Nire Bryce

I still use N95 mask(airqueen specifically since its good at not fogging my glasses) out of my home all the time. I do occasionally go to restaurants and I go to local FGC events every couple weeks and am maximally vaccinated. Oregon cases are at a low amount(viewed via a 7-day average, per capita), same for USA overall(even accommodating for underreporting via looking at wastewater amounts of covid, last i checked), so I think this is a reasonable approach especially since cases have been going down constantly since january.

I am definitely concerned about a new spike or something interrupting that downward trend so I try checking every few weeks. Like you said, long covid is concerning. I also think its more important to check regional covid numbers than national.

I havent gotten any shit for masking but I live in oregon. Masking is somewhat common at the FGC locals too, and its mandated for some events.

yeah I mask all the time when I’m not at home and get the vaccines, I did get Covid once unfortunately, one of my fiancées coworkers came in sick with the virus and despite best efforts on our part we got sick

My partner and I are more lax than this, but close. We’ll have our N95’s or KN95’s with us for errands and even walks outside, we’ll always mask up indoors, and have forced our friend group to avoid indoor dining almost altogether. The social pressure is eased because we’ve got our dog with us almost all the time, so we’d need to eat outside anyway

I use a half-face elastomeric respirator with P3 filters. I don't head out much, mainly for things that I have to do, but whenever I do, I always make sure to wear my mask. I barely see anyone else masking, though (I live in Western Europe). When I went to the airport to pick up my dad, I only saw one other person masking, and when I went to get an HPV shot a couple of months ago, none of the people working wore their masks until I approached.

double-mask KN95s whenever i'm outside my apartment / in public. also have not been sick since before 2020.

i get so angry / anxious seeing people just breathing each other's air 24/7. it's like they live in an alternate reality where such behavior is actually safe.

we have a reusable N95 with exchangeable filters. we wear it everywhere. (we figure the most dangerous part of most excursions we make is the elevator, because of the enclosed air, which we can't avoid, so, might as well...)

we may have had a small cold a while ago, it's hard to be sure, it could have been other things. we've basically not had illnesses in the last three years though.

we do outdoor social things when we get the chance, not much else.

we still mask any time we're indoors and not home with one exception - my monthly netrunner group meets on the empty upper level of a nearly empty restaurant once a month. i know i'll be masking/isolating for at least a couple weeks after that so in the fairly unlikely chance i get infected, it's not spreading any further

i'm fortunate to get to work remotely so i basically don't spend any time in public indoors, barely even for shopping with curbside pickup available. we've been looking forward to warmer weather where we can go out to eat on a patio and not feel too bad about it

all that said my wife's sick and in line for a covid test right now even though i missed netrunner and we've hardly been anywhere in the last month :/

Admittedly we've fallen out of using masks here. I use them when I go to a medical facility like getting labwork done or going to a doctor's office, but other than that not really. We rarely go out though and get our groceries delivered. And the small handful of times we've visited a restaurant they've been nearly empty.

Thing is, masks aren't meant to protect us, they're to protect everyone FROM us. So with everyone else not wearing any masks, I don't particularly feel any safer going out there. So I just limit my exposure to people.

I've not had COVID yet, although my mom got it once. She came out well though, and we do get our vaccines.

I'm still wearing an n95 everywhere, and never take it off inside or around people. (Also, I don't do restaurants, even eating outside.) (e: I do takeout masked, to clarify.)

Most of the people I know have been pretty chill and understanding about my "if you don't have the same masking strictness, get a PCR before we hang out mask off" rule.

Wearing the 3M aura outside the house unless I'm just walking the dog. Supposedly N95s also help with seasonal allergies which is good because the pollen has been out of control lately.

i desperately want a space bubble solution. i have very curly hair that makes elastic mask bands challenging at best. how did you pick yours, and how is it to use?

I've been thinking of getting that elastomeric - but sounds like it's harder to communicate in? (I guess any elastomeric would be.)

I only go to medical appointments now, so that's what I was thinking of using one for, but maybe a p100 would make it more reasonable to go into a store once in a while...