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Boston officials considering a return to an indoor mask mandate

NBC Boston reports officials could make an announcement by the end of the week as a possible answer to recent Covid-19 numbers in the city - for both Boston public schools and public indoor spaces.

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Thanks for the warning as I believe that my 5-gallon bucket needs a tune-up.

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Sounds good to me. I found another use for surgical masks outside. They keep the road salt particles from caking up on your lips and in your nose after BTD preparations for a storm that isn't as bad as forecasted. I hate that salty taste.

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You're not supposed to put the road salt on your lips.

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F*ck this!

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So horrifying that your school enforces the dress code, too.

You'll understand once you read a bit of history that these things take a long time to end.

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Covid, RSV and the flu. Our neighbor works at Childrens and there are a lot of sick kids and they are very ill.

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If people wore masks when they are sick. It's done in east Asia.

Covid is a bit of a different beast. I'd argue that judging from MWRA data, we're in a lot better shape than we were a year ago. Flu and RSV is an issue of people not having exposure for the past 2 winters, but those are not asymptomatic illnesses.

Feeling ill? Wear a mask when you're around people.

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Try staying home if you are sick, and wearing a mask if you aren't so that you don't catch and spread things all the more.

And also wear a mask because RSV can be nearly asymptomatic in adults but deadly in babies - not that you care about babies ...

Do you realize that hospitals locked down their ERs to anyone but patients and critical caregivers a couple of weeks ago because of this wave of nastiness?

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I have a strong work ethic.

Not all of us can work from home.

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Not all of us can work from home.

Of course, but going to work sick is a problem. You DO see that, don't you?

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Yet somehow across East Asia, people go to work while slightly under the weather, taking precautions to prevent the spread by wearing face coverings. This is an ethic I've followed for decades and do not intend to stop because I cough a few times when I wake up in the morning or have a runny nose.

The reality is that people don't like people coming in to work while sick, but heaven forbid some place is short staffed or there is no driver for your bus in the morning.

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You have no right to kill people with your "strong work ethic".

So much for you claiming to be pro-life.

I've seen a non-scientist get chewed out and fired for that sort of "strong work ethic" during H1N1.

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Millions of people work jobs where they get chewed out and fired for taking a sick day based on anything less than a lung operation or a wound with a bone sticking out. People go in sick to work all the time, even at your favorite restaurants, because they have no choice - and when Covid gave us a chance to restructure the world just a TINY little bit so maybe that didn't have to happen anymore, the country said, nah, we want to go to Applebees and not have to wait too long.

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Why was it okay for me to "kill people with my 'strong work ethic'" in 2012 but not in 2022?

Again, it might feel good to work in a profession where you can always work from home without affecting the operations of your place of work, but that's not everywhere.

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The problem with wearing masks “when you’re sick” is that many diseases, not just COVID, are most contagious just before symptoms start.

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Masking up a culture which is already highly reserved and cold will only deepen the antisocial society of Boston. By not seeing others smile and faces cannot be good for an already closed off part of the country. While the rest of the country and world have largely moved on from Covid fear, Boston has continued to show its WASP centered tightly regulated nature. I am sure many of those in Boston are more than happy to know they won’t have to see yucky stranger faces indoors. No need to ever smile again. Seeing others faces and smiles is so 2019 anyway.

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I'm just curious where you're getting these anti-social observations from.

And oddly enough, in recent travels to liberal bastions like Texas and Florida, I saw a fair share of people masked up. So I dunno know what you mean by moving on but the phrasing of "covid fear" is telling on yourself.

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In New England, people would be more inclined to push for a governmental response, whereas in Florida and Texas the response would be to let people decide for themselves. That's a general trend, and yes, before people start chiming in, there are exceptions to this.

I remember back in the spring of 2020 some on the "Covid is no big deal" side of things looked to Sweden with it's laid back approach to lockdowns as proof that they were not needed. The thing was and is that Swedes will act without government intervention and have no problem isolating themselves from others (again, in general.) Just saying that Covid spreads with close exposure sent people to their homes.

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How does any of this point to anti-social behavior in Boston? I mean, being in the city yourself you have to be puzzled by a conclusion like that no?

Few things on Sweden:
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/scathing-evaluation-swedens-covid-response...

The review, published in the journal Humanities & Social Sciences Communications Tuesday, discusses how, throughout the pandemic, Sweden attempted to avoid lockdowns and stay-at-home orders implemented by many of its neighboring countries.

MORE: Sweden joins others in announcing end of virus restrictions
The authors -- from Sweden, Belgium, Norway and the U.S. -- said Sweden was able to achieve this by portraying advice from independent scientists as "extreme," keeping the public in the dark regarding facts about how COVID-19 spreads and not issuing any mandates.

This is despite the country's history of collaboration between authorities and the scientific community and the general public's high level of trust of those in power.

As a result, Sweden had a higher COVID death rate than the surrounding Nordic nations.

"The Swedish response to this pandemic was unique and characterised by a morally, ethically, and scientifically questionable laissez-faire approach, a consequence of structural problems in the society," the team wrote. "There was more emphasis on the protection of the 'Swedish image' than on saving and protecting lives or on an evidence-based approach."

But speaking of government intervention:
https://theconversation.com/covid-why-are-swedish-towns-banning-masks-15...

Officials in Halmstad municipality, Sweden, recently forced a teacher to remove their mask and prohibited the use of masks and all forms of PPE in schools. The municipality said there was no scientific evidence for wearing masks, citing the Swedish public health agency. At the time, agency guidance stated that there were “great risks” that masks would be used incorrectly. This guidance has since been removed.

To someone unfamiliar with the Swedish response to COVID-19, this mask ban might sound shocking. After all, while masks are not foolproof, there is evidence that indicates that they do help reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially in situations where maintaining distance is impossible – such as schools.

The municipality eventually backed down. But new examples of mask bans keep popping up in Sweden. Librarians in the affluent town of Kungsbacka, for example, have been instructed not to wear masks.

And let us not forget that even in Sweden, masks in hospitals were required and was reimposed last August. But thats obvious right for healthcare facilities? (Shocker, its not to some, not saying you of course)
http://english.news.cn/20220803/1f0169babfff4ee2a194f5508c9b6c80/c.html

Sweden is bringing back its mask mandate in hospitals and nursing homes as surging COVID-19 infections have led to a significant rise in critical cases and deaths over the past week.

Starting from last week, 17 of Sweden's 21 administrative regions reintroduced face mask requirements in hospitals and nursing homes.

Swedavia, the company that operates Stockholm's international airport Arlanda and nine other airports, has also reimposed measures to curb infections. As of last Wednesday, all airport staff have to wear face masks.

Latest data from Sweden's public health agency show that of the 21,751 people who voluntarily got tested between July 18 and 24, some 5,311 were positive with COVID-19, an increase of 13 percent from a week earlier. Most of them were aged over 70.

Experts believe the actual situation of COVID infections could be "significantly worse", as since April, all COVID-19 related restrictions have been abandoned and testing is no more mandatory even for those with symptoms.

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Or you don't care.

Again, if you are seeing mask wearing in Florida and Texas, it's because people feel the need to. If you are not seeing mask wearing in Boston, it's because the government has not told them that they need to. Of course, this is a generalization. I've been wearing a mask on the T in the past month due to this head cold I've had. I think it's only a head cold as I've been running fine the whole time. Still, don't want to get other people sick.

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I think you're just saying what I was saying from beginning, now with a jab at me about not caring and your coy reading comprehension bit.

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Shall I go back to the comments you made back in February 2020 where you mock people wearing masks?

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Look up "sealioning".

You need to stop doing it long enough to do so.

As for me, I'm not the one doubling down on my theories in twenty-seven science deficient philosophical posts with the zeal and acumen of a high school debater while not citing any actual science.

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I'm just noting cultural differences between different groups.

I'm kind of surprised at the blowback of noting that Swedes have enough of a mentality that social distancing was done without the government intervening in it. I don't support that move, but I get the Swedish approach more than those who take a partisan approach to science (yes, that includes you) seem to.

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whereas in Florida and Texas the response would be to let people decide for themselves.

Funny, those states don’t leave the question of whether to drive drunk or not, up to the individual’s personal choice, though. So masks seem to be somehow a special case.

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As a life long Boston or Boston area resident, I have seen how as I am trying to make new friends after having most of my friends leaving during the Pandemic, I can see how hard to make friends as an adult unless you have kids. I have not had much success and it is hard.

I will wear a mask if I am told to but my anxiety gets very high while wearing one. I feel like I am going to pass out and I sweat so much with it on. I hate them. I was someone who took the isolation of COVID and ran with it. I don't want to go back to that. Isolation was an old friend of mine and when COVID came, it blindsided me.

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The isolation was detrimental to me, even with a close knit house of my roommate and partner. And it got worse as the roommate's work opened back up and it was just me at home for the workday, not seeing friends and family. I know we all went through a rough time and some continue to do so.

And I can't think of anyone that liked masks, my partner has been on the covid frontlines since day one and the rashes and skin irritation alone are something they speak on.

But I agree, I'll wear one if I have to and did today going to the dentist and when we fly.

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I've found people pleasant and outgoing.

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There are many great people in Boston. I didn’t mean any sort of insult. My thoughts are that by Boston continuing to push the culture of making masks the norm/rules it’s keeping people from reaching the full benefits of socializing. Telling everyone they need to mask up in 2023 is excessive any controlling. Those who want to wear masks are welcome too, but give it a rest with mandating any mask use. Masks are like a religion now. When you see a group of people masked up on tv there is no question where they stand politically. My suspicion is that a decade from now and beyond (way after covid is any sort of concern) Boston will STILL have the mask culture fully integrated. There is also the “I’m better than you since I am responsible and wear a mask” type virtual signaling aspect. The best is when you see someone at a restaurant remove mask to take a bite, then put mask back on. Total tools. Note-I’m vaxxed and 100000 percent pro vax.

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total tools

Like I said, you have a way of telling on yourself. Also where are you such behavior at restaurants recently?

Mandating as a norm seems to be a stretch here, I mean the mandate went away and MAY come back for schools and indoor spaces. Do you think that's permanent in some way?

Are you one of those adults that argues about wearing a mask in a healthcare facility?

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...that was a LOT of projection.

Note-I’m vaxxed and 100000 percent pro vax.

Sure you are, Blanche.

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You don’t have to believe me I just was saying. Enjoy a lifetime of face masks. Don’t forget to wear it as you must always practice your face mask wearing religion.

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Enjoy a lifetime of face masks.

Are you a child or merely a simpleton?

Come back when you're ready to talk with grown folks.

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"In Florida, if you’re still wearing a mask, we just assume you’re hideous."

Congressman Matt Gaetz, Representing the 1st District, Florida

Seriously? Have you been to Boston @Republican? Boston has to be the least trendiest city in the U.S. I think it has to do with all the colleges in the area.

Personally I'm wearing a mask to keep the road salt off my lips. I ride the T busses every workday and our last load of road prep has been ground down to a very fine powder. When a car or bus passes you, you get hit by a tsunami (figuratively) of road salt dust. I also wouldn't like to catch the flu or a cold.

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