On public transit and airplanes, definitely. I used to get colds all the time when traveling; I don't anymore. I think part of that is down to improvements in air filtration, but part of it is masking.
In some shops, but not all. Mostly in shops that have a lot of people in at once, and shops that request it. I don't mask if I'm going to the corner store to pick up some beer; I do mask at the grocery store that has a sign requesting it.
Never for outdoor events. This might be different if I lived in a different city; a friend of mine who lives in the LA area does mask for crowded outdoor events.
Also, doctor's offices and a few other places require it.
(Curious observation: On transit, I'm not usually the only person with a mask on, but I'm often the only non-Asian person with a mask on.)
This thread is an interesting "filter bubble" experience. Here, a city in central europe, nobody I know wears one anymore, even those who were always extra-careful on the cautious side. Basically nobody in stores wears one nor in public transport. Yeah, on occasion you find 1-2 exceptions that confirm the rule.
Probably, this thread is largely visited by those who still do, and ignored by those who don't.
I do. The number one "complaint" people had with me pre-pandemic was that I should smile more. Not one fucking dumbass person has told me to do that when I have my mask on. That alone is enough reason for me to never take it off when I'm dealing with customers.
I am also still paranoid and I don't trust the average person out there to be doing safe things.
Indoors in public, all the time.
I don't want to catch COVID again if I can help it. It's a shitty, dangerous virus.
TBH, I don't think most people understand that it's not just a bad cold--it's a virus that attacks your vascular system that also does some nasty respiratory stuff. The increased risks of heart attacks and strokes after even a mild infection are not great, and if you're getting infected every year, you're permanently carrying that elevated risk.
I do. I find it helps reduce common cold and cough infections. And i really will never stop wearing it when in a mall or any space with lots of strangers.
If I'm sick or in a crowded space it kinda feels like common sense to me at this point tbh. Especially when sick, like I can't fathom how I thought it was normal to just be sick and go out without a mask probably getting other people sick, even if it was just a cold.
Yes. I got covid in 2020 and am still a complete wreck. It really did a number on me in so many ways.
I try to do what I can to avoid getting even worse.
I still wear a mask but its the fact that others don't think logically about this stuff still that has me most up in arms. Dad has been sick since weekend, mom says I'm going to come over to your house to see her grandkids. Mom comes over and 4 hours later they call me to tell me they both have covid and tested positive. Mom tells me that dad had been sick since weekend....in my head im fuming.
fingers crossed. Just hoping since she wasn't sick, that our 1 hour visit will spare my fam somehow.
Never. Corona hasn't really been a concern in Denmark since very early 2022
I do pretty much always. I don't at the gym or in the (semi rare) instances i eat out. Shit's not "over" and i have an immunocompromised friend i'd like to continue hanging out with.
At this point, only if it is required, and it almost never is. No bad feelings at all towards people who do wear them. I'm not personally concerned about it, and nobody in my family is high risk, so I decided early on that I'd just follow local rules and CDC guidelines. CDC website currently only recommends masks if you may have been exposed so that's what I've been doing.
I wear one every day with only a few exceptions (lab work for university where it’s impractical and I’m only around a few people anyway). I have seen the effects of long Covid on my loved ones, and i want nothing to do with that. Still haven’t caught COVID this far in, and while I think my vaccinations have been effective it makes me uncomfortable that we aren’t continuing to boost and that most people haven’t had a fresh vaccine in a few years at this point. Waning efficacy is a real thing and many never got boosted at all
I tend to wear one before I get on the London Underground, it's grotty enough as it is, without the close confines and hordes of people.
I still use a mask daily. I actually like it. Also going without a mask in public in terrible. Car smoke, death animal smell, piss smell, random people coughing, etc. A mask prevents me of smelling all of that in a pretty effective way.
Also dont have to force smile wearing a mask.
I still wear one in crowds. I had a lobe of a lung removed due to a rare cancer. I'll never be cured, but will slowly loose lung function as airways are blocked. If I'm lucky it's a disease I die with and not of, so I am treating my lungs like the delicate little flowers they are and fighting to avoid any and all respiratory diseases I can. I am now also queen of the hand sanitiser when out in public. The stuff from Bath and Bodyworks is da bomb, smells like hand cream.
The only time now is if I'm somewhere that requires one, or if I'm sick/getting over bring sick.
Fuuuuck wearing a mask otherwise, I've filled that quota for a lifetime.
Sister's vet office is now offline again for COVID. Docs sick, most of the tech staff, most of the admin staff. When it hits, it runs through like a forest fire. One vet left because F the angry pet owners who think it's a personal insult they can't get special treatment, and he replaced one of the two who killed themselves (stress) last year.
They may institute a mask mandate again
- to keep the remaining staff healthy on return
- to filter their customers further because of high correlation of shitbaggery
- because docs are always masked so lower risk is now a work perq for them.
Me, I quit my job when they mandated return to work and I joined a union shop with 100% remote in the contract. I should mask up when I go to the store but I'm a dumb boy and always forget. I'm so vaxed it's like a bad hangover, but I don't have time for even that mess.
Narp. I just avoid people. Much more effective.
I do in higher risk situations since I'm immunosuppressed from my Colitis treatments.
I will wear a mask if I know that I am going to be potentially packed in in a space with little in the way of positive air flow.
Only I’m sick or the place I’m entering requests it- the library, dispensary, pharmacy, doctor’s office.. I think that’s it. It’s in my purse if I need it.
If I’m on public transport, crowded public area, feeling off colour
I do any time I'm going to be around people for an extended period of time or around a large crowd. Concerts, long grocery store trips on a Saturday, in-office work days (I work hybrid now 😞), I'll put on on a mask. If I'm just running into the store to grab a gallon of milk because we're out, then I won't wear a mask.
My wife legit almost died from Covid, and it took her about 6 months to return to normal, so we are a little overly careful.
I struggle to see why I shouldn't wear a mask in certain situations. e.g. the supermarket, where I'm not there too long, am hardly talking to anyone, it's indoors with lots of other (unmasked) people. There are almost 0 downsides to wearing one in that situation (for me at least).
COVID is still killing a lot of people, and even if it doesn't kill you, it sucks to get it. So yeah, makes sense to me to mask when you can.
I do when travelling in any capacity (public transit, airplane) and most of the time when I'm in close proximity to a large group of other people (grocery store, crowded indoor event, anywhere with poor ventilation). I am starting to try doing some unmasked social events with a limited number of participants. It was only in June of this year that I started doing this. Prior to that, I masked everywhere all the time, except with my "bubble" of friends.
Depends on where I'm at and if I or anyone I've been around was sick.
I still wear an n95 at the airport and on planes. Honestly I'll probably continue to do so indefinitely. Not getting sick on vacation has been great
I usually wear one at indoor concerts too. I used to get sick after almost every concert, now I don't.
I do, when I'm out. But I've become a hermit since the pandemic started.
Me and my partner are both immune compromised, so yes, still masking in indoor public spaces and large outdoor crowds.
I put one on when the AQI here was around 300
Yes. If I am going out into a public space I will wear a mask, unless I'm outdoors and it's not too crowded.
Only when I feel sick and am indoors
If i'm sick or on a long flight.
I do if I think I'm getting sick. I also wear one if I was getting on a plane.
Me at nights. I'm Batman.
I carry mine with me and wear it if i start suddenly coughing (to help alleviate others fears) or if in a super crowded place.
If I'm sick, flying, going to be in a crowded area, or there's air quality problems, yeah definitely. I hardly ever get sick anymore and it's great. If I do get sick, people around me don't.
I do, see https://www.covidisairborne.org/ for tons of info on why we all should.
If I'm indoors outside my apartment I put one on. Once or twice I got caught without and I don't worry about it then. I sometimes see people wearing masks. Honestly, I just wear it as a political statement: try to help each other. Before that it was for the benefit of others. It was never for my benefit, I don't give a fuck.
Only wear it on public transport.
I barely wore them even during covid. Won’t ever wear one again
I still do but at this point it's to prevent me from catching a cold - I like not getting sick and wearing a mask is barely any effort.
I was in China last month where mask-wearing is frequent and not stigmatized. They had a surge of Covid cases, so I wore a mask on public transport. It's a total no-brainer there.
Back in Canada, I don't wear it as much because I'd be in much less trouble if I caught it here. Still wore one when visiting an aging relative in a medical facility.
Yes, but only in closed spaces (i.e. subway, stores)
I work in a hospital where they are still required in some areas, so I always have way least one on me, and I'll wear it in some other situations was well.
I have asthma and the one time I caught COVID was the worst I’ve ever felt for the longest I’ve ever felt it without ending up in a hospital. I don’t plan on repeating it. I wear an N95 every time I’m indoors with strangers, or outside in a crowd.
I don't anymore. I have all my boosters, and I live in a rural area where there are rarely crowds anywhere I go. I also have gotten over a lot of the fear I had pre-vaccine. I had covid for the first time in January and honestly I was relieved that it was very mild. Thank you scientists!! And I still have my stockpile of masks in case I ever need to leave the house if I'm sick.
I do in most indoors public places but don't do it absolutely religiously. It really does work to not being sick, and wearing a mask inconveniences me less than being sick because I hate being sick. So grocery stores and whatnot, I wear one.
Once the hospitals around here stopped requiring them in April this year, I stopped wearing them. I haven't gotten covid yet (as far as I know) and I haven't been vaccinated since the bivalent one last year since they haven't approved another one for all groups yet.
Started again because of the forest fire smoke.
I do whenever I'm indoors somewhere with a lot of people. Both my wife and I are immunocompromised. I hate being told the masks don't work and I hate even more explaining that I'm immunocompromised. People just need to mind their own business.
When I'm sick, or even when I am suffering from airborn allergens. I always bring one to social events, in case the host asks us to wear one.
Yeah, in public indoor spaces and I avoid prolonged exposure like movie theaters. I've avoided it so far. I also have some friends that are especially worried about it, so I maintain my masking so they aren't uncomfortable being around me. It seems like about 10% of people in this area of the PNW still mask, people working in retail closer to 20%. It's barely an inconvenience, so why not avoid sickness in general.
I wear them at the doctor because they require it still. I pretty much don't wear one anywhere else. I wore one on the plane on the flight to my destination to not get sick and ruin the trip but I didn't wear one on the way home because I wasn't as concerned at ruining a week of work. (This was in early 2023.) I will probably wear one in crowded areas in the week before DragonCon (a big convention in Atlanta) to not get sick and miss it.
Every time I go to my doctor's appointments I still do. Especially when it's the anticoagulation clinic I go to since there are a lot of elderly patients who go there.
I don't really wear one much outside of those times, though.
Inside with other people around, sure.
N95 mask with headstraps whenever I'm inside anywhere or in a crowded outdoor area. If I'm only going to be outside I'll carry an earloop n95 mask with me just in case i come across a large group or need to pop in real quick to grab takeout
If I'm indoors with people other than immediate family, I'm wearing a mask.
I've been using it when going to the supermarket. I hate it because my glasses get all foggy, but I hate getting colds even more, so...
I wear one in public when I'm sick, or when someone in the family is sick. I just assume that whatever they have is something I'll catch sooner or later.
When I’m sick and sneezing or coughing.
Also, when someone else wears a mask anywhere for any reason, I always ask “oh, would you like me to wear a mask?” I never ask why they do, I assume they have a good reason.
I do, but i really should upgrade to an N95 like mask.
I live in California and it's fire season; I might have to bust out the mask if there are any fires. I wore it more when my mom was still alive and had doctor's appointments and such, since they are still required in places like hospitals and dialysis clinics. I have ADHD and am triggered by textures; I really don't like anything on my face. Masks, creams, glasses, etc. I only wear it when absolutely necessary.
I wear them only if I have a cold or a cough myself now, or if I am traveling on a plane. I still carry a mask with me at all times though.
I'm up to date on my COVID vaccine so I only wear a mask if I'm sick
I'll gladly wear one if asked to, but the last time I did so out of my own volition was probably a few months back.
As much as I hate to admit it, I'd rather not deal with angry anti-vaxxers in public, who are seemingly still mad that some people want to wear masks occasionally in order to protect others.
At least my Minecraft skin does. I don't.
Only when I am go into public bathrooms.
I am going to a concert at a small venue and the band has asked people attending to wear masks. I will and won't complain about it. Ever complained about it when they were required to be worn all day at work, even when I primarily work outside and alone.
We stopped recently, and plan on wearing them again during flu season, or any other outbreaks going on. I'd have been fine with wearing them indefinitely, but we were in the minority even when there were mandates in our area.
I wrote it reularly for 2 years because my job required is to wear them.
I got COVID anyway despite that. It wasn't that bad. I felt like I had a flu. No appetite, sore, tired, and shivering for almost a week. It sucked, but I don't feel like I needed medical attention, or anything that laying in bed couldn't fix.
After I was no longer required to wear it, i stopped.
At planes and airports because I get sick every time I come back from a trip. I'm so tired of bringing back a souvenir cold from every trip.
In closed spaces of close quarters with other people. Over a million Americans aren't here anymore, I'll take a lesson from that.
I wear one indoors or at the drive thru. I'm considering dropping the mask, but the last time I researched it, the recommendation was doing what I was already doing.
Me. My mode of transport is usually open-air, so I dislike breathing in dust and smoke. And I hate the idea of people potentially judging my face and facial expressions.
I probably should now. I didn't need to much for the first couple of years of the pandemic because I basically just stayed home and only put one on when I was going to be around people.
But the issue is I can't ever seem to get a good seal and between breathing into my eyes and wearing glasses it just becomes way harder to deal with and now I'm vaccinated I don't feel as much of a thing for it.
I'll probably wear one more during cold season as I use to get one once or twice every year before the pandemic.
That said, there are still places I will wear it, like the doctor's office.
I still wear musk most of the times.
I do when taking public transportations or visiting high risk relatives. Two of my relatives died due to Covid, one had long Covid, still hadn't recovered. I don't want to accidentally spread it to anyone else with a weak immune system.
Due to my job as a public university employee I am still required to wear a mask to set an example to the general public. The exceptions are when exercising or when alone (no one else within 2 m radius).
Mostly when I feel unwell, but not enough to call in sick at work or at the store. Also at home when I share a room with somebody while I'm ill.
I’ve been wearing them consistently since 2020 but I’ve recently moved to Oregon where cases have been some of the lowest levels in the country and I’ve been thinking I’d like to stop soon
I have barely seen any masks in the Benelux area since summer 2022. Haven't worn one myself since spring 2022 I think.
Depends on where I am but generally I do. In the countryside, almost nobody bothers wearing a mask anymore.
I wore one when the air quality was bad from the forest fires, otherwise I don't. Don't have a problem putting one on again if Covid or some other virus got bad again. But since it is summer here, wearing a mask makes me sweat to death
I bring it around with me everywhere I go, just in case, and I always wear it at the doctor's office or if I'm sick. Mostly it just stays in my pocket nowadays though.
Never, don't see the point and invited company you won't like. Who cares if people disagree with you? It's fun to be provocative lol.
I wear them at the doctor because they require it still. I pretty much don't wear one anywhere else. I wore one on the plane on the flight to my destination to not get sick and ruin the trip but I didn't wear one on the way home because I wasn't as concerned at ruining a week of work. (This was in early 2023.) I will probably wear one in crowded areas in the week before DragonCon (a big convention in Atlanta) to not get sick and miss it.
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My kid still wears a mask obsessively. Her face is unevenly tanned. She wants to wear it for bike rides and literally everything aside from being at home.
I mainly avoid doing anything with any appreciable covid risk. If I can't, like, if I have to go to a doctor, in person, then I will wear a mask. Turns out I still think giving people brain damage is a morally bad thing to do. And if you do any basic modelling of virus spread, any one infection becomes the ancestor of many thousands of cases in the first two years. From there you just apply the long covid rates and death rates, which shows trivially that spreading covid is morally equivalent to killing people, and maiming hundreds of people. So I do whatever I can to avoid that, including masks where appropriate, but more importantly, avoiding situations where you even have to mask. In my view each individual's right to go to a restaurant or whatever does not outweigh the consequences of covid spread (before you even factor mutation in). Of course, I realize this won't solve anything at a societal/global level. But individual morality is still a thing in my view.
