I can’t pretend to be able to understand all the data, and a lot of times I feel really stupid reading this thread and trying to do so.
That said, my workplace has reinstituted a mask policy. Based upon what I’ve gleaned from here, it’s probably worthless? I don’t think anyone has an N95 mask (and I can’t blame anyone for it, they’re expensive), and even if they did, most are fully vaxxed/boosted.
KN95 masks seem to be easier to find a less expensive. That's why I asked if they were the same thing. I think that they are. Maybe the KN95 is a Korean rating system or something? Like in Europe they call these masks FFP2 instead of N95.
I can’t pretend to be able to understand all the data, and a lot of times I feel really stupid reading this thread and trying to do so.
That said, my workplace has reinstituted a mask policy. Based upon what I’ve gleaned from here, it’s probably worthless? I don’t think anyone has an N95 mask (and I can’t blame anyone for it, they’re expensive), and even if they did, most are fully vaxxed/boosted.
KN95 masks seem to be easier to find a less expensive. That's why I asked if they were the same thing. I think that they are. Maybe the KN95 is a Korean rating system or something? Like in Europe they call these masks FFP2 instead of N95.
I think they are the same or close enough at least. And they aren’t as expensive but they aren’t cheap either unfortunately.
I’m definitely with AD though. I’m fully vaxxed and boosted. I’m pretty sure a large majority of our staff is too. I get that management thinks this is helpful, but it feels like a negligible difference maker that also a ton of people don’t enjoy.
How restrictive is the mask mandate? We have had to wear surgical masks everywhere in the office if you are away from your individual cube/office ever since we returned in June 2020, outside of a couple months this summer. It really hasn’t been a big deal. If you are in a meeting all day with it on, or doing a bunch of talking it starts to annoy you.
That said, I don’t know how effective it has been particularly with omicron. Seems like 75% of the office has had Covid in the past month, but who knows if that is being transmitted at work or just out in public where mask usage is maybe 10%.
I wouldn’t say super restrictive, just more annoying and ineffective at this point in my opinion.We’ve had rules off and on but it’s been months since they’ve been on so to speak.
I bet we start distancing our anchors in the studio again, though, and I hope but am not counting on working from home again
How restrictive is the mask mandate? We have had to wear surgical masks everywhere in the office if you are away from your individual cube/office ever since we returned in June 2020, outside of a couple months this summer. It really hasn’t been a big deal. If you are in a meeting all day with it on, or doing a bunch of talking it starts to annoy you.
That said, I don’t know how effective it has been particularly with omicron. Seems like 75% of the office has had Covid in the past month, but who knows if that is being transmitted at work or just out in public where mask usage is maybe 10%.
The not that big a deal and ineffective parts are two sides of the same coin though. I also think it’s a way to lie to people about safety, so people will come in even though it actually barely helps. And I worry it may become one of many accumulating not always minor costs we get stuck with endlessly and never reevaluate.
I agree that it is probably ineffective. But I also wouldn’t argue that we should all still be working from home at this point either. People are not exactly quarantining themselves outside of work hours anyway.
I feel like I get a pretty good fit on the kn95s I have now. Even with a short beard. When I breathe in and out it sort of crumples and expands, which seems like a good sign.
I really don’t see it continuing as a long term thing. Just something we do when this crests periodically on its way out. It does seem to me more should’ve been done to promote better masks from the start, and educate on how to fit them. Not to mention ventilation in schools particularly, which nobody talks about.
I agree that it is probably ineffective. But I also wouldn’t argue that we should all still be working from home at this point either. People are not exactly quarantining themselves outside of work hours anyway.
I agree. People should get vaccinated and resume their lives. This detour into continued post-vaccination restrictions was a major error both in terms of objective risk management and in terms of promoting excessive anxiety and the massive collateral damage that goes with that.
The only caveat to that I’d make is the flatten the curve concern about overwhelmed hospitals, but we should acknowledge that in the face of Omicron, there are no remotely realistic restrictions that could make a significant difference. We just have to try to provide resources to manage best we can.
We can protect the vulnerable without harming the rest of the population.
As I stated above, we do not have any technology that can stop viral spread.
While excellent vaccines protect the vaccinated versus hospitalization or death if infected, they provide only temporary and marginal protection versus infection and disease transmission after the second dose.
The same is likely true for booster shots, which use the same technology as the initial doses.
What about lockdowns?
It is now abundantly clear that they have failed to contain the virus while wreaking enormous collateral damage worldwide.
The simplistic allure of lockdowns is that we can break the chain of viral transmission by staying apart.
Only the laptop class -- those who can just as easily work from home as in the office -- can abide by a lockdown in actual practice, and even they have trouble.
Essential workers who keep society going cannot afford the luxury, so the disease will keep spreading.
Will the same policies that failed against a more virulent strain succeed in containing a more transmissible strain?
The answer is self-evidently no.
The harms of lockdown on children and the non-elderly are catastrophic, including worse physical and mental health and irretrievably lost life opportunities.
Lockdowns imposed in rich countries mean starvation, poverty, and death for the residents of poor countries.
...
Because unvaccinated older people face such a high risk for a poor outcome on infection, and because the vaccine is so effective at blunting severe disease and death, vaccinating older people is the top priority if life-saving is to be the top priority.
However, the vast majority of unvaccinated older people live in poor countries.
At current rates, the worldwide vaccination campaign will not be complete until the end of 2022, too late to save countless vulnerable people.
...
In Sweden and many US states that have eschewed lockdowns, the pandemic is effectively over, even as the virus continues to circulate.
As normal society resumes, the vast majority will find that living with the virus is not so hard after all.
