CDC suspends social distancing and masks if fully vaccinated

[forgetful]

How is it being "respectful of the comfort level for those around them?"  If the vaccinated who are asymptomatic don't spread the disease, it's just a false sense of comfort.

Sorry but if masks aren't required by the place of business, then I am not wearing them given my vaccination status.  It has nothing to do with disrespecting someone else or making them feel less comfortable.

I've stayed out of this debate largely because there is a lot of partisan bickering. But a few important details.

1. When we discuss epidemiology, it is important to remember that no one can say "asymptomatic don't spread disease," the best we can say is that it is very low risk. Even then, there is limited data on how many asymptomatic vaccinated people there are out there, as they are not usually getting tested.

2. There is also a difference between pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.  The pre-symtomatic and vaccinated can still spread disease.

3. The degree to which you may exhibit symptoms, and your defense from the virus will be highly dependent on which vaccine you get, and any underlying weakened immune systems. For instance, the J&J vaccine provides lower neutralizing antibodies than prior infections, and is actually worse than the Russian Sputnik vaccine. If you have that vaccine, then you will be more vulnerable than someone with Moderna, which offers the highest neutralizing antibodies.

Further, the duration of protection varies, so you do not know when you may be susceptible again.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01377-8

So the bottom line from my perspective, if you are an individual with co-morbidities, and you have possibly a weakened immune response due to medication or disease, it makes sense to continue to wear a mask in public until disease spread is low. This is especially true if you have the J&J vaccine.

So, if employees are wearing a mask, you do not know if that is possibly because they cannot get vaccinated, or because they are at elevated risk. In either case, since wearing a mask doesn't hurt anyone, it is common courtesy to wear a mask around others wearing a mask. This is regardless of whether you are already vaccinated for the reasons above.

I view it the same way as I do for deciding to put pants on before getting my mail. I don't need pants, don't care if others see me in my underwear, but it doesn't hurt me to put on pants and my neighbors may appreciate it. Common courtesy.

[4everwarriors]

Wearing a mask after vaccination is like a male wearing a condom, when with his wife, after a vasectomy, hey?

[Skatastrophy]

Wearing a mask after vaccination is like a male wearing a condom, when with his wife, after a vasectomy, hey?

Which is recommended by medical professionals... lol

[Galway Eagle]

Wearing a mask after vaccination is like a male wearing a condom, when with his wife, after a vasectomy, hey?

Well someone doesn't have an open marriage.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

   those gaiter things are the worst.  you know how dirty they are?  you think they wash those even once per week?  if they filter anything, which they don't, they harbor more disease than they are meant to protect anyone from.  they are breathing in a science project of bugs and exhaling them as well.  i'd love to do a petri test with one.  shake it over the dish and let it grow...

"Healthcare professional"

[MUBurrow]

idk why this is so heated. I'm wearing a mask for at least a couple more weeks due to some combination of (i) I got used to it and not wearing a mask indoors still gives me the heebs a bit, (ii) I think we need a couple more weeks before we can say that anyone who wants a vax had easy access 6 weeks ago (appx time from first shot to fully vaxxed), and (iii) I think removing the mask mandate was a cost-benefit analysis that decided that (A) telling people they could remove masks would encourage more people to get vaxxed > (B) risk of infections from people removing masks a bit too early.  That all being said, wearing a mask for a little bit longer just feels like the path of least resistance to me so I'm doing it because its less mental strain than working through all this too much. I get that others don't feel the same way, and the CDC said they don't have to mask so that's fine too.

[Hards Alumni]

Your response has nothing to do with the present. We now have a vaccine and it's available to everyone who desires it. Time to live in the here and now, aina?

Ah yes, let's crap on people wearing masks (this doesn't affect you, personally) but just give a pass to the folks who went without and ruined the last year and a half for the rest of us.

Live and let live it is!

Kinda really interesting that you also want to rehash the past regarding Fauci, China, and Big Gretch; but not the people who refused masks.

Really interesting.  Care to defend that position, or are you cool with the hypocrisy?

[Hards Alumni]

show me the data on this!  totally irresponsible response.  either purposely provocative or ill-informed(putting it politely) i can make a long list of yur peeps who, when the cams weren't on, were defying every order they subscribed upon their fiefdom.  wretchen gretchen, killer coumo, gruesome newsome...bunch of hypocrites

   those gaiter things are the worst.  you know how dirty they are?  you think they wash those even once per week?  if they filter anything, which they don't, they harbor more disease than they are meant to protect anyone from.  they are breathing in a science project of bugs and exhaling them as well.  i'd love to do a petri test with one.  shake it over the dish and let it grow...

Pakuni pulled it up in less than a half an hour after you posted.  Probably with 15-30 seconds of searching.  The data is out there, and you refuse to accept it.  Time and time again, you get your ass handed to you, and then you just move on to the next world salad of insults.

It's so cringey to see a grown man use playground insults. 

[naginiF]

I don't get this.  If they are not required by the store for vaccinated customers, and you meet that definition, how is it common courtesy to wear a mask if employees are?

I can't believe that I'm agreeing with sultan.

Can't speak for Tower but for me it's because the employer is making the employees wear masks after the mandate ends to be extra precautious with the health of their employees in order to a) not lose $'s because of lost shifts and b) to show the employees, many of whom were deemed 'essential', that they still value them. I don't care about 'a' but IMO the simple act of putting on a mask when employees have to shows them that you also care about their health and value their work.

Something that takes little effort and is done for the benefit of someone else = common courtesy.

[4everwarriors]

Ah yes, let's crap on people wearing masks (this doesn't affect you, personally) but just give a pass to the folks who went without and ruined the last year and a half for the rest of us.

Live and let live it is!

Kinda really interesting that you also want to rehash the past regarding Fauci, China, and Big Gretch; but not the people who refused masks.

Really interesting.  Care to defend that position, or are you cool with the hypocrisy?

I don't give a damn if people want to wear masks, at this point, or not. Just don't mandate me as I've been vaccinated since mid-January. After spending over a year 12 inches from people's mouths and noses, in the midst of the pandemic, I have zero interest in hearing how "extra cautious" we need to be. Hell, if you have a medical condition or choose not to be vaccinated, the rest of us should not have to alter our lives to accommodate the very few. Just stay in your hidey hole.
This entire covid pandemic became a political football throughout 2020. Sadly, decisions on both sides of the aisle were made to gain political advantages. These decisions often resulted in financial ruin, mental health issues, and caused great emotional distress. It time to stop the nonsense and political posturing and return to normalcy.
As for hypocrisy Brian, there is none greater than yelling "science is real" and then blowing off and disregarding the science and protection of vaccinations, aina?

[MUfan12]

Something that takes little effort and is done for the benefit of someone else = common courtesy.

What is the benefit, though? If I'm vaccinated, I (statistically) pose a miniscule threat to their health.

[rocket surgeon]

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/10/24/927472457/universal-mask-wearing-could-save-some-130-000-u-s-lives-study-suggests

NPR is like fox in reverse so i have as much respect for our tax paid for pravda as you guys do for my sources

[Hards Alumni]

I don't give a damn if people want to wear masks, at this point, or not. Just don't mandate me as I've been vaccinated since mid-January. After spending over a year 12 inches from people's mouths and noses, in the midst of the pandemic, I have zero interest in hearing how "extra cautious" we need to be. Hell, if you have a medical condition or choose not to be vaccinated, the rest of us should not have to alter our lives to accommodate the very few. Just stay in your hidey hole.
This entire covid pandemic became a political football throughout 2020. Sadly, decisions on both sides of the aisle were made to gain political advantages. These decisions often resulted in financial ruin, mental health issues, and caused great emotional distress. It time to stop the nonsense and political posturing and return to normalcy.
As for hypocrisy Brian, there is none greater than yelling "science is real" and then blowing off and disregarding the science and protection of vaccinations, aina?

1. It's Bryan.

2. Doc, I don't care if they want to wear masks either, but they're required in a lot of places still.  I don't wear mine unless I'm required because I, too, was forward facing for a year, and got no work from home status either.  I've been fully vaccinated since mid-Feb.

3.  Absolutely agree that this has been politicized, but that's what happens when science gets denied early on.  Something like this should never have been politicized.

4.  Financial ruin, mental health issues, and emotional distress are a big deal, but the biggest deal are the hundreds of thousands of dead Americans that died from the virus and its absolutely wild spread.  Why was mask wearing so polarizing?  Why do some people still believe that this thing is a 'hoax'?  You can pontificate about trusting science, but then at least be consistent and condemn the people who made this problem so much worse once we realized how Covid spread.

[Hards Alumni]

NPR is like fox in reverse so i have as much respect for our tax paid for pravda as you guys do for my sources

As I said, you're hopeless.

[naginiF]

What is the benefit, though? If I'm vaccinated, I (statistically) pose a miniscule threat to their health.

Small gesture that acknowledges 'I agree with your employer that your health is important and I value your work' that the other person may appreciate. Basically the same benefit as any other common curtesy.

[Pakuni]

Lens

Guess you missed Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, et al. They knew from sworn testimony in closed session that there was no evidence of Russian collusion but publicly insisted differently for years. So, the very definition of the big lie.

Anyone who is surprised by politicians (from either side) blatantly lying when it suits their purposes hasn’t been paying attention for at least 20 years.

NM ... off topic

[tower912]

I'm sorry you can't explain it.

I'm sorry courtesy needs explained.

[Pakuni]

NPR is like fox in reverse so i have as much respect for our tax paid for pravda as you guys do for my sources

Tell me you didn't read the story without telling me you didn't read the story.

[4everwarriors]

1. It's Bryan.

2. Doc, I don't care if they want to wear masks either, but they're required in a lot of places still.  I don't wear mine unless I'm required because I, too, was forward facing for a year, and got no work from home status either.  I've been fully vaccinated since mid-Feb.

3.  Absolutely agree that this has been politicized, but that's what happens when science gets denied early on.  Something like this should never have been politicized.

4.  Financial ruin, mental health issues, and emotional distress are a big deal, but the biggest deal are the hundreds of thousands of dead Americans that died from the virus and its absolutely wild spread.  Why was mask wearing so polarizing?  Why do some people still believe that this thing is a 'hoax'?  You can pontificate about trusting science, but then at least be consistent and condemn the people who made this problem so much worse once we realized how Covid spread.

First, I apologize having misspelled your first name. No disrespect was intended. My position on businesses requiring mask wearing is simple. If I want or need to patronize that business, I'll wear a mask with no pushback coming from me. On the other hand, I have no problem with indoor dining now or being in a crowded room with unmasked people. For me, its over.
And, btw, 6 feet of social distancing was always a total joke. But, to violate that made people uneasy, squirm, and other wise go crazy.

[MUfan12]

Small gesture that acknowledges 'I agree with your employer that your health is important and I value your work' that the other person may appreciate. Basically the same benefit as any other common curtesy.

The ultimate act of valuing other people's health and work is getting vaccinated, no?

[naginiF]

The ultimate act of valuing other people's health and work is getting vaccinated.

Agree but the two are in no way mutually exclusive.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

NPR is like fox in reverse so i have as much respect for our tax paid for pravda as you guys do for my sources

It's a study from the University of Washington you moron.

You are completely reality-proofed and no facts or evidence will ever have the ability to penetrate your shell of intentional ignorance.

[Hards Alumni]

First, I apologize having misspelled your first name. No disrespect was intended. My position on businesses requiring mask wearing is simple. If I want or need to patronize that business, I'll wear a mask with no pushback coming from me. On the other hand, I have no problem with indoor dining now or being in a crowded room with unmasked people. For me, its over.
And, btw, 6 feet of social distancing was always a total joke. But, to violate that made people uneasy, squirm, and other wise go crazy.

I know, and honestly, I don't care if my name is spelled wrong   I generally feel the same regarding mask wearing under current conditions.  And while I don't disagree with you about the six feet thing, the CDC had to put out a number, and it ended up being six.  I do think it was pretty funny to watch people think that six feet made them safe.  Sure, it made them safer, than two feet, but ideally just don't be in a room where someone has covid... haha.  Those first videos of the particle tests we saw about a year ago made it very clear that if the virus was airborne, then nothing short of total separation would guarantee absolute safety.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I'm sorry courtesy needs explained.

There is nothing discourteous about not wearing a mask when it isn’t required of me.

[Pakuni]

There is nothing discourteous about not wearing a mask when it isn’t required of me.

I don't think he's suggesting that not wearing a mask is discourteous. He just considers is a courtesy to others who may feel anxiety around those who are maskless. You're free to choose differently.
FWIW, defining what is and isn't courteous by "what is required" is odd. You're not required to hold the door open for others, or say "please" and "thank you," either. It's still courteous, though.