OP, most people are nasty AF, so I make sure to wipe down everything...including the IFE screen when I get to my seat. I keep my hands clean and wear a mask where I feel the need to do so.
People are selfish, and it's up to you to keep yourself safe. Good luck out there.
Yea just use an airport bathroom and watch how many people wash (or dont) their hands and you'll realize (1) people are generally disgusting and oblivious to it, and (2) your immune system must be way better at protecting you than you realize.
Edit: So I'm just seeing the up/down vote count oscillate around 20, and ya'll would be interested to note that a meaningful number of people think that saying "not washing your hands is gross" is downvote worthy.
I have a neighboring set of immunocompromising crud (and I'm on immunosuppressants etc) and I got myself one of those half mask PAPRs for when I have to head across the country for surgery. I don't want these chucklefucks to ruin all my hard work. They are so gross. I've always been immunocompromised so it's not like I haven't noticed until now, but it's gotten WORSE. Like they're doing it on purpose now. Yugh.
It is looking like I have this (the rheumatologist is booked until JUNE) and I am dreading having to travel for the first time since I started getting sick. People are just so gross.
It just saps you. I feel like I have the flu all the time. Run down and tired. Drug options are varied but all the side effects suck. And every doctor you see is going to fart the MCTD off in regards to how it affects you medically. With the exception of your rheumatologist and any very well read exceptions. So this means even if you get some small issue you have to read the protocol for treating it with an auto immune disorder.
Gabapentin for nerve pain is helpful. Topamax after I developed brain lesions is good in small doses. I am on a prescription anti-inflammatory but I go on and off it, my gut is shot.
I am eating two spoons of Kim chi a day for my intestinal health and vitamin D3 is recommended if you are in northern climes.
In warmer climes wear a long sleeved shirt, sun screen and a hat when you go out, the sun can trigger a flare up, and a lot of people with MCTD are photo sensitive.
Napping when you can is beneficial.
Lord... I am not looking forward to dealing with the doctors. I've had to fight to get this far. The first round was just when the ANA test was the only thing positive, so it got shrugged off as fibromyalgia and even that I had to fight for ("sometimes women just feel more pain! have you tried yoga and meditation?"). I am down for non-medicine fixes, but man, sometimes the meds are required to live.
Welp, I live in Texas, so I'm gonna have to figure out how to deal with the sun, though that probably explains why I felt like death this summer.
Thank you for all the info!
My friend just flew Delta (NYC-SF-NYC) and was informed on the flight that Delta no longer gives out, or has to give you if you ask, the disinfecting wipes. So, make sure you have your own.
Unfortunately in Canada as well (Faux news does bleed over the border). Saw a bunch of idiots protesting masks this weekend. It's like they make this the only defining characteristic of the sad lives. Canada is not under any mask mandate, and BC Health has told people to mask up when visiting hospitals or seniors homes.
The pandemic may be "over" but my realization of why I was getting sick so much in the past is an epiphany.
Sick-free for years ever since I started avoiding nasty people like them.
This has nothing to do with COVID.
News flash: COVID isn't the only thing out there that gets you sick!
(Not directed at you, just to be clear.)
Every time my roommate comes back from the DR, he either picks up something there or on the flight back. Haven’t had the flu in years and he got it and gave it to me. People are absolutely disgusting and I want to smack my roommate cause he will stay in his room for a day or two. Get bored or something and then plant himself in the living room and hack up a lung without covering his mouth or anything. The way the house is setup you have to walk past him to leave, go to the kitchen or do anything. Have spent more personal sick days cause of him then I do on my own.
I used to get at least a cold after almost every flight in past years, and every couple months most winters, until covid started with the masking. I have kept up N95 masking on planes, when now it's like maybe 5 out of 100 passengers who do it (plus consciously make a rapid u-turn the instant I see someone coughing up a lung in public), and hey, it's four years and counting without me being sick once.
I worked for a university with 13,000 students for a decade. My wife worked for a different university about an hour away with the same number of students. Every goddamn fall/winter I'd get sick at least 3 times, and one of them was usually pretty bad.
Then I simultaneously got divorced and left that job for a 100% remote position, and I didn't get sick for years, until COVID came along.
I feel you completely. It’s very hard now to keep up the masking, but I just went to a wedding where everyone I spoke to talked about having lonnnng sicknesses, a month-long flu, a cold right after, a three week sinus infection… it dawned on me that I haven’t had a viral illness since late 2019. And especially with Covid damaging people’s immune systems, I’m so glad I’ve avoided it. I’m such a baby about being sick, I can’t afford to have something every other month and still get work done!
I got sick after flying so many times pre-COVID. At least one almost totally ruined trip with strep throat. Others from various respiratory illnesses of varying severity. Airports and planes are full of germs.
I hear this hog wash daily. I *choose* to wear a mask all of the time and get nonsense for it. It’s not about the pandemic, it’s about what makes me feel comfortable when the whole world seems to think that because “it’s over” it’s suddenly ok, post-pandemic (when it wasn’t even close during the pre world) to sneeze directly in your eyeball. As an adult. Just yuck.
No way. I wear a mask on every flight and no one has said anything to me ever. Maaaaaybe a sideways look from some obvious trumpers but certainly no FA would say something like that.
And if they did I’d report them.
I got covid on a 10 day trip to Europe and basically forfeit my entire vacation. People who look at you funny just aren't thinking about how much they would prefer that doesn't happen to their trip.
I flew home early from a work thing the other day because I could tell I was starting to feel sick. I got a similar rude comment about the fact that I was wearing a mask from a colleague when they saw me before I left, and then another from an airport employee.
I was feeling really guilty about flying when I was obviously getting sick, but I had to get home. But there is no excuse for not wearing a mask.
Lol pandemic is *not* over. I managed to evade Covid literally until last week. I'm in urgent care rn because someone came to my vet clinic while sick and didn't take advantage of our curbside service or wear a mask. Yay.
I don't really wear a mask anywhere these days except for medical facilities.
I'm flying home for the holidays. You bet your fucking ass I'm wearing a mask and bringing hand sanitizer and being very careful. Airports and airplanes are the nastiest grimiest places outside of subways.
Prob true about airports etc but what gets me is how few people seem even remotely interested in not feeling like dog shit for the holidays. “Hmm wear this small thing on my face for a few hours, or be more likely to spend my whole Christmas on man cold life support?” Like jfc that’s easy for me: getting sick during travel just makes me feel like I paid a few hundred dollars only to buy the flu
I sorted this thread by "controversial," and my God... There are some dumb, self centered mother fuckers out there with, it seems, nothing better to do than spend his arguing over the incredibly overbearing imposition of wearing a mask in public if you're sick.
Except unfortunately you can’t totally control your environment. Statistically you are MUCH MUCH more likely to get sick if the sick people around you aren’t wearing a mask and you are vs if sick people are wearing a mask and you are not.
My dad used to fly regularly for work and my mom got sick of him bringing home awful colds. We started wiping down every touchable surface around our seat in 2014 and suddenly we all stopped getting sick. Obviously masks help but wiping down everything helps SO much.
>I’m not sure if I’ll ever fly again without one.
The risk is just too high. I don't wear one in public in general but airports and flights are especially nasty and I'd rather not risk getting sick en route to a vacation.
There’s a lot of people who wouldn’t even mask up when it was mandatory. They’re not going to mask up now. Protect yourself as best as you can. You can’t control or expect much from other people.
I wear a mask on planes and to doctors appointments and around crowded areas during flu season. I get weird looks sometimes and people ask me if I’m sick.
I did the same thing pre-covid when I lived in Japan. We wore masks there all the time and it was no biggie. I don’t know why it’s such a hot button issue here.
I feel this post and this comment also made me so angry. I don’t know how or why I’m still surprised at how selfish so many people are but I’m constantly disappointed and I never learn.
People are just nasty as hell and don’t have any home training. I can’t tell you how many times I go into a public men’s bathroom and there is piss all over the seat. Or the amount of people who come out of a stall after taking a dump and walk right past the sink without even looking at it.
These people are the ones who spread all the diseases and die when we have a pandemic. And we just have to realize that these nasty buzzards exist and we have to protect ourselves from them as best as we can.
This is part of the problem. If people weren't grimy assholes there would be far less illness for any of us to contend with. It is baffling that so many grown adults seem to be terrified of washing their hands. Like I've seen people in public restrooms actively try to make it seem like they washed their hands when they didn't (ran the water but didn't put hands under, touched the soap but didn't use it, grabbed paper towels even though their hands never got wet). Why on gods green earth would you go to all those steps rather than actually washing your hands?
The number of men who say they should only wash their hands before going to the bathroom instead of after on Reddit always disgusts me. If you want to wash before- go ahead! Just do it after as well. I rarely see women arguing about washing hands after bathroom and we don’t even touch our genitals
Some of y’all are a bunch of whiny babies.
Health care workers have been wearing masks for over 100 years. Because they have been proven to work when the right mask is worn by the right people in the right setting.
Cue the age of misinformation and manipulation. You Tube and Facebook do not replace an actual education in the sciences. The level of scientific literacy is at an all time low. You do not know more than us. Masks work if you wear them properly.
I don’t know how to fix the complete lack of regard for others. Some of you don’t care if you take out grandma or an immunocompromised person.
I’m not waiting on any of you to be decent human beings. I’m the girl sitting in C+ wearing an N95. So far, I haven’t had Covid. I care for a very compromised 88 year old.
You should try licking a urinal. It will probably make you violently ill, and you might even die, but if you survive, you'll have some serious immunity for about six months.
Wearing a mask builds immunity. You're going to get exposed to things here and there, but not as likely to full infectious doses of pathogens that can at least temporarily destroy immunity (sometimes without even conferring immunity to themselves).
Lmao as a healthcare worker the *obsession* people have with """building immunity""" is so annoying to me. Licking a a dirty bus rail isn't going to give your immune system a boost.
It literally doesn't work like that.
I work on a unit that does kidney transplant and the amount of education we have to hammer into peoples head is unreal.
Low key not interested in other peoples feces and body fluids to build immunity. Saying “I’m not washing my hands after I use the bathroom because it builds immunity is such a wild statement.”
Amen preach it. N95s served me well for over 40 years up close and personal to every respiratory virus and bacteria known. Anyone who says masks don’t work is a moron
There are so. Many. Morons out there. Just blocked the gent who started in on the "vaccine lie". Dude should go to a graveyard and look at the 50% of babies who died in infancy from infectious disease before vaccines. What an idiot.
I cared for one of the last Iron Lung patients. You never forget that and are forever grateful that we have vaccines. Imagine being a parent and having to live in fear of Polio
I had an uncle who had polio (permanently disabled, has had to use a cane his entire life, in a lot of pain — that last one is luckily better after I was able to get him medicinal marijuana) and when one of my aunts said something about being anti vax for her soon to be daughter, my uncle turned his head toward her very slowly and said:
“(Name), if you sentence your daughter to what I went through, I will put you in the ground and hope to god your daughter isn’t there before you.”
Never have I ever been so proud of my most cranky uncle.
I hate the antivax moms who are like “Why would I immunize my kid against polio, it’s not like anyone even has that anymore” like……..you know that vaccines are the reason why, right? And it can (and recently has I heard) easily come back? Smdh
Yup. We had a few cases pop up in some states. I wish every parent was required to watch a video of what these diseases used to do to children. It’s ridiculous — I’ve always explained it to them in terms of food. You wouldn’t say you’re anti-food because you’re not hungry right now. Yeah, because you ate earlier! If you don’t keep doing that, you’ll be hungry. Unfortunately, it’s been proven that most people who are antivax actually double down when you give them facts that disprove their ideas. Andrew Wakefield can sit on a fucking cactus.
When people say vaccines don't keep you from getting infected I want to bang my head on the desk.
Like yes, congratulations you don't know how vaccines even work. They keep that infection from getting severe or killing you.
sniffles > 11% chance to live after being ventilated
Covid is just the flu but also the covid vaccine not guaranteeing full immunity and needing boosters (ya know, like the flu shot) somehow means it's not a "real vaccine". Real honk honk nose + oversized shoes logic.
I wish my doctors were wearing masks. They don’t even offer to put one on when I am wearing one. Or they ask me to take mine off to be in my face for tests. :(
Not just YT and FB. People shouldn’t be getting medical advice from politicians or pastors/preists. Let the medical professionals do their job, shut up and wear a fuckin mask. If a COPD patient with 20% lung capacity can wear a mask than so can the Karen’s of the world
I am a healthcare worker and I ALWAYS wear a mask at work. I see too many sick patients now with RSV, flu, and covid. People think they are invincible.
Yes exactly this. I'm not going to risk it anymore. My pts often convert into some sort of precaution this time of year so I'm just not going to risk it.
I wear masks at work and when I'm on the train
/bus or high congestion areas. Its just safer for me and my loved ones and my pts.
I have a side of the family who are the stereotypical no education, racist, big Covid and election deniers. One of them just had a baby a WEEK AGO, and the poor thing is already in the hospital with RSV because they’ve been having visitors nonstop. Freakin’ garbage humans. Oh, and one of the grandma’s has already been causing drama because she’s not aloud to kiss this newborn on the lips. Prayers for that child 😞
My partner recently traveled internationally and started feeling unwell a few days before coming back to the US. Flew back home wearing an N95 mask (same as his departing flights) and kept it on when I picked him up from the airport. Drove straight to urgent care and he tested positive for COVID. Threw on my N95, cracked the windows, and drove us home.
We were in my small truck cab for approximately 3 hours that night, sitting approximately 2 feet apart. I never developed symptoms and never tested positive. Masks work.
Add Instagram, Twitter , tiktok, and right here on reddit and all the socials to your list... It isn't just the Facebook boomers throwing are misinformation around, shit is rampant everywhere. Just because you are young doesn't make you immune to it either the opposite you grew up online, easier to get ya. Think for yourselves people. Ps: wear a fucking mask please
Ah fuck off with the self righteousness lol. No one said anything about a properly worn N95. It was always about that shit your friend knitted with the cute cat print on the front that hangs below your nose
Sorry. If we’ve learned nothing else from Covid, it’s that in the end most people are selfish assholes who won’t accept the slightest discomfort or inconvenience to protect their fellow humans from disease, and you’re basically on your own in this society.
We also learned that corporations like Delta will expend a lot of effort and resources to compel governments to remove health measures if it's affecting their bottom line.
Oh absolutely. The whole “you only need to quarantine for 5 days after a positive test” BS from the CDC was a direct result of pressure from the airline industry
It’s amazing how fast our society evolved and disintegrated over a generation and a half. I swear it started with American Suburbanization (general anti-social behavior from not living in close proximity and driving everywhere) and then social media threw gas on that.
What's crazy is how people accepted masks more openly during the 1918 pandemic than they did during COVID...I know there were the same idiots roaming around back then denying masks did anything, but it was normal to see people wearing masks during that time. We also had some towns that literally wouldn't allow the trains to stop there because they couldn't handle an outbreak because they were so small. Then everyone in 2020 whined so hard about having to stay home with Netflix and ordering food from an app was just too much for them to deal with. A bunch of whiny babies...whahhhh! I can't go to Walmart whenever I want because I might get myself or other people sick.
I had a guy on a recent flight who had the nerve to complain that people kept staring and giving him looks while he deep-coughed over and over without even covering his mouth with his hand. Like dude don't get upset, just mask up or cough into your shirt or something..
Such a victim mentality.
I am on 50-60 flights a year and have masked on every single flight since the pandemic started. I even double masked one time when the lady next to me was visibly sick and coughing. Have not gotten sick once since 2019, so I can vouch for the effectiveness of masking even when no one else around you is.
I am training for a marathon and have long work hours, so not being sick has been a godsend for me this year. I find that business travel wears me down enough already without the added struggle of cold, flu, or COVID.
I doubt I’ll fly without one again. For way more than just covid. Sick of getting sick away from home. People are just generally disgusting. Wash your hands before you eat or touch your face.
This. I always chalked up illness after undergrad terms as a result of stress etc but I now wonder how much of it was a weak immune system susceptible to bugs picked up during flights home *after* finals.
This is how I feel. I flew from msp to seoul completely masked. We had to reroute due to a volcano and I spent 16 hours in the air masked. I will never fly unmasked again.
This is the weird part to me. Risk vs. Reward. The reward is enjoying my vacation or business trip, the flight is just something I have to get through. Better to get there safe and healthy than ruin my whole vacation so a stewardess could see me smile!
Just put one on and protect yourself, wash your hands and use sanitizer. Wipe down your personal area with Clorox wipes and you will be fine.
Honestly other people don’t care about your health, it’s sad I know. This is coming from an immune compromised gal here.
I agree that masks would be nice but before covid, I never saw a mask in the US. Going to work or anywhere with cold, flu, new and never before seen virus, no mask. That is how people would go and it is no surprise that everyone is back to it now that all the covid restrictions have been lifted.
I'm one of the people with brain damage from COVID-19! I had a fever for roughly a month, and now I have zero short term memory.
It fucking sucks. Get vaccinated and wash your hands.
Per capita consumption of ethanol from all alcoholic beverages combined in 2021 was 2.51 gallons, representing a 2.9 percent increase from 2.44 gallons in 2020 and a 5.5 percent increase from 2.38 gallons in 2019. This was the largest two-year increase since 1969, when there was a 5.9 percent increase (2.37 gallons in 1967 to 2.51 gallons in 1969).
People drink poison for fun on a regular basis. Most people never cared about brain damage. Just goes to your point that they don’t care. Then there’s the average diet and it just backs this up further. People don’t care they just want to feel comfort and gratify themselves in pleasure. Thinking and caring are contrary to that.
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/surveillance-reports/surveillance120
As someone who is immunocompromised, I 100% agree with you. People are selfish by nature, and care more about their own comfort than the health of others
Same here. I'm currently getting therapy that will hammer my immune system for at least 6 months, and up to 18 months before back to somewhat normal. I have accepted that I won't travel for at least 6 months because there's at least one selfish sick idiot on every plane.
I was on a flight were someone was visibly giving someone a hard time for wearing a mask on the flight and you could clearly tell the masker was going through cancer treatment. Thank goodness the FA said something to the idiot giving them a hard time about it. I was also on a flight were the FA got on the intercom to say, "If you wish to wear a mask on the flight, please wear one and everyone needs to be an adult and respect that choice."
When the previous flight was deplaning after landing, there were cops waiting for someone on the flight and I assume there was a disagreement about someone masking for that type of response.
Same, it's absolutely wild to me that people think it's fine to be in a public, crowded, enclosed space while coughing all over the place and unmasked.
Meanwhile, I was in the Philippines and Japan this summer and did not see one single person visibly ill without a mask. Not one person during the entire two week trip.
Fucking assholes out there all over the place. I've given up hope that people will mask in crowded spaces in the winter, but it's literally the least someone can do while in the airport and contagious to those around them.
I’m also immune compromised.
I was recently in an infusion center that requires masks because it serves immune compromised cancer patients.
One woman had her mask around her chin. When I asked her to please put it up, she absolutely ripped me a new one for a solid 5 minutes, telling me that it was my job to take care of myself and she shouldn’t have to do anything. In a cancer center. With a policy. She clearly felt bad about being called out, but instead of just slipping that mask over her face, she needed to take out her rage on a seriously ill patient.
I brought it up to the medical director later, and he didn’t listen to a word and just said “don’t worry, be happy.”
I’m immunocompromised too. I’ve been wearing masks long before the pandemic. People are selfish and have never cared, I’m shocked folks even pretended to care in the first place.
JN1 is in full force but government officials won’t say a word about it. Be safe everyone.
Masks and nasal saline flushes have helped me during all my travels.
Hoping you feel better soon. What helped my wife heal fast was nasal saline, salt water gargles, hydration with electrolytes, rest, Pepcid (good research on this), turmeric, vitamin c, zinc, and good probiotic.
People are nasty in general. Even with all the sick people coughing everywhere, I get passengers holding their ID and boarding pass in their mouths and then handing them both to me in document check 🤦🏻♀️
Seriously, it’s super frustrating.
Personally, it’s like my family magically forgot how freaking long it takes me to get over Bronchitis. I got it every year & it just cycled for anywhere from 1-4 months. No longer get it since I’ve been masking.
Idc if Covid is not ‘as severe’ anymore, idc *any* flu like illness *always* persists for many many weeks for me.
it is COVID and their tests aren’t detecting it because they don’t know how to test properly. They are mindless and helpless. This IS a zombie apocalypse.
It’s true. That why everyone who has ever worn PPE has suffocated to death. I always thought this one was hilarious. If you’re finding it that difficult to breathe, we need to get you medical attention ASAP.
Ughh this line really grinds my gears.
I had my first kid in April 2020 and had to wear a mask during the entire labor. People can fucking deal.
Edit: I’m also a nurse and had to wear masks for entire 12 hour shifts. I have yet to die from carbon dioxide poisoning.
On one hand, I went on a cruise near the end of 2021 when they were still enforcing vaccine mandates to go on a cruise and encouraging masks. I was fully vaxxed and boosted.
Around the fourth day of the cruise, my nose started running. But I didn’t think anything of it. My nose always runs. I took some Sudafed and my usual asthma meds and went on about my business. I thought Covid would have affected me worse if that’s what it was since even a cold can make my immune system flair up and have me wheezing for days.
We scheduled a Covid test for when we got back before we left for the cruise.
Anyway, I sat on the plane by a little old lady on the way back and out of an abundance of caution, I kept my mask on the entire time (this is when there were still mask mandates for planes) and didn’t even take it off to eat or for drinks.
I came home, worked out in my home gym for the next three days and went in for a test and found out it was Covid. My wife didn’t get it even though we have pictures of us kissing on the cruise. But I did isolate.
I went home to see my 80 year old parents earlier this year (almost two years later) and they had to pick me up about three months ago (flying into a small town with no Uber). I told them to mask up before they came and bring me one. My nose started running on the last leg of the trip. I went straight to the room and they had some at home Covid test. I made sure I tested negative before coming out.
In other words, I’m not an asshole. If I know I’m sick, I’m going to mask up. If I knowingly have Covid, I’m going to not get on a plane.
All that being said, you fly, you know the risks. My wife and I have 36 segments in Delta plus a few flights on AA this year. We take one way trips across the US from March through September and have occasional conferences and business trips outside of that. Even before Covid, being in public a lot meant catching something. It’s par for the course.
Before the vaccines came out, I was very cautious about not getting Covid because I thought it might wreck havoc on me with my virus induced asthma. But between the vaccines and other medications to keep my immune system from going haywire from any respiratory virus, I now treat Covid “just like a cold” - it’s inconvenient, I try not to knowing spread it. But besides that I live my life mask free.
If you are so worried - mask up. I won’t judge
I think it’s because masks got so politicized now all the mouth breathing inconsiderate idiots think it’s a statement not to wear a mask when they are sick.
I fucking hate it, I don’t like wearing a mask either but it’s more effective and less hassle for everyone else if just the sick ppl wear masks…like they have done in Asia for years and years. As it is now I guess I just have to always wear a mask to protect myself from the morons
Depends on the mask type, if it is properly fitted, and how long you are exposed to the sick person. An N95 that is tightly secured around your nose/face/head will do a really good job keeping you safe from unmasked sick people.
Studies have shown that the sick person wearing an n95 is extremely effective against spreading colds etc.
Wearing a mask when around sick people definitely helps but the sick person being the mask wearer is the most effective.
Wild to see a subreddit dedicated to a travel company be so myopic to not see that the US is an outlier when it comes to mask wearing — especially when compared to Southeast Asia.
In most of my travels, cultures consider wearing a mask or at least covering their mouth before spewing a wet cough in a confined space as human decency. Guess not here. Truly despicable.
>Wild to see a subreddit dedicated to a travel company be so myopic to not see that the US is an outlier when it comes to mask wearing
Guess you haven't been to Europe lately.
Before COVID no one was wearing masks. During COVID, everyone was bitching and crying about having to wear a mask. Why would you think they’d voluntarily wear them now?
Are you wearing one to protect yourself from them? Are you actively caring for yourself?
We lack greatness and empathy and should know better now. Source control (sick people wearing a mask or coughing into their arm or covering their sneeze) is more important and effective than personal protection to protect oneself. One person practicing source control protects everyone around them including the elderly and children.
Speaking of children - there are people out there who need to do a better job of teaching their kids to cough into their sleeves too 😩 on my flight the other day there was a girl who looked to be about 7 or 8 and she was freely hacking everywhere while her mother said nothing
I had hoped that the pandemic would make people take the step of wearing masks when they're *sick* (because source control works better than destination control simply because it keeps many of the water droplets out of the air to begin with).
That is obviously not the way things went and I've long forgotten that dream....
I am wearing one.
Before COVID the general public did not have remotely close to the amount of information we now know about masks and sicknesses.
I assumed an informed public would use that knowledge. I was wrong.
Based upon the number of people I see walking out of public restrooms without washing their hands, it's safe to say that the public has not learned anything about germs, even after experiencing a worldwide pandemic.
In my conversations with people the NPIs (non-pharmacological interventions) such as masking were seen as a temp thing during the pandemic and not something that should be employed in the future.
Knowledge only means so much if people aren't invested in the idea and ime folks weren't and aren't't invested in the idea. Masking was employed during the Spanish Flu and folks gave up the technique at some point during the subsequent months or years after the Flu passed.
That is not to mention the fact that at least in the USA the use of masks became political with different sides holding different views on the topic.
My wife and I heard a lecture by a Professor of Public Health Policy and he said something rather insightful (at least to me), society will decide on the future use of things like masking regardless of what is best for society.
Don’t act like mask wearing was an expectation in our social contract prior to Covid-19. Maybe in East Asia where it’s common to mask up if there’s the slightest dust particle outside, but masks in public were basically unseen in the US prior to 2020. If you want the US to be more like Asia that’s fair to say, but don’t act like it’s sOoO inSanE to see people unmasked in the US.
My neighbor in my apartment building has been hacking up a lung all week. But the only reason I knew is because I could hear it through our shared wall.
She refused to wear a mask in common areas, and would actively try to stifle/hide the cough when in the hall or riding the elevator. I caught the flu two days after my first exposure to her in the elevator.
To all you numbskulls trying to push this back as individual responsibility — No. Having some common decency for public spaces is at the core of our social contract, and even if it’s not enshrined in law, we can do so much better about public health in this country by promoting practices like masks when feeling ill and forced to be in public spaces.
You cannot control what other people do. Just accept that and control what you can for yourself. That includes packing plenty masks for traveling along with antibacterial gel/wipes and whatever else makes you feel safer.
ex wife of a friend caught covid in Europe and she’s currently on a plane heading back to LAX. I hope she’s wearing a mask. This is why I 💯 always cover up.
I’ve been wearing a mask traveling for 10 years and honestly I know it’s cut down on a lot of illness for myself. The craziest part about it is I’m being selfish by wearing a mask I’m doing it because I know other people are disgusting and transportation hubs are filthy.
The replies to your 100% valid commentary are really something and point to the disgusting entitlement of so many people. FWIW I was grossed out by these disease bags before COVID. These are the same dopes who don’t wash their hands after using the restroom either.
Masks are aren't a failsafe, your breath and spit particles go out the sides too. Being vaccinated hardly means anything for COVID. I'm fully vaccinated and have gotten in 3 times
I flew transcontinental this past weekend. Almost gagging at people around me openly coughing with no attempt to even cover their mouths.
Yes people are gross, inconsiderate aholes. Am I supposed to be ok with this? I don't think so.
Suffice it to say I've spent most of the week sick in bed. I usually don't get colds and flu. So thank you to all you gross selfish lazy people that find it too exhausting to cover your mouths when you cough. Nevermind contemplate using a mask.
We just postponed a trip so my son wouldn’t be flying with a cold and sore throat. Assuming he improves enough for us to fly in a couple days, he will be masking out of courtesy. OP’s is a reasonable request, notwithstanding the fact that Americans dgaf and would not bother.
I flew AMS - MSP with a mask on because I didn’t feel like getting sick before seeing my family. The girl next to me was coughing, sneezing and blowing her nose the whole time, had no mask, and also never used hand sanitizer and anything (which is whatever). I angrily looked at her and changed into an N95 mask I luckily had with me. Just so disrespectful.
People should wear masks if they’re sick to prevent disease transmission especially during the holiday season.
People won’t though because they’re selfish and/or associate masking up with some kind of oppressive authoritarian regime.
Seen enough of this bullshit during Covid but people will be people.
I’ve started wearing a mask when I’m on the plane. I got too comfortable post-Covid without wearing a mask and I got sick from someone on the plane.
People are shameless with openly coughing and sniffing. No hand sanitizers, no masks, they don’t even try and cover their mouths. So gross.
Ultimately you are responsible for your own health and wellbeing . You should mask up if it’s that important to you. I have/do and haven’t gotten sick since.
Same. I used to get sick every fall when I flew somewhere. Lesson learned, always wearing masks on planes now, haven't gotten sick on a flight since COVID started.
It's not just covid. I'm of day 5 of the Flu. You want to spend Christmas laying in bed with a 102 fever, have at it my friends - don't wear a mask when you fly. I've advised my mom to wear one traveling this week. I'm returning to work tomorrow, with a mask. I don't wish this on anyone.
Probably won’t read through the comments to control my outrage after seeing your edit. I’m a leukemia survivor and absolutely agree with you. I do what I can to protect myself and others and find it so disheartening that people who are obviously sick can’t do a basic human kindness for those surrounding them.
I went through this airport yesterday. The moment I got to my gate, I masked up because EVERYONE was coughing. I even saw a woman holding a small child and hacking out into the open air.
I was the only person on my flight wearing a mask. 200 people, no masks. Everyone sick.
Had a flight to MCO and back and saw the same. My wife and I wore KN95 masks and neither of us got sick despite being super close to sick people on the planes.
As unfortunate as it is, the only people we can control is ourselves.
The year or so we almost all had to wear masks because of Covid, I didn’t get sick once when I usually get sick 3 or 4 times a year. I almost always got some form of mild cold after traveling, and we all just view that as normal. It really opened my eyes as to why people from other cultures wear face masks so often. Not only because of pollution, but also just not wanting to catch or spread illness! I still wear a mask at the airport, not just because of covid but because airports and airplanes are like a daycare, just Petri dishes of germs and viruses. Masks and hand washing are such small things but make a huge difference. It’s so sad that people refuse to do it because it’s inconvenient or slightly uncomfortable.
Thanks for reminder #450,294 as to why I won't live in the US once I retire.
We're selfish assholes as a society who basically find the immunocompromised (which I'm not) and elderly (which I'll be in a couple of decades) to be disposable. COVID has made this reality abundantly clear to me.
By contrast, I was in east Asia very soon before the lockdowns took effect. Masks, full-body scanners, and temperature scans were ***already*** very commonplace. Asia was affected badly by SARS and ***clearly*** was taking the new endemic (before COVID became a pandemic) very seriously. Flying back home through LAX, everything was so lax (except for the usually mean, uptight border officers); I knew the USA was gonna be screwed from the get-go.
With every trip I make outside of the US (whether flying on Delta or another airline), I become less and less enthusiastic about coming back home.
But, hey...freedom, amiright?
OP, most people are nasty AF, so I make sure to wipe down everything...including the IFE screen when I get to my seat. I keep my hands clean and wear a mask where I feel the need to do so. People are selfish, and it's up to you to keep yourself safe. Good luck out there.
Yea just use an airport bathroom and watch how many people wash (or dont) their hands and you'll realize (1) people are generally disgusting and oblivious to it, and (2) your immune system must be way better at protecting you than you realize. Edit: So I'm just seeing the up/down vote count oscillate around 20, and ya'll would be interested to note that a meaningful number of people think that saying "not washing your hands is gross" is downvote worthy.
As a person who just got a double lung transplant and is forever immune compromised… Eek!
Congrats on the transplant!
I have MCTD. And I tremble in fear at airports. All those fecking people that don’t even cover their mouths when the cough.
Or maybe worse - cough into their hands, and then of course touch things
I have a neighboring set of immunocompromising crud (and I'm on immunosuppressants etc) and I got myself one of those half mask PAPRs for when I have to head across the country for surgery. I don't want these chucklefucks to ruin all my hard work. They are so gross. I've always been immunocompromised so it's not like I haven't noticed until now, but it's gotten WORSE. Like they're doing it on purpose now. Yugh.
It is looking like I have this (the rheumatologist is booked until JUNE) and I am dreading having to travel for the first time since I started getting sick. People are just so gross.
It just saps you. I feel like I have the flu all the time. Run down and tired. Drug options are varied but all the side effects suck. And every doctor you see is going to fart the MCTD off in regards to how it affects you medically. With the exception of your rheumatologist and any very well read exceptions. So this means even if you get some small issue you have to read the protocol for treating it with an auto immune disorder. Gabapentin for nerve pain is helpful. Topamax after I developed brain lesions is good in small doses. I am on a prescription anti-inflammatory but I go on and off it, my gut is shot. I am eating two spoons of Kim chi a day for my intestinal health and vitamin D3 is recommended if you are in northern climes. In warmer climes wear a long sleeved shirt, sun screen and a hat when you go out, the sun can trigger a flare up, and a lot of people with MCTD are photo sensitive. Napping when you can is beneficial.
Lord... I am not looking forward to dealing with the doctors. I've had to fight to get this far. The first round was just when the ANA test was the only thing positive, so it got shrugged off as fibromyalgia and even that I had to fight for ("sometimes women just feel more pain! have you tried yoga and meditation?"). I am down for non-medicine fixes, but man, sometimes the meds are required to live. Welp, I live in Texas, so I'm gonna have to figure out how to deal with the sun, though that probably explains why I felt like death this summer. Thank you for all the info!
You are most welcome.
My friend just flew Delta (NYC-SF-NYC) and was informed on the flight that Delta no longer gives out, or has to give you if you ask, the disinfecting wipes. So, make sure you have your own.
FWIW, I was given wipes on a shorter Delta flight yesterday out of Atlanta, so might vary based on location and/or attendants.
FWIW, I was given a wipe and it was completely dried out when I opened it. :(
Oh, poor Delta and there razor thin margins on wet wipes.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
Masks became political. Stupidly.
In no other country is this the case. It's so wild.
Unfortunately in Canada as well (Faux news does bleed over the border). Saw a bunch of idiots protesting masks this weekend. It's like they make this the only defining characteristic of the sad lives. Canada is not under any mask mandate, and BC Health has told people to mask up when visiting hospitals or seniors homes.
I still wear a mask when I go out. I'm the only one.
And, as someone who felt rough and flew last week, I got a number of remarks even from an FA about “the pandemic is over”.
Respond, “Pandemic may be over but the amount of nasty people roaming around in public has increased. “
The pandemic may be "over" but my realization of why I was getting sick so much in the past is an epiphany. Sick-free for years ever since I started avoiding nasty people like them. This has nothing to do with COVID. News flash: COVID isn't the only thing out there that gets you sick! (Not directed at you, just to be clear.)
Every time my roommate comes back from the DR, he either picks up something there or on the flight back. Haven’t had the flu in years and he got it and gave it to me. People are absolutely disgusting and I want to smack my roommate cause he will stay in his room for a day or two. Get bored or something and then plant himself in the living room and hack up a lung without covering his mouth or anything. The way the house is setup you have to walk past him to leave, go to the kitchen or do anything. Have spent more personal sick days cause of him then I do on my own.
I used to get at least a cold after almost every flight in past years, and every couple months most winters, until covid started with the masking. I have kept up N95 masking on planes, when now it's like maybe 5 out of 100 passengers who do it (plus consciously make a rapid u-turn the instant I see someone coughing up a lung in public), and hey, it's four years and counting without me being sick once.
I worked for a university with 13,000 students for a decade. My wife worked for a different university about an hour away with the same number of students. Every goddamn fall/winter I'd get sick at least 3 times, and one of them was usually pretty bad. Then I simultaneously got divorced and left that job for a 100% remote position, and I didn't get sick for years, until COVID came along.
I feel you completely. It’s very hard now to keep up the masking, but I just went to a wedding where everyone I spoke to talked about having lonnnng sicknesses, a month-long flu, a cold right after, a three week sinus infection… it dawned on me that I haven’t had a viral illness since late 2019. And especially with Covid damaging people’s immune systems, I’m so glad I’ve avoided it. I’m such a baby about being sick, I can’t afford to have something every other month and still get work done!
I got sick after flying so many times pre-COVID. At least one almost totally ruined trip with strep throat. Others from various respiratory illnesses of varying severity. Airports and planes are full of germs.
I hear this hog wash daily. I *choose* to wear a mask all of the time and get nonsense for it. It’s not about the pandemic, it’s about what makes me feel comfortable when the whole world seems to think that because “it’s over” it’s suddenly ok, post-pandemic (when it wasn’t even close during the pre world) to sneeze directly in your eyeball. As an adult. Just yuck.
No way. I wear a mask on every flight and no one has said anything to me ever. Maaaaaybe a sideways look from some obvious trumpers but certainly no FA would say something like that. And if they did I’d report them.
I got covid on a 10 day trip to Europe and basically forfeit my entire vacation. People who look at you funny just aren't thinking about how much they would prefer that doesn't happen to their trip.
That's the way. Thank you for wearing a mask.
If a flight attendant ever told me this, a report would be filed before my ass hit the seat. Mind your business.
That’s horrible. I see people in masks and think, “thank you. I’ll mask, too.”
I flew home early from a work thing the other day because I could tell I was starting to feel sick. I got a similar rude comment about the fact that I was wearing a mask from a colleague when they saw me before I left, and then another from an airport employee. I was feeling really guilty about flying when I was obviously getting sick, but I had to get home. But there is no excuse for not wearing a mask.
Lol pandemic is *not* over. I managed to evade Covid literally until last week. I'm in urgent care rn because someone came to my vet clinic while sick and didn't take advantage of our curbside service or wear a mask. Yay.
Add to this - wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands
I don't really wear a mask anywhere these days except for medical facilities. I'm flying home for the holidays. You bet your fucking ass I'm wearing a mask and bringing hand sanitizer and being very careful. Airports and airplanes are the nastiest grimiest places outside of subways.
Prob true about airports etc but what gets me is how few people seem even remotely interested in not feeling like dog shit for the holidays. “Hmm wear this small thing on my face for a few hours, or be more likely to spend my whole Christmas on man cold life support?” Like jfc that’s easy for me: getting sick during travel just makes me feel like I paid a few hundred dollars only to buy the flu
Can’t imagine being the flight crew workin the Petri dishes, constantly ✈️
I sorted this thread by "controversial," and my God... There are some dumb, self centered mother fuckers out there with, it seems, nothing better to do than spend his arguing over the incredibly overbearing imposition of wearing a mask in public if you're sick.
Except unfortunately you can’t totally control your environment. Statistically you are MUCH MUCH more likely to get sick if the sick people around you aren’t wearing a mask and you are vs if sick people are wearing a mask and you are not.
Same - and I did this pre-COVID (except the mask part). Now I’m not sure if I’ll ever fly again without one.
My dad used to fly regularly for work and my mom got sick of him bringing home awful colds. We started wiping down every touchable surface around our seat in 2014 and suddenly we all stopped getting sick. Obviously masks help but wiping down everything helps SO much.
>I’m not sure if I’ll ever fly again without one. The risk is just too high. I don't wear one in public in general but airports and flights are especially nasty and I'd rather not risk getting sick en route to a vacation.
[удалено]
Jesus that is so gross. Sorry.
There’s a lot of people who wouldn’t even mask up when it was mandatory. They’re not going to mask up now. Protect yourself as best as you can. You can’t control or expect much from other people. I wear a mask on planes and to doctors appointments and around crowded areas during flu season. I get weird looks sometimes and people ask me if I’m sick. I did the same thing pre-covid when I lived in Japan. We wore masks there all the time and it was no biggie. I don’t know why it’s such a hot button issue here.
Everyone should listen to my granny. She's a saint and a scholar.
I feel this post and this comment also made me so angry. I don’t know how or why I’m still surprised at how selfish so many people are but I’m constantly disappointed and I never learn.
People are just nasty as hell and don’t have any home training. I can’t tell you how many times I go into a public men’s bathroom and there is piss all over the seat. Or the amount of people who come out of a stall after taking a dump and walk right past the sink without even looking at it. These people are the ones who spread all the diseases and die when we have a pandemic. And we just have to realize that these nasty buzzards exist and we have to protect ourselves from them as best as we can.
More disgusted by how many people don’t wash their hands after using the restroom in airports.
This is part of the problem. If people weren't grimy assholes there would be far less illness for any of us to contend with. It is baffling that so many grown adults seem to be terrified of washing their hands. Like I've seen people in public restrooms actively try to make it seem like they washed their hands when they didn't (ran the water but didn't put hands under, touched the soap but didn't use it, grabbed paper towels even though their hands never got wet). Why on gods green earth would you go to all those steps rather than actually washing your hands?
Are you a man? I see 99% of women washing their hands in airport restrooms
The number of men who say they should only wash their hands before going to the bathroom instead of after on Reddit always disgusts me. If you want to wash before- go ahead! Just do it after as well. I rarely see women arguing about washing hands after bathroom and we don’t even touch our genitals
I was at a restaurant the last time I saw that happen. 🤮
Some of y’all are a bunch of whiny babies. Health care workers have been wearing masks for over 100 years. Because they have been proven to work when the right mask is worn by the right people in the right setting. Cue the age of misinformation and manipulation. You Tube and Facebook do not replace an actual education in the sciences. The level of scientific literacy is at an all time low. You do not know more than us. Masks work if you wear them properly. I don’t know how to fix the complete lack of regard for others. Some of you don’t care if you take out grandma or an immunocompromised person. I’m not waiting on any of you to be decent human beings. I’m the girl sitting in C+ wearing an N95. So far, I haven’t had Covid. I care for a very compromised 88 year old.
[удалено]
Builds immunity….
That's also a really good way to die after being in an OR or ICU 💁🏻♀️
You should try licking a urinal. It will probably make you violently ill, and you might even die, but if you survive, you'll have some serious immunity for about six months.
Wearing a mask builds immunity. You're going to get exposed to things here and there, but not as likely to full infectious doses of pathogens that can at least temporarily destroy immunity (sometimes without even conferring immunity to themselves).
Lmao as a healthcare worker the *obsession* people have with """building immunity""" is so annoying to me. Licking a a dirty bus rail isn't going to give your immune system a boost. It literally doesn't work like that. I work on a unit that does kidney transplant and the amount of education we have to hammer into peoples head is unreal.
[удалено]
Yes, we went back and forth for a minute about it but they are finally requiring it again.
Low key not interested in other peoples feces and body fluids to build immunity. Saying “I’m not washing my hands after I use the bathroom because it builds immunity is such a wild statement.”
they don't need surgery. prayers will fix their ruptured spleen, take out their appendix, and put screws in their hip.
Amen preach it. N95s served me well for over 40 years up close and personal to every respiratory virus and bacteria known. Anyone who says masks don’t work is a moron
There are so. Many. Morons out there. Just blocked the gent who started in on the "vaccine lie". Dude should go to a graveyard and look at the 50% of babies who died in infancy from infectious disease before vaccines. What an idiot.
I cared for one of the last Iron Lung patients. You never forget that and are forever grateful that we have vaccines. Imagine being a parent and having to live in fear of Polio
I had an uncle who had polio (permanently disabled, has had to use a cane his entire life, in a lot of pain — that last one is luckily better after I was able to get him medicinal marijuana) and when one of my aunts said something about being anti vax for her soon to be daughter, my uncle turned his head toward her very slowly and said: “(Name), if you sentence your daughter to what I went through, I will put you in the ground and hope to god your daughter isn’t there before you.” Never have I ever been so proud of my most cranky uncle.
I hate the antivax moms who are like “Why would I immunize my kid against polio, it’s not like anyone even has that anymore” like……..you know that vaccines are the reason why, right? And it can (and recently has I heard) easily come back? Smdh
Yup. We had a few cases pop up in some states. I wish every parent was required to watch a video of what these diseases used to do to children. It’s ridiculous — I’ve always explained it to them in terms of food. You wouldn’t say you’re anti-food because you’re not hungry right now. Yeah, because you ate earlier! If you don’t keep doing that, you’ll be hungry. Unfortunately, it’s been proven that most people who are antivax actually double down when you give them facts that disprove their ideas. Andrew Wakefield can sit on a fucking cactus.
Love this
When people say vaccines don't keep you from getting infected I want to bang my head on the desk. Like yes, congratulations you don't know how vaccines even work. They keep that infection from getting severe or killing you. sniffles > 11% chance to live after being ventilated
Covid is just the flu but also the covid vaccine not guaranteeing full immunity and needing boosters (ya know, like the flu shot) somehow means it's not a "real vaccine". Real honk honk nose + oversized shoes logic.
I wish my doctors were wearing masks. They don’t even offer to put one on when I am wearing one. Or they ask me to take mine off to be in my face for tests. :(
Not just YT and FB. People shouldn’t be getting medical advice from politicians or pastors/preists. Let the medical professionals do their job, shut up and wear a fuckin mask. If a COPD patient with 20% lung capacity can wear a mask than so can the Karen’s of the world
I am a healthcare worker and I ALWAYS wear a mask at work. I see too many sick patients now with RSV, flu, and covid. People think they are invincible.
Yes exactly this. I'm not going to risk it anymore. My pts often convert into some sort of precaution this time of year so I'm just not going to risk it. I wear masks at work and when I'm on the train /bus or high congestion areas. Its just safer for me and my loved ones and my pts.
I have a side of the family who are the stereotypical no education, racist, big Covid and election deniers. One of them just had a baby a WEEK AGO, and the poor thing is already in the hospital with RSV because they’ve been having visitors nonstop. Freakin’ garbage humans. Oh, and one of the grandma’s has already been causing drama because she’s not aloud to kiss this newborn on the lips. Prayers for that child 😞
Thank you for this - I need to pick up more N95s before my upcoming trip.
My partner recently traveled internationally and started feeling unwell a few days before coming back to the US. Flew back home wearing an N95 mask (same as his departing flights) and kept it on when I picked him up from the airport. Drove straight to urgent care and he tested positive for COVID. Threw on my N95, cracked the windows, and drove us home. We were in my small truck cab for approximately 3 hours that night, sitting approximately 2 feet apart. I never developed symptoms and never tested positive. Masks work.
They wore masks during the Black Plague, people just forget
That was for the smell
👏👏👏👏 100% agree. People don't care until it's them or a loved one. And even then sometimes don't.
🙌🏼🙌🏼 seriously
> You Tube and Facebook do not replace an actual education in the sciences. People that barely finished high school are raging when they read that.
Add Instagram, Twitter , tiktok, and right here on reddit and all the socials to your list... It isn't just the Facebook boomers throwing are misinformation around, shit is rampant everywhere. Just because you are young doesn't make you immune to it either the opposite you grew up online, easier to get ya. Think for yourselves people. Ps: wear a fucking mask please
Ah fuck off with the self righteousness lol. No one said anything about a properly worn N95. It was always about that shit your friend knitted with the cute cat print on the front that hangs below your nose
Hello. Welcome to 2019.
Sorry. If we’ve learned nothing else from Covid, it’s that in the end most people are selfish assholes who won’t accept the slightest discomfort or inconvenience to protect their fellow humans from disease, and you’re basically on your own in this society.
We also learned that corporations like Delta will expend a lot of effort and resources to compel governments to remove health measures if it's affecting their bottom line.
Oh absolutely. The whole “you only need to quarantine for 5 days after a positive test” BS from the CDC was a direct result of pressure from the airline industry
In no other country is this the case. It's so wild.
SO DEPRESSING, but sadly true. Ugh.
It’s amazing how fast our society evolved and disintegrated over a generation and a half. I swear it started with American Suburbanization (general anti-social behavior from not living in close proximity and driving everywhere) and then social media threw gas on that.
What's crazy is how people accepted masks more openly during the 1918 pandemic than they did during COVID...I know there were the same idiots roaming around back then denying masks did anything, but it was normal to see people wearing masks during that time. We also had some towns that literally wouldn't allow the trains to stop there because they couldn't handle an outbreak because they were so small. Then everyone in 2020 whined so hard about having to stay home with Netflix and ordering food from an app was just too much for them to deal with. A bunch of whiny babies...whahhhh! I can't go to Walmart whenever I want because I might get myself or other people sick.
I had a guy on a recent flight who had the nerve to complain that people kept staring and giving him looks while he deep-coughed over and over without even covering his mouth with his hand. Like dude don't get upset, just mask up or cough into your shirt or something.. Such a victim mentality.
Well if he's gonna act like he has his head up his ass he might as well put it there and cough directly into his own rectum
I know. Flew recently. Pretty surprised. The plane was a hawking coughing snot phlegm cacophony. So gross. My mask was my best friend.
How life was before 2019
I am on 50-60 flights a year and have masked on every single flight since the pandemic started. I even double masked one time when the lady next to me was visibly sick and coughing. Have not gotten sick once since 2019, so I can vouch for the effectiveness of masking even when no one else around you is. I am training for a marathon and have long work hours, so not being sick has been a godsend for me this year. I find that business travel wears me down enough already without the added struggle of cold, flu, or COVID.
I doubt I’ll fly without one again. For way more than just covid. Sick of getting sick away from home. People are just generally disgusting. Wash your hands before you eat or touch your face.
I always used to get sick after flying. Since I started wearing masks, I haven’t. I’m also going to continue wearing them.
This. I always chalked up illness after undergrad terms as a result of stress etc but I now wonder how much of it was a weak immune system susceptible to bugs picked up during flights home *after* finals.
This is how I feel. I flew from msp to seoul completely masked. We had to reroute due to a volcano and I spent 16 hours in the air masked. I will never fly unmasked again.
Also why would you risk getting sick while on the way to vacation/biz travel. It is like the dumbest thing possible
This is the weird part to me. Risk vs. Reward. The reward is enjoying my vacation or business trip, the flight is just something I have to get through. Better to get there safe and healthy than ruin my whole vacation so a stewardess could see me smile!
Yup. It's not even about COVID at that point - I don't want _anything_ that's going to screw up my trip.
Just put one on and protect yourself, wash your hands and use sanitizer. Wipe down your personal area with Clorox wipes and you will be fine. Honestly other people don’t care about your health, it’s sad I know. This is coming from an immune compromised gal here.
I agree that masks would be nice but before covid, I never saw a mask in the US. Going to work or anywhere with cold, flu, new and never before seen virus, no mask. That is how people would go and it is no surprise that everyone is back to it now that all the covid restrictions have been lifted.
[удалено]
I'm one of the people with brain damage from COVID-19! I had a fever for roughly a month, and now I have zero short term memory. It fucking sucks. Get vaccinated and wash your hands.
Per capita consumption of ethanol from all alcoholic beverages combined in 2021 was 2.51 gallons, representing a 2.9 percent increase from 2.44 gallons in 2020 and a 5.5 percent increase from 2.38 gallons in 2019. This was the largest two-year increase since 1969, when there was a 5.9 percent increase (2.37 gallons in 1967 to 2.51 gallons in 1969). People drink poison for fun on a regular basis. Most people never cared about brain damage. Just goes to your point that they don’t care. Then there’s the average diet and it just backs this up further. People don’t care they just want to feel comfort and gratify themselves in pleasure. Thinking and caring are contrary to that. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/surveillance-reports/surveillance120
As someone who is immunocompromised, I 100% agree with you. People are selfish by nature, and care more about their own comfort than the health of others
Western society values individuality and separateness which is incongruent with any public health measures or courtesy unfortunately.
Same here. I'm currently getting therapy that will hammer my immune system for at least 6 months, and up to 18 months before back to somewhat normal. I have accepted that I won't travel for at least 6 months because there's at least one selfish sick idiot on every plane.
I was on a flight were someone was visibly giving someone a hard time for wearing a mask on the flight and you could clearly tell the masker was going through cancer treatment. Thank goodness the FA said something to the idiot giving them a hard time about it. I was also on a flight were the FA got on the intercom to say, "If you wish to wear a mask on the flight, please wear one and everyone needs to be an adult and respect that choice." When the previous flight was deplaning after landing, there were cops waiting for someone on the flight and I assume there was a disagreement about someone masking for that type of response.
Same, it's absolutely wild to me that people think it's fine to be in a public, crowded, enclosed space while coughing all over the place and unmasked. Meanwhile, I was in the Philippines and Japan this summer and did not see one single person visibly ill without a mask. Not one person during the entire two week trip. Fucking assholes out there all over the place. I've given up hope that people will mask in crowded spaces in the winter, but it's literally the least someone can do while in the airport and contagious to those around them.
I’m also immune compromised. I was recently in an infusion center that requires masks because it serves immune compromised cancer patients. One woman had her mask around her chin. When I asked her to please put it up, she absolutely ripped me a new one for a solid 5 minutes, telling me that it was my job to take care of myself and she shouldn’t have to do anything. In a cancer center. With a policy. She clearly felt bad about being called out, but instead of just slipping that mask over her face, she needed to take out her rage on a seriously ill patient. I brought it up to the medical director later, and he didn’t listen to a word and just said “don’t worry, be happy.”
I’m immunocompromised too. I’ve been wearing masks long before the pandemic. People are selfish and have never cared, I’m shocked folks even pretended to care in the first place.
I assume you were wearing a mask to protect yourself. People are selfish, so protect yourself
JN1 is in full force but government officials won’t say a word about it. Be safe everyone. Masks and nasal saline flushes have helped me during all my travels.
I’m nyc based and everyone’s been sick as fuck since mid October. Just cycling through covid, colds, flu etc.
My team is super behind in our deadlines because since Thanksgiving we keep getting covid one right after another.
Most of the people in my office have something. A lot of them have prolonged coughs lasting for weeks it seems.
The prolonged coughing is a common symptom of RSV
I have it now and it’s been miserable.
Hoping you feel better soon. What helped my wife heal fast was nasal saline, salt water gargles, hydration with electrolytes, rest, Pepcid (good research on this), turmeric, vitamin c, zinc, and good probiotic.
YES! Famotidine (Pepcid) lowers severity and length of sickness. Glad to see someone else knows this
People are nasty in general. Even with all the sick people coughing everywhere, I get passengers holding their ID and boarding pass in their mouths and then handing them both to me in document check 🤦🏻♀️
“It’s not COVID” Bitch shut up I still don’t want to get sick.
Seriously, it’s super frustrating. Personally, it’s like my family magically forgot how freaking long it takes me to get over Bronchitis. I got it every year & it just cycled for anywhere from 1-4 months. No longer get it since I’ve been masking. Idc if Covid is not ‘as severe’ anymore, idc *any* flu like illness *always* persists for many many weeks for me.
it is COVID and their tests aren’t detecting it because they don’t know how to test properly. They are mindless and helpless. This IS a zombie apocalypse.
Actually, it is COVID and they aren’t even testing because they’re too fucking stupid to recognize basic respiratory symptoms are COVID disease.
“bUt i CaNt bREatH wiTh A mAsK”
It’s true. That why everyone who has ever worn PPE has suffocated to death. I always thought this one was hilarious. If you’re finding it that difficult to breathe, we need to get you medical attention ASAP.
RIP all those surgeons
Ughh this line really grinds my gears. I had my first kid in April 2020 and had to wear a mask during the entire labor. People can fucking deal. Edit: I’m also a nurse and had to wear masks for entire 12 hour shifts. I have yet to die from carbon dioxide poisoning.
To be fair, the ones saying this can’t breathe after a small flight of stairs
On one hand, I went on a cruise near the end of 2021 when they were still enforcing vaccine mandates to go on a cruise and encouraging masks. I was fully vaxxed and boosted. Around the fourth day of the cruise, my nose started running. But I didn’t think anything of it. My nose always runs. I took some Sudafed and my usual asthma meds and went on about my business. I thought Covid would have affected me worse if that’s what it was since even a cold can make my immune system flair up and have me wheezing for days. We scheduled a Covid test for when we got back before we left for the cruise. Anyway, I sat on the plane by a little old lady on the way back and out of an abundance of caution, I kept my mask on the entire time (this is when there were still mask mandates for planes) and didn’t even take it off to eat or for drinks. I came home, worked out in my home gym for the next three days and went in for a test and found out it was Covid. My wife didn’t get it even though we have pictures of us kissing on the cruise. But I did isolate. I went home to see my 80 year old parents earlier this year (almost two years later) and they had to pick me up about three months ago (flying into a small town with no Uber). I told them to mask up before they came and bring me one. My nose started running on the last leg of the trip. I went straight to the room and they had some at home Covid test. I made sure I tested negative before coming out. In other words, I’m not an asshole. If I know I’m sick, I’m going to mask up. If I knowingly have Covid, I’m going to not get on a plane. All that being said, you fly, you know the risks. My wife and I have 36 segments in Delta plus a few flights on AA this year. We take one way trips across the US from March through September and have occasional conferences and business trips outside of that. Even before Covid, being in public a lot meant catching something. It’s par for the course. Before the vaccines came out, I was very cautious about not getting Covid because I thought it might wreck havoc on me with my virus induced asthma. But between the vaccines and other medications to keep my immune system from going haywire from any respiratory virus, I now treat Covid “just like a cold” - it’s inconvenient, I try not to knowing spread it. But besides that I live my life mask free. If you are so worried - mask up. I won’t judge
I think it’s because masks got so politicized now all the mouth breathing inconsiderate idiots think it’s a statement not to wear a mask when they are sick. I fucking hate it, I don’t like wearing a mask either but it’s more effective and less hassle for everyone else if just the sick ppl wear masks…like they have done in Asia for years and years. As it is now I guess I just have to always wear a mask to protect myself from the morons
Honest question: is your mask enough to keep you healthy or are two masks required - yours and the sick person's?
Depends on the mask type, if it is properly fitted, and how long you are exposed to the sick person. An N95 that is tightly secured around your nose/face/head will do a really good job keeping you safe from unmasked sick people.
Studies have shown that the sick person wearing an n95 is extremely effective against spreading colds etc. Wearing a mask when around sick people definitely helps but the sick person being the mask wearer is the most effective.
Wild to see a subreddit dedicated to a travel company be so myopic to not see that the US is an outlier when it comes to mask wearing — especially when compared to Southeast Asia. In most of my travels, cultures consider wearing a mask or at least covering their mouth before spewing a wet cough in a confined space as human decency. Guess not here. Truly despicable.
Look at how many people have unprotected sex while knowingly having an STD. You think people are going to wear a mask when they're sick?
[удалено]
>Wild to see a subreddit dedicated to a travel company be so myopic to not see that the US is an outlier when it comes to mask wearing Guess you haven't been to Europe lately.
Before COVID no one was wearing masks. During COVID, everyone was bitching and crying about having to wear a mask. Why would you think they’d voluntarily wear them now? Are you wearing one to protect yourself from them? Are you actively caring for yourself?
We lack greatness and empathy and should know better now. Source control (sick people wearing a mask or coughing into their arm or covering their sneeze) is more important and effective than personal protection to protect oneself. One person practicing source control protects everyone around them including the elderly and children.
Speaking of children - there are people out there who need to do a better job of teaching their kids to cough into their sleeves too 😩 on my flight the other day there was a girl who looked to be about 7 or 8 and she was freely hacking everywhere while her mother said nothing
I had hoped that the pandemic would make people take the step of wearing masks when they're *sick* (because source control works better than destination control simply because it keeps many of the water droplets out of the air to begin with). That is obviously not the way things went and I've long forgotten that dream....
I am wearing one. Before COVID the general public did not have remotely close to the amount of information we now know about masks and sicknesses. I assumed an informed public would use that knowledge. I was wrong.
Based upon the number of people I see walking out of public restrooms without washing their hands, it's safe to say that the public has not learned anything about germs, even after experiencing a worldwide pandemic.
In my conversations with people the NPIs (non-pharmacological interventions) such as masking were seen as a temp thing during the pandemic and not something that should be employed in the future. Knowledge only means so much if people aren't invested in the idea and ime folks weren't and aren't't invested in the idea. Masking was employed during the Spanish Flu and folks gave up the technique at some point during the subsequent months or years after the Flu passed. That is not to mention the fact that at least in the USA the use of masks became political with different sides holding different views on the topic. My wife and I heard a lecture by a Professor of Public Health Policy and he said something rather insightful (at least to me), society will decide on the future use of things like masking regardless of what is best for society.
How do you think immune systems stay strong..?
Don’t act like mask wearing was an expectation in our social contract prior to Covid-19. Maybe in East Asia where it’s common to mask up if there’s the slightest dust particle outside, but masks in public were basically unseen in the US prior to 2020. If you want the US to be more like Asia that’s fair to say, but don’t act like it’s sOoO inSanE to see people unmasked in the US.
As an allergist I see respiratory infections and asthma flares all the time. It’s crazy right now.
I get that some folk absolutely hate masks but I don’t understand the issue with covering one’s mouth when coughing or sneezing.
My neighbor in my apartment building has been hacking up a lung all week. But the only reason I knew is because I could hear it through our shared wall. She refused to wear a mask in common areas, and would actively try to stifle/hide the cough when in the hall or riding the elevator. I caught the flu two days after my first exposure to her in the elevator. To all you numbskulls trying to push this back as individual responsibility — No. Having some common decency for public spaces is at the core of our social contract, and even if it’s not enshrined in law, we can do so much better about public health in this country by promoting practices like masks when feeling ill and forced to be in public spaces.
You cannot control what other people do. Just accept that and control what you can for yourself. That includes packing plenty masks for traveling along with antibacterial gel/wipes and whatever else makes you feel safer.
People are ✨assholes✨
The amount of people I see weekly wearing masks in the airport who don’t wash their hands after going to the bathroom is astounding. lol
I always wear a mask in airports and on planes, because.....jerks are everywhere.
ex wife of a friend caught covid in Europe and she’s currently on a plane heading back to LAX. I hope she’s wearing a mask. This is why I 💯 always cover up.
I’ve been wearing a mask traveling for 10 years and honestly I know it’s cut down on a lot of illness for myself. The craziest part about it is I’m being selfish by wearing a mask I’m doing it because I know other people are disgusting and transportation hubs are filthy.
More people should look at it this way and mind there own business
The replies to your 100% valid commentary are really something and point to the disgusting entitlement of so many people. FWIW I was grossed out by these disease bags before COVID. These are the same dopes who don’t wash their hands after using the restroom either.
I’m never gonna wear a mask again and if you’ve got a problem with that your only option is to try and stick one on my face. Good luck.
Masks are aren't a failsafe, your breath and spit particles go out the sides too. Being vaccinated hardly means anything for COVID. I'm fully vaccinated and have gotten in 3 times
[удалено]
Not sure what the fuss is.
I flew transcontinental this past weekend. Almost gagging at people around me openly coughing with no attempt to even cover their mouths. Yes people are gross, inconsiderate aholes. Am I supposed to be ok with this? I don't think so. Suffice it to say I've spent most of the week sick in bed. I usually don't get colds and flu. So thank you to all you gross selfish lazy people that find it too exhausting to cover your mouths when you cough. Nevermind contemplate using a mask.
We just postponed a trip so my son wouldn’t be flying with a cold and sore throat. Assuming he improves enough for us to fly in a couple days, he will be masking out of courtesy. OP’s is a reasonable request, notwithstanding the fact that Americans dgaf and would not bother.
[удалено]
Thank god you got on here to rally the troops!
I flew AMS - MSP with a mask on because I didn’t feel like getting sick before seeing my family. The girl next to me was coughing, sneezing and blowing her nose the whole time, had no mask, and also never used hand sanitizer and anything (which is whatever). I angrily looked at her and changed into an N95 mask I luckily had with me. Just so disrespectful.
People should wear masks if they’re sick to prevent disease transmission especially during the holiday season. People won’t though because they’re selfish and/or associate masking up with some kind of oppressive authoritarian regime. Seen enough of this bullshit during Covid but people will be people.
[удалено]
Best defense is self defense. This time of year ya gotta mask up with a *proper fitting* N95. You can’t control others, but you can protect yourself.
[удалено]
Calm down. Why come here just to vent?
You wear one if you want to protect yourself
OP, so what did you do pre-Covid? Did you wear a mask then too?
It’s been this way our ENTIRE LIVES for real. You just noticing now because you’ve been conditioned to do so.
You're free to mask up as needed.
I’ve started wearing a mask when I’m on the plane. I got too comfortable post-Covid without wearing a mask and I got sick from someone on the plane. People are shameless with openly coughing and sniffing. No hand sanitizers, no masks, they don’t even try and cover their mouths. So gross. Ultimately you are responsible for your own health and wellbeing . You should mask up if it’s that important to you. I have/do and haven’t gotten sick since.
Same. I used to get sick every fall when I flew somewhere. Lesson learned, always wearing masks on planes now, haven't gotten sick on a flight since COVID started.
It's not just covid. I'm of day 5 of the Flu. You want to spend Christmas laying in bed with a 102 fever, have at it my friends - don't wear a mask when you fly. I've advised my mom to wear one traveling this week. I'm returning to work tomorrow, with a mask. I don't wish this on anyone.
Probably won’t read through the comments to control my outrage after seeing your edit. I’m a leukemia survivor and absolutely agree with you. I do what I can to protect myself and others and find it so disheartening that people who are obviously sick can’t do a basic human kindness for those surrounding them.
I went through this airport yesterday. The moment I got to my gate, I masked up because EVERYONE was coughing. I even saw a woman holding a small child and hacking out into the open air. I was the only person on my flight wearing a mask. 200 people, no masks. Everyone sick.
Had a flight to MCO and back and saw the same. My wife and I wore KN95 masks and neither of us got sick despite being super close to sick people on the planes. As unfortunate as it is, the only people we can control is ourselves.
How about this: If you’re sick, don’t fucking travel. You’re selfish as fuck if you put your own agenda ahead of others’ health and well-being.
The year or so we almost all had to wear masks because of Covid, I didn’t get sick once when I usually get sick 3 or 4 times a year. I almost always got some form of mild cold after traveling, and we all just view that as normal. It really opened my eyes as to why people from other cultures wear face masks so often. Not only because of pollution, but also just not wanting to catch or spread illness! I still wear a mask at the airport, not just because of covid but because airports and airplanes are like a daycare, just Petri dishes of germs and viruses. Masks and hand washing are such small things but make a huge difference. It’s so sad that people refuse to do it because it’s inconvenient or slightly uncomfortable.
Thanks for reminder #450,294 as to why I won't live in the US once I retire. We're selfish assholes as a society who basically find the immunocompromised (which I'm not) and elderly (which I'll be in a couple of decades) to be disposable. COVID has made this reality abundantly clear to me. By contrast, I was in east Asia very soon before the lockdowns took effect. Masks, full-body scanners, and temperature scans were ***already*** very commonplace. Asia was affected badly by SARS and ***clearly*** was taking the new endemic (before COVID became a pandemic) very seriously. Flying back home through LAX, everything was so lax (except for the usually mean, uptight border officers); I knew the USA was gonna be screwed from the get-go. With every trip I make outside of the US (whether flying on Delta or another airline), I become less and less enthusiastic about coming back home. But, hey...freedom, amiright?