I went in a grocery store yesterday...WITH NO MASK! 
How is the corona virus affecting you?
- Thread starter The Late Night Gourmet
- Start date
I went in a grocery store yesterday...WITH NO MASK!
Still not permitted here.
It is here, more and more. We're sat in a restaurant right now, waiting on breakfast, and it's also mask optional.
The grocery store yesterday specified fully vaccinated need not wear a mask, but the restaurant doesn't even have that requirement, simply wear one if you want.
Waitstaff are all masked.
The problem with that is that vaccinated folk can have the virus, exhibit no symptoms and breath it everywhere thus infecting the unvaccinated, especially in an enclosed space. I fear that the rules will relax here soon. And I think its too soon.
Here, we're swimming in vaccines now and they're free to the recipient, so if a person isn't vaccinated, it's their choice and their chance, excepting those few who have some previous medical history that prevents getting it.
My county looks like it's going to level off at around 35% vaccinated. That's everyone who wants one. We're down to single digits for daily shots. By the time we get back home, there will be no government-mandated restrictions, and we fully expect the majority of businesses to move to masks optional very quickly after that.
If everyone who wants the shot has had it, there really isn't much point in not moving forward, because the remainder to get us to herd immunity will have to come from infections.
I was (and still am) fully in favor everyone looking out for everyone else, except we've gotten to (or are quickly approaching) the point where the unvaccinated are unvaccinated by choice, it's not like a lot of the rest of the world where people who want to get vaccinated still can't. If we were at that stage, I wouldn't be as accepting as I am of the inevitable dropping of restrictions.
The government, the CDC, the WHO, and the local medical authorities here have all done everything they can do (apart from making it mandatory) to get as many people as possible vaccinated, and we're rapidly approaching that point. Once that happens, you may as well open back up, because the vaccination numbers aren't going to get any better.
JAS_OH1
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There are a lot of young people who have chosen to not get the vaccine, and even though they might be careless and feel invinceable, I would have a hard time knowing that I could possibly spread it to someone who is unvaccinated, so I still don't go to restaurants (last year did 2 outdoor dining venues) and I wear a mask at the grocery store. Also, what about small children who are still not eligible? Under 12 still can't get a vaccine in the US.
JAS_OH1
Forum GOD!
I also worry about the variants. Even though hubby and I are fully vaccinated, there is a chance that a mutation could slip past my immune system. Same with the inlaws, especially MIL since she has a lung infection that won't go away, it is a rare a condition and she has been on antibiotics for several years. There isn't enough data out to prove that antibodies last and I don't know how robust my immune system is, hopefully it's fabulous but I am still unwilling to take risks for myself or risk the health of others if I can help it.
Keeping fingers crossed that you and Mrs. T stay healthy and those around you do as well.
That is rather frightening. Is it the same everywhere in the US?
GadgetGuy
(Formerly Shermie)
There's still talk of a 3rd vaccine shot somewhere down the line. I think that they'll probably treat it like the flu shot, where you'd probably get it at your doc's office once a year to kep covid-19 at bay. Time will tell, but I think this is only for those who already had their 2nd shot. 
JAS_OH1
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Unfortunately, in most states yes. There are some states where people are more reluctant to get the vaccine (Texas is one) and for some weird reason, it's political. Most republicans and especially Trumpians refuse to get vaccinated (even though he got the vaccine himself), and then there are a bunch more of misguided fools who think that because they had the virus early last year they don't need to get vaccinated, not realizing that the immune response from the vaccine is much more powerful than the natural antibodies are.
JAS_OH1
Forum GOD!
They are working on vaccine shots for the mutations, which will be easily achieved with the vaccines that use mRNA techology (Moderna, Pfizer) and also a booster vaccine for those who were vaccinated but might be losing immunity over time.There's still talk of a 3rd vaccine shot somewhere down the line. I think that they'll probably treat it like the flu shot, where you'd probably get it at your doc's office once a year to kep covid-19 at bay. Time will tell, but I think this is only for those who already had their 2nd shot.
The Velvet Curtain
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35% good grief, here in the UK we are at 75% for the first shot, and 45% for both and there are still huge queues to get it. In the 65-75 years age group the uptake is 98%.
Meanwhile we all wear masks in all interactions outside the household and there is very little dissent. Some may call us Btits brainwashed sheep, but we've pretty much all stopped dying from this plague.
Yes and no (how's that for waffling?
).My county is one of 88, in a state about the size of Austria. There are about 40K people in my county, so in a state of about 11M, and a country of about 325M (or whatever it is now), we're a very small sample size. In comparison, the state overall is about 10% higher, in the mid-40's.
The Velvet Curtain
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I fully expect that in 2-3 years time there will be a combined flu and covid shot for those with a higher risk and in 10 years it will just become a normal part of living.There's still talk of a 3rd vaccine shot somewhere down the line. I think that they'll probably treat it like the flu shot, where you'd probably get it at your doc's office once a year to kep covid-19 at bay. Time will tell, but I think this is only for those who already had their 2nd shot.
Just for fun, the state with the lowest vaccination rate is Alabama, at about 27%, and the state with the highest is Vermont, with about 54%, so Ohio is right about in the middle, like the good average state we are. 
That's fully vaccinated.
That's fully vaccinated.