Posted Sep 6, 2021, 4:01 PM
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Fourth and Main
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Johns Creek, GA (Atlanta)
Posts: 3,136
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One of the things the news (in the United States) doesn't talk about is: If you recover from COVID-19 is it similar to having a vaccine? If it is: Why don't we see a merged total of people vaccinated and people who have recovered? All three of us, including our son, had it earlier this year. Our son Noah had extremely mild symptoms, while Lauren and I were in rough shape. Lauren and I would've been partially vaccinated before we got it, if our appointment for vaccination wasn't moved back by a few weeks. At that time, they had issues getting shipments of the vaccine. Lauren got COVID-19 a few days after that rescheduled first shot appointment and I had it a few days after that. While it wouldn't have been two weeks after a second shot, it may have been enough to prevent the worst issues if those shots weren't rescheduled. We also both had a breakthrough, which I thought was us both getting a bad allergy attack in July, but none of us have allergy issues in July and that was the worst two-day allergy attack any of us have ever had. Our son (too young to get vaccinated) didn't have any symptoms? I'm guessing because he recovered from it a few months earlier?
I've reached a point where I want to enjoy the last few weeks or days I can go mask-free. This looks like something that will continue-on for years. I can remember people saying it (COVID-19) will find a way to both spread more easily and not be as deadly (so it doesn't kill its host), but it appears to be spreading more easily and becoming worse, while reducing the vaccine's protection. I just want to enjoy what little time is remaining that we can go mask-free and I'm in a state that allows it.
On that subject: I did finally visit a store I tried to avoid, due to mask requirements (yes, I have become one of those people that doesn't visit places that require masks). I remember reading here and hearing elsewhere that they can't ask you if you have an exemption from wearing a mask. Both Lauren and I walked-in without masks and no one asked. They had a sign, nearly as big as I am, saying STOP Masks Required. Interestingly, it also said something like by order of your local government... which I know is false. Governor Kemp won't allow local governments to do that. Once inside, I was concerned we would be the only customers without a mask, but interestingly around 25% of the store's customers didn't have masks. This included someone in scrubs who likely worked at the neighboring hospital or a local medical office. No one said anything. Interestingly, other unmasked customers become very friendly with you if you are among their group of the unmasked. After hearing, from the overhead speakers, that all of their employees must be masked... at checkout, we noticed two employees without masks. This included the employee at the register. Lauren later told me she wished she wore a mask.
If you or your kids are unvaccinated and haven't had and fully recovered from COVID-19, you should probably avoid going-out and try the pick-up or delivery services. Unless you live somewhere with masking requirements and 100% compliance with mask mandates. Around here (northeast suburbs of Atlanta), it can be (roughly estimated) 25-50% of the people at stores and 75-90% of people at restaurants without masks. Many people got vaccinated so they wouldn't have to wear a mask again. If we take that away, it could become more difficult to talk them into getting boosters. I do continue to believe that masking should be optional. You decide the level of risk you want to take based on your confidence in the vaccines, the quality of your mask, and being around so many unmasked people. Around here, even sending your kids to school is taking a risk. At least one group of parents is taking Gwinnett County Schools to court saying the schools can't require masks. Yes, leaving home or your car is taking a risk. I do think schools should require masks and vaccines for teachers/employees, but there are others who do not agree with me on that issue, creating risk. There are options that allow people to avoid all of the risk and not leave their car or their home. If you step inside a business, you are taking a risk. I didn't include people with mouth or chin coverings in the unmasked estimates I posted. I will admit, when I first showed signs of COVID-19 in the Spring, I used that mask to help hide the symptoms so I could buy various cold medicines and any grocery items we thought we may need for a few weeks. I'm sure I'm not the only one to do that.
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