When will you move on from pandemic?

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Stop wearing masks, stop being concerned about others vax status?

[billisonboard]

I am in a county with less than a 40% full vaccination rate and minimal mask wearing. And I have a great collection of marks that go well with my outfits. So I am thinking it will be a while before I stop masking up. I am not "concerned" about vaccination status. I just assume people aren't. 

[plugginaway22]

My state (and the US) has rising cases and rising deaths. If I wasn't around my 3 grand-babies and mid 80s mother I might be able to relax. I have received both shots and the booster and I still mask anywhere indoors in public. We still do not eat inside restaurants. Not over.

[CCL]

I don't know, but it's starting to seem like there's no end in sight. I honestly had no idea it could last this long. I thought it would be like Zika virus, Swine flu, and other viruses and, for the most part, crisis over within a few months.

A while back, I looked up the Spanish flu of 1918 and the info I found said it lasted about 2 years. That gives me hope that maybe we will be mostly back to normal by spring 2022.

[Deleted]

I will always wear a mask.  I assume no one around me is vaccinated and act accordingly.  

[Lizard Queen]

Exactly one month from today, unless I start worrying about my DH not getting a booster. That's two weeks after my kids are supposed to get their second shot.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I've given up worrying about vaccines outside my family. The kids get round one this Wednesday.

Once the kids went back to school.I had to let go on masks. I get the schools here are fucked no matter what they do. I had to count on the vaccine to keep us safe.

And it did. I didn't get sick at all. DH got sick but probably would have been dead without it. So it did its job

I've accepted it will always be with us like the flu. Also like the flu I cannot control the idiots. Let them weed themselves out.

There are some habits that will change. I much prefer people not breathing on me or being on top of them. I naturally stay six feet away now.

I'm cool with not having to touch strangers and not getting weird looks for not being "socialble". Looking at you church old facts.

I gag at people shocking the corn in store. It's less than 25 cents an ear quit pawing it all!

Eventually I'm hoping to break food hoarding. I'm at least getting better at using what I have and letting it get down to one can before I buy more.

[Deleted]

Once I can get a booster shot, I will relax a bit.  I will keep an eye on reported number of cases and mask up when spread seems widespread in my area or if we are in crisis level of care, like we are now.  Watching the spread of Covid, it seems to ebb and flow, so I will ebb and flow with it. 

I don't plan on flying again, while masks are required.  It was too uncomfortable for a long flight with a lay over.   

[chiver78]

I think I have now, after spending the last week and a half on a cruise ship with fully vaccinated passengers and staff who all passed their COVID testing before boarding (staff tests weekly onboard). I came home to a state with one of the highest vax rates, and found myself only masking up where TSA required it during travel. I'll get my booster as soon as I can book one, and then do my best to quell my own anxiety for just being around people in general again. 🤷‍♀️.

I trust science, in the vaccines and in masking (etc) as needed. breakthrough cases of COVID haven't been randomly awful and deadly as pre-vaxxes. I was so stressed before cruising bc a breakthrough positive for me would have meant I couldn't sail...and I needed this trip so badly, for so many reasons.

[jerseygirl]

I’ll be less worried, ready to travel, go to performance with thousands when FDA either approves or give emergency use for the Merck molnipivir pill ( or other). We’re vaccinated snd will get boosters as needed but if feeling ill will test. If Covid expect a mild case but being able to also take a pill/s will decrease danger even more

[nidena]

Nov 13, 2021 16:39:45 GMT -5 Rukh O'Rorke said:

Stop wearing masks, stop being concerned about others vax status?

I'm going to go with nine months ago for the masks.  And I've never given a crap about people's vax status.

[giramomma]

Nov 13, 2021 17:05:52 GMT -5 CCL said:

A while back, I looked up the Spanish flu of 1918 and the info I found said it lasted about 2 years. That gives me hope that maybe we will be mostly back to normal by spring 2022.

I was planning on the pandemic taking two years from March of 20, when our state shut down.

I dunno when we'll move on.

I figure we have at least the winter wave to get through. My state is at a 9.8% positivity rate.

Getting through the week is enough.

The nurses in the chemo unit told me they may never go back to working unmasked. One nurse said that they had a few call out to illness in the beginning, but then there were very little call outs afterwards. I started chemo 15 moths in from our shut down.

Is it an endemic yet? I dunno.

Since we have elderly folks in the picture, I'll still err on the side of caution. Especially since everything FIL gets goes straight to his lungs. His last "cold" made him cough very badly for about two months.

[buystoys]

I think we're kind of done with it already.  We go out to eat but we don't go to the symphony or shows yet.  Too many people in the space not wearing masks.  At least going out to eat, there's space between the tables.  Most servers are still masking around here.

As careful as we all tried to be, mom, dad, sis, and my nephew all got covid together.  They were all vaccinated.  Mom's cause of death was her heart rather than covid.  They just couldn't get it regulated when she started having problems breathing.  Her A-fib kicked in and that started her down a bad path.

DH and I are just kind of philosophical about it at this point.  We take what measures we are comfortable with, don't do all the things we used to do, and have decided to just not worry or stress about it.  Life is too short as it is.  Stressing about time spent out of the house just ruins some of that life.

[Ava]

As soon as I can. 
But I trust the scientists and will follow their advice.
So I will mask, use hand sanitizer, and maintain my distance as much as I can. 
My booster vaccine is scheduled for next Saturday.

I'm a social animal and I'm tired and depressed by being at home alone all the time. I go out when I can. I'm careful, but I do go out and I'm traveling back home for the holidays and the first half of January.

[catsareme]

Nov 13, 2021 18:05:12 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Nov 13, 2021 17:05:52 GMT -5 CCL said:

A while back, I looked up the Spanish flu of 1918 and the info I found said it lasted about 2 years. That gives me hope that maybe we will be mostly back to normal by spring 2022.

I was planning on the pandemic taking two years from March of 20, when our state shut down.

I dunno when we'll move on.

I figure we have at least the winter wave to get through. My state is at a 9.8% positivity rate.

Getting through the week is enough.

The nurses in the chemo unit told me they may never go back to working unmasked. One nurse said that they had a few call out to illness in the beginning, but then there were very little call outs afterwards. I started chemo 15 moths in from our shut down.

Is it an endemic yet? I dunno.

Since we have elderly folks in the picture, I'll still err on the side of caution. Especially since everything FIL gets goes straight to his lungs. His last "cold" made him cough very badly for about two months.

Still too many unknowns to be comfortable out in public without masks.  I expect DH and I will be wearing masks for the foreseeable future despite the fact we have had both shots plus the booster.  

[giramomma]

I will add that I am fortunate though that masks do not bother me anymore. I've pretty much had to wear them 8-10 hours a day for the past few weeks. And I will need to do it for the next 3 weeks.

It's either wear a mask that long or burn up 120 sick leave hours. I would prefer to keep my sick leave incase I need it for something where I'm really sick or for my retirement benefits.

[saveinla]

We recently went on a 3 week vacation where we had to wear the mask for the long flight, but it was manageable. 

I also went in to the office last week, since we had people coming in for some meetings and that was also good. Since all of us were vaccinated, we were able to go to lunch and dinner and were back to some degree of normalcy.

So we are slowly moving along, although we are still wearing masks and social distancing as much as possible. We are not going out to eat yet, but that's because we have been busy and getting takeout has been easier. I think that will start coming soon, as we have to start showing vaccination status everywhere now locally.

[Opti]

I think as early as March 2020 I had at least a couple people tell me this would likely last two or three years. So for me its too early to stop wearing masks or being vigilant. There are times that I go maskless if I am in and out of somewhere fairly quickly, like 15 minutes or less.

I'm waiting for when the pandemic really slows or moves to some new steady state. I expect that will be well after Feb 2022, but hopefully before 2023.

[chiver78]

Nov 13, 2021 18:30:30 GMT -5 saveinla said:

We recently went on a 3 week vacation where we had to wear the mask for the long flight, but it was manageable. I also went in to the office last week, since we had people coming in for some meetings and that was also good. Since all of us were vaccinated, we were able to go to lunch and dinner and were back to some degree of normalcy.

So we are slowly moving along, although we are still wearing masks and social distancing as much as possible. We are not going out to eat yet, but that's because we have been busy and getting takeout has been easier. I think that will start coming soon, as we have to start showing vaccination status everywhere now locally.

this was an observation I made this week, alongside the one where I'll admit to being super spoiled with the luxury of being able to WFH and isolate as I saw fit. I wore a mask from when I got on the bus to the airport til I got to the hotel in FL, breaking only to eat or drink. 3h flight, plus busses and such. I am not at all used to it, because I haven't had to be. but, I followed the rules bc I wanted to travel. I cannot fathom the entitlement of those who think the rules don't apply to them. but the again, I never have understood that mindset.

[andi9899]

I'm going to see what the numbers look like in the spring. Then I'll decide what I'm comfortable with.

[Deleted]

I think the pandemic has scarred me in some ways. I don’t know when I will be able to move on from it, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be anytime too soon.

I still live pretty much like I did last year. I went to a restaurant exactly twice earlier this year, when it seemed like things were getting better. Then it got bad again and I was back to not going anywhere.

My biggest risk is still my job. I work with people that refuse to get vaccinated and won’t even wear a mask. I’ve had coworkers die, be terribly sick for months, and become long haulers. The last death that I know of, was a couple weeks ago. Just this week, we had people test positive. And throughout this whole time, it’s often groups of people that work together and some or all of them test positive around the same time. That’s happened more often than it’s been just one isolated case.

I still have vulnerable loved ones that I’m concerned about. And I still worry about being a threat to them because of the assholes at my job.

Just a couple weeks ago, my cousins had a small gathering to celebrate my Uncle’s birthday because he was entering a new decade. I wanted to go so bad because I miss doing stuff like that, but my Aunt is one of my vulnerable loved ones, and I’m literally afraid to be around her.

I have Grandbabies, the youngest is just 1yo. I still have to do a lot of stuff for my Mom, and she has health conditions that make her more vulnerable. My Mom is fully vaccinated, but I still worry. 

So, because of the stupid people at my job, I don’t see me being able to relax anytime soon. I don’t go anywhere else, because that is already more risk than I’m comfortable with.

I kind of don’t see an end in sight for me.

[dannylion]

It will still be a while before I feel comfortable in restaurants with random people breathing the same air.  I may never go back to grocery shopping in person, though I will likely return to in-person Costco shopping eventually.  I don't like most kinds of shopping (except Costco), so I haven't felt that having everything delivered has been a hardship.  I didn't frequent shopping malls pre-pandemic, and I don't see that changing once some semblance of normality has returned.  Actually, I didn't much like random people before the pandemic, so I'm quite happy avoiding them as much as possible as a lifestyle.  

I do think I will feel more comfortable venturing out to the places I do like (nerdy stuff like museums, tech exhibits, gardens, arboretums, historical sites, really good craft shows, but only during times when they are not crowded with random people) and restaurants once effective treatments are approved.  I am an old person (physically; mentally I'm about 12) with some significant risk factors that would make it likely that the outcome of a breakthrough infection would not be good.  

The only thing I miss about in-person grocery shopping is dancing with the shopping cart when the 60s and 70s Muzak is really good (pro tip: This is a good way to get the whole aisle to yourself, especially if you sing along).  Not having to go grocery shopping at all, though, is just fine with me.  

I do miss seeing the friends I used to meet regularly for lunch at restaurants.  They are all vaccinated and have varying degrees of tolerance for frequenting restaurants now.  I'm not ready to resume that activity, but I really miss seeing my friends, so I've started inviting them to my house for lunch.  Sometimes we make pizza, sometimes I experiment with something that looked easy on the Food Channel (but never is), sometimes I order takeout because the thing that looked easy on the Food Channel (but wasn't) did not end well, and I get to see them without getting random people involved.  

I'm sure over the next year or so if the infection rate is reduced and stays low I will eventually return to lunches in restaurants, but that time is not now.  

[NastyWoman]

Aside from a couple of weeks this summer we have had mask mandates since spring 2020. And even when it was not mandatory most here were still wearing a mask. Today I went to a few stores for something besides food for only the second time since 03/20. I will mask up until we have a low numbers AFTER a prolonged period without a mask mandate.

I do not worry about anyone's vax status as I know which one of my friends is not vaxxed (yes that is singular) and the two of us just don't get together at all. I love her but no vax = no meeting. I have seen my other friends a few times outdoors.

I don't think I will ever fly again unmasked, but I will get on a plane to Europe in 4 weeks. I do not intend to eat anything on the plane. Drinking water will be unavoidable but that will be it.

One day live will either be normal again or whatever it is like then will be the new normal.

[flamingo]

We wear masks basically anytime we are out of the house and inside somewhere. Except the gym, we’ve stopped wearing masks there. We both have all our shots (including boosters) and have stayed healthy so far. We are getting in a plane and going on vacation over thanksgiving and we both feel pretty comfortable with that. We moved across country a few months ago, and covid wise it was fine. My job will always be WFH, but travel will pick up starting in January. And I’m ready for it. 

all that said, I don’t mind wearing a mask at all. So I’m ok with needing to wear one for awhile yet. Beyond not catching covid, I think it’s helped me not catch colds or the flu over the last almost 2 years and that’s been super nice!

[teen persuasion]

I'm still wearing a mask all day at work with the public, doesn't bother me, so I'm content to keep doing that until case numbers drop and stay down.

I don't feel like I can move on until my loved ones are all vaccinated.  Mom's refused so far, and my grandson is 2.

But in many ways we are essentially back to almost normal.  We never ate out much, so nothing lost there.  DH got notification about live theater at a local university - a musical version of Emma - so we are planning to attend.  We are back to weekly church, and they've started monthly parish-wide meetings as part of Religious Ed.  The library had a book sale, book club is meeting monthly, and we are talking about bringing back Lego club in the new year now that kids can finally get vaxxed.  We still mask everywhere, but many locally do not unless required.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I think that the pandemic has been a rude awakening for a lot of people.  In the past, we have had some hints as to what it could be like….particularly from SARS….but nothing like what we have experienced.

The US had a pandemic playbook which was kept on the shelf.  Those in the know were silenced.  TBH, THAT scares me more than anything, how the US as a whole responded.  We had a pandemic that went through with a relatively low mortality rate, unless you were elderly.  What happens next time if it is a virus like the 1918 flu virus, where the young population gets hit disproportionately?

When will we move on?  I hope never, because that will mean that this lesson has been in vain.  Never before have I been so disgusted at the selfishness of my fellow humans.

[Spellbound454]

We had a pandemic plan too..... and warehouses full of PPE (It wasn't enough)
I think they were expecting bird flu...... not a corona virus since SARS1 and MERS hadn't proved a particular problem.

I'm pretty on the ball and had stocked up on masks, santiser, pasta and dog food, weeks before it all blew up.
but I was thinking 3 weeks worth not wave after wave.


Pandemics have historically lasted 2 years..... I hoped it wouldn't but that looks like where we are going.


We still have a lot of virus and I'm with kids all day, some of whom are infected.
I have the windows and doors open in my room....  I still wear a mask and a visor.
and I don't get too close.

The mask is in supermarkets and we take a test before going to meet friends.

Some people don't and on their own heads be it.... but I'm not stopping any time soon.

[wvugurl26]

I had cut back on mask wearing in October. I guess I finally felt more comfortable. I'm going to mask indoors as flu season picks up. We've been out to dinner a few times in the past couple months. Still way less than prepandemic and we are still more likely to do take out.

Hardly anyone masks up locally. Mostly it's employees. I did still mask up in crowded locations.

I would very much prefer for strangers to stay six feet away forever. Please stay out of my personal space bubble. Masks also help with my allergies/asthma, I can go down the cleaning products aisle without thinking I'm going to die.

[Miss Tequila]

I’m about 80% there. My husband, youngest and I all have our booster shots. Our counts aren’t too bad here (not great but not awful) but I have to trust that the vaccine will protect us

I wear masks to all of my medical appts and my youngest wears a mask to school. Beyond that, unless it is requested by the business, we do not mask

We are booked on a cruise for June and that has me hesitating. That’s why I say I’m about 80% back to normal. I’m probably going to cancel the cruise because I do not want to get stuck under quarantine if someone pops positive.

[daisylu]

Other than masking up and not spending time with our parents until vaccinated, our lives didn't change all that much. DH and I have always kept our distance from most people, always had at least 2 months worth of food in the house, and ate inside a restaurant less than 5 times most years.


My food, paper, and cleaning supplies hoarding paid off for us in the beginning, but it has also exacerbated my issues. When I was young, my dad worked in an industry that had frequent layoffs. He planned accordingly when it came to food because when he was young food was often scarce in his home. Luckily, my sister and I never had to go hungry thanks to his planning but it has caused me to have some serious food issues.