I visit a lot of local forums. (This post is about Covid).

[LuckyCharms]

We have two major hospital systems in our area.

One of the hospital systems (who one of my neighbors works for) has reverted back to required masking. Covid hospitalizations at that location have doubled in the past week.

The other hospital system has not yet returned to masking requirements.

Many people on local forums are having an ABSOLUTE SHIT FIT about the possibility of having to return to required masking in public places. They are seriously losing their minds over it...worse than during the Delta phase of the pandemic.

I also read Reddit a lot, and it seems like required masking, especially in health care environments, is starting to trickle back in at various locations across the country.

For the record, I have masked in public places with a fitted n95 since the beginning of the pandemic, and I will continue to do so.

Be careful out there.

[Recycle_Guru]

1. we are VERRY far from masking protocols---increases are against baseline of almost zero

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#maps_new-admissions-rate-county

[LuckyCharms]

2. My county is a hotspot for some reason. n/t

[Midnight Writer]

3. Depends on where you are. Masking makes sense in areas of rising infection.

By tamping down the spread of disease at places where it first takes hold, we may be able to prevent more wide-spread infection (and restrictions).

It's like putting ointment on a wound to prevent infection from spreading. You don't need to slather your whole body with it, just the areas where the infection might find a toehold.

Of course, the optimal solution would be a high percentage of vaccinated people, which is impossible because one of our political parties has decided to make a political issue out of vaccinations.

[Ms. Toad]

7. Just remember - the formal concern about COVID is now limited exclusively

to whether there are enough hospital beds to hold those who need them.

It completely ignores illnesses which are not severe enough to require hospitalization. Even though COVID leaves 59% of people who have COVID with organ damage at one year out. Even though the implications of long COVID are still almost completely unknown.

Still - 21.6% increase overall from the prior week is hardly an increase against baseline of almost zero. If you are serious about wanting accurate information, click the measure button from rate per 100,000 to % change from the prior week. The map looks quite different. A significant portion of the country is some version of orange (9.9% increase to > 20%)

[Recycle_Guru]

9. 3.8 hospitalizations per 100k is still baseline of near zero

if there is exponential spread in next few weeks then they might discuss further measures.

[Ms. Toad]

11. You said increases against baseline, not baseline itself.

You were correct the first time - what matters is the increase against baseline, because by the time the absolute numbers get large enough to be dangerous it is already too late for protective measures to easily diminish the infections.

Just as was true back in January 2020, when I predicted (within 1-2 days) - based on simillarly small numbers - when we would get to 100,000 cases. What matters is the rate of growth, not the absolute numbers of infections.

[Recycle_Guru]

15. we are essentially agreeing. I meant when you start with a baseline of near zero

and then see growth rates, you start to monitor but not necessarily go to things like mandates, etc. If we have 500 cases nationwide and they double to 1000, it would merit further review but if doubling week over week continues to happen multiple weeks...more alarming:

Right now, strains are much weaker and some are more contagious but nowhere near a health emergency.

That said, people who are immuno compromised or have other risk factors should consider masking in public places.

[Ms. Toad]

18. Everyone should be masking in indoor places -

especially in health facilities.

When only immuno compromised individuals are masking, they are still at risk. Masks provide great protection - but not perfect protection. We need to work together to protect those whose immune systems can't do the job alone.

And - it is not just immuno compromised people who are getting long COVID and organ damage. That is completely unpredictable, and is going to be a huge economic and medical burden going forward.

Politically, that is a hard pill to swallow - but our health messaging shouldn't be premised on politics.

[SaintLouisBlues]

4. I have a relative in the hospital here in St. Louis. Covid outbreak, masks required as of last week.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. It's clear covid is on the rise across the country, and that the far right/evangelical circles are

ready to push back against any official masking/vaxxing recommendations.

[MOMFUDSKI]

6. Husband and I never stopped masking.

Flying on Tuesday for a 2 1/2 hour flight and will mask from the time we enter the airport until we exit the airport. COVID numbers are up and newest vax isn’t quite ready yet. Will get it when it becomes available

[pandr32]

8. I'm masking, too.

It seems sensible.

[keep_left]

10. I have been watching the local wastewater numbers, since that is about the only...

...measure we have anymore of where things are at. (Most of the widespread human testing ended around midsummer). There has been a steady upward trend for several weeks now that is impossible to ignore. It looks like that is the case across much of the country at the moment.

[mn9driver]

12. The far right web nutters have been on about this all week.

Infowars has announced that the “Biden Regime” has secret plans to force everyone to wear masks, um, soon. Because, you know, evil dictatorship and also evil dictatorship.

And all of the local right wing Froot Loops are having shit fits.

[liberal_mama]

13. I never stopped masking in public. Especially with all the studies showing the long term organ

damage from Covid infection.

I lost my dad to Covid 10 months ago. People don't realize how bad things can get when this virus takes a hold of you. It absolutely destroyed him.

I guess some people who refuse to mask want to find out how deadly Covid is the hard way.

[maxsolomon]

14. Rode Light Rail last night. Very crowded.

About 5% masking at best. I went to mask up as I got on, and realized because I didn't have a coat, so I didn't have a mask in my coat pocket. Whoops.

Because Covid isn't a death sentence (for most sane vaccinated people) now, it's unlikely to return.

[CatWoman]

16. meanwhile, in Texas

Link to tweet

?s=20

[LuckyCharms]

17. I have relatives in Texas. They've had Covid twice, and

the way they are behaving, they're headed toward #3.