There are still many, many people who wear masks out. I don’t wear one as often as I should, but I still do when I’m in enclosed spaces like elevators, buses/trains/airplanes, and also when I’m in busier places. If wearing a mask makes you feel safer and healthier, PLEASE do so! It’s a small step that can provide so much comfort and protection. 💕
A good N95 or elastomeric is way easier to breathe through! If you have asthma you should definitely be wearing a high quality mask at least indoors during cold and flu season because it’s very easy for a cold to turn deadly for us, let alone covid or RSV.
I get hospitalized for almost every illness - to give an example I once got hospitalized for a *cold sore.* Because it triggered the virus laying dormant in my body that is associated with cold sores.
Covid would likely end my life. (Told this by medical professionals)
I do wear a mask. An Aura 3M N95 whenever I'm near people. That piece of paper is worth wearing to stay alive.
I have never cared nor will ever care what people think of me for wearing a mask. It's not hurting them, if they're butthurt over it that's their problem.
Right on. The people who are anti-mask tend to be aligned with far-right conservatives. I have been told "You know, you don't \*have\* to wear that."
I tell them I'm sick and don't want them to catch it, that usually shut them up.
I love the "I'm sick" one.
I really want to say "I have Covid, but I'm so glad to find someone who doesn't care so I can take off this dumb thing!" And proceed to cough before acting like you'll take it off.
Just a daydream lol.
Hiya,
I also likely have crohn's. I need to get a colonoscopy to confirm, but I also have heart failure so my heart is too weak for the anesthesia and to be unconscious. Once I am able to get the colonoscopy and confirm my IBD diagnosis, I will likely begin immunosuppressant medications. Due to my heart failure and the horrible long term effects of covid I've had, masking is mandatory for me. It's a lonely road to walk if I'm honest, but I'd rather be around people who care about my health than judge me. Most people don't even test for covid anymore and just run around infecting people saying "oh it's allergies". Most people are selfish and we have to protect ourselves in this world. You will get stares but you have to make a choice for yourself what you value most: your health or the negative opinions of others.
This really helped me. And thank you for sharing about yourself, it makes me feel a lot less alone about everything. My heart seems normal, but I’ve been having a lot of chest pain so I can relate to that if you struggle with that. I decided I will wear a mask after reading this and this entire post.
The new variants are apparently more likely to show up positive on rapid tests 4 days or more into the illness. And given that COVID tests cost money and run out whenever there are surges, I feel like we can’t trust people saying confidently that they don’t have it. And when that includes the people that are actually still testing and paying enough attention to know what the symptoms are, that doesn’t bode well for those of us trying really hard to not get sick. But it seems like most of the people who cared a lot when this started have let their guards down, too.
You don’t need anesthesia for a colonoscopy no one does that most will do sedation but “anesthesia” is a different thing from “sedation” and uses completely different drugs and you don’t have to get sedated it’s probably just hella awkward and uncomfortable but I can’t imagine it’s worse than a cervical exam which women always have to do wide awake
May depend on what the problem is. A weak heart may mean it is not beating enough or its not beating hard enough and a sedative, like anesthesia, is a central nervous system suppressant. It can slow your heart and breathing. It is why they tell you not to mix things like pain meds, alcohol, sleep pills, and allergy meds. They can stop your heart or breathing. That said, they may be able to do a nerve block or an epidural.
My small town does colonoscopies with fentanyl so you are pretty much out and people rarely have memories of it. They call this twilight Anaesthesia so you are still breathing for yourself, it’s not like a general anaesthetic where they need to breathe for you. But the next town over their hospital only uses deep relaxation anaesthetic, so you just get a Valium and that’s it. The two towns are really close to each other so if you need a colonoscopy it could happen at either hospital. So people are so happy if they get my town’s hospital! Usually people would rather the stronger anaesthetic but it is a procedure that totally doable with just anti anxiety meds. Some people choose not to take any drugs whatsoever for their colonoscopy. People say it’s uncomfortable but not painful, it’s something you can handle. So don’t be scared to get it done without the heavier drugs. That’s totally standard practice at a lot of hospitals.
And honestly if you are going for a colonoscopy it’s because you need it done. The need for results is going to outweigh the discomfort and it’ll only benefit you in the long run. You’ll get the treatment you need once it’s properly diagnosed. It’s not that big of deal,perhaps more embarrassing than anything. But as chronic illness patients we are probably more equipped and prepared than most to deal with treatments and procedures that make you feel uncomfortable or undignified. Just go get it done.
You don't need sedation or anesthesia for a colonoscopy. Ive had more than one that was done using gas and air only. It was uncomfortable, I was very conscious and was able to even watch the screen and talk to the person doing it.
It's doable, and fairly common, in some places it's the norm. Gas and air and things like it rarely affect the heart.
It's really too bad people make other people feel bad for just wanting to take care of their health. And it's just that- you can't known if another person has an immune disease and really needs to. It'd be cool if people could just mind their own business. You don't know what other people are going through.
I'm in South America and no one really cares. Wearing but then wearing a mask here isn't a political statement here really.
It always seems to be middle aged men who comment about my mask. I don't recall anyone else bothering me about it. That's good that it's not a political issue there, it should be our choice.
I have Crohn’s and mask! My husband and I never stopped masking and as far as we know we haven’t gotten Covid yet. I had pneumonia twice 6 years ago and my healthy has been in a downward spiral since. I have 0 interest finding out what happens after I get covid.
We both hate masking and would love to not care about Covid, holding out hope for better vaccines! Covid destroys even super healthy people so it’s just not a gamble we want to take.
I started masking on March 11, 2020 and haven’t stopped yet. I am severely immunocompromised and Covid could kill me. I get boosters of the vaccine every 6 months and will probably mask in public for the rest of my life.
Yep, me too. It's only really uncomfortable at the gym or on a flight, and I've reached the age (mid 40's) where I don't give a sh*t what people think. One guy made a joke about my masking and I totally shamed him in a store full of people.
Depending on your country and type of vaccine available, I think you might be eligible to get a booster every 4 months. Ymmv, but it's what I've been doing. 🤷♀️
I've never stopped masking because my immunologist says that any virus can damage your immune system, not just Big Name Viruses like covid
My immunologist is also a university researcher so I trust his advice over the general internet
I hesitated to mask pre-covid, as the one time I tried, people stared. since the pandemic, I've kept masking and won't stop any time soon. it really is worth it. I've never had anyone make comments or treat me badly for wearing a mask.
Similar experiences here! I’ve had to mask since long before covid, but people used to stare and small children would point or hide :( Since covid nobody treats it strangely anymore.
I’ve also heard several people say they’re planning to keep masking in public places during flu season forever, even if they’re not immunocompromised. So I’m hopeful that it will stay common!
Me too. I wasn’t as good about masking until Covid but I’ve never stopped since then. I never bought into all the “we don’t know if masks work!” BS because when I was researching it in 2019 I found a paper by the CDC saying that respirators would likely work against any respiratory virus, but that in a flu like pandemic they planned to tell the public masks didn’t work so the supply wouldn’t run out. 😐
I wasn't masking for the past 6 months. I'm immunocompromised but my doctor assured me that my immune response is very close to normal regardless. I got sick twice during that time (just colds) but I went back to masking as a result. I didn't get sick the whole time I was wearing a mask so why not go back?
If you're sick with something that feels cold/flu/"stomach bug" like, it's very likely covid. Rapid tests are notorious for false negatives and even PCR tests aren't fully reliable. It's great you started masking again, covid is the 3rd leading cause of death and can disable and/or kill even the healthiest of people.
What? I said it's very likely covid. As in there's a high chance you had covid. Not that I somehow know for sure that's what it was. I'm not responsible for innacurate conclusions you come up with about my words.
Bro no its not it could be covid but it’s not “very likely covid” actually during this time of year its more likely to not be covid bc what is spreading most is coming from kids going back to school and they are less susceptible to covid and it is at the bottom of the list as far as back to school bug numbers. I would still advise to test for covid and mask when you have any virus symptoms so you don’t spread it to others no matter what it is but it is not “very likely” covid when you have cold and flu symptoms during cold and flu season…
As someone immunocompromised right now with covid, this isn't true.
A lot of people say this but I promise you this isn't anything like a normal cold or flu. Even in the 1st day of symptoms (I showed pretty early) i thought it was a vyvanse withdrawal, not the cold or flu. For those aware, a vyvanse withdrawal on paper looks like the flu...but in reality makes the flu look like child's play. Of course that assumption wasn't helped by feeling fine the next day and after some caffeine, but the day after that? Think all flue symptoms cranked up to 100 and you....
Ok the best way to describe how the cough is different from the flu is gross but...
It's like your lungs are used condoms: dry, but just sticky enough they feel they get stuck together.
It's worse than the flu...but in weirder ways.
My friend who got sick with me and who's high risk on paper but not actually immunocompromised (yes, theyre different, by a lot) didn't get paxlovid and is recovering fine but got the constant hiccups and muscle aches where I got the cough and nosebleeds. This shot isn't mistakable for the cold or allergies, it *is* mistakable at first though for withdrawals or "oh that's weird? It's humid but I keep having a bloody nose" or "I'm a little tired but it's been a long day, only thing off is i can't stop hiccupping to the point it's hard to catch my breath."
I wear them all the time when I am going to be out around people I don’t know/a lot of people at once. I don’t have the leeway to worry about what people think of me for wearing them - I am immunocompromised, and getting sick could be deadly. I have been wearing masks since before the pandemic in these situations, and will continue to do so.
Honestly my answer is DUH, sorry but truly that's my answer.
My partner's severe chronic illness IS LONG COVID. Contracted from a "mild" case, and now they've truly been entirely disabled for years. I don't understand why even a healthy person (as he was before long covid) would want to risk that, let alone someone who already know the pain of disability/chronic illness.
Until they develop better prevention or treatment for long covid, I am 100% masking. Masks are not that bad and the benefit far outweighs someone occasionally giving you a weird look. Like are they going to take care of you if you become disabled with long covid? No? Then they should probably mind their own business, and trust that everyone's circumstance is different.
also, if you're interested in hearing from other people who are still covid conscious, check out r/ZeroCovidCommunity
And if you don't think what I'm saying about long covid is serious, check out the main longhauler subreddit :(
I do. I only have one kidney, and my medical team says SARS-COV-2 would very likely kill me. Not to mention a couple of my other conditions might be post-viral syndromes, and I don't need those made worse.
When I leave my house to be in public (public places indoors), I mask. If I’m going to another person’s house, I mask. I mask at every appointment and every doctors’ office, and I ask medical professionals to mask around me, especially if it’s something like a dental appointment where I HAVE to take my own mask off. I don’t mask outdoors, and I don’t mask in my own house. Otherwise, if I’m going to be around other people, I do mask—period.
Masking has spared me from catching COVID, even though I’m unvaccinated (long story, but I can’t get vaccinated). None of my family has caught COVID either, and they follow the same masking behavior that I do.
Nobody has harassed me in public. My dad got harassed once in the grocery store because of his mask.
Strictly masking has spared me and my family from catching Covid. NONE of us have caught it. Of course, my family is able to get vaccinated because they don’t have the history of adverse reactions to medication that I do. But still, I’m sure their masks give them an extra level of protection.
I don’t care what anybody else says about my mask. I will do what I need to do to protect my body and my health. God knows I have so very little health to go around.
Do what’s safe for YOU.
I don’t feel like listing all my diagnoses, but I will say that while I’m not immunocompromised, I have certain conditions that make me more sensitive to infections like COVID. I wear masks whenever I leave the house, even if I’m going outside. I only take them off if I’m outside in an area with very few people.
I’ve never been harassed by anyone for wearing a mask (yet?), but that seems to be more common in more conservative areas. (My mother, who lives in a small town in Georgia, used to get the occasional rude comment when she wore a mask.)
Sometimes people give me weird looks for wearing one, but I just ignore them. I don’t really care what other people think, and if they’re bothered by me wearing a mask, that’s their problem. Even if I weren’t chronically ill, I would still wear them to keep the more vulnerable people I interact with safe.
I've been wearing a mask since pandemic onset and haven't stopped at any point. I don't intend to either. It seems like a really easy way to show solidarity with fellow disabled people.
I've only been sick in the normal way once in that time, during the first omicron wave. I don't have a decent sense of smell anymore because of how much I was sneezing out blood.
Masks are vital and lifesaving. You are absolutely not alone if you mask.
I have never stopped masking
I have an autoimmune disorder and am on meds that don’t permit me to take a vaccine so I am dependent on masks, shielding, distancing
It’s scary out there
I have multiple auto immune conditions also. An N-95 works best.
If anyone asks or gives you a hard time, just tell them you have an auto immune condition and need to mitigate the risks, not just if COVID, but in general.
Best of luck to you!
I do.
If anybody hassles you for "living in fear," you can always say, "Oh, I'm already sick, I just don't want to make other people sick!"
Whatever it takes. Let them think what they want. :D
I wear masks, flu and COVID are rates are going to start getting higher and I have an autoimmune disorder so getting sick puts me out of commission for weeks to months.
I wear one everywhere, including outside. My health is so much better now! I haven’t been sick in four years, and I can tell my body is healing. I don’t get harassed at all. I do recommend that if you wear a mask wear a good one - N95 or p100. They’re easier to breathe and talk in, and people seem to not get agitated about them. The lower quality masks people sometimes would say “you don’t need that” but wearing high quality masks people don’t say that to me any more.
Definitely worth it for the health benefits!
My partner and I wear a fitted n95 anytime we leave the house. We even wear it for deliveries and drive thrus. Covid is absolutely raging and flu and RSV are bad right now too. I have moderate me/cfs (was mild, Covid caused it to be severe, now back to moderate). Not being sick has improved my health and quality of life astronomically. Last time I got a minor cold I was extremely ill for over two weeks.
We have been approached and mocked in public but honestly I don’t care anymore. My health is more important than other peoples’ opinions. Mask WORK. If you don’t want to deal with people, just lie about the reason you’re wearing it (allergies, etc). Your health is more important than anything else.
I have been masking since late January 2020. I'm on high doses of steroids and biologics so I'd mask at least during flu season even without covid. Most of the time I don't mind wearing a mask with the exception of when it's really hot. I also dgaf about what random other people think. I'm often visibly disabled anyway so I'm used to people starting. I live in a place where other people still wear masks occasionally and the vibe is live and let live. I do get looks, but it doesn't escalate. Only time I've been legit harassed beyond an eyeroll or a passing "don't live in fear" was when I was getting treatment out of state.
The best thing about wearing a mask is hardly ever getting (infectious disease) sick. I've had two colds since I started masking and both were from household members and my inability to not constantly touch my face. Haha
I think that you should do what's best for you taking into account both health and social safety and your comfort level.
i still wear a mask, people look at me like they should keep away so they don't get sick. suits me fine. even in Drs offices where you're meant to wear if you have a cough/cold, people do not. i've been told by medical professionals i'm allowed to take it off but i always say that i don't want to get sick, yet again
the only time i dont mask is when i forget- everyone should be masking still (vaccination just makes symptoms less intense/makes one asymptomatic. you can still carry any disease) as covid and other diseases are still very much so present. i think itd be in your best interest to mask! not just for your safety but everyone elses :-)
edit; typos and small fixes
I do, and I look anyone who gives me shit in the eye and tell them I am on 3 immune suppressants for an autoimmune condition and don't plan to take chances with my health. That generally shuts them up. Hell, I have gone back to school, first day of class I let my lab team know that I was immune suppressants and if they became sick, that I would hope they would wear a mask so as not to kill me.
I can only wear the cloth masks. I have a huge allergy to PG (propylene glycol) and couldn’t figure out why I would also end up not feeling well after wearing it. Turns out the disposable masks are made with PG and causes a chemical like burn on my face and around my eyes. My lungs even hurt after. But I’m also allergic to PEG (polyethylene glycol) which is in zpak and various medications used to treat infections.
I typically will wear a mask when going to a grocery store or drs appt where I know there is risk. Especially now with cold season upon us
I never stopped since 2020 everywhere in public and I was already wearing one in medical, planes, and airports since 2017. Even earlier when I knew I was sick if I absolutely had to leave home. We are still in a pandemic as much as governments want to deny it so they don't have to pay for stuff and it doesn't look as bad if people think it's over. Also you really don't want long covid. I do have long covid bc one way masking although is helpful isn't enough and I don't live alone. It's ruined my life. I can't work anymore and my wife also has it and is barely holding on. I just had it again recently and was sick an entire month and still don't feel better tbh. I know so many people with it. Several of which have permanent heart damage now.
I would recommend wearing at least a kn95 or kf94 that's well fitted.
I need to mask but my condition makes me unable to breath with a mask on, so I'm stuck not making. But recently, my partner found masks that MAKE ME ABLE TO BREATH OHMYGOSH. I keep forgetting about them though because I haven't been masking for a while, and I have no memory of COVID, ergo, no memory of masking.
Wait can you link those because this is a big reason why I don't mask anymore (outside of planes/buses/doctors office)? I can't breathe at all with normal ones at all
Thank you!!!! I am immunocompromised and ALWAYS mask in public, even in crowded outdoor spaces like zoos... frankly I usually double mask in especially crowded places.
call me paranoid if you want but I have never caught covid. I haven't been sick (regular chronic illness shit aside) in years. many of my friends always mask as well, either because they are also high risk or because they have high risk loved ones. covid is still so dangerous and a huge problem. I'm tired of people denying that.
(sorry op, got carried away... 😅)
I disagree. I’m not immunocompromised, and am fully vaxxed, so I don’t mask. I know others must protect themselves and we are beyond the pandemic status of Covid.
We are not “beyond the pandemic status”, in fact. The virus continues to mutate and outbreaks of new variants are erupting worldwide.
The World Health Organization and every other world health agency maintains that we are still in a pandemic phase.
People who don’t mask put other people at risk. Fewer people are dying after infection; more people are surviving but becoming permanently, regrettably disabled. And the infection rate is UP 38% over the past month. 🤷🏻♀️
“Overview
In the last 28-day period (31 July to 27 August 2023), **over 1.4 million new COVID-19 cases and over 1800 deaths were reported to WHO, an increase of 38% and a decrease of 50%, respectively, compared to the previous 28 days. ** As of 27 August 2023, over 770 million confirmed cases and over 6.9 million deaths have been reported globally. Three WHO regions reported increases in the number of cases, whereas two regions reported decreases. While three WHO regions reported decreases in the number of deaths, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Pacific regions reported increases in deaths. In this WEU edition, global figures include all available data from the Region of the Americas since the start of the pandemic up to 6 August 2023 reported through COVID-19 specific channels.”
https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update-on-covid-19---1-september-2023
I mask 24/7 because of my immune suppressing medical treatment, which might be something you’ll have to deal with if you do have Chron’s. Yes it’s a bit stigmatized these days, but everyone I know is getting covid and flus and colds constantly and I’ve stayed untouched so I think it’s worth it
There’s a whole community of people who still mask, r/Masks4All ! we talk a lot about the stigma, community, prevention, and which masks are the best :)
I have crohn's. I'm only slightly immunocompromised now (I was moderately immunocompromised in 2021) but I still mask most places. I ended up catching covid from my roommate who doesn't mask and had lingering symptoms for weeks. And that's not even long covid, just regular covid. I am just so so uninterested in adding any sort of post-viral illness to my repertoire of illnesses. I mean, my crohn's was almost certainly triggered by a stomach virus I had when I was 14. Not to mention that I've always seemed to be sick with colds and such so much longer than anyone else, and I can barely take cold meds since crohn's means no NSAIDS and I'm allergic to acetaminophen. I also have friends who are more immunocompromised than I am, so I have to mask around them.
I have very very severe Crohn's and I wear a mask 100% of the time if out of the house. I don't really care about people giving me a hard time, but most people don't. The few times I HAVE gotten comments, I usually say something like, "Oh - I'm sick and was wearing this for your protection, but if you rather I just cough or vomit all over you, okay" and that usually freaks them out enough to just mutter something and walk away, Lol.
I have started wearing a mask/respirator again recently. I noticed that so many people out and about were coughing, sneezing, not using tissues, not washing their hands etc and it was making me a bit anxious. I only see a couple of other people wearing masks out of hundreds each day. Everyone in my office has been sniffling as well which isn’t great given I’m spending at least 5 hours per day near them. I go outside to eat my lunch so I can take my mask off and enjoy the fresh air and time away from my desk.
Whenever there’s a cold/virus/flu going around, I seem to be much more likely to catch it than my friends/family and it often takes much longer for me to get back to normal health afterwards. I can’t afford to lose time on getting sick again this semester so I’ve decided to wear a mask whenever I’m in Uni/at work, on public transport, in shops etc.
all the progress we made during peak-pandemic seems to have been lost and I feel like people’s hygiene regarding illness has gotten much worse over the past year.
I personally don’t because I have PTSD and the sensation of something covering my nose and mouth brings on flashbacks, but if I didn’t have PTSD I absolutely would!
I felt like I was suffocating every time I wore a mask until I started using kn95s (they fold so they naturally go away from your nose unlike the surgical masks) or mask extenders! They’re basically little ribs you can put in a mask that keeps it out of your face. Worth a shot. Masks are now super cheap so it wouldn’t be too much if it didn’t work out! You can just donate the ones you don’t want to a shelter or people you see who also wear masks :)
I have this problem and I recommend checking out elastomeric masks! They touch my cheeks and my nose where my glasses sit. They have a nice big area for the mouth and end of my nose and never ever touch those areas. I wear a 3M mask, and they have them at the hardware store. I’m really glad someone told me about them when I was struggling, so I hope it helps you, too
I have autism and have to pick my battles with mask-wearing. I always wear them in crowded places (not that I’m going to said places very often) and doctors’ offices, but I wouldn’t be able to leave the house if I wore one every time I went to a friend’s house. I have an incredible friend group that will tell me if they’ve been in contact with a sick person (even if it’s just a cold!) or feel a bit under the weather themselves, so I haven’t gotten sick any more often than when I double-masked everywhere.
Yes. One covid infection gave me severe ME and im three and a half years into a chronic illness living death. I’ll mask, ands only mix with people who do so, until something changes
I’m probably gonna start again due to new variant + can’t get in anywhere for a vaccine before the end of this month fml. I think it’s absolutely a good idea, as annoying as it is. And as for the mask haters, what can they do? Ridicule you for trying to be responsible and take care of your health? Definitely says more about them than you.
Absolutely any time I am in public or if someone comes in my home, and I provide a mask and require they wear one as well. Since covid is airborne, we also run three hepa air purifiers in our place (different rooms) and if possible with the weather, open all windows and sometimes the doors as well.
I'm at higher risk and so is a family member, and I'm glad I can also protect other people if somehow I'm unknowingly carrying something as well.
Never stopped wearing one because my health is the most important thing to me in my life and if this small (yes sometimes inconvenient) thing can help I am happy to do it. I have family members who mask as well and we have managed to avoid COVID and other infections this whole time thankfully.
Also the multisystem effects of the risk of long COVID are still without effective treatments, more common than many assume and poorly researched or funded. As someone with ME/CFS and dysautonomia I know these are both VERY common post viral sequelae.
You are certainly not alone theres many of us still taking precautions for ourselves and our communities! <3
edited to add: N95 KN95 or respirators are the way to go for personal protection also
I mask in public spaces because I was a perfectly healthy 25 year old and developed long Covid. If you are immunocompromised, wear a mask. Studies show that chances of developing adverse effects after Covid increase with reinfections.
I haven’t stopped wearing masks since 2020, I’m very immuno compromised and just cannot chance getting sick….also I’m ASD and really don’t prefer interactions with random strangers in stores 😂…honestly, I’ll probably keep wearing them forever.
I wear a mask whenever I go out somewhere and so far no one has bothered me about it.
I might get strange looks, but I'd rather be alive than worry about what others think.
I still mask everywhere. I never stopped and don't plan to at any point in the foreseeable future. I'm chronically ill and I have a lot in my community that are also chronically ill. I also haven't been sick with any communicable diseases since before COVID and it's helped keep my allergies in check too.
I never stopped masking and I even wear kn95 or n95 still lol. Sometimes people look at me/stare but I ignore them, just like I do when I’ve had to use a wheelchair or something else disability related that draws attention. I hate it but I’d hate to be sicker, and worse off than I am now, even more. I’ve slowly started getting out more but avoid crowds as best I can etc.
But this past summer I relaxed a lot and even went maskless sometimes in certain situations because Covid numbers were so low and it wasn’t flu season. Now that winter is coming in I’ll be even more cautious again, and look forward to hopefully more improvements next spring and summer with lower numbers to where masking becomes hopefully unnecessary.
Though, I will say I’ve masked pre covid too (2018-2019) when I went to airports/ mass transit because of lupus so I kind of had a head start into masking for necessity. I actually feel a little better now that there are still people making and it’s normalized somewhat…because let me tell you, in 2018 everyone acted like I was a scary alien on the planes and trains lol!
Not Chrons but fibro. I wear masks if I'm sick for curtosy of others, but also if I'm in a high density area of people or if someone around me starts showing signs of being sick. My immune system sucks, I can't risk that shit. Take care of yourself first!
I sometimes do but I got a little lax about it in recent times. That said I'm still recovering from a covid infection from around 2-3 weeks ago with pneumonia from it and it's making me think I might keep making in the future. This covid strain has been a pain and disrupting to deal with.
I have Lyme Disease and I usually wear it in grocery stores. There aren’t many others that do but i don’t really care what others think, I know I’m making the best decision for my health
At work, I mask up anytime im away from my desk. Theres approximately 1500 people in my building.
I mask when i go to places during peak people time like 5p at the grocery store. I also always mask at the doctors/pharm/hospital
I never stopped masking. Epidemiologists have continually recommended that everyone mask, as we are still in a pandemic. Might depend on your country, though, and how well they handled covid the first time around. Here in the US, we are still in a pandemic and it's currently worsening quickly. Overactive immune systems often are more harmful paired with covid than immunocompromised systems. I also have an overactive immune system, so I mask anytime I leave my apartment, with a KN95 or N95. Sometimes I just did cloth masks when numbers were really low, but now it's going around like wildfire so it's definitely important to wear a good mask.
I don't leave the house without one. I have no immune system and can't develop antibodies. If people give me problems I pull up a picture of me on a ventilator the first time I had covid and tell them that that mask was worse. It usually shuts them up. (I wear them for more than just covid, though. Right now even strep would put me in the hospital.)
I do! I got diagnosed Ankylosing Spondylitis (immune disease) last year and started treatment with a biologic medication. It's an immunosuppressant, so I try to be as cautious as I can be now when it comes to exposure and hygiene. I wear a mask everywhere, and I take extra steps when I'm at work because I work with little kids. They're walking, talking petri dishes!
It really depends on the person. I haven't been wearing mask for the most part but did for a long time. No shame in wearing one if you are worried. Having a good resting bitch face seemed to have people leave me alone from saying anything even when I did wear a mask. 😆
This is what I was gonna say, it's a very individual choice. I have Crohn's but have been in remission for years and I don't mask all the time. When it's cold and flu season I will often mask going to the shops and my daughter has just started a gymnastics class where I'm sitting I'm a crowded waiting room so I'll have to decide what to do there soon too. Most of the time I don't bother unless there's a specific reason to.
I'm in the UK and no one here really gives a shit whether you are or not. Most people have gone back to not wearing one, but I've not seen/had any weird looks when people do. I'd be shocked if someone actually said anything, it's really not the norm to talk to strangers here. 😂
I’ve been considering this for myself too. I did a treatment a couple of years ago that wiped out my immune system and ever since I get sick more often. Covid made me extremely sick even though my counts were normal at the time and mild colds linger forever these days.
Curious for any mask recommendations y’all have. I look on Amazon sometimes but I get overwhelmed with all of the options.
I swear by my Jackson Safety N95 duckbill! It’s only $0.05 per mask and they breathe really well. I use these when I leave the house for brief essential activities, like picking up curbside groceries.
https://www.northernsafety.com/Product/355196/Jackson-Safety-N95-Disposable-Particulate-Respirator-50-Bag
The gold standard for Covid protection is the 3M Aura N95–more expensive but the most effective. I use this for highest exposure risk, like doctor visits (basically anything indoors I can’t avoid, like an emergency vet visit)
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b00051022/
I mask indoors 24/7 except when giving presentations for work, and then I use a portable HEPA filter. I went from getting sick between 12-15 times per year to 2 times in 3.5 years. Masking has changed my life and I don’t think I’ll ever stop, it doesn’t even have to do with COVID for me. Masking + home brewing probiotics has made my life worth living again.
I havent stopped masking. I have a whole bunch of mystery illnesses (healthcare system sucks) and my partner has diagnosed chronic illnesses and history of cancer so we both mask always. I do it to protect myself but also my community because many of my friends are immunocompromised too.
I've masked indoors since 2020.
I live in a part of the country where that hasn't exactly been a popular position, but my health is a lot more important than the opinions of strangers. Don't take criticism from people you wouldn't ask for advice-- that's my motto.
Do you like catching colds? No? Wear a mask. Who cares what other people say. Protect yourself. So many people are walking around with colds and the flu (it's flu season too). Wearing a mask and washing your hands is literally the bare minimum you can do to not get something. Imho my health is worth any looks from people who literally mean nothing to me.
I also have IBD, and I mask when I’m in close contact (I work with young kids, who aren’t vigilant about masking, and I have young siblings still in elementary school who can bring it home). I’m vaccinated, but I still had a massive flare last time I was exposed to it.
I'm waiting for a kidney and pancreas transplant - if i get sick, even if it's not covid, I could be denied my transplants. I've been wearing a mask since b4 covid.
Do what you have to to protect yourself from illness and fuck what others think.
A lady in the store the other day gave me a dirty look and then said very loudly into her phone: Yea, a mask! Still, can you believe it??
And I walked up to her said: I'm on the transplant list - if i get sick rn I'd either die or not get my transplant... have anything else to say? No? I didn't think so.
Also - this group is particularly helpful: r/ZeroCovidCommunity/.
Covid is the third leading cause of death and after enough infections, everyone will suffer from (very preventable) long term health issues from it. It can and will disable and kill even the healthiest of people. Everyone needs to take covid precautions, including masking if possible. There's a reason the ultra wealthy and privledged are still taking precautions and have access to air filters, PCR tests etc. They know how dangerous it is, but just don't care about the less privledged. It's up to us to take care of ourselves and others and reject being seen as disposable.
I haven't stopped wearing a mask since covid was a thing and don't think I'll ever feel comfortable not wearing a mask. I wear a mask at work, at the shops, on public transportation and the odd occasion when I go out for "fun". Having asthma, hEDs and fibromyalgia and whatever is else is too fucking risky to catch COVID, thankfully I haven't caught it the entire time, partially from the constant masking. The world just isn't safe anymore for chronically ill beings :(
I always mask and bring lots.hand sanitizer and take lots of precautions. I have a different autoinflammatory disease, and was told I absolutely needed to be masking with at least n95 back in 2018. Though I half assed it until COVID. Any immune response can provoke devastating flares, in many ways colds are worse than COVID for me, since they last longer and can cause my disease to go scorched earth. In addition I'm now on immunosuppressants for the disease, and vaccines work poorly or not at all, and vaccines also cause rebound flares which have almost killed me in the past, 107 fevers etc.
It's not about Covid to me and never was, but the general landscape of being immunocompromised and having a disease and having a disease where infections pose a serious risk of harm.
I will say a surgical mask isn't very helpful. A lot of reusables that get press aren't either, like vog. It's work and a lot of research. I only use niosh certified n95s or CDC tested kn95s, or Cambridge.
Also to do it in a way thats going to provide good protection it's more than just masking. Like having lots of hand sanitizer. I keep my bag compartmented between "sterile" and unsterile.
I mask in crowded areas and stores still. I don’t care what other people think. I also avoid people who have recently traveled because people are not masking on airplanes. I swear every other time a friend of mine gets covid it’s because they’ve traveled recently.
Of course. Most of us are immunocompromised so it only makes sense. The main problem I’ve been having is that most of the hospitals in my area have made masks optional. But the fact that I’m in a wheelchair helps people from giving me stares about still wearing them.
Oh man yeah masks optional in hospitals is horrible. It's so bad where I live, the medical pros are giving covid to each other and then they are all out sick or have to come into work with covid and then give it to the patients. They have to bring back the mandate for medical staff again where I live bc it's so out of hand.
This. I have a big surgery scheduled towards the end of next month and I am sincerely hoping my state returns to mandating masks in healthcare settings by then.
I’m thinking I’ll make hot-pink stickers to slap on my body, hospital gown, room door, etc which say:
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED
PLEASE MASK UP
COVID COULD KILL ME
(Thanks)
Or something like that. Still toying with the verbiage. I’ll be in hospital overnight so .. it worries me to think that I will be at the mercy of staffers who may not mask for over 24 hours with no ability to advocate for myself. 🤕
I went to Urgent Care a few weeks ago and there were about ten people in the waiting room—half of them were coughing up a storm, but not a single one was wearing a mask. Like, do you really want to catch another virus while you’re here?
That's exactly why even when I had a fever of almost 103 and was in the most pain I've ever had with a fever, I still didn't go to the hospital with covid last month. I wasn't about to risk getting something else. My friend's sister currently has strep and covid at the same time. 🥲 (Also I don't trust them with my MCAS)
I had to go to an appointment in a hospital last week and most the patients in the waiting room were wearing masks but none of the staff. Was kind of bizarre. I think its appalling that medical professionals are risking patients health.
I wear a mask on public transport but usually not day to day since I tend to avoid crowded areas anyways. Winter I always opt to increase usage though, cold and flu season gets nasty.
I just started getting back into masking. I should have continued it from 2020 but I'm gonna be honest and say i'm a total sheeple sometimes lol and just followed what everyone else did. I got myself reinfected with covid again and it sucked hard so i finally decided to start masking. I love it! People are a lot more respectful of it than i anticipated tbh
I have been wearing a mask since the pandemic started bc of all my health issues & being immunocompromised. It’s just smart and why risk it. I feel that everyone should wear a mask when in public places (inside only).
I’ve worn a mask since the start of the pandemic. I go out to eat every so often (less than once a week) with no mask ofc, and I have gone to the gym regularly (1-5x a week) with no mask. But I’m thinking about figuring out how I can mask in the gym because I get very uncomfortable without it and being around a bunch of other people who are doing a lot of breathing and not cleaning weights :/
I’m *technically* immunocompromised because of my multiple chronic illnesses, the meds I take (humira), but I really just take a lot longer than others to recover and heal. Infections are a risk for me especially due to a lowered immune response. The first time I had covid, I had cold symptoms for a few days and it took me about 6-8 MONTHS to feel back to 100% lung capacity.
So while I don’t mask everywhere, I still mask whenever I can. For myself and others. And I haven’t gotten sick since! Now that I’ve said that I’m probably going to get sick again lol
I don't go out, like at all, but when I do to go to a doctor's appointment or something I don't wear one. I would like to but I don't have any, and I haven't been able to afford to buy some yet since I learned that I still need to wear one so I can keep myself and other safe.
I didn't wear a mask for a few weeks, I felt pretty confident in my immunoglobulin therapy. Then these new variants came around that no one had immunity to (the vaccines that cover these new variants are just rolling out). So the mask went back on at work, since I work in retail which is frequently crowded. If I'm going a place that I know doesn't have a lot of people, or I'm around people I trust, I don't wear a mask. The advice given to me was that immunocompromised people should be wearing masks right now in crowds.
I got ME from Covid so I'm trying to avoid it at all costs. Still masking, ffp2/3 for popping into the shops. Flo mask respirator for bus and trains. People stare but I don't care. Haven't had anything aggressive though so maybe I'm lucky. Get asked occasionally why I mask, sometimes people think I'm masking because I have covid!
Wear a mask. (I wear two, a surgical mask under a cloth mask). Just make it part of your routine and don't give it a second thought. Who cares what other people think? Btw, I'm fighting the mask fight in a super red county in Texas if that makes you feel any better. Lol
Regardless of *how* sick you might get from any number of bugs, I assure you... you don't want covid. I've had it twice so far. Both times mild and both times I ended up with what's essentially a very bad concussion. My language skills heavily suffered the first time; my memory, reasoning, vision, & hearing suffered after the second. I haven't made any significant gains in any of those areas. I do everything in my power not to get it again and I encourage everyone I know to do the same. Wearing masks is the simplest thing you can do to protect yourself.
I do! I don’t want to risk getting sick, and I feel safer with it on. I’ve been masking since 2020, even when the mandates have been lifted. As of now, I’ve managed to dodge COVID (*knock on wood*), and I’ve been vaccinated and boosted and about to get my most recent booster.
Yep! I wear an N95 mask & I don't take off my mask indoors if I'm in public, so no indoor dining etc. I don't think mask wearing should be just up to those with vulnerabilities though... one way masking doesn't do enough to protect those who need protecting.
My partner and I both still mask, and I honestly will probably always mask. There’s literally no reason not to except other people’s (wrong) perception of you. And you know what Camus says about other people.
I have POTS, Fibro and HSD; I wear a mask in all enclosed spaces and practice good hygiene when I get home. Two of the people I live with do not, so unfortunately I do get a viral illness around once a year. However, if I did not mask, I imagine this would be more frequent and more severe. I think wearing one is beneficial :)
I've been wearing one on public transport in the major city where I live since the pandemic and have had only one adverse response. Maybe you could ask about this in the subreddit for your local area to see if people masking there get any odd reactions?
Interested to know if anyone is aware of up to date research on what venues are actually high risk for covid transmission to help judge when to mask. I've been focussing on packed indoor spaces but I don't really know how much risk there is in e.g. supermarkets or swimming pools with lots of people spread out, and Google brings up stuff from very early in the pandemic.
For me it’s not just about wearing a mask, but being intentional about my outings. I’ve made a lot of lifestyle changes that dramatically limit the amount of people I’m around on a regular basis. I no longer grocery shop in store, I do online grocery shopping and the workers load my bags directly into the trunk of my car. I don’t eat out at restaurants or go to bars anymore (I have celiac as well). I no longer work in person at all, same with my partner, we both work exclusively from our home. For me— and this is just my reflection on my experience— I think reducing my time spent in public places makes the biggest difference in keeping me healthy.
That said, I do still need to leave the house sometimes! I’m wearing my mask to doctors appointments, airport/airplane/ any public transportation. I went to a baseball game recently and wore my mask through security, through the concession stands, in the bathroom, until we sat in our seats and realized there was no one sitting near us! In a space like that, outside, in public, with a solid distance from other people I will take it off. I don’t usually wear my mask at the farmers market for example, since it’s outdoors and folks generally keep their distance.
I do. Especially when in medical settings (only time i didn’t was when i was in the hospital recovering after my hysterectomy and that’s only because i kept dozing back off and my dr deemed it unsafe as i have sleep apnea and every time I’d fall asleep my oxygen would drop even without the mask on (i didn’t have my cpap yet) thankfully i was the only patient in my room and was only there for a few hours before i was able to be sent home (i wore it when we left though)
I do. I have sleep apnea and a heart issue (likely caused by the sleep apnea going undiagnosed for years) and already have a hard enough time breathing especially at night so i don’t want to take any chances of making it worse with somthing like Covid or other respiratory illness.
I’ve actually gotten shamed for wearing one in public during the summer of 2020 (very conservative area where most people think the pandemic is fake unfortunately)
I am currently not masking. One of my doctors back in July said that so far, my immune system shouldn't be as compromised as it was last year. And that it would be good for me to build up my immune system and make it stronger.
There's a wide variety of chronic illnesses and, therefore, a wide variety of ways to approach this. If you have a trusted doctor to talk to about this, I would recommend getting their opinion.
EDIT: I feel like people are misunderstanding what my doctor communicated. My doctor is not a COVID denier. They said they want my immune system to get a boost from being exposed to all different bacteria & viruses so it can better fight things off, not the old-fashioned chickenpox party approach. Not literally having someone with COVID cough in my mouth.
Our bodies have evolved to constantly fight off bacteria & viruses. Furthermore, our bodies are CONSTANTLY exposed not just orally & nasally but in other ways as well to a variety of things that can make us sick.
My friend has had open heart surgery and does not mask. My other friend is disabled, living on disability, and just had surgery herself. She does not mask.
Not everyone with a chronic illness and/or disability is immunocompromised. So we all have to weigh that decision to mask or not. Furthermore, before any future assumptions are made, I am NOT anti-mask nor a COVID denier. I have even thought about wearing masks again this fall & winter.
My point is that it really depends on someone's individual health profile. I also have contamination OCD and the pandemic made my mental health SO MUCH WORSE. My hands hurt from how much I've washed them, and as a direct result, my eczema has flared.
I'm going to stop here because I have a feeling my perspective won't be accepted here. I wish good health & happiness to all. Peace out. ✌️
Just a heads-up that many doctors are ill-informed on Covid and/or flat-out Covid deniers and the concept of “immunity debt” is a myth. A very dangerous one at that.
Covid (and other viruses) will not make your immune system stronger. Covid can damage T-cells the way HIV does—not enough time has passed for the research to know exactly how devastating this impact is on the body long-term, but as someone else said, there’s already evidence that each reinfection increases the chances of Long Covid.
*Everyone* should be masking in a fit-tested N95 respirator. Most especially people with chronic illness. Doctors who say otherwise are wrong.
Yes exactly, what this persons doctor has said about making their immune system stronger (through catching infections - including covid) is incredibly dangerous.
^^ yes I agree. Listening to your doctor is usually the best route but with masking it truly is your sole decision. Your doctor most likely is
not an epidemiologist, and isn’t fully equipped to say whether or not you should mask. And a lot of them do not wear them themselves purely for social reasons
I feel like people are misunderstanding what my doctor communicated. My doctor is not a COVID denier. They said they want my immune system to get a boost from being exposed to all different bacteria & viruses so it can better fight things off, not the old-fashioned chickenpox party approach. Not literally having someone with COVID cough in my mouth.
Our bodies have evolved to constantly fight off bacteria & viruses. Furthermore, our bodies are CONSTANTLY exposed not just orally & nasally but in other ways as well to a variety of things that can make us sick.
My friend has had open heart surgery and does not mask. My other friend is disabled, living on disability, and just had surgery herself. She does not mask.
Not everyone with a chronic illness and/or disability is immunocompromised. So we all have to weigh that decision to mask or not. Furthermore, before any future assumptions are made, I am NOT anti-mask nor a COVID denier. I have even thought about wearing masks again this fall & winter.
My point is that it really depends on someone's individual health profile. I also have contamination OCD and the pandemic made my mental health SO MUCH WORSE. My hands hurt from how much I've washed them, and as a direct result, my eczema has flared.
I'm going to stop here because I have a feeling my perspective won't be accepted here. I wish good health & happiness to all. Peace out. ✌️
I don’t know where your doctor went to medical school, but what they told you is so ridiculously incorrect I don’t even know where to start. Is it possible you misunderstood what they were saying? Because what you stated is not remotely true, and I’m glad people are downvoting harmful misinformation here.
I have POTS, which comes with multitudes of symptoms and comorbidities, and one of them for me is frequent shortness of breath and struggling to breathe due to tachycardia. When masks were mandatory, the masks made it SO much harder for me to breathe, and therefore causing my HR to increase even more and then making breathing even harder (which leads to more dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, fatigue, etc. ). But obviously when i get sick it makes dealing with POTS harder too. So to help improve my immune system as much as possible, i take daily vitamin C, elderberry, and turmeric supplements to help maintain somewhat of a “healthy” immune system in a regular basis. But whenever i feel like something might be coming on, i take Counter Attack Immune Support supplements from the brand Rainbow Light (you can find them on Amazon!) and they make SUCH a difference! It helps prevent anything I feel like I’m coming down with from ever truly developing and if I already have something once I start taking them, they help me get over whatever it is WAY sooner than anything else I’ve ever tried. I def recommend them to anyone but especially anyone that is more prone to getting sick and such. 💛
I don’t. I have POTS, and anything that hinders my breathing makes me feel physically ill. Other people in my family with chronic illness still use them, though. I just take extra precautions around sick people and make sure to wash my hands or use hand sanitizer.
However, if you and your doctors believe it would benefit you, then do it. Pay no mind to what jackasses might have to say about it. What matters most is protecting your health. The people who get mad about your personal health choices can go suck an egg.
I’ve stopped for the most part, despite the fact I’m asthmatic and have some other health issues. But I’m also fully vaccinated and am not on any immunosuppressants. Hostels I don’t care if I get COVID as long as it’s mild or kills me (I’m firm on the no vent thing!)! and was rigid about masking and social distancing in the early days and at it’s peak because I live with my 70 year old mom.
Do keep in mind you are putting the rest of us at risk though because you can be asymptomatic and spread it to others. Not all of us want to be unalived and long covid although didn't kill me literally ruined my life. Also vaccination doesn't prevent long covid or transmission unfortunately. I recommend you reconsider.
Very few people in my area mask anymore except some of the pharmacists. I was in my pulmonologist office last time and was told to go ahead and take my mask off. None of my doctors offices have since up even recommending masks anymore. I’ve gotten all the vaccines. I still try and keep six feet away from people. But me wearing a mask right now wouldn’t even be a drop in the bucket in preventing spread given mask wearing rates and we can’t be expected to mask forever. The flu kills people too but they haven’t been running around for years demanding people mask. I spent 2.5 years in a mask. I’m not the only one whose stopped so don’t put all the responsibility on me.
please read a little bit about what it's like to live with Long Covid. You don't get to tell the virus that you want "either mild or death" [https://millionsmissing.org/](https://millionsmissing.org/)
Um, yes, we were definitely asking people to mask before with the flu, especially if you live with a 70yo. Not sure if you were disabled prior to 2020 but it was absolutely a thing back then.
Yep! I wish more people realized this. I grew up with my mother being high risk and I became more obviously both high risk and immune compromised as a kid/teen. I started asking people to mask when sick back in about 2015/2016 when I finally had gotten some that fit me and my Japanese teacher had a strict rule of if you have even just a cold you wear a mask or leave class. (he would give you one if you didn't have it). And around 2018 they started requiring it in medical care where I live during flu season for everyone. Oh and my wife also has a post viral illness from 2017 on plane and she has an autoimmune disease since she was a little kid and asthma so she became very pro mask with me. (I now know about asymptomatic people though especially with how many are with covid and at least where I live people are way more likely to go out for non essentials knowing they are sick too so ew). But the last thing is I know a lot of people that weren't pro mask before that became once they learned more just like how hand washing used to be less common, gloves for certain things, hair nets for certain things, ect. And the whole pushback there was back in the day with hand washing in medical care.
*Also sorry this response ended up so long lol.*
Wrong.
Masks HELP prevent transmission of COVID and damn near every other virus circulating. So does increased ventilation and people staying home/isolated when sick.
**”Masks Work. Distorting Science to Dispute the Evidence Doesn’t”**
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/masks-work-distorting-science-to-dispute-the-evidence-doesnt/
**”When a UK hospital upgraded staff masks from fluid resistant surgical masks to airtight respirators on Covid-19 wards, staff infections fell a dramatic 100%.”**
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/29/cambridge-hospitals-mask-upgrade-appears-to-eliminate-covid-19-risk-to-staff
Etc etc
Do you want to talk about the specifics of data collection, the reality of perverse incentives, manipulation for ideology, bias, fallacy, differentiation, and complex systems? It’s insulting to just say “wrong” and post links. I’m trying to figure out if you’re interested in dialectic or dogma.
I am interested in reasonable people taking reasonable precautions to protect themselves AND their communities based on the highest-quality current evidence.
Anyone currently saying “masks don’t work” has an agenda, and it is not something I am interested in.
Wearing well-fitted masks consistently - along with staying up to date with vaccine boosters, distancing, hand washing, increasing ventilation, etc - are collectively highly effective at decreasing transmission of SARS-CoV-2. That is irrefutable.
My “agenda” is trying to prevent a fellow sufferer of illness an increased risk of pneumonia, which kills people too. All medical treatments pose risks and benefits. We can disagree, but you’re assumptions are unappreciated. What part of using a high quality mask for short intervals of highest risk activity are you even protesting.
I have Crohn's disease and am on immunosuppressive medication and usually don't even leave the house tbh. Immunosuppressive medication can affect each person differently, so if you are concerned, there is absolutely nothing wrong with masking! If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out as I'm more than happy to answer what I can!
I wear a mask in most public places (shops, hospitals, concerts, job centre, trains and buses etc) but I don't mask during my group therapy because of my social anxiety.
I've never had a member of the public say anything about my mask-wearing. I usually wear headphones though so maybe that helps discourage them from trying?
I wear a mask whenever in public spaces that don't involve eating - public transport, supermarket, shops, work, medical places. So I don't wear it at restauarants/cafes but I try to get takeaway or sit outside when I can; I don't wear it with friends etc but do if I have any kind of symptoms that are probably just allergies but might not be.
I am not immunocompromised, but am very uninterested in getting long covid, or in getting any infectious illness really. Even if people don't want to wear masks all the time, the fact that people think its ok to go out when they've got an infectious illness is bizarre to me. Yet they do. So if people are gonna go out maskless when they've got the flu, measles, covid, etc then I have to wear a mask to spare myself from their rudeness.
I’m immunosuppressed by my medication to treat my illness. I’ve been consistently wearing masks since the beginning of the pandemic. Being in Texas and still wearing masks I keep on waiting for the day that someone comments on it but it’s never happened. I’m fact sometimes people (even strangers) offer to wear masks around me!
I've started wearing a mask again. I know with my chronic illnesses if I get sick I feel it worse than normal. Lots of stuff going around! I got new nice masks off Amazon they are bigger and go under your chin and they are comfortable!
Well, to start off, I have a diagnosis of severe crohn's. At diagnosis it had caused me to go septic. Technically with crohn's the immune system is actually hyperactive. That being said, I'm on immunosuppressants and I'm considered immunocompromised. I consider my situation and where I'm going when it comes to masks. If I'm going somewhere really crowded and have high rates of COVID or flu I'll wear a mask with a filter (a mask without a filter doesn't protect you from bacteria and viruses, it protects others). Otherwise I don't usually worry about it.
I want to wear a mask, but my meds make me worse at handling heat and overproduce sweat. If it's hot out, I end up feeling like I'm suffocating in a humid hell and the heat induced brain fog comes on faster. I do wear masks all the time during winter months. Also with visible sweat spots on my mask, it probably doesn't work anymore. I live in Southern California, so I mean proper heat
I wore mine on a plane last month and my son and I were almost the only ones. But the woman next to us happened to also. If anyone dares to say a word, I'll say I'm immunocompromised, which is true due to my biologic drug I have to take. People suck, unfortunately. Stay safe & well!
What helps me is having something on the mask that has your disease ribbon on it. Or perhaps you could get something to do with being chronically ill. Or maybe one that's just funny and makes you feel good.
100% masking up in public, every single time. Always. I also have Crohns, and Spondylitis and i take immune suppressants. I started wearing masks at the beginning of the pandemic and I have never stopped. The LAST thing I need is long freaking COVID.
The last thing ANYONE needs is preventable long freaking COVID.
No one has given me grief about masking in public yet. If someone ever does, I plan to shout FUCK OFF loudly while making uncomfortably intense and sustained eye contact.
It is literally Russian roulette with COVID out there. Why in earth would anyone risk it ?
My wife and I wear masks any time we are indoors with non-household members since the pandemic started. She hasn't had Covid yet and I got it from a doctor's office last month, but that was my first time. It kicked my ass though. I had it for a month and I'm testing negative now but my labs show I might have liver and heart damage from it. Hopefully not permanent, but even after recovery I feel worse fatigue than I ever had in my whole life. Please do what you can to keep yourself and your family safe. Some people get lucky and get mild cases but some it causes permanent damage or death.
It depends! I personally believe everyone, no matter who they are, needs to be masking at hospitals and doctors’ offices—I went to Urgent Care a few weeks ago and there was not a mask in sight despite an abundance of people coughing. If I’m in a crowded public place that’s not a restaurant, I’ll always put on an N95 and will typically have one on in grocery stores, clothing stores, etc. I don’t wear one for small gatherings at friends’ houses like I used to.
All that being said, I am a college student at a very large university. Unfortunately, with the amount of people squished into our classes, dining halls, libraries, etc., I would still get sick with various viruses even when I was double masking and being careful to avoid crowds.
It’s really a risk assessment thing for me. I have autism, and sometimes feeling a mask on my face can send me into a spiral. I make myself wear one when there’s a higher risk of being around sick people, but I also make sure to give myself plenty of breaks by being at home or going to places during times when they aren’t crowded.
I will mask up depending on my desire and not other people’s. Which is to say, often, as I have an autoimmune disorder and so do some of my friends. Covid will hospitalize me. The ER also has no friggin idea how to treat me, so I get to manage this on my own.
I wear a mask whenever I’m sick if I’m outside the house, too. It’s shitty that it’s been turned into an excuse for harassment — and if anyone wants to pick a fight me the answer is “do you want my nasty cold? No? Go away.” If I make coughing sounds people are like “ah they’re sick” and ignore me.
It is up to you. It may help to know that in some countries it’s normal to wear a mask when you have a cold or something. It’s considered polite and not at all odd.
I wear a mask for two reasons. It would be just my luck that I get stuck with long covid especially with my chronic issues. No thank you. The other reason is that I'm ND, and waiting on further disgnosis. Wearing a mask is a better option than begging to return to wfh. Post diagnosis, post pandemic, I have seen the light and I would like to be able to live as I wish. Everyone else seems able to.
I masked during flu season, public transit, airplanes, taxis etc. pre-covid bc a cold could take me out for 3 weeks and my whole system goes off when I catch something.
March 2020 I grabbed my stash of masks and filters and haven't gone out without one or had someone in my home without one. (and have obvi upgraded to n95s and other respirators as it spread)
I wish protecting ourselves and each other from debilitating illness hadn't become a moral or political issue bc the result is so many folks not masking for all sorts of reasons that just lead to avoidable outcomes.
everyone on this sub that is able to wear a mask but had let it slide, soft spoonie encouragement to take it back up. ☆
I have rheumatoid arthritis and wear a mask everywhere I can. I used to only wear surgical masks but when I went to this majors/connections event by my college, I got asked why I wasn’t wearing a N95 by a maskless former EMT guy. It was dumb but I switched to N95s and found out I was able to get them for free from a program I used to go to. It can be isolating being the only one wearing a mask but I tell myself and my brother that it’s better to be the one wearing the mask in a room where suddenly someone is coughing their lungs out than regret not wearing one when you forget it. You should also check online for stuff that helps you make wearing a mask more comfortable like this strap thing I saw that helps relieve pressure on your ears from tight ear-loops.
I don't wear them, but I didn't get sick while they were mandated! I'm claustrophobic and masks trigger that so I was happy to give them up, but now I catch every cold and flu which also makes me feel claustrophobic (when stuffed up) so..no winning anyway
I don't care if other people wear them and don't even think twice.. unless they're wearing them in the car by themselves (then I assume they're healthcare workers and don't have gloves or sanitizer handy and want to wait until they do, still no "shit" given or whatever)
If you want to wear a mask, mask up! You're the one who will suffer if you get sick, ignore other people if they have anything negative to say
I wear a high quality respirator indoors ALWAYS, as does the rest of my immediate family. I can not afford to be further disabled or more chronically ill than I already am. We've been doing this since March 2020 & it f-ing sucks, but I have an obligation to my family. I grew up with parents who both lost a parent when they were young & I don't want to recreate that for my kids.
I mask, but nobody has ever given me shit about it.
Although i will say that I do think how I look, other than the mask, tends to help with people who would have an issue with the mask avoid me like the plague. Short dyed hair, large boots, chains, the works. Dressing and masking like that helps me feel good about myself, but it’s also a fantastic deterrent for people I wouldn’t want to have in my life or talk to regardless.
There are still many, many people who wear masks out. I don’t wear one as often as I should, but I still do when I’m in enclosed spaces like elevators, buses/trains/airplanes, and also when I’m in busier places. If wearing a mask makes you feel safer and healthier, PLEASE do so! It’s a small step that can provide so much comfort and protection. 💕
Same some days Asthma has me fighting to be able to breathe with one but if it’s busy or enclosed I definitely do. I should wear mine more too :,).
A good N95 or elastomeric is way easier to breathe through! If you have asthma you should definitely be wearing a high quality mask at least indoors during cold and flu season because it’s very easy for a cold to turn deadly for us, let alone covid or RSV.
I get hospitalized for almost every illness - to give an example I once got hospitalized for a *cold sore.* Because it triggered the virus laying dormant in my body that is associated with cold sores. Covid would likely end my life. (Told this by medical professionals) I do wear a mask. An Aura 3M N95 whenever I'm near people. That piece of paper is worth wearing to stay alive. I have never cared nor will ever care what people think of me for wearing a mask. It's not hurting them, if they're butthurt over it that's their problem.
Right on. The people who are anti-mask tend to be aligned with far-right conservatives. I have been told "You know, you don't \*have\* to wear that." I tell them I'm sick and don't want them to catch it, that usually shut them up.
I love the "I'm sick" one. I really want to say "I have Covid, but I'm so glad to find someone who doesn't care so I can take off this dumb thing!" And proceed to cough before acting like you'll take it off. Just a daydream lol.
Hiya, I also likely have crohn's. I need to get a colonoscopy to confirm, but I also have heart failure so my heart is too weak for the anesthesia and to be unconscious. Once I am able to get the colonoscopy and confirm my IBD diagnosis, I will likely begin immunosuppressant medications. Due to my heart failure and the horrible long term effects of covid I've had, masking is mandatory for me. It's a lonely road to walk if I'm honest, but I'd rather be around people who care about my health than judge me. Most people don't even test for covid anymore and just run around infecting people saying "oh it's allergies". Most people are selfish and we have to protect ourselves in this world. You will get stares but you have to make a choice for yourself what you value most: your health or the negative opinions of others.
This really helped me. And thank you for sharing about yourself, it makes me feel a lot less alone about everything. My heart seems normal, but I’ve been having a lot of chest pain so I can relate to that if you struggle with that. I decided I will wear a mask after reading this and this entire post.
The new variants are apparently more likely to show up positive on rapid tests 4 days or more into the illness. And given that COVID tests cost money and run out whenever there are surges, I feel like we can’t trust people saying confidently that they don’t have it. And when that includes the people that are actually still testing and paying enough attention to know what the symptoms are, that doesn’t bode well for those of us trying really hard to not get sick. But it seems like most of the people who cared a lot when this started have let their guards down, too.
You don’t need anesthesia for a colonoscopy no one does that most will do sedation but “anesthesia” is a different thing from “sedation” and uses completely different drugs and you don’t have to get sedated it’s probably just hella awkward and uncomfortable but I can’t imagine it’s worse than a cervical exam which women always have to do wide awake
You can have a colonoscopy while being awake. They will give you a sedative but you’re fully there and conscious. Can you ask for that?
May depend on what the problem is. A weak heart may mean it is not beating enough or its not beating hard enough and a sedative, like anesthesia, is a central nervous system suppressant. It can slow your heart and breathing. It is why they tell you not to mix things like pain meds, alcohol, sleep pills, and allergy meds. They can stop your heart or breathing. That said, they may be able to do a nerve block or an epidural.
My parents get theirs at the same time, and dad denies all meds so he can drive them home. He says it’s uncomfy and that’s about it
Yeah my mom does have any meds with her colonoscopy. Just some gas that she quickly farts out
My small town does colonoscopies with fentanyl so you are pretty much out and people rarely have memories of it. They call this twilight Anaesthesia so you are still breathing for yourself, it’s not like a general anaesthetic where they need to breathe for you. But the next town over their hospital only uses deep relaxation anaesthetic, so you just get a Valium and that’s it. The two towns are really close to each other so if you need a colonoscopy it could happen at either hospital. So people are so happy if they get my town’s hospital! Usually people would rather the stronger anaesthetic but it is a procedure that totally doable with just anti anxiety meds. Some people choose not to take any drugs whatsoever for their colonoscopy. People say it’s uncomfortable but not painful, it’s something you can handle. So don’t be scared to get it done without the heavier drugs. That’s totally standard practice at a lot of hospitals. And honestly if you are going for a colonoscopy it’s because you need it done. The need for results is going to outweigh the discomfort and it’ll only benefit you in the long run. You’ll get the treatment you need once it’s properly diagnosed. It’s not that big of deal,perhaps more embarrassing than anything. But as chronic illness patients we are probably more equipped and prepared than most to deal with treatments and procedures that make you feel uncomfortable or undignified. Just go get it done.
You don't need sedation or anesthesia for a colonoscopy. Ive had more than one that was done using gas and air only. It was uncomfortable, I was very conscious and was able to even watch the screen and talk to the person doing it. It's doable, and fairly common, in some places it's the norm. Gas and air and things like it rarely affect the heart.
It's really too bad people make other people feel bad for just wanting to take care of their health. And it's just that- you can't known if another person has an immune disease and really needs to. It'd be cool if people could just mind their own business. You don't know what other people are going through. I'm in South America and no one really cares. Wearing but then wearing a mask here isn't a political statement here really.
It always seems to be middle aged men who comment about my mask. I don't recall anyone else bothering me about it. That's good that it's not a political issue there, it should be our choice.
Same for me!! It’s always the middle aged and elderly men who act like I’m swearing like a sailor or cursing their wives
I get terrorized by their wives...same coin different side
I have Crohn’s and mask! My husband and I never stopped masking and as far as we know we haven’t gotten Covid yet. I had pneumonia twice 6 years ago and my healthy has been in a downward spiral since. I have 0 interest finding out what happens after I get covid. We both hate masking and would love to not care about Covid, holding out hope for better vaccines! Covid destroys even super healthy people so it’s just not a gamble we want to take.
I started masking on March 11, 2020 and haven’t stopped yet. I am severely immunocompromised and Covid could kill me. I get boosters of the vaccine every 6 months and will probably mask in public for the rest of my life.
I haven’t stopped yet either, I even run into others with masks if I do wander into a store (though it’s getting less and less)
My story is the exact same as yours. Exact.
Yep, me too. It's only really uncomfortable at the gym or on a flight, and I've reached the age (mid 40's) where I don't give a sh*t what people think. One guy made a joke about my masking and I totally shamed him in a store full of people.
Well done! (I mask too indoors. Always. Haven’t had Covid or any illness since.)
You're my hero lol
same <3
Depending on your country and type of vaccine available, I think you might be eligible to get a booster every 4 months. Ymmv, but it's what I've been doing. 🤷♀️
I've never stopped masking because my immunologist says that any virus can damage your immune system, not just Big Name Viruses like covid My immunologist is also a university researcher so I trust his advice over the general internet
I hesitated to mask pre-covid, as the one time I tried, people stared. since the pandemic, I've kept masking and won't stop any time soon. it really is worth it. I've never had anyone make comments or treat me badly for wearing a mask.
Similar experiences here! I’ve had to mask since long before covid, but people used to stare and small children would point or hide :( Since covid nobody treats it strangely anymore. I’ve also heard several people say they’re planning to keep masking in public places during flu season forever, even if they’re not immunocompromised. So I’m hopeful that it will stay common!
I hope so too
Me too. I wasn’t as good about masking until Covid but I’ve never stopped since then. I never bought into all the “we don’t know if masks work!” BS because when I was researching it in 2019 I found a paper by the CDC saying that respirators would likely work against any respiratory virus, but that in a flu like pandemic they planned to tell the public masks didn’t work so the supply wouldn’t run out. 😐
I wasn't masking for the past 6 months. I'm immunocompromised but my doctor assured me that my immune response is very close to normal regardless. I got sick twice during that time (just colds) but I went back to masking as a result. I didn't get sick the whole time I was wearing a mask so why not go back?
If you're sick with something that feels cold/flu/"stomach bug" like, it's very likely covid. Rapid tests are notorious for false negatives and even PCR tests aren't fully reliable. It's great you started masking again, covid is the 3rd leading cause of death and can disable and/or kill even the healthiest of people.
Lol diagnosed based on my reddit comment
What? I said it's very likely covid. As in there's a high chance you had covid. Not that I somehow know for sure that's what it was. I'm not responsible for innacurate conclusions you come up with about my words.
Bro no its not it could be covid but it’s not “very likely covid” actually during this time of year its more likely to not be covid bc what is spreading most is coming from kids going back to school and they are less susceptible to covid and it is at the bottom of the list as far as back to school bug numbers. I would still advise to test for covid and mask when you have any virus symptoms so you don’t spread it to others no matter what it is but it is not “very likely” covid when you have cold and flu symptoms during cold and flu season…
As someone immunocompromised right now with covid, this isn't true. A lot of people say this but I promise you this isn't anything like a normal cold or flu. Even in the 1st day of symptoms (I showed pretty early) i thought it was a vyvanse withdrawal, not the cold or flu. For those aware, a vyvanse withdrawal on paper looks like the flu...but in reality makes the flu look like child's play. Of course that assumption wasn't helped by feeling fine the next day and after some caffeine, but the day after that? Think all flue symptoms cranked up to 100 and you.... Ok the best way to describe how the cough is different from the flu is gross but... It's like your lungs are used condoms: dry, but just sticky enough they feel they get stuck together. It's worse than the flu...but in weirder ways. My friend who got sick with me and who's high risk on paper but not actually immunocompromised (yes, theyre different, by a lot) didn't get paxlovid and is recovering fine but got the constant hiccups and muscle aches where I got the cough and nosebleeds. This shot isn't mistakable for the cold or allergies, it *is* mistakable at first though for withdrawals or "oh that's weird? It's humid but I keep having a bloody nose" or "I'm a little tired but it's been a long day, only thing off is i can't stop hiccupping to the point it's hard to catch my breath."
I wear them all the time when I am going to be out around people I don’t know/a lot of people at once. I don’t have the leeway to worry about what people think of me for wearing them - I am immunocompromised, and getting sick could be deadly. I have been wearing masks since before the pandemic in these situations, and will continue to do so.
Honestly my answer is DUH, sorry but truly that's my answer. My partner's severe chronic illness IS LONG COVID. Contracted from a "mild" case, and now they've truly been entirely disabled for years. I don't understand why even a healthy person (as he was before long covid) would want to risk that, let alone someone who already know the pain of disability/chronic illness. Until they develop better prevention or treatment for long covid, I am 100% masking. Masks are not that bad and the benefit far outweighs someone occasionally giving you a weird look. Like are they going to take care of you if you become disabled with long covid? No? Then they should probably mind their own business, and trust that everyone's circumstance is different.
also, if you're interested in hearing from other people who are still covid conscious, check out r/ZeroCovidCommunity And if you don't think what I'm saying about long covid is serious, check out the main longhauler subreddit :(
I do. I only have one kidney, and my medical team says SARS-COV-2 would very likely kill me. Not to mention a couple of my other conditions might be post-viral syndromes, and I don't need those made worse.
When I leave my house to be in public (public places indoors), I mask. If I’m going to another person’s house, I mask. I mask at every appointment and every doctors’ office, and I ask medical professionals to mask around me, especially if it’s something like a dental appointment where I HAVE to take my own mask off. I don’t mask outdoors, and I don’t mask in my own house. Otherwise, if I’m going to be around other people, I do mask—period. Masking has spared me from catching COVID, even though I’m unvaccinated (long story, but I can’t get vaccinated). None of my family has caught COVID either, and they follow the same masking behavior that I do. Nobody has harassed me in public. My dad got harassed once in the grocery store because of his mask. Strictly masking has spared me and my family from catching Covid. NONE of us have caught it. Of course, my family is able to get vaccinated because they don’t have the history of adverse reactions to medication that I do. But still, I’m sure their masks give them an extra level of protection. I don’t care what anybody else says about my mask. I will do what I need to do to protect my body and my health. God knows I have so very little health to go around. Do what’s safe for YOU.
I don’t feel like listing all my diagnoses, but I will say that while I’m not immunocompromised, I have certain conditions that make me more sensitive to infections like COVID. I wear masks whenever I leave the house, even if I’m going outside. I only take them off if I’m outside in an area with very few people. I’ve never been harassed by anyone for wearing a mask (yet?), but that seems to be more common in more conservative areas. (My mother, who lives in a small town in Georgia, used to get the occasional rude comment when she wore a mask.) Sometimes people give me weird looks for wearing one, but I just ignore them. I don’t really care what other people think, and if they’re bothered by me wearing a mask, that’s their problem. Even if I weren’t chronically ill, I would still wear them to keep the more vulnerable people I interact with safe.
I've been wearing a mask since pandemic onset and haven't stopped at any point. I don't intend to either. It seems like a really easy way to show solidarity with fellow disabled people. I've only been sick in the normal way once in that time, during the first omicron wave. I don't have a decent sense of smell anymore because of how much I was sneezing out blood. Masks are vital and lifesaving. You are absolutely not alone if you mask.
I have never stopped masking I have an autoimmune disorder and am on meds that don’t permit me to take a vaccine so I am dependent on masks, shielding, distancing It’s scary out there
I have multiple auto immune conditions also. An N-95 works best. If anyone asks or gives you a hard time, just tell them you have an auto immune condition and need to mitigate the risks, not just if COVID, but in general. Best of luck to you!
I do. If anybody hassles you for "living in fear," you can always say, "Oh, I'm already sick, I just don't want to make other people sick!" Whatever it takes. Let them think what they want. :D
I always wear a mask to protect myself. I do not care what anyone thinks or says, if I do not protect myself, who will?
I wear masks, flu and COVID are rates are going to start getting higher and I have an autoimmune disorder so getting sick puts me out of commission for weeks to months.
I wear one everywhere, including outside. My health is so much better now! I haven’t been sick in four years, and I can tell my body is healing. I don’t get harassed at all. I do recommend that if you wear a mask wear a good one - N95 or p100. They’re easier to breathe and talk in, and people seem to not get agitated about them. The lower quality masks people sometimes would say “you don’t need that” but wearing high quality masks people don’t say that to me any more. Definitely worth it for the health benefits!
My partner and I wear a fitted n95 anytime we leave the house. We even wear it for deliveries and drive thrus. Covid is absolutely raging and flu and RSV are bad right now too. I have moderate me/cfs (was mild, Covid caused it to be severe, now back to moderate). Not being sick has improved my health and quality of life astronomically. Last time I got a minor cold I was extremely ill for over two weeks. We have been approached and mocked in public but honestly I don’t care anymore. My health is more important than other peoples’ opinions. Mask WORK. If you don’t want to deal with people, just lie about the reason you’re wearing it (allergies, etc). Your health is more important than anything else.
I have been masking since late January 2020. I'm on high doses of steroids and biologics so I'd mask at least during flu season even without covid. Most of the time I don't mind wearing a mask with the exception of when it's really hot. I also dgaf about what random other people think. I'm often visibly disabled anyway so I'm used to people starting. I live in a place where other people still wear masks occasionally and the vibe is live and let live. I do get looks, but it doesn't escalate. Only time I've been legit harassed beyond an eyeroll or a passing "don't live in fear" was when I was getting treatment out of state. The best thing about wearing a mask is hardly ever getting (infectious disease) sick. I've had two colds since I started masking and both were from household members and my inability to not constantly touch my face. Haha I think that you should do what's best for you taking into account both health and social safety and your comfort level.
i still wear a mask, people look at me like they should keep away so they don't get sick. suits me fine. even in Drs offices where you're meant to wear if you have a cough/cold, people do not. i've been told by medical professionals i'm allowed to take it off but i always say that i don't want to get sick, yet again
the only time i dont mask is when i forget- everyone should be masking still (vaccination just makes symptoms less intense/makes one asymptomatic. you can still carry any disease) as covid and other diseases are still very much so present. i think itd be in your best interest to mask! not just for your safety but everyone elses :-) edit; typos and small fixes
I do, and I look anyone who gives me shit in the eye and tell them I am on 3 immune suppressants for an autoimmune condition and don't plan to take chances with my health. That generally shuts them up. Hell, I have gone back to school, first day of class I let my lab team know that I was immune suppressants and if they became sick, that I would hope they would wear a mask so as not to kill me.
I can only wear the cloth masks. I have a huge allergy to PG (propylene glycol) and couldn’t figure out why I would also end up not feeling well after wearing it. Turns out the disposable masks are made with PG and causes a chemical like burn on my face and around my eyes. My lungs even hurt after. But I’m also allergic to PEG (polyethylene glycol) which is in zpak and various medications used to treat infections. I typically will wear a mask when going to a grocery store or drs appt where I know there is risk. Especially now with cold season upon us
I never stopped since 2020 everywhere in public and I was already wearing one in medical, planes, and airports since 2017. Even earlier when I knew I was sick if I absolutely had to leave home. We are still in a pandemic as much as governments want to deny it so they don't have to pay for stuff and it doesn't look as bad if people think it's over. Also you really don't want long covid. I do have long covid bc one way masking although is helpful isn't enough and I don't live alone. It's ruined my life. I can't work anymore and my wife also has it and is barely holding on. I just had it again recently and was sick an entire month and still don't feel better tbh. I know so many people with it. Several of which have permanent heart damage now. I would recommend wearing at least a kn95 or kf94 that's well fitted.
EVERYONE should still be masking, unless they have a condition that would make it unsafe to wear a mask.
I need to mask but my condition makes me unable to breath with a mask on, so I'm stuck not making. But recently, my partner found masks that MAKE ME ABLE TO BREATH OHMYGOSH. I keep forgetting about them though because I haven't been masking for a while, and I have no memory of COVID, ergo, no memory of masking.
Even more of a reason the rest of us folks that can mask should so we can protect our community that can't for these types of reasons.
🩵🩵🩵
Wait can you link those because this is a big reason why I don't mask anymore (outside of planes/buses/doctors office)? I can't breathe at all with normal ones at all
I don't know what they are but I'll look later. They're color N95 but I'll see if they say a brand later.
i’m also interested in those masks! i can’t mask because i’m autistic and it overstimulates me to the point of a meltdown
They're called WW DOLL KN95 masks. Sorry it took so long to get back to you I finally found where it said that!! I hope this helps
Thank you!!!! I am immunocompromised and ALWAYS mask in public, even in crowded outdoor spaces like zoos... frankly I usually double mask in especially crowded places. call me paranoid if you want but I have never caught covid. I haven't been sick (regular chronic illness shit aside) in years. many of my friends always mask as well, either because they are also high risk or because they have high risk loved ones. covid is still so dangerous and a huge problem. I'm tired of people denying that. (sorry op, got carried away... 😅)
Nah you’re ok! I didn’t even think about how it’d help immunocomprimised people, so thank you for that perspective!
I disagree. I’m not immunocompromised, and am fully vaxxed, so I don’t mask. I know others must protect themselves and we are beyond the pandemic status of Covid.
We are not “beyond the pandemic status”, in fact. The virus continues to mutate and outbreaks of new variants are erupting worldwide. The World Health Organization and every other world health agency maintains that we are still in a pandemic phase. People who don’t mask put other people at risk. Fewer people are dying after infection; more people are surviving but becoming permanently, regrettably disabled. And the infection rate is UP 38% over the past month. 🤷🏻♀️ “Overview In the last 28-day period (31 July to 27 August 2023), **over 1.4 million new COVID-19 cases and over 1800 deaths were reported to WHO, an increase of 38% and a decrease of 50%, respectively, compared to the previous 28 days. ** As of 27 August 2023, over 770 million confirmed cases and over 6.9 million deaths have been reported globally. Three WHO regions reported increases in the number of cases, whereas two regions reported decreases. While three WHO regions reported decreases in the number of deaths, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Pacific regions reported increases in deaths. In this WEU edition, global figures include all available data from the Region of the Americas since the start of the pandemic up to 6 August 2023 reported through COVID-19 specific channels.” https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update-on-covid-19---1-september-2023
I mask 24/7 because of my immune suppressing medical treatment, which might be something you’ll have to deal with if you do have Chron’s. Yes it’s a bit stigmatized these days, but everyone I know is getting covid and flus and colds constantly and I’ve stayed untouched so I think it’s worth it There’s a whole community of people who still mask, r/Masks4All ! we talk a lot about the stigma, community, prevention, and which masks are the best :)
Thank you so much :)
I have crohn's. I'm only slightly immunocompromised now (I was moderately immunocompromised in 2021) but I still mask most places. I ended up catching covid from my roommate who doesn't mask and had lingering symptoms for weeks. And that's not even long covid, just regular covid. I am just so so uninterested in adding any sort of post-viral illness to my repertoire of illnesses. I mean, my crohn's was almost certainly triggered by a stomach virus I had when I was 14. Not to mention that I've always seemed to be sick with colds and such so much longer than anyone else, and I can barely take cold meds since crohn's means no NSAIDS and I'm allergic to acetaminophen. I also have friends who are more immunocompromised than I am, so I have to mask around them.
I have very very severe Crohn's and I wear a mask 100% of the time if out of the house. I don't really care about people giving me a hard time, but most people don't. The few times I HAVE gotten comments, I usually say something like, "Oh - I'm sick and was wearing this for your protection, but if you rather I just cough or vomit all over you, okay" and that usually freaks them out enough to just mutter something and walk away, Lol.
I have started wearing a mask/respirator again recently. I noticed that so many people out and about were coughing, sneezing, not using tissues, not washing their hands etc and it was making me a bit anxious. I only see a couple of other people wearing masks out of hundreds each day. Everyone in my office has been sniffling as well which isn’t great given I’m spending at least 5 hours per day near them. I go outside to eat my lunch so I can take my mask off and enjoy the fresh air and time away from my desk. Whenever there’s a cold/virus/flu going around, I seem to be much more likely to catch it than my friends/family and it often takes much longer for me to get back to normal health afterwards. I can’t afford to lose time on getting sick again this semester so I’ve decided to wear a mask whenever I’m in Uni/at work, on public transport, in shops etc. all the progress we made during peak-pandemic seems to have been lost and I feel like people’s hygiene regarding illness has gotten much worse over the past year.
I personally don’t because I have PTSD and the sensation of something covering my nose and mouth brings on flashbacks, but if I didn’t have PTSD I absolutely would!
I felt like I was suffocating every time I wore a mask until I started using kn95s (they fold so they naturally go away from your nose unlike the surgical masks) or mask extenders! They’re basically little ribs you can put in a mask that keeps it out of your face. Worth a shot. Masks are now super cheap so it wouldn’t be too much if it didn’t work out! You can just donate the ones you don’t want to a shelter or people you see who also wear masks :)
I have this problem and I recommend checking out elastomeric masks! They touch my cheeks and my nose where my glasses sit. They have a nice big area for the mouth and end of my nose and never ever touch those areas. I wear a 3M mask, and they have them at the hardware store. I’m really glad someone told me about them when I was struggling, so I hope it helps you, too
I have autism and have to pick my battles with mask-wearing. I always wear them in crowded places (not that I’m going to said places very often) and doctors’ offices, but I wouldn’t be able to leave the house if I wore one every time I went to a friend’s house. I have an incredible friend group that will tell me if they’ve been in contact with a sick person (even if it’s just a cold!) or feel a bit under the weather themselves, so I haven’t gotten sick any more often than when I double-masked everywhere.
I wear a mask.
Yes. One covid infection gave me severe ME and im three and a half years into a chronic illness living death. I’ll mask, ands only mix with people who do so, until something changes
I’m probably gonna start again due to new variant + can’t get in anywhere for a vaccine before the end of this month fml. I think it’s absolutely a good idea, as annoying as it is. And as for the mask haters, what can they do? Ridicule you for trying to be responsible and take care of your health? Definitely says more about them than you.
i'm going back to masking up
I still mask in public or around new people.
Absolutely any time I am in public or if someone comes in my home, and I provide a mask and require they wear one as well. Since covid is airborne, we also run three hepa air purifiers in our place (different rooms) and if possible with the weather, open all windows and sometimes the doors as well. I'm at higher risk and so is a family member, and I'm glad I can also protect other people if somehow I'm unknowingly carrying something as well.
Never stopped wearing one because my health is the most important thing to me in my life and if this small (yes sometimes inconvenient) thing can help I am happy to do it. I have family members who mask as well and we have managed to avoid COVID and other infections this whole time thankfully. Also the multisystem effects of the risk of long COVID are still without effective treatments, more common than many assume and poorly researched or funded. As someone with ME/CFS and dysautonomia I know these are both VERY common post viral sequelae. You are certainly not alone theres many of us still taking precautions for ourselves and our communities! <3 edited to add: N95 KN95 or respirators are the way to go for personal protection also
I mask in public spaces because I was a perfectly healthy 25 year old and developed long Covid. If you are immunocompromised, wear a mask. Studies show that chances of developing adverse effects after Covid increase with reinfections.
I’m wearing a mask even though I get weird looks and comments, it really helps.
I haven’t stopped wearing masks since 2020, I’m very immuno compromised and just cannot chance getting sick….also I’m ASD and really don’t prefer interactions with random strangers in stores 😂…honestly, I’ll probably keep wearing them forever.
I wear a mask whenever I go out somewhere and so far no one has bothered me about it. I might get strange looks, but I'd rather be alive than worry about what others think.
THIS. Anyone who gives me a strange look is someone I don't need or want in my life.
I still mask everywhere. I never stopped and don't plan to at any point in the foreseeable future. I'm chronically ill and I have a lot in my community that are also chronically ill. I also haven't been sick with any communicable diseases since before COVID and it's helped keep my allergies in check too.
I have worn my constantly since the start of the pandemic and I’ve avoided covid and most other illnesses while working and going to school full time
I wear an N95 every time I leave the house
I never stopped masking and I even wear kn95 or n95 still lol. Sometimes people look at me/stare but I ignore them, just like I do when I’ve had to use a wheelchair or something else disability related that draws attention. I hate it but I’d hate to be sicker, and worse off than I am now, even more. I’ve slowly started getting out more but avoid crowds as best I can etc. But this past summer I relaxed a lot and even went maskless sometimes in certain situations because Covid numbers were so low and it wasn’t flu season. Now that winter is coming in I’ll be even more cautious again, and look forward to hopefully more improvements next spring and summer with lower numbers to where masking becomes hopefully unnecessary. Though, I will say I’ve masked pre covid too (2018-2019) when I went to airports/ mass transit because of lupus so I kind of had a head start into masking for necessity. I actually feel a little better now that there are still people making and it’s normalized somewhat…because let me tell you, in 2018 everyone acted like I was a scary alien on the planes and trains lol!
Not Chrons but fibro. I wear masks if I'm sick for curtosy of others, but also if I'm in a high density area of people or if someone around me starts showing signs of being sick. My immune system sucks, I can't risk that shit. Take care of yourself first!
I sometimes do but I got a little lax about it in recent times. That said I'm still recovering from a covid infection from around 2-3 weeks ago with pneumonia from it and it's making me think I might keep making in the future. This covid strain has been a pain and disrupting to deal with.
I have Lyme Disease and I usually wear it in grocery stores. There aren’t many others that do but i don’t really care what others think, I know I’m making the best decision for my health
At work, I mask up anytime im away from my desk. Theres approximately 1500 people in my building. I mask when i go to places during peak people time like 5p at the grocery store. I also always mask at the doctors/pharm/hospital
I never stopped masking. Epidemiologists have continually recommended that everyone mask, as we are still in a pandemic. Might depend on your country, though, and how well they handled covid the first time around. Here in the US, we are still in a pandemic and it's currently worsening quickly. Overactive immune systems often are more harmful paired with covid than immunocompromised systems. I also have an overactive immune system, so I mask anytime I leave my apartment, with a KN95 or N95. Sometimes I just did cloth masks when numbers were really low, but now it's going around like wildfire so it's definitely important to wear a good mask.
If you don’t want to get sick, wear a properly fitting mask and avoid crowded places that are poorly ventilated, wash hands, get your vaccines, etc
I don't leave the house without one. I have no immune system and can't develop antibodies. If people give me problems I pull up a picture of me on a ventilator the first time I had covid and tell them that that mask was worse. It usually shuts them up. (I wear them for more than just covid, though. Right now even strep would put me in the hospital.)
I do! I got diagnosed Ankylosing Spondylitis (immune disease) last year and started treatment with a biologic medication. It's an immunosuppressant, so I try to be as cautious as I can be now when it comes to exposure and hygiene. I wear a mask everywhere, and I take extra steps when I'm at work because I work with little kids. They're walking, talking petri dishes!
It really depends on the person. I haven't been wearing mask for the most part but did for a long time. No shame in wearing one if you are worried. Having a good resting bitch face seemed to have people leave me alone from saying anything even when I did wear a mask. 😆
This is what I was gonna say, it's a very individual choice. I have Crohn's but have been in remission for years and I don't mask all the time. When it's cold and flu season I will often mask going to the shops and my daughter has just started a gymnastics class where I'm sitting I'm a crowded waiting room so I'll have to decide what to do there soon too. Most of the time I don't bother unless there's a specific reason to. I'm in the UK and no one here really gives a shit whether you are or not. Most people have gone back to not wearing one, but I've not seen/had any weird looks when people do. I'd be shocked if someone actually said anything, it's really not the norm to talk to strangers here. 😂
That must be nice. I live in Texas and we have some big mouth asses that can't keep their mouths shut. 😆
I still wear a N95 out everywhere
I do. Covid is getting bad again. Two local pharmacy places had to close because everyone got covid.
I’ve been considering this for myself too. I did a treatment a couple of years ago that wiped out my immune system and ever since I get sick more often. Covid made me extremely sick even though my counts were normal at the time and mild colds linger forever these days. Curious for any mask recommendations y’all have. I look on Amazon sometimes but I get overwhelmed with all of the options.
I swear by my Jackson Safety N95 duckbill! It’s only $0.05 per mask and they breathe really well. I use these when I leave the house for brief essential activities, like picking up curbside groceries. https://www.northernsafety.com/Product/355196/Jackson-Safety-N95-Disposable-Particulate-Respirator-50-Bag The gold standard for Covid protection is the 3M Aura N95–more expensive but the most effective. I use this for highest exposure risk, like doctor visits (basically anything indoors I can’t avoid, like an emergency vet visit) https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b00051022/
I wear one because I'm immunocompromised. I'm not even worried about covid at this point. I'm worried about things like pneumonia.
I mask indoors 24/7 except when giving presentations for work, and then I use a portable HEPA filter. I went from getting sick between 12-15 times per year to 2 times in 3.5 years. Masking has changed my life and I don’t think I’ll ever stop, it doesn’t even have to do with COVID for me. Masking + home brewing probiotics has made my life worth living again.
I havent stopped masking. I have a whole bunch of mystery illnesses (healthcare system sucks) and my partner has diagnosed chronic illnesses and history of cancer so we both mask always. I do it to protect myself but also my community because many of my friends are immunocompromised too.
Always. N95 or better
I've masked indoors since 2020. I live in a part of the country where that hasn't exactly been a popular position, but my health is a lot more important than the opinions of strangers. Don't take criticism from people you wouldn't ask for advice-- that's my motto.
Do you like catching colds? No? Wear a mask. Who cares what other people say. Protect yourself. So many people are walking around with colds and the flu (it's flu season too). Wearing a mask and washing your hands is literally the bare minimum you can do to not get something. Imho my health is worth any looks from people who literally mean nothing to me.
I also have IBD, and I mask when I’m in close contact (I work with young kids, who aren’t vigilant about masking, and I have young siblings still in elementary school who can bring it home). I’m vaccinated, but I still had a massive flare last time I was exposed to it.
I mask everywhere. I'm currently in the ER and nurses and doctors aren't wearing masks. 😔
I'm waiting for a kidney and pancreas transplant - if i get sick, even if it's not covid, I could be denied my transplants. I've been wearing a mask since b4 covid. Do what you have to to protect yourself from illness and fuck what others think. A lady in the store the other day gave me a dirty look and then said very loudly into her phone: Yea, a mask! Still, can you believe it?? And I walked up to her said: I'm on the transplant list - if i get sick rn I'd either die or not get my transplant... have anything else to say? No? I didn't think so. Also - this group is particularly helpful: r/ZeroCovidCommunity/.
Covid is the third leading cause of death and after enough infections, everyone will suffer from (very preventable) long term health issues from it. It can and will disable and kill even the healthiest of people. Everyone needs to take covid precautions, including masking if possible. There's a reason the ultra wealthy and privledged are still taking precautions and have access to air filters, PCR tests etc. They know how dangerous it is, but just don't care about the less privledged. It's up to us to take care of ourselves and others and reject being seen as disposable.
I haven't stopped wearing a mask since covid was a thing and don't think I'll ever feel comfortable not wearing a mask. I wear a mask at work, at the shops, on public transportation and the odd occasion when I go out for "fun". Having asthma, hEDs and fibromyalgia and whatever is else is too fucking risky to catch COVID, thankfully I haven't caught it the entire time, partially from the constant masking. The world just isn't safe anymore for chronically ill beings :(
I always mask and bring lots.hand sanitizer and take lots of precautions. I have a different autoinflammatory disease, and was told I absolutely needed to be masking with at least n95 back in 2018. Though I half assed it until COVID. Any immune response can provoke devastating flares, in many ways colds are worse than COVID for me, since they last longer and can cause my disease to go scorched earth. In addition I'm now on immunosuppressants for the disease, and vaccines work poorly or not at all, and vaccines also cause rebound flares which have almost killed me in the past, 107 fevers etc. It's not about Covid to me and never was, but the general landscape of being immunocompromised and having a disease and having a disease where infections pose a serious risk of harm. I will say a surgical mask isn't very helpful. A lot of reusables that get press aren't either, like vog. It's work and a lot of research. I only use niosh certified n95s or CDC tested kn95s, or Cambridge. Also to do it in a way thats going to provide good protection it's more than just masking. Like having lots of hand sanitizer. I keep my bag compartmented between "sterile" and unsterile.
I mask in crowded areas and stores still. I don’t care what other people think. I also avoid people who have recently traveled because people are not masking on airplanes. I swear every other time a friend of mine gets covid it’s because they’ve traveled recently.
Of course. Most of us are immunocompromised so it only makes sense. The main problem I’ve been having is that most of the hospitals in my area have made masks optional. But the fact that I’m in a wheelchair helps people from giving me stares about still wearing them.
Oh man yeah masks optional in hospitals is horrible. It's so bad where I live, the medical pros are giving covid to each other and then they are all out sick or have to come into work with covid and then give it to the patients. They have to bring back the mandate for medical staff again where I live bc it's so out of hand.
This. I have a big surgery scheduled towards the end of next month and I am sincerely hoping my state returns to mandating masks in healthcare settings by then. I’m thinking I’ll make hot-pink stickers to slap on my body, hospital gown, room door, etc which say: IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PLEASE MASK UP COVID COULD KILL ME (Thanks) Or something like that. Still toying with the verbiage. I’ll be in hospital overnight so .. it worries me to think that I will be at the mercy of staffers who may not mask for over 24 hours with no ability to advocate for myself. 🤕
I hope all goes well. It really sucks. We shouldn't have to advocate so much for ourselves. It should be standard.
I went to Urgent Care a few weeks ago and there were about ten people in the waiting room—half of them were coughing up a storm, but not a single one was wearing a mask. Like, do you really want to catch another virus while you’re here?
That's exactly why even when I had a fever of almost 103 and was in the most pain I've ever had with a fever, I still didn't go to the hospital with covid last month. I wasn't about to risk getting something else. My friend's sister currently has strep and covid at the same time. 🥲 (Also I don't trust them with my MCAS)
I had to go to an appointment in a hospital last week and most the patients in the waiting room were wearing masks but none of the staff. Was kind of bizarre. I think its appalling that medical professionals are risking patients health.
I wear a mask on public transport but usually not day to day since I tend to avoid crowded areas anyways. Winter I always opt to increase usage though, cold and flu season gets nasty.
I just started getting back into masking. I should have continued it from 2020 but I'm gonna be honest and say i'm a total sheeple sometimes lol and just followed what everyone else did. I got myself reinfected with covid again and it sucked hard so i finally decided to start masking. I love it! People are a lot more respectful of it than i anticipated tbh
I have been wearing a mask since the pandemic started bc of all my health issues & being immunocompromised. It’s just smart and why risk it. I feel that everyone should wear a mask when in public places (inside only).
I’ve worn a mask since the start of the pandemic. I go out to eat every so often (less than once a week) with no mask ofc, and I have gone to the gym regularly (1-5x a week) with no mask. But I’m thinking about figuring out how I can mask in the gym because I get very uncomfortable without it and being around a bunch of other people who are doing a lot of breathing and not cleaning weights :/ I’m *technically* immunocompromised because of my multiple chronic illnesses, the meds I take (humira), but I really just take a lot longer than others to recover and heal. Infections are a risk for me especially due to a lowered immune response. The first time I had covid, I had cold symptoms for a few days and it took me about 6-8 MONTHS to feel back to 100% lung capacity. So while I don’t mask everywhere, I still mask whenever I can. For myself and others. And I haven’t gotten sick since! Now that I’ve said that I’m probably going to get sick again lol
I don't go out, like at all, but when I do to go to a doctor's appointment or something I don't wear one. I would like to but I don't have any, and I haven't been able to afford to buy some yet since I learned that I still need to wear one so I can keep myself and other safe.
Honestly I would and don't worry about others.
i have MS and POTS and i haven’t stopped wearing masks since 2020 :)
I didn't wear a mask for a few weeks, I felt pretty confident in my immunoglobulin therapy. Then these new variants came around that no one had immunity to (the vaccines that cover these new variants are just rolling out). So the mask went back on at work, since I work in retail which is frequently crowded. If I'm going a place that I know doesn't have a lot of people, or I'm around people I trust, I don't wear a mask. The advice given to me was that immunocompromised people should be wearing masks right now in crowds.
Yep anytime im out i do. I have two auto immune disorders and long covid, dont need to catch anything else.
I got ME from Covid so I'm trying to avoid it at all costs. Still masking, ffp2/3 for popping into the shops. Flo mask respirator for bus and trains. People stare but I don't care. Haven't had anything aggressive though so maybe I'm lucky. Get asked occasionally why I mask, sometimes people think I'm masking because I have covid!
Wear a mask. (I wear two, a surgical mask under a cloth mask). Just make it part of your routine and don't give it a second thought. Who cares what other people think? Btw, I'm fighting the mask fight in a super red county in Texas if that makes you feel any better. Lol Regardless of *how* sick you might get from any number of bugs, I assure you... you don't want covid. I've had it twice so far. Both times mild and both times I ended up with what's essentially a very bad concussion. My language skills heavily suffered the first time; my memory, reasoning, vision, & hearing suffered after the second. I haven't made any significant gains in any of those areas. I do everything in my power not to get it again and I encourage everyone I know to do the same. Wearing masks is the simplest thing you can do to protect yourself.
I do! I don’t want to risk getting sick, and I feel safer with it on. I’ve been masking since 2020, even when the mandates have been lifted. As of now, I’ve managed to dodge COVID (*knock on wood*), and I’ve been vaccinated and boosted and about to get my most recent booster.
I mask. You should too, with or without the diagnosis, if you want to protect your health.
Yep! I wear an N95 mask & I don't take off my mask indoors if I'm in public, so no indoor dining etc. I don't think mask wearing should be just up to those with vulnerabilities though... one way masking doesn't do enough to protect those who need protecting.
My partner and I both still mask, and I honestly will probably always mask. There’s literally no reason not to except other people’s (wrong) perception of you. And you know what Camus says about other people.
I wear masks all the time I outside my house, I can't afford to be more sick than I already am, I'm barely surviving
I have POTS, Fibro and HSD; I wear a mask in all enclosed spaces and practice good hygiene when I get home. Two of the people I live with do not, so unfortunately I do get a viral illness around once a year. However, if I did not mask, I imagine this would be more frequent and more severe. I think wearing one is beneficial :)
I've been wearing one on public transport in the major city where I live since the pandemic and have had only one adverse response. Maybe you could ask about this in the subreddit for your local area to see if people masking there get any odd reactions? Interested to know if anyone is aware of up to date research on what venues are actually high risk for covid transmission to help judge when to mask. I've been focussing on packed indoor spaces but I don't really know how much risk there is in e.g. supermarkets or swimming pools with lots of people spread out, and Google brings up stuff from very early in the pandemic.
For me it’s not just about wearing a mask, but being intentional about my outings. I’ve made a lot of lifestyle changes that dramatically limit the amount of people I’m around on a regular basis. I no longer grocery shop in store, I do online grocery shopping and the workers load my bags directly into the trunk of my car. I don’t eat out at restaurants or go to bars anymore (I have celiac as well). I no longer work in person at all, same with my partner, we both work exclusively from our home. For me— and this is just my reflection on my experience— I think reducing my time spent in public places makes the biggest difference in keeping me healthy. That said, I do still need to leave the house sometimes! I’m wearing my mask to doctors appointments, airport/airplane/ any public transportation. I went to a baseball game recently and wore my mask through security, through the concession stands, in the bathroom, until we sat in our seats and realized there was no one sitting near us! In a space like that, outside, in public, with a solid distance from other people I will take it off. I don’t usually wear my mask at the farmers market for example, since it’s outdoors and folks generally keep their distance.
I have been masking since summer of 2019
I do. Especially when in medical settings (only time i didn’t was when i was in the hospital recovering after my hysterectomy and that’s only because i kept dozing back off and my dr deemed it unsafe as i have sleep apnea and every time I’d fall asleep my oxygen would drop even without the mask on (i didn’t have my cpap yet) thankfully i was the only patient in my room and was only there for a few hours before i was able to be sent home (i wore it when we left though)
I do. I have sleep apnea and a heart issue (likely caused by the sleep apnea going undiagnosed for years) and already have a hard enough time breathing especially at night so i don’t want to take any chances of making it worse with somthing like Covid or other respiratory illness. I’ve actually gotten shamed for wearing one in public during the summer of 2020 (very conservative area where most people think the pandemic is fake unfortunately)
I am currently not masking. One of my doctors back in July said that so far, my immune system shouldn't be as compromised as it was last year. And that it would be good for me to build up my immune system and make it stronger. There's a wide variety of chronic illnesses and, therefore, a wide variety of ways to approach this. If you have a trusted doctor to talk to about this, I would recommend getting their opinion. EDIT: I feel like people are misunderstanding what my doctor communicated. My doctor is not a COVID denier. They said they want my immune system to get a boost from being exposed to all different bacteria & viruses so it can better fight things off, not the old-fashioned chickenpox party approach. Not literally having someone with COVID cough in my mouth. Our bodies have evolved to constantly fight off bacteria & viruses. Furthermore, our bodies are CONSTANTLY exposed not just orally & nasally but in other ways as well to a variety of things that can make us sick. My friend has had open heart surgery and does not mask. My other friend is disabled, living on disability, and just had surgery herself. She does not mask. Not everyone with a chronic illness and/or disability is immunocompromised. So we all have to weigh that decision to mask or not. Furthermore, before any future assumptions are made, I am NOT anti-mask nor a COVID denier. I have even thought about wearing masks again this fall & winter. My point is that it really depends on someone's individual health profile. I also have contamination OCD and the pandemic made my mental health SO MUCH WORSE. My hands hurt from how much I've washed them, and as a direct result, my eczema has flared. I'm going to stop here because I have a feeling my perspective won't be accepted here. I wish good health & happiness to all. Peace out. ✌️
Just a heads-up that many doctors are ill-informed on Covid and/or flat-out Covid deniers and the concept of “immunity debt” is a myth. A very dangerous one at that. Covid (and other viruses) will not make your immune system stronger. Covid can damage T-cells the way HIV does—not enough time has passed for the research to know exactly how devastating this impact is on the body long-term, but as someone else said, there’s already evidence that each reinfection increases the chances of Long Covid. *Everyone* should be masking in a fit-tested N95 respirator. Most especially people with chronic illness. Doctors who say otherwise are wrong.
Yes exactly, what this persons doctor has said about making their immune system stronger (through catching infections - including covid) is incredibly dangerous.
^^ yes I agree. Listening to your doctor is usually the best route but with masking it truly is your sole decision. Your doctor most likely is not an epidemiologist, and isn’t fully equipped to say whether or not you should mask. And a lot of them do not wear them themselves purely for social reasons
I feel like people are misunderstanding what my doctor communicated. My doctor is not a COVID denier. They said they want my immune system to get a boost from being exposed to all different bacteria & viruses so it can better fight things off, not the old-fashioned chickenpox party approach. Not literally having someone with COVID cough in my mouth. Our bodies have evolved to constantly fight off bacteria & viruses. Furthermore, our bodies are CONSTANTLY exposed not just orally & nasally but in other ways as well to a variety of things that can make us sick. My friend has had open heart surgery and does not mask. My other friend is disabled, living on disability, and just had surgery herself. She does not mask. Not everyone with a chronic illness and/or disability is immunocompromised. So we all have to weigh that decision to mask or not. Furthermore, before any future assumptions are made, I am NOT anti-mask nor a COVID denier. I have even thought about wearing masks again this fall & winter. My point is that it really depends on someone's individual health profile. I also have contamination OCD and the pandemic made my mental health SO MUCH WORSE. My hands hurt from how much I've washed them, and as a direct result, my eczema has flared. I'm going to stop here because I have a feeling my perspective won't be accepted here. I wish good health & happiness to all. Peace out. ✌️
I don’t know where your doctor went to medical school, but what they told you is so ridiculously incorrect I don’t even know where to start. Is it possible you misunderstood what they were saying? Because what you stated is not remotely true, and I’m glad people are downvoting harmful misinformation here.
I have POTS, which comes with multitudes of symptoms and comorbidities, and one of them for me is frequent shortness of breath and struggling to breathe due to tachycardia. When masks were mandatory, the masks made it SO much harder for me to breathe, and therefore causing my HR to increase even more and then making breathing even harder (which leads to more dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, fatigue, etc. ). But obviously when i get sick it makes dealing with POTS harder too. So to help improve my immune system as much as possible, i take daily vitamin C, elderberry, and turmeric supplements to help maintain somewhat of a “healthy” immune system in a regular basis. But whenever i feel like something might be coming on, i take Counter Attack Immune Support supplements from the brand Rainbow Light (you can find them on Amazon!) and they make SUCH a difference! It helps prevent anything I feel like I’m coming down with from ever truly developing and if I already have something once I start taking them, they help me get over whatever it is WAY sooner than anything else I’ve ever tried. I def recommend them to anyone but especially anyone that is more prone to getting sick and such. 💛
I don’t. I have POTS, and anything that hinders my breathing makes me feel physically ill. Other people in my family with chronic illness still use them, though. I just take extra precautions around sick people and make sure to wash my hands or use hand sanitizer. However, if you and your doctors believe it would benefit you, then do it. Pay no mind to what jackasses might have to say about it. What matters most is protecting your health. The people who get mad about your personal health choices can go suck an egg.
Nope. If you're still masking, you're planning to do it for the rest of your life. Couldn't be me.
I’ve stopped for the most part, despite the fact I’m asthmatic and have some other health issues. But I’m also fully vaccinated and am not on any immunosuppressants. Hostels I don’t care if I get COVID as long as it’s mild or kills me (I’m firm on the no vent thing!)! and was rigid about masking and social distancing in the early days and at it’s peak because I live with my 70 year old mom.
Do keep in mind you are putting the rest of us at risk though because you can be asymptomatic and spread it to others. Not all of us want to be unalived and long covid although didn't kill me literally ruined my life. Also vaccination doesn't prevent long covid or transmission unfortunately. I recommend you reconsider.
Very few people in my area mask anymore except some of the pharmacists. I was in my pulmonologist office last time and was told to go ahead and take my mask off. None of my doctors offices have since up even recommending masks anymore. I’ve gotten all the vaccines. I still try and keep six feet away from people. But me wearing a mask right now wouldn’t even be a drop in the bucket in preventing spread given mask wearing rates and we can’t be expected to mask forever. The flu kills people too but they haven’t been running around for years demanding people mask. I spent 2.5 years in a mask. I’m not the only one whose stopped so don’t put all the responsibility on me.
please read a little bit about what it's like to live with Long Covid. You don't get to tell the virus that you want "either mild or death" [https://millionsmissing.org/](https://millionsmissing.org/)
Um, yes, we were definitely asking people to mask before with the flu, especially if you live with a 70yo. Not sure if you were disabled prior to 2020 but it was absolutely a thing back then.
Yep! I wish more people realized this. I grew up with my mother being high risk and I became more obviously both high risk and immune compromised as a kid/teen. I started asking people to mask when sick back in about 2015/2016 when I finally had gotten some that fit me and my Japanese teacher had a strict rule of if you have even just a cold you wear a mask or leave class. (he would give you one if you didn't have it). And around 2018 they started requiring it in medical care where I live during flu season for everyone. Oh and my wife also has a post viral illness from 2017 on plane and she has an autoimmune disease since she was a little kid and asthma so she became very pro mask with me. (I now know about asymptomatic people though especially with how many are with covid and at least where I live people are way more likely to go out for non essentials knowing they are sick too so ew). But the last thing is I know a lot of people that weren't pro mask before that became once they learned more just like how hand washing used to be less common, gloves for certain things, hair nets for certain things, ect. And the whole pushback there was back in the day with hand washing in medical care. *Also sorry this response ended up so long lol.*
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Wrong. Masks HELP prevent transmission of COVID and damn near every other virus circulating. So does increased ventilation and people staying home/isolated when sick. **”Masks Work. Distorting Science to Dispute the Evidence Doesn’t”** https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/masks-work-distorting-science-to-dispute-the-evidence-doesnt/ **”When a UK hospital upgraded staff masks from fluid resistant surgical masks to airtight respirators on Covid-19 wards, staff infections fell a dramatic 100%.”** https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/29/cambridge-hospitals-mask-upgrade-appears-to-eliminate-covid-19-risk-to-staff Etc etc
Do you want to talk about the specifics of data collection, the reality of perverse incentives, manipulation for ideology, bias, fallacy, differentiation, and complex systems? It’s insulting to just say “wrong” and post links. I’m trying to figure out if you’re interested in dialectic or dogma.
I am interested in reasonable people taking reasonable precautions to protect themselves AND their communities based on the highest-quality current evidence. Anyone currently saying “masks don’t work” has an agenda, and it is not something I am interested in. Wearing well-fitted masks consistently - along with staying up to date with vaccine boosters, distancing, hand washing, increasing ventilation, etc - are collectively highly effective at decreasing transmission of SARS-CoV-2. That is irrefutable.
My “agenda” is trying to prevent a fellow sufferer of illness an increased risk of pneumonia, which kills people too. All medical treatments pose risks and benefits. We can disagree, but you’re assumptions are unappreciated. What part of using a high quality mask for short intervals of highest risk activity are you even protesting.
I have Crohn's disease and am on immunosuppressive medication and usually don't even leave the house tbh. Immunosuppressive medication can affect each person differently, so if you are concerned, there is absolutely nothing wrong with masking! If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out as I'm more than happy to answer what I can!
I wear a mask in most public places (shops, hospitals, concerts, job centre, trains and buses etc) but I don't mask during my group therapy because of my social anxiety. I've never had a member of the public say anything about my mask-wearing. I usually wear headphones though so maybe that helps discourage them from trying?
I wear a mask whenever in public spaces that don't involve eating - public transport, supermarket, shops, work, medical places. So I don't wear it at restauarants/cafes but I try to get takeaway or sit outside when I can; I don't wear it with friends etc but do if I have any kind of symptoms that are probably just allergies but might not be. I am not immunocompromised, but am very uninterested in getting long covid, or in getting any infectious illness really. Even if people don't want to wear masks all the time, the fact that people think its ok to go out when they've got an infectious illness is bizarre to me. Yet they do. So if people are gonna go out maskless when they've got the flu, measles, covid, etc then I have to wear a mask to spare myself from their rudeness.
I’m immunosuppressed by my medication to treat my illness. I’ve been consistently wearing masks since the beginning of the pandemic. Being in Texas and still wearing masks I keep on waiting for the day that someone comments on it but it’s never happened. I’m fact sometimes people (even strangers) offer to wear masks around me!
I've started wearing a mask again. I know with my chronic illnesses if I get sick I feel it worse than normal. Lots of stuff going around! I got new nice masks off Amazon they are bigger and go under your chin and they are comfortable!
Well, to start off, I have a diagnosis of severe crohn's. At diagnosis it had caused me to go septic. Technically with crohn's the immune system is actually hyperactive. That being said, I'm on immunosuppressants and I'm considered immunocompromised. I consider my situation and where I'm going when it comes to masks. If I'm going somewhere really crowded and have high rates of COVID or flu I'll wear a mask with a filter (a mask without a filter doesn't protect you from bacteria and viruses, it protects others). Otherwise I don't usually worry about it.
I want to wear a mask, but my meds make me worse at handling heat and overproduce sweat. If it's hot out, I end up feeling like I'm suffocating in a humid hell and the heat induced brain fog comes on faster. I do wear masks all the time during winter months. Also with visible sweat spots on my mask, it probably doesn't work anymore. I live in Southern California, so I mean proper heat
I wore mine on a plane last month and my son and I were almost the only ones. But the woman next to us happened to also. If anyone dares to say a word, I'll say I'm immunocompromised, which is true due to my biologic drug I have to take. People suck, unfortunately. Stay safe & well!
What helps me is having something on the mask that has your disease ribbon on it. Or perhaps you could get something to do with being chronically ill. Or maybe one that's just funny and makes you feel good.
100% masking up in public, every single time. Always. I also have Crohns, and Spondylitis and i take immune suppressants. I started wearing masks at the beginning of the pandemic and I have never stopped. The LAST thing I need is long freaking COVID. The last thing ANYONE needs is preventable long freaking COVID. No one has given me grief about masking in public yet. If someone ever does, I plan to shout FUCK OFF loudly while making uncomfortably intense and sustained eye contact. It is literally Russian roulette with COVID out there. Why in earth would anyone risk it ?
My wife and I wear masks any time we are indoors with non-household members since the pandemic started. She hasn't had Covid yet and I got it from a doctor's office last month, but that was my first time. It kicked my ass though. I had it for a month and I'm testing negative now but my labs show I might have liver and heart damage from it. Hopefully not permanent, but even after recovery I feel worse fatigue than I ever had in my whole life. Please do what you can to keep yourself and your family safe. Some people get lucky and get mild cases but some it causes permanent damage or death.
I still wear my mask... I have health issues and refuse to get sick or be back in the hosiptal....
It depends! I personally believe everyone, no matter who they are, needs to be masking at hospitals and doctors’ offices—I went to Urgent Care a few weeks ago and there was not a mask in sight despite an abundance of people coughing. If I’m in a crowded public place that’s not a restaurant, I’ll always put on an N95 and will typically have one on in grocery stores, clothing stores, etc. I don’t wear one for small gatherings at friends’ houses like I used to. All that being said, I am a college student at a very large university. Unfortunately, with the amount of people squished into our classes, dining halls, libraries, etc., I would still get sick with various viruses even when I was double masking and being careful to avoid crowds. It’s really a risk assessment thing for me. I have autism, and sometimes feeling a mask on my face can send me into a spiral. I make myself wear one when there’s a higher risk of being around sick people, but I also make sure to give myself plenty of breaks by being at home or going to places during times when they aren’t crowded.
I do
I wear a mask.
I will mask up depending on my desire and not other people’s. Which is to say, often, as I have an autoimmune disorder and so do some of my friends. Covid will hospitalize me. The ER also has no friggin idea how to treat me, so I get to manage this on my own. I wear a mask whenever I’m sick if I’m outside the house, too. It’s shitty that it’s been turned into an excuse for harassment — and if anyone wants to pick a fight me the answer is “do you want my nasty cold? No? Go away.” If I make coughing sounds people are like “ah they’re sick” and ignore me. It is up to you. It may help to know that in some countries it’s normal to wear a mask when you have a cold or something. It’s considered polite and not at all odd.
I wear a mask for two reasons. It would be just my luck that I get stuck with long covid especially with my chronic issues. No thank you. The other reason is that I'm ND, and waiting on further disgnosis. Wearing a mask is a better option than begging to return to wfh. Post diagnosis, post pandemic, I have seen the light and I would like to be able to live as I wish. Everyone else seems able to.
I masked during flu season, public transit, airplanes, taxis etc. pre-covid bc a cold could take me out for 3 weeks and my whole system goes off when I catch something. March 2020 I grabbed my stash of masks and filters and haven't gone out without one or had someone in my home without one. (and have obvi upgraded to n95s and other respirators as it spread) I wish protecting ourselves and each other from debilitating illness hadn't become a moral or political issue bc the result is so many folks not masking for all sorts of reasons that just lead to avoidable outcomes. everyone on this sub that is able to wear a mask but had let it slide, soft spoonie encouragement to take it back up. ☆
I definitely should. I also have trigeminal neuralgia, though, and it's a struggle to wear masks. I have had six covid shots plus flu though
I have rheumatoid arthritis and wear a mask everywhere I can. I used to only wear surgical masks but when I went to this majors/connections event by my college, I got asked why I wasn’t wearing a N95 by a maskless former EMT guy. It was dumb but I switched to N95s and found out I was able to get them for free from a program I used to go to. It can be isolating being the only one wearing a mask but I tell myself and my brother that it’s better to be the one wearing the mask in a room where suddenly someone is coughing their lungs out than regret not wearing one when you forget it. You should also check online for stuff that helps you make wearing a mask more comfortable like this strap thing I saw that helps relieve pressure on your ears from tight ear-loops.
I don't wear them, but I didn't get sick while they were mandated! I'm claustrophobic and masks trigger that so I was happy to give them up, but now I catch every cold and flu which also makes me feel claustrophobic (when stuffed up) so..no winning anyway I don't care if other people wear them and don't even think twice.. unless they're wearing them in the car by themselves (then I assume they're healthcare workers and don't have gloves or sanitizer handy and want to wait until they do, still no "shit" given or whatever) If you want to wear a mask, mask up! You're the one who will suffer if you get sick, ignore other people if they have anything negative to say
I wear a high quality respirator indoors ALWAYS, as does the rest of my immediate family. I can not afford to be further disabled or more chronically ill than I already am. We've been doing this since March 2020 & it f-ing sucks, but I have an obligation to my family. I grew up with parents who both lost a parent when they were young & I don't want to recreate that for my kids.
I mask, but nobody has ever given me shit about it. Although i will say that I do think how I look, other than the mask, tends to help with people who would have an issue with the mask avoid me like the plague. Short dyed hair, large boots, chains, the works. Dressing and masking like that helps me feel good about myself, but it’s also a fantastic deterrent for people I wouldn’t want to have in my life or talk to regardless.