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Has Achieved Nirvana |
Here's my state's current mask mandate: https://dph.illinois.gov/covid...on-requirements.html tl;dr version: Pretty much across the board indoor masking required, except when actively eating or drinking in a restaurant or bar (you can imagine how that's working out). Doesn't matter whether you're vaccinated or not. Encourged but not required.... masking in crowded outdoor settings. Probably some of the most restrictive that I've seen. As far as what I actually see in the stores....compliance is 90+ percent. Very few who flat out don't wear a mask, but occasionally you see someone whose mask covers their mouth but not nose. Or who wears it on the chin. I occasionally see employees in small shops where there isn't a steady stream of customers take their masks off when there are only employees in the store, and put them on when someone comes in. That kind of defeats the purpose, as the virus can hang in the air. Like SK, haven't been to a restaurant since the pandemic started. Kept masking no matter what the masking guidelines were (and they were loosened to the point that vaccinated people - on the honor system- didn't have to wear masks indoors). Not a theater, concert, or moviegoer. Grocery shop during senior or off hours. Don't have anything else I need to shop for in person; we order what we need online. A few medical appointments here and there. No family or large social gatherings. Not churchgoers. No public transportation. No travel - there's no place I need or want to go. Occasionally a couple of friends have stopped by to chat for a while, none of us masked, but that was months ago during the summer/early fall when community transmission was super low. We still kept our distance, even outside. With delta, people get sick within 3 or 4 days post-exposure. If I know someone who has had a large family gathering recently, I avoid seeing them for a week or so just to be safe. This probably sounds incredibly restrictive to most people, but in many respects it's not much different than our lifestyle pre-pandemic. Between Mr wtg's health issues and my mom's dementia, we had developed a pretty solitary homebody lifestyle and it agrees with us. 
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity  |
I envy you. I really want to go see my Mum, but just can't bring myself to risk the flight and the risk of bringing her something! I am also scheduled to be a guest speaker at a different uni in February, when it was planned, we figured it could happen in person. Now I'm not so sure....
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
Mary Anna and I do more things in normal times, but these are not normal times. So our day-to-day lives are not all that different from yours. | |||
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Minor Deity |
I am out attending a conference in a state where the Governor appears unsupportive of masking. A few of the attendees are infectious disease specialists. That subgroup is the one most consistent with masking. I talked to one of them about masking and indeed he cited Omicron as one reason to step up with masking. I figure I should follow their lead.
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
Have been to three or four restaurants since this started. Waitstaff was masked. Took my mask off to eat. Had lunch at an outdoor restaurant three days ago. We have not been to concerts or gatherings. Skipped the local outdoor tamale festival Saturday. Have an urge to go to the coast and eat seafood for a few weeks. A local pond/small lake was nice to walk around. It has a few palmettos. Made me want to go to the coast more than ever. Got tickets to the Tucson Jazz Festival in January a few months ago. May go to the outdoor events and skip the indoor events.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
What kind of masks are they wearing?
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| Minor Deity |
Disposable surgical mask. Nothing fancy.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Hmm, I've been wearing a KN95 (or is it KN94? I forget) I'm surprised experts haven't upgraded their masks yet.
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| czarina Has Achieved Nirvana  |
N95s are available now from Amazon. I wore one today, for the first time since the pandemic started. They fit more securely around all the planes of your face, and the elastic goes around your neck and head instead of around your ears. These are NIOSH approved and made by 3M. I believe they work better at preventing you getting covid than the kn95s.
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Thanks 3M masks may be gone. Ordered another brand.
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Lots of fakes out there. Have heard of fake 3M. Beware third party sellers on Amazon. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/1...ounterfeit-fake.html https://www.projectn95.org/ Ear loops vs loops behind head. Heard these are good https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M...322#product-overview
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Beatification Candidate |
Fit is important - glasses wearers know right away if the nose wire isn't strong enough! My understanding leads me to believe that N95s are really only for situations where you are knowingly going to be interacting with a Covid positive person - and requires proper fitting to assure that the wearer is breathing through the mask, not around it. And yes, we have been on public transportation and do go out to eat on "off hours" at larger places - we stay away from crowded places indoors. I've found it easy to order from primodental.com - dentists' supply company. They have a selection of mask options and I opt for level 3 surgical style masks and swap them out every 8-10 hours of use. I like both the fog-free options. General public doesn't really need the fluidshield option, but that's the best fog resistant option with a thin foam strip for the nose area.
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
ron...which of these have you been using? https://primodentalproducts.com/collections/masks
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
N95 in theory should be the same as KN95 ... 95% filtration, it's just that one is certified and the other isn't. I think that's the difference. | |||
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
"Steps to Ensure We Are Prepared for All Scenarios" I would have dismissed this kind of gibberish if I were an elementary school kid let alone an adult in his mid '50's. | |||
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