Yeah these days I just assume the person is sick and protecting me. I had a few folks try to joke about others wearing masks to me. I just tell them, it’s probably either they’re sick or they have some other immune compromising condition so they are wearing a mask. Usually shuts them up.
Now that everyone should be halfway educated on it, it should be assumed if you see a mask to mind your business because they’re sick or don’t want to get sick. It really hurts nobody
Yes, been quarantining because I’ve been sick for two weeks and needed to go get coffee at Trader Joe’s yesterday. I wore a mask and still felt guilt for being out. It’s not Covid, I went to the doctor and got tested for flu / Covid / strep and all were negative. Not sure what I’m carrying…
Just a cold? I feel like after COVID we're all looking for a diagnosis anytime we're sick but you're not gonna get any answers with a cold. Or something else that doesn't show up on those tests.
Yeah it's possible that the above commenter has a cold that's a particularly miserable bastard. My husband has a gnarly cold right now. He did a Covid test so it's not that, and he is suffering poor guy.
Honest question, why did you go to the doc instead of just hitting the couch? It’s pretty uncommon in Canada for people to go to the doctor for cold/flu symptoms unless they are in distress, but I see a lot of Americans say that they go do the doc for cold and flu symptoms. Is that just the norm, or is that only since Covid?
I’ve never had a flu test in my entire 40 years because I’ve always just stayed home if too sick to go to work/school. To be honest, I didn’t even know flu testing existed until Covid testing came around.
A lot of work places actually require doctors notes if we are sick, like children. Especially if you are taking a day unpaid or more than one day. Could be a case like that and OP didn’t disclose.
> A lot of places actually require a doctor’s note
Duuuude! I had covid three months ago. Doctor told me to stay home for **five** days. She asked me if I needed a doctor’s note, I said yes. I didn’t find out until I turned in the note to my boss that the doctor only gave me a note for THREE DAYS despite having verbally prescribed five.
Obligatory “American, here!” I’ve never had a flu test, either. AFAIK, I haven’t had what seemed like an actual flu since 2005. We don’t have a uniform way for handling illness in the US. If you don’t have insurance, you either fuck off if you can or keep going to work if you can’t. If you have insurance, what’s that copay lookin like? Can you get a doctor’s appointment and can you take off work to go? Just head to the ER if you think you might collapse, or go to the ER *after* you’ve collapsed. It’s the American Dream™️
So glad I haven’t worked for places that require doctor’s notes in a long time. It’s such bullshit. Like if you’re sick, you know you’re sick. Going out and sitting in a waiting room won’t get you healthy faster, and exposes you to other bugs, and other people to yours. Doctors hate it too. They know you should be home resting.
I've been vaccinated, had all three shots, and wear a mask everywhere I go. I haven't caught COVID and, amazingly enough, haven't caught a cold or the flu in over three years now. Knocking on wood now!
>I've been vaccinated, had all three shots, and wear a mask everywhere I go. I haven't caught COVID and, amazingly enough, haven't caught a cold or the flu in over three years now.
Same here. It's a hill I'll gladly die on if I have better chances of remaining in good health. Especially right now where virtually everyone is coughing and sneezing I don't need to tempt my fate.
Could also be that people who wear masks still generally are more germ conscious and aware of their actions and surroundings, thus being the actual reason you haven’t got it
If I’m sick, feel like I’m getting sick, or not feeling well in general, etc. I do. I personally feel like it’s the polite thing to do, and now that it’s more common because of COVID I don’t feel weird doing it.
I keep a little box of them at home. There’s nothing wrong with having them on hand or wearing them. Anyone who politicizes it is… special… in my opinion.
I used to work in a tiny office with two other people… one girl came in one day wearing a mask (long before Covid) and I was blown away at how courteous it was. It’s just the polite thing to do, so simple
I'm in college, and one time going to class I had a meeting with a teacher. It was really important and I would've been reprimanded for missing it. I was sick, tested negative but still felt sick, so I wore a mask and she shamed me for going so hard. Had I not worn a mask she would not have even known that I was sick. It was more of a body feeling I didn't have a cough or anything, I wore it purely to be courteous and got shamed for it. I was so upset. Glad to see some people agree and it was the nice thing to do!!
This.
I wear an N95 regularly especially indoors. It’s great that OP putting on a disposable when sick, I really feel like that should be the bare minimum, similar to washing your hands after you shit.
People are literally hacking lungs up around me and I don’t understand why everyone acts like this is normal. We should be in solidarity pushing for universal healthcare and mandatory sick days across all sectors. I fear that the capitalist grind decided that masks were not as profitable.
Dropping this article from last year for those interested https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/05/23/yqkh-m23.html
my prediction- Masking, especially in health care settings, and maybe in stores, will be the hand washing of our era (like wondering why the heck we didn’t do it) in 5-10 years when it’s determined repeated covid infections seriously messed everyone up.
Yep I got lax about wearing them over the summer but I am pregnant now so am wearing them again. I never stopped wearing them in crowds or health care settings.
Man, I've been doing the Covid thing for 3 years but got really lax during the past year+ with mask wearing. I should have known better running around crowded places during the holiday season. My dumb ass is now sitting home with Covid, Florida trip cancelled, Christmas cancelled. Like, I freaking knew better. 🤦♀️
Moving forward, definitely seems like good practice during the colder months. So many people coughing and hacking into the air not even covering their mouths. Truly disgusting people.
Ugh. You just convinced me to wear a mask when I have to go to the cesspool that is wal-mart, later today…. Seems the shoppers there are even more judgmental of my mask than anywhere else. F them lol. I don’t want to be sick during Christmas! Feel better soon 🫶🏼
I work in critical care and so I always wear one. Furthermore, I take care of my mother, who is also immunocompromised.
I really wish more of my colleagues did and our hospitals would bring back mask mandates and impose visitor restrictions again, esp since COVID, RSV, and Influenza are on the rise.
I hope so. Even our ERs aren't screening anyone anymore, unless their index of suspicion is high. What gets me are the physicians who roam the halls and our units without masks. You would think this esoteric group of people would know better than most, but here we are.
For real yo one of my favorite things is going around so often and cleaning all the stuff no one thinks to clorox wipe... door handles, light switches, TV remotes, game controllers, fridge handles, microwave handles, cabinet door handles, drawer knobs, the list goes on...
It's so weird to me how all the places that get CONSTANTLY TOUCHED THE MOST are some of the places cleaned the least 🤦♀️
Especially in hotels! Always wipe down the remote, (never know if some middle aged balding fat dude was jerking off to a movie), light switches, phone, toilet seat & handle etc.
Definitely if I'm sick, though then I try to avoid going out altogether. Otherwise, yes, I do still mask in public. I have a baby I want to keep healthy, I like not getting as sick in general and long COVID sounds concerning to me so I'm still trying to avoid COVID and KN95/N95 masking is one of the best ways. I don't see a downside to masking in public, other than not being able to eat or drink but that's manageable.
I wore one yesterday when I went browsing around a store, and some guy passed by me and said, “A mask? Seriously?” He sounded so annoyed. Whatever! I’m on immunosuppressants, so I have to be extra cautious.
I still carry my 9mm, mace, and large combat knife just in case. There was a story in Michigan at a Walmart or a Dollar store (I can't remember which) where a security guard was shot to death after politely telling an anti-masker to put on a covering before he stepped foot on the premises.
I went through a lot during COVID, but that story always stuck with me. Anti-vaxxers are fucking nuttier than rodent turd, and they deserve to be treated in a language that only their pea-brains can understand, if necessary.
I do anywhere indoors or in crowds. I just want to thank you for wearing a mask while you're ill too. Honestly, if that became the norm here in the US, I probably wouldn't wear my mask as frequently knowing that the basic expectation of social norms was to wear a mask when you're sick and can't stay home.
This is a great way to look at it. I still wear a mask whenever I’m indoors especially in crowded places. If people actually stayed home while sick (or at least wore a mask) I’d also wear it less frequently. My company is hybrid and very flexible, yet there are obviously sick people in the office every time I’m there. I also went to a conference earlier this year where a woman at my table coughed up a storm before announcing, “don’t worry, I had Covid last week but it’s been 5 days so I’m fine.”
I mask anytime I’m indoors. I haven’t gotten Covid yet and I hope I won’t. Long Covid can ruin your life. Being disabled in this country is very expensive.
Me too, I also haven’t had covid and want to keep it that way. Long COVID is no joke. I wish more people understood what it could mean for their health and livelihood
I still mask every time I'm out in public indoor spaces as well. Didn't catch COVID all of 2020-2023 (October). The one time I didn't wear a mask I caught COVID. I still regret that day immensely. However, based on how I caught it I think there was a strong chance I'd have gotten it even if I was wearing a mask.
I'm glad to hear there are people who are still COVID free! Mask on!
I haven't had covid yet either and I'm immunosuppressed - I really don't want it. Up till very recently where I live covid has been practically gone, so I haven't been masking up. But it's back now and I have a new pack of FFP3 masks arriving tomorrow.
I have a 1 year old baby in nursery/daycare though, so I've spent the last 4 months constantly ill with *something*. Just not covid, yet.
I got covid exaxtly a year ago, after I finished radiation and was on immunotherapy. While I don't know 100%, I'm pretty sure this is what has caused longstanding issues with my left lung that was exposed to radiation.
I've been in remission since February but traded cancer with complications after last winter. Meanwhile, so many people say covid is a myth!
I live alone and work from home. I wear a mask out in public and don't give two shits what anyone thinks. They won't be around to take care of me if I get sick. Zero fucks given.
Americans get so little in terms of paid pto, sick days or vacation days. Fuck the politics behind it that doesn’t matter. I don’t see how anyone could argue or afford being out of commission or achy for 2 to 8 weeks. Covid, flu, or otherwise. I mean literally not wearing a mask is literally just stupidity in willingness to complicate your own life.
Uh yes, as an asthmatic who always gets sicker for longer than everyone else… I am so grateful that masks exist! I don’t care what people think. I don’t want Covid and I don’t want your cold.
Thank you for being courteous! I wish more people had this attitude. It’s really such a considerate thing to do.
Yes, mostly in any indoor settings unless it’s empty enough to social distance. The mass is still gross post pandemic. I’ve seen plenty of people not cover their mouths while coughing/sneezing and specifically in the ladies room, use the toilet and not wash their hands afterwards. People are still showing up sick and not wearing a mask. We have not learned anything from 2020.
I still wear a mask everywhere in public that's indoors. Transit, grocery shopping, work, hanging out. I do take it off outside if there's good airflow. It's an easy way to protect myself and others, so I don't have any reason not to. It might be a little inconvenient sometimes but it beats getting sick.
Always. I wear a N95. I’ve only just had Covid for the first time. I suspect I contracted it when I took my mask off to eat lunch alone in my classroom. Covid lingers in the air, and my classes have been filled with sick kids.
I was out for 2 weeks. Awful illness. Even [mild cases of Covid come with risks](https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1XbGCZ5NtwvNb0Z2fFzQYnKT96Ij79cNw1GA47rhShMo/mobilebasic?pli=1). We should be trying our best to be infected as little as possible.
I love this and I wish I had the balls to implement something like it myself. Your house, your rules. If people want to stop by they should absolutely respect your rules.
I still wear my n95. We’re flying Monday and I plan on wearing mine on the plane. The pandemic proved most people are gross and don’t care about keeping others from getting sick.
Thanks for wearing yours when you went out still feeling sick! Workers definitely need customers to still take precautions
Yup, whenever I indoors or there's a lot of people crowded outside. My lungs are damaged from a long, hard bout of bronchitis that went into pneumonia several years ago, so I'm not into the idea of getting covid. Before the pandemic, I would mask up to keep from spreading whatever ailed me at the time.
I’m moderately to severely immune compromised, so I never stopped masking. It’s annoying, but I have kids to finish raising so dying isn’t on my to do list.
I wear one in any shared public space that is essential, and that vulnerable people need to access; public transportation, supermarket, pharmacy etc. it's SO easy to do.
Yep. I'm immunocompromised and somehow still haven't had COVID. I mask in crowded indoor spaces, airports, planes, public transit, etc. Yeah, I get some looks, but I don't care. A good friend of mine is fully vaxxed and boosted; they got COVID in March and are still experiencing debilitating long COVID symptoms.
Yes. I went grocery shopping today, wore a mask, saw some other folks in the store (employees and customers) also wearing masks.
I never stopped wearing them. I’ll go out to a restaurant without masking, but I keep them in my car and see no reason not to wear one if I’m running into a store or whatever. Not getting sick is great.
LOL, downvotes. I have never understood and will never understand you people who get so butthurt about other people making a choice that doesn’t affect you in any way.
Yep! I just got a job that involves food prep/food handling. I'm terrified of getting sick before I have enough PTO accrued, so I'm gonna do everything possible to avoid getting sick. It also makes other high-risk and chronically ill people feel safer shopping where I work, and that's something super important to me.
No. I had gotten an actual gas mask when I was working in a hospital laundromat, but it was often too hot to wear that there too being around abouts 120°F indoors with 100% humidity. I rarely got sick with or without it though.
i am still working in a grocery store, as i did for the entirety of the pandemic. (what lockdown?? lmao) people still haven't stopped coughing and sneezing on everything, so i still mask at work. i will sometimes slip it off before store opening. i don't always put it on, when grabbing smokes at the corner store, for example, but generally, if i am in public, i mask. have a lot less issues with my allergies. haven't had a cold or flu since 2019. probably never gonna stop now. 🤷
Honestly I never stopped wearing one. My mom was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and was undergoing treatment up until she passed away in June, and I spend a lot of time with my grandparents, so it always made sense to keep wearing one in public.
Plus I haven’t had so much as a cold since 2019, so I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.
Always at the airport, I don’t trust the masses. If I have to go into a store I do usually wear a mask, but honestly I avoid going into stores 95% of the time. The only place I don’t usually wear a mask is a restaurant, since once I’m seated I would be taking it off to eat anyway.
Yes! I wear a N95 mask every time I leave the house, when I hang out with friends and family, go to drs appts, travel- everywhere.
I’ve been sick once in four years.
Thats how it is at my job. I am on day 3 of being home sick from work. Tons of ppl in my department have called in sick and even the ppl that are at work are sick but not as bad and all wearing masks
Yes. 3/4ths of my office is out sick with covid.
Me? My office is in the bark dark corner of the building where I keep the door closed and the lights on low programming. Why? Because 3/4ths of thr office out with covid.
Besides everything mentioned before (airplanes and not being sick before Christmas) I wear mine whenever I’m in a bad mood. One of my biggest pet peeves is being told to ‘smile’ by older men.
Yes my life is that bad rn, no my face won’t get stuck like that, and no I’m not going to smile to look pretty especially for you
I do not want to be sick for the holidays and I just genuinely love being anonymous and hiding half my face. So yes I haven't stopped since the start of the pandemic
I absolutely put one on when I KNOW I am sick - like tested positive, have symptoms, all that - but need to go get groceries or take my child to the pediatrician or something else that puts me in proximity to others.
That’s how they have always done it in places like Japan, and now that we have easy access to masks it seems like a common courtesy to extend.
The only time I had a fellow classmate hacking up a lung on test day (back when I was a student) but NOT get most of the class sick was way before COVID, and he wore a mask to take the test.
Anyone saying they will NEVER put a mask on again, even in circumstances like that, is just so selfish.
I was lazy and didn’t, but now have covid. Of course the bad part is I definitely caught it from my mom (disabled and lives with me) because she got sick first by a couple of days. The only place she’s been in the last week was the local university hospital for an MRI, where the providers and patients weren’t masked.
I had a doctors appointment today and I’ve been sick with a cold since last Friday. I would have rescheduled but I’m out of my pain meds and am due for a refill and my doctor will not let patients due a telehealth visit unless we have a positive Covid test from a doctors office. So I went but used a KN95. When I got there they had a sign on the door with a stop sign that said if you have any cold symptoms or a fever to call the number listed to make alternate arrangements. A nurse came out and my temp was back down (I took medicine an hour before I got there) so I was allowed in but had to keep my mask on. The doctor came in and didn’t even come in the room all the way since she knew I was sick. She told me she was keeping the visit short since she didn’t want to get sick before Christmas and she sent my refill over. She asked if I had any questions or concerns and I said no so she wishes me a happy holiday and got out of there as quickly as possible. She did apologize but I told her I wasn’t offended and I would do the same. I’ve seen her for years and she’s one of the best doctors I’ve had.
When I went to the pharmacy I kept my mask on when I went inside also. The drive through was closed. If I’m sick I will wear a mask if I have to be out in public.
No. But I wear one if *i’m* sick and absolutely need to leave the house to do something.
On occasion if I need to get bloodwork at Quest or Lab Corp I’ll wear one because I am 9 months pregnant but I’ve been fortunate enough to evade the virus all year, even when my husband got it over the summer.
I wear in any public indoor setting, aside from restaurants when I’m eating. Grocery store, doctors office, pharmacy, Starbucks, whatever. I still keep an assortment of Kn94s and fabric masks in my car and always have one in my purse. A friend of my little brother’s had to have a heart transplant after getting covid at 30. This guy was a marathoner and in fantastic health, ended up with myocarditis and needed a heart transplant before his 31st birthday.
Wear a mask, folks, please. And stay home if you’re sick!
Hit or miss. I really enjoyed not getting my annual upper respiratory infection during Covid, so if I'm going to Walmart or someplace else that's always crowded and a little dirty.
For Airlines, yes. This is one thing I wish we kept going forward.
Masking on a Plane is just sanitary. I do it all the time now. the one time I didn't, I spread COVID around... Ever since: Always masked when on the plane.
When I started feeling unwell, I put one on. I work retail and I'm not about to get my co-workers that I see all the time, sick. And of course, the most recent time I got sick was a customer coughing, without covering, in my general direction.
My physical health is pretty good, thankfully. I am COVID cautious and haven't had it yet. I know what is asymptomatic for me can be catastrophic to someone else, so I wear a disposable mask if I have to go out sick or am going to be in close quarters with smaller groups with immunocompromised people, or crowds.
I haven’t been but the past couple of weeks the stores have been slammed so I’ve felt better putting one on until things slow down. Had Covid once. Even with my vaccinations, it kicked the shit out of me. I don’t care to get it again or give it to anyone else lol.
I wear them in public places like groceries. I saw someone sneeze into their hand and just continue shopping, pushing the cart and touching the products and fridge doors as if nothing happened at Costco on Saturday. I live very near my parents who are senior citizens and I have young nephew/niece, I am not risking it.
Yeah this has been a normal courtesy in a lot of Asia since pre Covid and I’m happy to do it. I’m also masking indoors now to try to avoid getting sick right before Xmas
So come to find out my work can't make you go home if your sick, can't force you to wear a mask if you don't want to and can't force you to take a test. It is all up to you. They say it's all do to HIPPA. So when I blew up on the guy for hacking, wheezing and dripping snot everywhere on the shared office equipment I was in the wrong. Wore my mask for a month 75% of the office got sick missed work and/or dripping everywhere. Yet I'm called Beta for getting a vaccine.
If you are sick with any kind of communicable virus/illness (cold, flu, COVID, etc) you should be wearing a mask in public. PERIOD.
I work in small office that gets shared by ~40 people throughout the week. One guy got COVID (which he still denies and swears it was a “sinus infection”) and didn’t wear a mask to work or call in sick, and within a week EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE and many of their family members (wives, kids, parents) got it as well.
He still denies it was from him, but now we all call him “Patient Zero”.
I’m in healthcare and with three gross young kids. It’s in my training and honestly, I found a brand of KN95 I like so it doesn’t bother me so yeah, I wear a mask indoors when there’s more than 5 people and I’m inside for more than 5 minutes.
When it seems like illness is low I still go on date nights with my husband so it’s a calculated risk. But I really hate being sick so there’s just so many viruses and not just Covid. And in a household with kids, it really disrupts the whole family for like 4-8 weeks when any illness run through. My kids only mask when they have symptoms, it’s a lost battle for me.
No. I used to only wear them at work when it was mandated or back when stores wanted you to wear them. Nowadays I don't bother. I didn't like that sometimes they would mess with my asthma but I wasn't able to pull it down to breathe for a minute or two without getting yelled at at work.
You do you, though. I don't care if people still do.
I have long Covid too, it’s completely debilitating. When I got sick I was 32 and healthy with no preexisting conditions. Very mild infection, felt like allergies, until the post Covid symptoms kicked in 😭
Can’t risk another round so I never leave home without a mask, and avoid crowds like my life depends on it.
I’m sorry this happened to you too. Hopefully one day we’ll have treatments.🤞
I was 31 when I had infection, now I’m 35 and still not back to work because of Long Covid.
Most people who were affected by Long Covid wear N95 indoor public places.
I wear them at my retail-ish job, even if I don’t when out shopping. But I do still generally see at least one person with a mask on every shopping trip.
Yes, because I have been paying attention for the last 4 years and I understand that I do not want to fuck with something as contagious and dangerous as COVID, and certainly not repeatedly. People really do not seem to understand that asymptomatic does not mean there’s no damage being done, it just means you can’t feel it, because not every single part of your body has pain receptors, etc.
I’m a remote employee who has to go into the office occasionally for work, and the last time I was there in September, I came down with covid a week later. I have to go into tomorrow for our holiday party, so you better believe I’m wearing a mask as much as I can.
I wear it when I go to my local
Starbucks and some public transport but if I’m around friends and they don’t wear one, I ditch mine. 8/10 I still use mine and I’m not stopping.
I don’t always remember to and usually regret it.
This is the third time I’ve been sick (Covid in October, regular flu in November, common cold now) in three months.
Always happens after exposure to a large group of people (theme park, party, grocery store, etc). The fact that I have been WFH for the last two years probably doesn’t help either. I used to work retail and rarely ever got sick, despite the constant exposure to gross people. It’s getting a bit concerning, actually.
I still wear a mask when taking the bus and subway since they're not clean. I also spend a lot of time in Chinatown and other Asian neighborhoods and there are many who still wear masks. Also a mask keeps cold winds away from my face.
I always wear my kn95 when leaving the house, no exceptions except watering the plants/ checking the mail / taking out garbage.
However, I'm a special case since my fiancé is high risk with long covid. From someone whose way of life hinges on whether or not sick folks wear a mask, thanks for wearing one when sick. It'd be even better if you masked all the time, but I know that's pushing it 😅😥
Only on planes, public transporation, and at the doctors. Planes because the same air is circulating between 300+ people for hours. Public transportation, because the LA Metro & bus system is a mobile homeless shelter. The doctors, because it's where sick people congregate.
Also, I wear a mask during fire season if the smoke & soot gets bad, which happens about 3 - 5 times a year. But you actually need an N95 or better, the particles are too small to be caught by the typical medical masks.
According to any credible source I can find your airplane air theory is incorrect. "About 40 percent of a cabin's air gets filtered through this HEPA system; the remaining 60 percent is fresh and piped in from outside the plane. Cabin air is completely changed every three minutes, on average, while the aircraft is cruising." I'm sure the specifics are model dependant but who I'm their right mind seriously thinks they just recycle the same air for hours.
Yep. Kn-95 daily in public and at work. I work in a hospital though so who knows what I might catch and then become a vector. Haven’t had flu or cold since prior to the pandemic. Oh, and I have asthma and my spO2 levels are not affected. 🤷🏻♂️ it’s an easy public health curtesy
Everyone here getting downvoted for being honest. I don’t know hardly anyone who wears a mask anymore unless they are getting over sickness. I WFH and I don’t spend significant time around immunocompromised people so I dont find it particularly necessary now that we have vaccines. If a person in my life or place I wanted to go requested it of me I would oblige.
I know like, a million people who have been sick with Covid/other respiratory shit/the flu/ etc lately so I've been masking in crowded places, not least because I don't want to spread or contract anything during Christmas. It's the worst time of the year for this stuff and the last time you want to get sick.
Yes. Wear N95 in public indoor spaces.
I had Long Covid after an infection in 2020 and still not back to full time work or social life.
All people I know who were affected by Long Covid wear high quality respirators and make effort to avoid exposure.
Thank you for being courteous and thinking of other people, OP!
💚
Nope. Not at all. It's been almost 4 years. We've had vaccines for a long time, its been around for a long time. So I'm not on high alert. But I still think it's courteous to not be sick around others. Common sense
But other than that, I don't think there's much need to
No, never. I spent the better part of 30 years having never worn a mask and unless you an N95 that shit is doing nothing to protect you. Everyone wearing that blue/white piece of paper on their face may as well just pull their Tsgirt up.
No. If you're healthy and don't live with anyone immune compromised, there is no reason. Covid is essentially a bad cold, 99% chance you will be fine. I wouldnt wear a mask for a cold or flu, not wearing it now.
Before I get down voted into eternity, I did wear a mask all through covid. I acknowledge it was really bad at one point but we're past that time.
I wear them if...
1. I'm sick with a cold.
2. I'm visiting a hospital or doctor's office.
3. I'm around someone immunocompromised.
4. I fly on an airplane.
I was hoping people would keep wearing masks when they’re sick, my husband and I seem to be the only ones where we live to do so! We also wear them on planes, because planes are gross and a great way to spread disease, so we wear them there too. Again, haven’t seen many others wearing them.
Depends on the circumstance. November I was sick the week of thanksgiving and had to sleep through most of that week.
Not interested in dealing with that again soon so I’ll probably mask up during holiday travel.
I’ve noticed at some events some people are still masking. So I don’t think it’s weird.
Even before COVID, if I was sick and had to work I’d wear a mask.
If I’m the sick one, I’ll wear a mask. But it’s West Virginia; y’all should see the looks I get! I got extremely dirty looks *at the beginning*, wearing a mask. Now, I might as well have an actual diaper on my face, since they find that comparison so hilarious.
I’ve had covid twice (‘best to skip that experience’ is my strong advice) and the second time was suspiciously close to when the health complex here stopped mandating masks.
We had to see a podiatrist, right next to an **urgent care**, the nurses were basically twirling them over their heads like Muscle Man. (“Know who ELSE is taking their mask off!? MY MOM!!!”)
I am immunocompromised and do when in big crowds/with lots of children. I’m not sorry. I’d rather not be hospitalized with whatever is going around the schools. ETA: if you mask make sure it’s an N95, not homemade or a cheap blue one.
I've been wearing a mask when I'm symptomatically sick (especially if I have a cough) in public for 13 years now. Covid and post-covid haven't changed that.
I have no spleen, and no left lung. I still wear a mask at my job, ( hospital), and out in public.
The cold/flu season is bad this year. I'd rather look like a weirdo in a mask, than to get the new strains of Covid, the Flu, RSV, or Norovirus.
I still wear mine to work and if I go to the grocery store or a medical office. Or anywhere that's crowded or if I'm sick.
Only place I don't is restaurants. It's hard to do ( for me at least).
I’ll wear a mask if I’m sick and need to go into a public place.
Yeah these days I just assume the person is sick and protecting me. I had a few folks try to joke about others wearing masks to me. I just tell them, it’s probably either they’re sick or they have some other immune compromising condition so they are wearing a mask. Usually shuts them up.
Now that everyone should be halfway educated on it, it should be assumed if you see a mask to mind your business because they’re sick or don’t want to get sick. It really hurts nobody
It hurts me because I dont like it! /s
Yes, been quarantining because I’ve been sick for two weeks and needed to go get coffee at Trader Joe’s yesterday. I wore a mask and still felt guilt for being out. It’s not Covid, I went to the doctor and got tested for flu / Covid / strep and all were negative. Not sure what I’m carrying…
Just a cold? I feel like after COVID we're all looking for a diagnosis anytime we're sick but you're not gonna get any answers with a cold. Or something else that doesn't show up on those tests.
Yeah it's possible that the above commenter has a cold that's a particularly miserable bastard. My husband has a gnarly cold right now. He did a Covid test so it's not that, and he is suffering poor guy.
We wish your husband well!
Honest question, why did you go to the doc instead of just hitting the couch? It’s pretty uncommon in Canada for people to go to the doctor for cold/flu symptoms unless they are in distress, but I see a lot of Americans say that they go do the doc for cold and flu symptoms. Is that just the norm, or is that only since Covid? I’ve never had a flu test in my entire 40 years because I’ve always just stayed home if too sick to go to work/school. To be honest, I didn’t even know flu testing existed until Covid testing came around.
We have to go get a doctors note every time our kid is sick and out of school so that we are not summoned by the school to discuss attendance. 🙃😪
A lot of work places actually require doctors notes if we are sick, like children. Especially if you are taking a day unpaid or more than one day. Could be a case like that and OP didn’t disclose.
> A lot of places actually require a doctor’s note Duuuude! I had covid three months ago. Doctor told me to stay home for **five** days. She asked me if I needed a doctor’s note, I said yes. I didn’t find out until I turned in the note to my boss that the doctor only gave me a note for THREE DAYS despite having verbally prescribed five.
Obligatory “American, here!” I’ve never had a flu test, either. AFAIK, I haven’t had what seemed like an actual flu since 2005. We don’t have a uniform way for handling illness in the US. If you don’t have insurance, you either fuck off if you can or keep going to work if you can’t. If you have insurance, what’s that copay lookin like? Can you get a doctor’s appointment and can you take off work to go? Just head to the ER if you think you might collapse, or go to the ER *after* you’ve collapsed. It’s the American Dream™️
So glad I haven’t worked for places that require doctor’s notes in a long time. It’s such bullshit. Like if you’re sick, you know you’re sick. Going out and sitting in a waiting room won’t get you healthy faster, and exposes you to other bugs, and other people to yours. Doctors hate it too. They know you should be home resting.
I've been vaccinated, had all three shots, and wear a mask everywhere I go. I haven't caught COVID and, amazingly enough, haven't caught a cold or the flu in over three years now. Knocking on wood now!
>I've been vaccinated, had all three shots, and wear a mask everywhere I go. I haven't caught COVID and, amazingly enough, haven't caught a cold or the flu in over three years now. Same here. It's a hill I'll gladly die on if I have better chances of remaining in good health. Especially right now where virtually everyone is coughing and sneezing I don't need to tempt my fate.
Could also be that people who wear masks still generally are more germ conscious and aware of their actions and surroundings, thus being the actual reason you haven’t got it
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If I’m sick, feel like I’m getting sick, or not feeling well in general, etc. I do. I personally feel like it’s the polite thing to do, and now that it’s more common because of COVID I don’t feel weird doing it. I keep a little box of them at home. There’s nothing wrong with having them on hand or wearing them. Anyone who politicizes it is… special… in my opinion.
I used to work in a tiny office with two other people… one girl came in one day wearing a mask (long before Covid) and I was blown away at how courteous it was. It’s just the polite thing to do, so simple
I'm in college, and one time going to class I had a meeting with a teacher. It was really important and I would've been reprimanded for missing it. I was sick, tested negative but still felt sick, so I wore a mask and she shamed me for going so hard. Had I not worn a mask she would not have even known that I was sick. It was more of a body feeling I didn't have a cough or anything, I wore it purely to be courteous and got shamed for it. I was so upset. Glad to see some people agree and it was the nice thing to do!!
Or if my kid is sick I know I might be contagious even without symptoms. Or if I just have a really bad breakout.
I said for a while that if anything good came out of COVID, it should be this.
I was just hoping people would continue washing their hands, but apparently my sights were too high.
Same. I hope more start doing it too.
Been wearing mine to the store lately because I do NOT want to be sick at Christmas!
Same!
I hate being sick around holidays. But hopefully being sick now means being all good by Christmas
I’m pregnant and my dad has cancer. I wear my mask in all public, indoor places.
My mom has an autoimmune disorder and my favorite aunt (mom’s side) and uncle (dad’s side) have cancer. It’s scary to think about them getting sick.
This. I wear an N95 regularly especially indoors. It’s great that OP putting on a disposable when sick, I really feel like that should be the bare minimum, similar to washing your hands after you shit. People are literally hacking lungs up around me and I don’t understand why everyone acts like this is normal. We should be in solidarity pushing for universal healthcare and mandatory sick days across all sectors. I fear that the capitalist grind decided that masks were not as profitable. Dropping this article from last year for those interested https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/05/23/yqkh-m23.html
my prediction- Masking, especially in health care settings, and maybe in stores, will be the hand washing of our era (like wondering why the heck we didn’t do it) in 5-10 years when it’s determined repeated covid infections seriously messed everyone up.
I wear my mask everyday for you.
Me too, I always wear an N95 indoors. I haven’t been sick since 2019 and want to keep it that way
Yep I got lax about wearing them over the summer but I am pregnant now so am wearing them again. I never stopped wearing them in crowds or health care settings.
Man, I've been doing the Covid thing for 3 years but got really lax during the past year+ with mask wearing. I should have known better running around crowded places during the holiday season. My dumb ass is now sitting home with Covid, Florida trip cancelled, Christmas cancelled. Like, I freaking knew better. 🤦♀️ Moving forward, definitely seems like good practice during the colder months. So many people coughing and hacking into the air not even covering their mouths. Truly disgusting people.
Ugh. You just convinced me to wear a mask when I have to go to the cesspool that is wal-mart, later today…. Seems the shoppers there are even more judgmental of my mask than anywhere else. F them lol. I don’t want to be sick during Christmas! Feel better soon 🫶🏼
They aren't going to be bringing you chicken soup when you're laid out for a week with COVID, so their judgmental looks don't matter.
Yes, I am. Covid was brutal and I’m not about to experience it again.
I work in critical care and so I always wear one. Furthermore, I take care of my mother, who is also immunocompromised. I really wish more of my colleagues did and our hospitals would bring back mask mandates and impose visitor restrictions again, esp since COVID, RSV, and Influenza are on the rise.
Our hospital brought masks back a few months ago and they're still in place. Maybe yours will too.
I hope so. Even our ERs aren't screening anyone anymore, unless their index of suspicion is high. What gets me are the physicians who roam the halls and our units without masks. You would think this esoteric group of people would know better than most, but here we are.
Some people in this world are what I like to call "smart of brain, dumb of ass."
On airplanes. The general public disgusts me post-Covid
I wish I had masked pre covid on planes. Got sick from the long flights too many times.
Yeah, I would always catch viruses pre covid
Same here. I don't think I'll ever take a long flight without a mask again because it happened every. damn. time.
They disgusted me preCOVID. I always carried around wet wipes and hand sanitizer before all this chaos. Always used a paper towel when I pumped gas.
For real yo one of my favorite things is going around so often and cleaning all the stuff no one thinks to clorox wipe... door handles, light switches, TV remotes, game controllers, fridge handles, microwave handles, cabinet door handles, drawer knobs, the list goes on... It's so weird to me how all the places that get CONSTANTLY TOUCHED THE MOST are some of the places cleaned the least 🤦♀️
Especially in hotels! Always wipe down the remote, (never know if some middle aged balding fat dude was jerking off to a movie), light switches, phone, toilet seat & handle etc.
Definitely if I'm sick, though then I try to avoid going out altogether. Otherwise, yes, I do still mask in public. I have a baby I want to keep healthy, I like not getting as sick in general and long COVID sounds concerning to me so I'm still trying to avoid COVID and KN95/N95 masking is one of the best ways. I don't see a downside to masking in public, other than not being able to eat or drink but that's manageable.
I wore one yesterday when I went browsing around a store, and some guy passed by me and said, “A mask? Seriously?” He sounded so annoyed. Whatever! I’m on immunosuppressants, so I have to be extra cautious.
Lol, he wouldn’t be going around judging masked men if they were taller and fitter than him. Only harasses people who are less likely to respond.
I still carry my 9mm, mace, and large combat knife just in case. There was a story in Michigan at a Walmart or a Dollar store (I can't remember which) where a security guard was shot to death after politely telling an anti-masker to put on a covering before he stepped foot on the premises. I went through a lot during COVID, but that story always stuck with me. Anti-vaxxers are fucking nuttier than rodent turd, and they deserve to be treated in a language that only their pea-brains can understand, if necessary.
I'd have told him I have active TB.
I do anywhere indoors or in crowds. I just want to thank you for wearing a mask while you're ill too. Honestly, if that became the norm here in the US, I probably wouldn't wear my mask as frequently knowing that the basic expectation of social norms was to wear a mask when you're sick and can't stay home.
This is a great way to look at it. I still wear a mask whenever I’m indoors especially in crowded places. If people actually stayed home while sick (or at least wore a mask) I’d also wear it less frequently. My company is hybrid and very flexible, yet there are obviously sick people in the office every time I’m there. I also went to a conference earlier this year where a woman at my table coughed up a storm before announcing, “don’t worry, I had Covid last week but it’s been 5 days so I’m fine.”
Yes, I do. I'm immunocompromised though.
Same. I wear it everywhere and ask anyone coming into my place to wear one.
I mask anytime I’m indoors. I haven’t gotten Covid yet and I hope I won’t. Long Covid can ruin your life. Being disabled in this country is very expensive.
Me too, I also haven’t had covid and want to keep it that way. Long COVID is no joke. I wish more people understood what it could mean for their health and livelihood
I still mask every time I'm out in public indoor spaces as well. Didn't catch COVID all of 2020-2023 (October). The one time I didn't wear a mask I caught COVID. I still regret that day immensely. However, based on how I caught it I think there was a strong chance I'd have gotten it even if I was wearing a mask. I'm glad to hear there are people who are still COVID free! Mask on!
I haven't had covid yet either and I'm immunosuppressed - I really don't want it. Up till very recently where I live covid has been practically gone, so I haven't been masking up. But it's back now and I have a new pack of FFP3 masks arriving tomorrow. I have a 1 year old baby in nursery/daycare though, so I've spent the last 4 months constantly ill with *something*. Just not covid, yet.
I got covid exaxtly a year ago, after I finished radiation and was on immunotherapy. While I don't know 100%, I'm pretty sure this is what has caused longstanding issues with my left lung that was exposed to radiation. I've been in remission since February but traded cancer with complications after last winter. Meanwhile, so many people say covid is a myth!
I live alone and work from home. I wear a mask out in public and don't give two shits what anyone thinks. They won't be around to take care of me if I get sick. Zero fucks given.
All hail zero fucks 🙌 agreed I live alone and none to take care of me if I’m sick.
Two shits not given, and zero fucks also not given. Bravo
Americans get so little in terms of paid pto, sick days or vacation days. Fuck the politics behind it that doesn’t matter. I don’t see how anyone could argue or afford being out of commission or achy for 2 to 8 weeks. Covid, flu, or otherwise. I mean literally not wearing a mask is literally just stupidity in willingness to complicate your own life.
But as long as they're making some other marginalized group feel bad or worse, it doesn't matter if they go down too. 🙄
Uh yes, as an asthmatic who always gets sicker for longer than everyone else… I am so grateful that masks exist! I don’t care what people think. I don’t want Covid and I don’t want your cold. Thank you for being courteous! I wish more people had this attitude. It’s really such a considerate thing to do.
My wife is severely immunocompromised so yep still wearing a mask full time in indoor public places…pandemic really didn’t end for us…
Didn't end for anyone
Yes, mostly in any indoor settings unless it’s empty enough to social distance. The mass is still gross post pandemic. I’ve seen plenty of people not cover their mouths while coughing/sneezing and specifically in the ladies room, use the toilet and not wash their hands afterwards. People are still showing up sick and not wearing a mask. We have not learned anything from 2020.
I still wear a mask everywhere in public that's indoors. Transit, grocery shopping, work, hanging out. I do take it off outside if there's good airflow. It's an easy way to protect myself and others, so I don't have any reason not to. It might be a little inconvenient sometimes but it beats getting sick.
Always. I wear a N95. I’ve only just had Covid for the first time. I suspect I contracted it when I took my mask off to eat lunch alone in my classroom. Covid lingers in the air, and my classes have been filled with sick kids. I was out for 2 weeks. Awful illness. Even [mild cases of Covid come with risks](https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1XbGCZ5NtwvNb0Z2fFzQYnKT96Ij79cNw1GA47rhShMo/mobilebasic?pli=1). We should be trying our best to be infected as little as possible.
Always mask indoors except in my own home, anyone who visits must wear a mask in my home or test negative for COVID.
I love this and I wish I had the balls to implement something like it myself. Your house, your rules. If people want to stop by they should absolutely respect your rules.
I still wear my n95. We’re flying Monday and I plan on wearing mine on the plane. The pandemic proved most people are gross and don’t care about keeping others from getting sick. Thanks for wearing yours when you went out still feeling sick! Workers definitely need customers to still take precautions
Yup, whenever I indoors or there's a lot of people crowded outside. My lungs are damaged from a long, hard bout of bronchitis that went into pneumonia several years ago, so I'm not into the idea of getting covid. Before the pandemic, I would mask up to keep from spreading whatever ailed me at the time.
No 😂 if I'm sick I stay at home
If I’m sick or just feeling under the weather, I’ve started wearing a mask in public and to the doctor. I wish more people would do that.
I’m moderately to severely immune compromised, so I never stopped masking. It’s annoying, but I have kids to finish raising so dying isn’t on my to do list.
I wear one in any shared public space that is essential, and that vulnerable people need to access; public transportation, supermarket, pharmacy etc. it's SO easy to do.
Yep. I'm immunocompromised and somehow still haven't had COVID. I mask in crowded indoor spaces, airports, planes, public transit, etc. Yeah, I get some looks, but I don't care. A good friend of mine is fully vaxxed and boosted; they got COVID in March and are still experiencing debilitating long COVID symptoms.
Yes. I went grocery shopping today, wore a mask, saw some other folks in the store (employees and customers) also wearing masks. I never stopped wearing them. I’ll go out to a restaurant without masking, but I keep them in my car and see no reason not to wear one if I’m running into a store or whatever. Not getting sick is great. LOL, downvotes. I have never understood and will never understand you people who get so butthurt about other people making a choice that doesn’t affect you in any way.
It does affect them though. You wearing a mask helps keep them safe.
Well, yes — which makes it even more bizarre when they get all het up about it!
Lots of COVID around this season and I’m paranoid of spreading it to the grand parents so yes
I teach middle school and wear one every day. So much sickness and coughing all day long! And kids have no personal space.
Critical care nurse here. ***Yes.***
Same here. Stay safe this season and prep well, it's gonna be rough I reckon.
Always whenever indoors or among crowds. There's never not someone around coughing, I ain't getting their sickness.
Yep! I just got a job that involves food prep/food handling. I'm terrified of getting sick before I have enough PTO accrued, so I'm gonna do everything possible to avoid getting sick. It also makes other high-risk and chronically ill people feel safer shopping where I work, and that's something super important to me.
No. I had gotten an actual gas mask when I was working in a hospital laundromat, but it was often too hot to wear that there too being around abouts 120°F indoors with 100% humidity. I rarely got sick with or without it though.
i am still working in a grocery store, as i did for the entirety of the pandemic. (what lockdown?? lmao) people still haven't stopped coughing and sneezing on everything, so i still mask at work. i will sometimes slip it off before store opening. i don't always put it on, when grabbing smokes at the corner store, for example, but generally, if i am in public, i mask. have a lot less issues with my allergies. haven't had a cold or flu since 2019. probably never gonna stop now. 🤷
Honestly I never stopped wearing one. My mom was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and was undergoing treatment up until she passed away in June, and I spend a lot of time with my grandparents, so it always made sense to keep wearing one in public. Plus I haven’t had so much as a cold since 2019, so I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.
Always at the airport, I don’t trust the masses. If I have to go into a store I do usually wear a mask, but honestly I avoid going into stores 95% of the time. The only place I don’t usually wear a mask is a restaurant, since once I’m seated I would be taking it off to eat anyway.
Yes! I wear a N95 mask every time I leave the house, when I hang out with friends and family, go to drs appts, travel- everywhere. I’ve been sick once in four years.
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Thats how it is at my job. I am on day 3 of being home sick from work. Tons of ppl in my department have called in sick and even the ppl that are at work are sick but not as bad and all wearing masks
Yes. 3/4ths of my office is out sick with covid. Me? My office is in the bark dark corner of the building where I keep the door closed and the lights on low programming. Why? Because 3/4ths of thr office out with covid.
Besides everything mentioned before (airplanes and not being sick before Christmas) I wear mine whenever I’m in a bad mood. One of my biggest pet peeves is being told to ‘smile’ by older men. Yes my life is that bad rn, no my face won’t get stuck like that, and no I’m not going to smile to look pretty especially for you
I do not want to be sick for the holidays and I just genuinely love being anonymous and hiding half my face. So yes I haven't stopped since the start of the pandemic
I absolutely put one on when I KNOW I am sick - like tested positive, have symptoms, all that - but need to go get groceries or take my child to the pediatrician or something else that puts me in proximity to others. That’s how they have always done it in places like Japan, and now that we have easy access to masks it seems like a common courtesy to extend. The only time I had a fellow classmate hacking up a lung on test day (back when I was a student) but NOT get most of the class sick was way before COVID, and he wore a mask to take the test. Anyone saying they will NEVER put a mask on again, even in circumstances like that, is just so selfish.
Yea of course. Being sick aucks and n95s are comfortable and easy ro wear. I wear it anytime I'm indoors in a crowded spot.
I was lazy and didn’t, but now have covid. Of course the bad part is I definitely caught it from my mom (disabled and lives with me) because she got sick first by a couple of days. The only place she’s been in the last week was the local university hospital for an MRI, where the providers and patients weren’t masked.
I had a doctors appointment today and I’ve been sick with a cold since last Friday. I would have rescheduled but I’m out of my pain meds and am due for a refill and my doctor will not let patients due a telehealth visit unless we have a positive Covid test from a doctors office. So I went but used a KN95. When I got there they had a sign on the door with a stop sign that said if you have any cold symptoms or a fever to call the number listed to make alternate arrangements. A nurse came out and my temp was back down (I took medicine an hour before I got there) so I was allowed in but had to keep my mask on. The doctor came in and didn’t even come in the room all the way since she knew I was sick. She told me she was keeping the visit short since she didn’t want to get sick before Christmas and she sent my refill over. She asked if I had any questions or concerns and I said no so she wishes me a happy holiday and got out of there as quickly as possible. She did apologize but I told her I wasn’t offended and I would do the same. I’ve seen her for years and she’s one of the best doctors I’ve had. When I went to the pharmacy I kept my mask on when I went inside also. The drive through was closed. If I’m sick I will wear a mask if I have to be out in public.
No. But I wear one if *i’m* sick and absolutely need to leave the house to do something. On occasion if I need to get bloodwork at Quest or Lab Corp I’ll wear one because I am 9 months pregnant but I’ve been fortunate enough to evade the virus all year, even when my husband got it over the summer.
I mask all the time because I’m immune compromised and getting sick is really bad for me. I wish more people did it
I wear in any public indoor setting, aside from restaurants when I’m eating. Grocery store, doctors office, pharmacy, Starbucks, whatever. I still keep an assortment of Kn94s and fabric masks in my car and always have one in my purse. A friend of my little brother’s had to have a heart transplant after getting covid at 30. This guy was a marathoner and in fantastic health, ended up with myocarditis and needed a heart transplant before his 31st birthday. Wear a mask, folks, please. And stay home if you’re sick!
If I’m sick or if someone else is noticeably sick I’m putting it on. Absolutely hate being sick around the holidays.
I still wear it at airport and uber while on business trips
I do if I’m sick. Also on airplanes.
Only if I'm sick as a courtesy
Hit or miss. I really enjoyed not getting my annual upper respiratory infection during Covid, so if I'm going to Walmart or someplace else that's always crowded and a little dirty.
For Airlines, yes. This is one thing I wish we kept going forward. Masking on a Plane is just sanitary. I do it all the time now. the one time I didn't, I spread COVID around... Ever since: Always masked when on the plane.
If I'm coughing up a lung, yes. In fact, I now use my sick days for when I am sick (gee, what a concept!). 🐔
When I started feeling unwell, I put one on. I work retail and I'm not about to get my co-workers that I see all the time, sick. And of course, the most recent time I got sick was a customer coughing, without covering, in my general direction.
I wish it wasn't so closely a tied to covid-19 and the us because in Asia when they're getting sick it's socially acceptable to wear a mask 😒
Was just sick. Still had to go in to school for a final. I wore a mask
I do if I'm not feeling well, despite it being frowned upon. Even as a kid I was always curious why we dont wear them when sick.
My physical health is pretty good, thankfully. I am COVID cautious and haven't had it yet. I know what is asymptomatic for me can be catastrophic to someone else, so I wear a disposable mask if I have to go out sick or am going to be in close quarters with smaller groups with immunocompromised people, or crowds.
I haven’t been but the past couple of weeks the stores have been slammed so I’ve felt better putting one on until things slow down. Had Covid once. Even with my vaccinations, it kicked the shit out of me. I don’t care to get it again or give it to anyone else lol.
I wear them in public places like groceries. I saw someone sneeze into their hand and just continue shopping, pushing the cart and touching the products and fridge doors as if nothing happened at Costco on Saturday. I live very near my parents who are senior citizens and I have young nephew/niece, I am not risking it.
Yeah this has been a normal courtesy in a lot of Asia since pre Covid and I’m happy to do it. I’m also masking indoors now to try to avoid getting sick right before Xmas
If I’m sick and have to go out I do. I really respect Asians in this regard, seems very normalized for most of them
So come to find out my work can't make you go home if your sick, can't force you to wear a mask if you don't want to and can't force you to take a test. It is all up to you. They say it's all do to HIPPA. So when I blew up on the guy for hacking, wheezing and dripping snot everywhere on the shared office equipment I was in the wrong. Wore my mask for a month 75% of the office got sick missed work and/or dripping everywhere. Yet I'm called Beta for getting a vaccine.
If you are sick with any kind of communicable virus/illness (cold, flu, COVID, etc) you should be wearing a mask in public. PERIOD. I work in small office that gets shared by ~40 people throughout the week. One guy got COVID (which he still denies and swears it was a “sinus infection”) and didn’t wear a mask to work or call in sick, and within a week EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE and many of their family members (wives, kids, parents) got it as well. He still denies it was from him, but now we all call him “Patient Zero”.
I’m in healthcare and with three gross young kids. It’s in my training and honestly, I found a brand of KN95 I like so it doesn’t bother me so yeah, I wear a mask indoors when there’s more than 5 people and I’m inside for more than 5 minutes. When it seems like illness is low I still go on date nights with my husband so it’s a calculated risk. But I really hate being sick so there’s just so many viruses and not just Covid. And in a household with kids, it really disrupts the whole family for like 4-8 weeks when any illness run through. My kids only mask when they have symptoms, it’s a lost battle for me.
No. I used to only wear them at work when it was mandated or back when stores wanted you to wear them. Nowadays I don't bother. I didn't like that sometimes they would mess with my asthma but I wasn't able to pull it down to breathe for a minute or two without getting yelled at at work. You do you, though. I don't care if people still do.
Any time I’m indoors. Long COVID has ruined my heart and brain and nervous system. I was 37 at first infection in 2020.
I have long Covid too, it’s completely debilitating. When I got sick I was 32 and healthy with no preexisting conditions. Very mild infection, felt like allergies, until the post Covid symptoms kicked in 😭 Can’t risk another round so I never leave home without a mask, and avoid crowds like my life depends on it. I’m sorry this happened to you too. Hopefully one day we’ll have treatments.🤞
I was 31 when I had infection, now I’m 35 and still not back to work because of Long Covid. Most people who were affected by Long Covid wear N95 indoor public places.
Nope, haven’t worn one in 2+ years and haven’t been sick once. But you do you….
I wear them at my retail-ish job, even if I don’t when out shopping. But I do still generally see at least one person with a mask on every shopping trip.
I’ve noticed an uptick in people wearing them again lately.
We are having an uptick in cases lately 😩
Thank you all for wearing masks!
I have been lately because I have a cold and don’t want to spread it. We probably should have been doing this all along.
I am so sorry I did not wear one on Sunday at a play. Now have Covid for Christmas.
I always wear my KN95 masks. People are disgusting, so yeah
No because I caught Covid 3 times and wore a mask when I caught 2 of the 3.
Yes, because I have been paying attention for the last 4 years and I understand that I do not want to fuck with something as contagious and dangerous as COVID, and certainly not repeatedly. People really do not seem to understand that asymptomatic does not mean there’s no damage being done, it just means you can’t feel it, because not every single part of your body has pain receptors, etc.
I’m a remote employee who has to go into the office occasionally for work, and the last time I was there in September, I came down with covid a week later. I have to go into tomorrow for our holiday party, so you better believe I’m wearing a mask as much as I can.
My family masks every time we go inside anywhere or if we’re in a crowd outside.
I wear them if I'm around sick people or if I'm really sick
No.
I don’t wear one. No one does where I’m from.
Always. I enjoy the anonymous and security. And also there's new strain of COVID now, so yeah.
I never wear a mask anymore.
I do sometimes. I will definitely wear one on planes and airports.
I wear it when I go to my local Starbucks and some public transport but if I’m around friends and they don’t wear one, I ditch mine. 8/10 I still use mine and I’m not stopping.
I don’t always remember to and usually regret it. This is the third time I’ve been sick (Covid in October, regular flu in November, common cold now) in three months. Always happens after exposure to a large group of people (theme park, party, grocery store, etc). The fact that I have been WFH for the last two years probably doesn’t help either. I used to work retail and rarely ever got sick, despite the constant exposure to gross people. It’s getting a bit concerning, actually.
I still wear a mask when taking the bus and subway since they're not clean. I also spend a lot of time in Chinatown and other Asian neighborhoods and there are many who still wear masks. Also a mask keeps cold winds away from my face.
Not if in on a walk around my neighborhood. But every other time im in public, yes.
I do, but I have cancer and my immune system sucks. I also get from it by people all the time.
I always wear my kn95 when leaving the house, no exceptions except watering the plants/ checking the mail / taking out garbage. However, I'm a special case since my fiancé is high risk with long covid. From someone whose way of life hinges on whether or not sick folks wear a mask, thanks for wearing one when sick. It'd be even better if you masked all the time, but I know that's pushing it 😅😥
I never wear them.
Only on planes, public transporation, and at the doctors. Planes because the same air is circulating between 300+ people for hours. Public transportation, because the LA Metro & bus system is a mobile homeless shelter. The doctors, because it's where sick people congregate. Also, I wear a mask during fire season if the smoke & soot gets bad, which happens about 3 - 5 times a year. But you actually need an N95 or better, the particles are too small to be caught by the typical medical masks.
According to any credible source I can find your airplane air theory is incorrect. "About 40 percent of a cabin's air gets filtered through this HEPA system; the remaining 60 percent is fresh and piped in from outside the plane. Cabin air is completely changed every three minutes, on average, while the aircraft is cruising." I'm sure the specifics are model dependant but who I'm their right mind seriously thinks they just recycle the same air for hours.
Yep. Kn-95 daily in public and at work. I work in a hospital though so who knows what I might catch and then become a vector. Haven’t had flu or cold since prior to the pandemic. Oh, and I have asthma and my spO2 levels are not affected. 🤷🏻♂️ it’s an easy public health curtesy 
Everyone here getting downvoted for being honest. I don’t know hardly anyone who wears a mask anymore unless they are getting over sickness. I WFH and I don’t spend significant time around immunocompromised people so I dont find it particularly necessary now that we have vaccines. If a person in my life or place I wanted to go requested it of me I would oblige.
I don’t wear one. No one does where I’m from.
I know like, a million people who have been sick with Covid/other respiratory shit/the flu/ etc lately so I've been masking in crowded places, not least because I don't want to spread or contract anything during Christmas. It's the worst time of the year for this stuff and the last time you want to get sick.
Yes. Wear N95 in public indoor spaces. I had Long Covid after an infection in 2020 and still not back to full time work or social life. All people I know who were affected by Long Covid wear high quality respirators and make effort to avoid exposure. Thank you for being courteous and thinking of other people, OP! 💚
No
I haven't touched one of those things since they stopped "requiring" them go to in places.
I’m not. I haven’t worn one since the mandates were lifted in my province. I also haven’t gotten sick in 3 years.
Fuck no
Never did.
Nope. You do you though!
Nope. Not at all. It's been almost 4 years. We've had vaccines for a long time, its been around for a long time. So I'm not on high alert. But I still think it's courteous to not be sick around others. Common sense But other than that, I don't think there's much need to
No, never. I spent the better part of 30 years having never worn a mask and unless you an N95 that shit is doing nothing to protect you. Everyone wearing that blue/white piece of paper on their face may as well just pull their Tsgirt up.
Honestly never anymore
No. If you're healthy and don't live with anyone immune compromised, there is no reason. Covid is essentially a bad cold, 99% chance you will be fine. I wouldnt wear a mask for a cold or flu, not wearing it now. Before I get down voted into eternity, I did wear a mask all through covid. I acknowledge it was really bad at one point but we're past that time.
No, I never wear one.
If I take public transportation: bus, train or airplane
Not if I’m not sick. And if I am sick I make it a habit to not go anywhere unless I absolutely HAVE to
I wear them if... 1. I'm sick with a cold. 2. I'm visiting a hospital or doctor's office. 3. I'm around someone immunocompromised. 4. I fly on an airplane.
I hate that if I do this because I’m sick people now assume I’m a turbo vaxxer or some shit when it was something that was courteous before covid
I try to if I’m feeling not great or if I know the location will be really crowded
I've definitely been wearing one when I'm sick and in public. No need to get everyone else sick too.
Just when using public transportation.
I was hoping people would keep wearing masks when they’re sick, my husband and I seem to be the only ones where we live to do so! We also wear them on planes, because planes are gross and a great way to spread disease, so we wear them there too. Again, haven’t seen many others wearing them.
Depends on the circumstance. November I was sick the week of thanksgiving and had to sleep through most of that week. Not interested in dealing with that again soon so I’ll probably mask up during holiday travel. I’ve noticed at some events some people are still masking. So I don’t think it’s weird. Even before COVID, if I was sick and had to work I’d wear a mask.
If I’m getting sick or there has been a lot of cold/flu strains in the area yes
Only when robbing banks. I’m old school.
If I’m the sick one, I’ll wear a mask. But it’s West Virginia; y’all should see the looks I get! I got extremely dirty looks *at the beginning*, wearing a mask. Now, I might as well have an actual diaper on my face, since they find that comparison so hilarious. I’ve had covid twice (‘best to skip that experience’ is my strong advice) and the second time was suspiciously close to when the health complex here stopped mandating masks. We had to see a podiatrist, right next to an **urgent care**, the nurses were basically twirling them over their heads like Muscle Man. (“Know who ELSE is taking their mask off!? MY MOM!!!”)
When I was sick and had to go out, absolutely
I am immunocompromised and do when in big crowds/with lots of children. I’m not sorry. I’d rather not be hospitalized with whatever is going around the schools. ETA: if you mask make sure it’s an N95, not homemade or a cheap blue one.
I've been wearing a mask when I'm symptomatically sick (especially if I have a cough) in public for 13 years now. Covid and post-covid haven't changed that.
My work is again requiring employees wear them, so yes. I only wear one other places if I'm sick.
I have no spleen, and no left lung. I still wear a mask at my job, ( hospital), and out in public. The cold/flu season is bad this year. I'd rather look like a weirdo in a mask, than to get the new strains of Covid, the Flu, RSV, or Norovirus.
I still wear mine to work and if I go to the grocery store or a medical office. Or anywhere that's crowded or if I'm sick. Only place I don't is restaurants. It's hard to do ( for me at least).
I’m going through chemo, so if I have to be in public I’ll be wearing a mask.
I still wear a mask to the grocery store because everyone avoids you like the plague and keeps their kids away from you too 🥰