N95 or KN95 masks, which are in fact very effective.

I had an annual check in with my doctor a couple of weeks ago. She was masked as was her nurse. It's a busy building (Seattle Polyclinic) and DH and I masked in the elevator. There were several people including a man in wheelchair masked waiting for the next car going up and it seemed appropriate.

She sent me for a blood draw on my way out and everyone on staff on that floor was masked.

I 'made' a cute little friend in Costco last week. He apologized for daydreaming in my way and I assured him I was in no hurry. When it happened again in the next aisle he admitted he was loitering as his cake wasn't completely decorated and ready. It didn't seem to be a usual errand for him. He may have been mid 80's. When I passed him again in baked goods he gave me a wink and said are we stalking each other ;) He was masked. Maybe a dozen or so in the store were wearing them, I took mine from my pocket and put it on to have a bit longer conversation with my new friend who didn't seem entirely confident with his pastry assignment.

Getting Covid is like getting the flu in one regard, the verison you got is not going to be much protection for what ever else is out there. Vaccines cover more than one kind these days. Not a bad plan that.

I did lose a brother-an unvaccinated brother who swore to me he had his vaccinations but lied to me. Why not? Too simple? He even had a super high risk granddaughter in the household. What people will do to avoid a little inconvenience never fails to astonish me. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in our first world country alone. I haven't been in the public for months but while I was in the hospital in Seattle they had a Covid outbreak. They sure took it seriously.

For me, the question is not just whether this person is likely to give me COVID, or get it from me, but why they did not get vaccinated in the first place. Unless there was a sound medical reason, I would be dubious as to whether I wanted to count that person as a friend at all, since their beliefs would be so divergent from my own.

Where are you'll getting your information on covid and mask?

CDC. Reliable news sources like the New York Times.. My doctor. I realize masking is no longer required for most folks but I live with some with a very fragile immune system.

@ronminsouthga....Delaware Government site....Link and Mayo Clinic site...Link

I am fully vaxed & got covid for the first time in mid May. I was down for 3 weeks & still have respiratory issues. I feel sure that I would have succumbed to it if I had not been fully vaxed. I will continue to get the vaccines as long as they are offered. I have never been that sick with the flu. My 30 year old GD also got it at the same time as I did. She said that it was much worse then the first time that she had it.

If masks were not effective, they would not be worn in hospitals.

I have a friend who refused any vaccine (80-ish in age), but she wanted to meet me for lunch during the pandemic. I was so offended by this because if she were ill, it could expose me and hence my immediate family, some with health issues, to the virus. It was quite upsetting to me because I took it personally. And it was awkward too.

Annegreit, as for contact with someone unvaccinated, if you are still a little nervous, how about lunch outside, walking outside? Of course, if you go in any store to shop, you are exposed to unvaccinated people. I do still see some people wearing masks and occasionally I wear one as well if in elevators, small crowded stores.

My doc said some of her patients are getting covid for the second time.

I don't think scrubs should be worn in public. I keep clear of of those idiots who do. They are meant to be worn in a hospital or clinical environment as an easy to wash barrier from infection and bacteria etc. People who wear them in public are either lazy, don't care much about infection control and prevention, and perhaps want some "hero worship" from the public by being seen in their workwear. Not looking at that woman as setting much of an example as to mask or not.

Scrubs are just clothes, The person wearing them might not even work in a medical field, or just in an office where it's dress code.

Everyone at my veterinarian's office wears scrubs. You can't tell them from the people who work in a human medical practice.

Perhaps they were picking up groceries after work.

Should they go home and shower and change first?

I said "everyone at my veterinarian's office."

"Everyone" includes people who aren't in the hospital area. The receptionist isn't getting pathogens, viruses, and other stuff on her scrubs. She just wears them because everyone else does.

The point is, everyone who wears scrubs may not be exposed to pathogens, viruses, and other stuff. They may just be comfortable. Judging people by what they wear and assuming their clothes are covered in pathogens, viruses, and other stuff is wrong when you don't have all the facts.

It seems like diseases that have had widespread and significant mortality have been separated in time. But there is always the possibility that a new different one could possibly follow on the heels of another. (And certainly Covid is still with us, and there is always the chance that new variations might be different to an extent that would cause increased rates of mortality) I myself would keep in mind any poor history of masking/vaxxing of those around me and avoid them if some new threat arose.

FYI: 3 people, same family, all got COVID over 4th of July... all are vaxed, mild symptons thankfully.

COVID is still here, stay safe.

It appears my comments concerning someone else's, along with another in support, have been deleted by a moderator. Fair enough, that's what moderators have the right to do. I suspect people will remember what I wrote.

@arcy_gw, ”Masks have been proven to not be protection. ”

Links to the studies that found this please.

There will certainly be more novel pathogens in our future, as our warming climate is causing many animal species to migrate to areas where they haven't lived before.

Carolb--so many awful things in our future due to climate change. Scary!

Ron, here's an article on the matter: https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2021/06/22/death-and-religion-excess-deaths-sweep-through-amish-and-mennonite-communities-during-covid-19-pandemic

And the NIH study behind it: Closed but Not Protected: Excess Deaths Among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic

arcy_gw: I'm waiting for your facts on masks? Masks, the right ones, and worn appropriately, are very effective. Otherwise, why would surgeons ever or anyone ever use them in hospitals?

Aww, I missed it Elmer. (No sarcasm! I would have liked to have read it and most likely would have agreed.)

I've worn a single, (of many i now own,) tightly woven mask all this time and haven't had the disease yet. Due to visiting my dd often, (who has an illness,) we continue to eat outside and wear masks in shops if we are due to visit her soon. The idea that they don't make a difference is ludicrous.

@maddie260 - Interestingly there are several articles and some studies questioning the efficacy of mask wearing in the OR for the purposes of preventing infection. There's strong evidence that it's more a matter of tradition and, at this point, patient comfort. I'm not sure if or how this translates to transmission of contagious diseases, in fact I suspect it doesn't because any post covid studies I've seen shows proper (key word proper) masking to be effective.

There are masks, and there are masks. I've been wearing KN95s since they became available to the general public. I see some people wearing those flimsy paper medical masks, which really aren't that effective, and I see some people wearing those stretch fabric gaiters, which are even less effective.

Nobody else I work with wears a mask - everyone's also younger than I am, and just about everybody has been sick with something or other since summer camp started - and we've had almost half the staff call in sick over the past couple of weeks. I haven't even had a cold for over 2 years now. It's great. I used to regularly get 3-4 colds yearly.

I put a paper mask over my KN95 in public places. That's what I've seen nurses do in their jobs. To pull a page from our ever so empathetic anti-masking friends - if you can't breathe wearing a mask, maybe you should see a Dr. to address your breathing problems.

I agree, Kathsgrdn. I'm in the veterinary field (not a veterinarian, though). I do not have the same stressful working situation as you did - - - bless you and thank you.

I wear scrubs when working in that capacity. They are comfortable, not restrictive, and allow me to not be concerned about my other clothes. Often I will stop at a store - grocery or otherwise, on the way home for efficient use of time. I'm neither lazy, in need of "hero worship", or careless about infection.

Sheesh.

Haven't posted much lately but jumping in to say I love scrub pants because they have pockets that work for my cellphone, the legs are the right length for me, and they are comfy. I don't buy scrub tops, because I like my t-shirts better. I'm not in any medical field. I simply don't care what other people think of my attire.

I think some people might be suffering from failure of the imagination - along with leaping to faulty conclusions...

I would answer "no" to the question posed in the o.p.. In fact, according to this recent Cleveland Clinic study about effectiveness of the bivalent, "The risk of COVID-19 also varied by the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses previously received. The higher the number of vaccines previously received, the higher the risk of contracting COVID-19."

https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/10/6/ofad209/7131292?login=false