Posted on 06/18/2021 3:44:52 PM PDT by lightman
The masks are coming off. States are reopening. Vaccination rates are still rolling. The level of infection is low. Deaths are down. News outlets, like Axios, are nixing their weekly COVID maps because there’s no need. The pandemic is over. The New York Giants recently announced the stadium will not only be operating at full capacity, but there will be no mask requirement, no negative COVID test requirement, or proof of vaccination. Tailgating will also be allowed. It’s key since if one organization is going to do it, they all will. Look how long it took for Yankee Stadium to announce full capacity after the Islanders opened up Nassau Coliseum.
Yet, as we burn our masks, the experts are plotting a new scheme to make us keep wearing them, or at the very least have them handy. Why? Because we could see a resurgence of flu-like viruses (via Boston Globe):
Since the state’s mask mandate was lifted at the end of May, face coverings have started to come off — and stay off. But according to infectious diseases doctors, the return of facial freedom might come with some downsides, like a resurgence in cases of the common cold and the flu.
So far this flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported just one influenza-associated pediatric death nationwide, compared with 199 the previous season. And a study published in September in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report revealed a staggering 98 percent decrease in flu activity in the first months of the pandemic.
“Most of us in infectious disease really attributed that to masks — not just masks, but the combination of masks, people working largely from home, social distancing, all of those measures that have been in place for the last year,” said Dr. Joshua Barocas, an infectious diseases physician at Boston Medical Center.
But as vaccination rates increase and such precautions are slowly scrapped, other viruses will start to resurge, starting with colds and other viruses later this summer, and the flu come fall and winter.
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory about increased cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, across parts of the southern United States — something they hadn’t seen since April 2020, when cases “decreased rapidly.” RSV is a cold-like respiratory illness that produces symptoms similar to COVID, and can cause severe illness in older adults and young children.
Since late March — about the time COVID vaccines began to be widely available — cases of RSV have been on the rise in the South. Though the trend hasn’t yet reached the North, where the public was slower to unmask en masse because of lingering restrictions, experts predict that it will.
Well, we have a flu vaccine, so I don’t really care. I had COVID. I beat it. I got vaccinated as well. It was my choice. I’m never getting this virus ever again and I’m done wearing masks. I went grocery shopping without a mask this week. It was great. I went to a baseball game as well. No mask. This pandemic is over. it’s time to start acting like it and the experts can shove it. They weren’t mask fetishists during flu season pre-COVID, so just shut up and let me go about my business. We’re done listening to you, f-ing people. Summer is here and we’re going outside. When flu season comes, do what you usually do—which is to recommend that you get the vaccine; the choice is yours. In the meantime, shut the hell up. COVID is over.
The Boston Globe @BostonGlobe · Jun 14, 2021 Replying to @BostonGlobe For the past year, precautions taken to stop the spread of COVID-19 also helped stop the spread of other common viruses.
But as restrictions loosen, these viruses will reemerge, starting with colds later this summer, and the flu come fall and winter. http://bos.gl/CkXu38q Image The Boston Globe @BostonGlobe The @CDCgov recently issued a health advisory about increased cases of respiratory syncytial virus across parts of the southern U.S. — something they hadn’t seen since April 2020.
Since late March, cases of RSV have been on the rise in the South. http://bos.gl/CkXu38q
It’s all about the money. How many billions of dollars have mask manufacturers made so far?
Uh, nope.
It will probably cause our resident hysterical anti-vaxxers to go into a tizzy but Moderna has in Phase 1 trial a neutralizing vaccine against RSV.
Keyword phrase to deal with the lingering Kung flu: the experts can shove it.
I prefer and promote the term “Coup Flu”.
My wife is a kidney-transplant patient and takes medicine to reduce her immune system. For years, she has taken precautions during flu season (and other seasons, too), including sometimes wearing masks in crowded places and washing her hands frequently. I support her by being cautious as well. THAT IS OUR CHOICE. Others can do what they wish - that is called freedom. If someone chooses to not take precautions and gets sick, that does not impact me.
Actually, wearing a mask on an airplane used to be of great benefit - we usually had the row of 3 seats to ourselves! People assumed that she was wearing a mask because she was contagious, so they sat elsewhere. That will probably change now, but...
^
Let’s imagine for a moment, after the exciting freedom of breathing fresh air without a mask and going where you want to go, the people of LA, New York, Michigan and other lockdown places are told “We are mandating as of Noon today, another total lockdown and mask requirement.” Fauci says a variant is coming soon.
Revolution time? Will look like Florida spring break beach parties writ large.
How many billions have CHINESE mask manufacturers made? You know, the ones that have have a label warning that they don’t stop infectious diseases?
I’ve worn a mask 3 times for all of 10 minutes each in three stores that required them, that I have not gone back to since.
Old people, obese people, unhealthy people and the sandwich maker at Subway were the only cases of mask wearing that made sense to me. The sandwich maker stands right over your food talking so yeah, they can wear a mask forever as far as I’m concerned.
Conversely, I’ve never had the flu to my knowledge. I presume I have a natural immunity to it and have never gotten a flu shot. Nobody called me names or seemed to GAF because of it.
I also never got the mumps in the 1950s, even though my mom made me sleep in the same room as my brothers when they had it. Apparently I have a natural immunity to that as well. OTOH I’ve had bronchitis between 4-6 times in my life whereas most ppl never get it. So that’s obviously a chink in my immune system armor.
Bottom line is we’re all different and we should be left along to make healthcare choices that are right for us.
Like hell.
We have to get over the premise that we dare not ever get any illness….this notion of “if it saves just one life” is absurd. Babyish, and not considering the flip side.
COVID nor most flus, etc, have much of a death rate. It is not worth all the effort. About the same risks as driving down the road.
That’s good...can I use it?
Please!
Make it go viral.
;-)
The Spanish government is voting on the 24th of June to get rid of outside mask rules starting on the 26th nationwide.
Sorry following 5th grad science. Masks cant stop slow down or prevent viruses. Now if the government want to provide me with an airconditioned bubby suit like the CDC has when they handle viruses, or they take the suits away and make them play with viruses with cloth masks, then I’ll wear them.
We used diapers for a very short time until i found some plastic shields that clip to our glasses frames. Accepted 99% of the places we went. Med facilities still wanted the other ones. 😷🤢🐃💩
2 months from now in August masks will still be worn on cruises...
Don't bet on that.
I can only speak for New York, but there is not a doubt in my mind that there are a few million people in that city who would gladly put their masks back on (and tell others to do the same) if Fauci (or anyone else in a position of authority) sounded the alarm about a Covid variant.
By their very nature, liberals are emotional thinkers. Find any city or state with a large percentage of liberals, and it's a safe bet they'll be doing the same.
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