Omicron variant

[Skatastrophy]

I wear one all of the time because it is required at work.  Never when I don't have to.  And these feelings about masks are from people of all political colors.

I may feel differently if I were in your shoes. I work from home these days, sometimes visiting customer's offices for a few hours.

[tower912]

I've started wearing my mask while driving alone in my car just to amuse myself.   Thanks, wags.

Masks have never bothered me.   Catching COVID 13 months ago reinforced it.

[4everwarriors]

Wearin' masks durin' foreplay can bee a reel turn-on, hey?

[Skatastrophy]

Wearin' masks durin' foreplay can bee a reel turn-on, hey?

Says the guy getting paid to poke people in the mouth. The oldest profession, eh?

[Hards Alumni]

My wife tried a few different sizes and that really helped.

We don't have to agree, just saying that I barely notice when I have one so it may be a fitment thing.

I don't live in a big city.  I live in Dane County, and everywhere I go I have to wear one.  I've been wearing one since the pandemic started, and I never worked from home.  I wore one in NYC in the subway, and it was miserable.  You guys want to wear one forever, be my guest.

[Hards Alumni]

Doctors wear masks 10-12 hours a day. Nurses wear masks for 8+ hours. Those who work near chemicals 8-10 hours. And this was before any of us ever heard of Covid.

Thankfully, doctors don't just say, "Screw it, I hate wearing 'em," during surgery.

Personally, I've gotten to the point where wearing one doesn't bother me very much. If I didn't have to wear one in public places, great. But I do, and that's OK too.

This is such a moronic argument I don't know where to start this time with you.  Doctors and nurses are professionals and signed up for heavy PPE use when they were in school in their 20s.

You're a retired writer who is in his 60s or 70s who doesn't have to be inconvenienced by this in the least except when you go to the store or for fun.

So miss me with your judgements and stop comparing average people to doctors and nurses.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Bullsh*t.

They're uncomfortable and I hate breathing through them.

Pretty sure jes was being sarcastic. Trust me, I majored in sarcasm.

[JWags85]

This is such a moronic argument I don't know where to start this time with you.  Doctors and nurses are professionals and signed up for heavy PPE use when they were in school in their 20s.

Not to mention in normal times, doctors aren’t constantly masked.  They go in and out often.  And standing in a climate controlled lab or office in a mask is way different than a mask around and moving in normal life.

Hours of wearing a mask don't bother me, but I'm not too worried about flights with the air turnover systems they have.

I'm more talking about the subway where people are on top of each other. Re: Hard's comment, it's clear he doesn't live in a city where he commutes via public transit. Every other situation he listed (crowded store, restaurant, bar, indoor sporting event, or work location) has better air exchange and more distance between people than underground train cars or busses in major cities. It's the only way to get around if you're underprivileged (or anyone, really), and people are packed in.

Masking compliance on the L in Chicago is pretty great from what I've seen. I expect to see it from now on during flu season in the fall.

Honest question: Why do masks bother you guys? Do you have trouble breathing in them? Is it a fit thing where you haven't found a comfortable mask yet? Or more of a feeling?

I would place a big money bet on this being not at all true.  People say the same thing about the “courteous” Asian culture and countries and wearing masks regularly and I’ve mentioned here before that it’s still quite rare to see it.  It’s not going to catch on here. Go anywhere masks are optional or even required in a general sense and you’ll get your idea of how many people will be masking for general health once this has passed.

As for your follow up, My wife and I have tried 10+ different kinds. And I have 1-2 I “prefer” but it still sucks.  I don’t enjoy breathing through them, it’s uncomfortable if it’s warm at all, indoors or out, and it just feels unnatural.  Walking through an airport or train station carrying bags, going up stairs, anything with travel absolutely BLOWS when you have a mask on your face.  And I’m not someone who gets winded easily.

I envy those who find it to be no big deal.  But it’s annoying when those people are shocked to find that others don’t and assume it’s some political nonsense.  I’ll do my pad but I have no interest in doing so when not mandated.

[Skatastrophy]

Not to mention in normal times, doctors aren’t constantly masked.  They go in and out often.  And standing in a climate controlled lab or office in a mask is way different than a mask around and moving in normal life.

I would place a big money bet on this being not at all true.  People say the same thing about the “courteous” Asian culture and countries and wearing masks regularly and I’ve mentioned here before that it’s still quite rare to see it.  It’s not going to catch on here. Go anywhere masks are optional or even required in a general sense and you’ll get your idea of how many people will be masking for general health once this has passed.

As for your follow up, My wife and I have tried 10+ different kinds. And I have 1-2 I “prefer” but it still sucks.  I don’t enjoy breathing through them, it’s uncomfortable if it’s warm at all, indoors or out, and it just feels unnatural.  Walking through an airport or train station carrying bags, going up stairs, anything with travel absolutely BLOWS when you have a mask on your face.  And I’m not someone who gets winded easily.

I envy those who find it to be no big deal.  But it’s annoying when those people are shocked to find that others don’t and assume it’s some political nonsense.  I’ll do my pad but I have no interest in doing so when not mandated.

During non-pandemic times it really varies from country to country. Singapore & Thailand were low on masking. Vietnam was 80% masked. I wondered if it had to do with the availability and ability to pay for medical care driving their risk aversion? Or maybe there are just more novel viruses in Vietnam because of all the wet markets?

[Lennys Tap]

Personally, I've gotten to the point where wearing one doesn't bother me very much. If I didn't have to wear one in public places, great. But I do, and that's OK too.

Some people actually come to like the food in prison. Not many, mind you, but some.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

This is such a moronic argument I don't know where to start this time with you.  Doctors and nurses are professionals and signed up for heavy PPE use when they were in school in their 20s.

You're a retired writer who is in his 60s or 70s who doesn't have to be inconvenienced by this in the least except when you go to the store or for fun.

So miss me with your judgements and stop comparing average people to doctors and nurses.

He's a househusband.

Imagine if he ever saw what a welder has to wear.

[MU82]

This is such a moronic argument I don't know where to start this time with you.  Doctors and nurses are professionals and signed up for heavy PPE use when they were in school in their 20s.

You're a retired writer who is in his 60s or 70s who doesn't have to be inconvenienced by this in the least except when you go to the store or for fun.

So miss me with your judgements and stop comparing average people to doctors and nurses.

You sure told me!

But you're right. Believing that it's a terrible burden to have to wear a mask in public during a deadly pandemic that's still killing 1,000 Americans a day isn't extreme at all.

[Hards Alumni]

You sure told me!

But you're right. Believing that it's a terrible burden to have to wear a mask in public during a deadly pandemic that's still killing 1,000 Americans a day isn't extreme at all.

Wear one at work for 10-12 hours a day, buckaroo.  Then tell me you want to do this forever. 

[Hards Alumni]

NYC, HI, CO, MN, CA, all confirm Omicron.  Many will be with community spread.

[JWags85]

You sure told me!

But you're right. Believing that it's a terrible burden to have to wear a mask in public during a deadly pandemic that's still killing 1,000 Americans a day isn't extreme at all.

So saying that you don’t like it and do not want to wear it on public transportation indefinitely means that you think it’s some terrible burden?

Or is that just another ridiculously hyperbolic argument?

[MU82]

So saying that you don’t like it and do not want to wear it on public transportation indefinitely means that you think it’s some terrible burden?

Or is that just another ridiculously hyperbolic argument?

Yes.

[BM1090]

If you've been on a flight longer than 2 hours since COVID and you still have this take, hoo boy.  Might get on well with my old neighbor who wore latex gloves to do her grocery shopping.

I’ve been a couple of 10 hour flights and honestly haven’t even noticed the mask.

But I don’t think mask mandates on flights should be permanent.

[forgetful]

Pfizer pill targets the spikes.   CEO is confident it will be effective against omicron.   In general, Pfizer seems more optimistic than Moderna.

The Pfizer pill is an antiviral that targets the 3CL protease that is necessary for processing poly-proteins in SARS and SARS-COV2. There don't appear to be any mutations that would affect the pill's function, so it should be effective against omicron if it is indeed an effective treatment.

[rocky_warrior]

Wear one at work for 10-12 hours a day, buckaroo.  Then tell me you want to do this forever.

But that's the thing.  I have to wear it at my workplace.  It's pointless, there's almost nobody there, and I know almost all of my coworkers are vaccinated.  That's dumb.

But in an airplane, bus, or train packed with randos?  Even regardless of covid, I'd prefer everyone be masked *most* of the time.  And I use planes and trains a lot. 

[Hards Alumni]

But that's the thing.  I have to wear it at my workplace.  It's pointless, there's almost nobody there, and I know almost all of my coworkers are vaccinated.  That's dumb.

But in an airplane, bus, or train packed with randos?  Even regardless of covid, I'd prefer everyone be masked *most* of the time.  And I use planes and trains a lot.

Then go ahead and do it.  I won't judge anyone for wearing a mask anywhere if that is what they want.  But forcing it forever on public transport is also stupid.  I've been triple vaccinated and I need to wear a mask for the rest of my life to protect people who can't be bothered or who are outright hostile towards getting vaccinated.  No sir, I don't think I'll be doing that forever.

[4everwarriors]

You sure told me!

But you're right. Believing that it's a terrible burden to have to wear a mask in public during a deadly pandemic that's still killing 1,000 Americans a day isn't extreme at all.

Folks dye inn der sleep. Sew, gotta assume ewe ar awake 24/7, hey?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

You sure told me!

But you're right. Believing that it's a terrible burden to have to wear a mask in public during a deadly pandemic that's still killing 1,000 Americans a day isn't extreme at all.

Again, a nonsense, illogical response.

People can understand the importance of masks, and will wear them willingly, but not like doing so.  These aren't mutually exclusive.

[MU82]

But in an airplane, bus, or train packed with randos?  Even regardless of covid, I'd prefer everyone be masked *most* of the time.  And I use planes and trains a lot.

Another situation I really like required masking: in restaurants. I like that servers aren't breathing/spreading droplets on my food as they deliver it.

People can understand the importance of masks, and will wear them willingly, but not like doing so.  These aren't mutually exclusive.

Of course this is true. That I seemed to suggest otherwise was poor communication on my part.

I don't like wearing a mask, either, but I try to keep it in perspective on the scale of annoyances. I recently flew from Seattle to Charlotte. Including time in the airports, that was 8+ hours straight of wearing a mask except to take some sips of water. I didn't love it, but I don't get the point of complaining because it isn't gonna change anything. I went to a Kraken game, wore my mask for nearly 4 hours. Again, not pleasant but that's life now.

Would I like for all of us to have to wear masks on flights for the rest of our lives? No, I hope we don't have to. Like rocky, it wouldn't crush me if I have to wear a mask on the el or subway for the rest of my life, though.

I appreciate that most folks here follow the rules, that we don't have a bunch of "freedom fighters" who say, "Eff the world." Like everybody else here, I want the pandemic to end, too.

[forgetful]

Eh, I'm not sure all of circumstances you're suggesting are necessarily true.  We have very little information so far, and the information we do have is from a very limited number of samples.  I've included another link that I think is worth a read.

https://www.wpr.org/mystery-where-omicron-came-and-why-it-matters

The origins of this are so intriguing. I was going over this variant with my students on Tuesday, and discussing the unusual aspects of its origin (so many mutations in a very specific region compared to original strains), and postulating on possible ways this emerged.

The most likely scenario is exactly what this article discusses, where it has incubated in an individual who mounted an immune response, but was incapable of clearing the virus. It then was allowed to evolve against a selective pressure (the immune system/neutralizing antibodies) until it attained sufficient mutations to evade the immune response to the original strain and become infectious enough to spread to others.

The scary aspect of this "origin story" is that it implies it has specifically evolved to evade the same immune pathways activated by either infection or vaccination.

That is why there was such a significant and immediate response to this variant to shut some things down.

[pbiflyer]

Thanks for this.