I think it’s a matter of personal preference.

I only wear a mask now if I am requested to, for example when I did blood work a few weeks ago, a mask was required. During the peak of the pandemic, I wore the mask all the time indoors, as required by the states I shopped in and visited.

If I can’t maintain a safe space in crowds I happily wear one.

Absolutely.

I think they are. But then I never felt they were necessary. So I didn’t see the point a year and a half ago and I still don’t see the point.

The timeline you mentioned covers from when vaccinations were available, and started relaxing on the masking, so I’ll say that masks are still probably, if not as necessary, then certainly prudent. Especially as we come into cooler weather, which has been when cases of infection tend to spike.

Yes! I don’t think they are necessary for everyone to wear all of the time, but from what I can tell they work. I was just in a situation last night without my mask (I forgot it) and I’m just hoping I didn’t get sick from anyone.

Almost everyone I know who has caught covid in the last year didn’t have a mask on, and the people I know who still wear masks haven’t caught it.

I wish masks were being worn more by people who travel. Flipping tourists come to Florida (I live in Florida) and spread it all around. Same pattern every year. We just got through summer (so a ton of covid floating around) and finally people are going back to their states for the start of school and the covid cases are coming down again.

During summer the cases explode everywhere not just Florida, because the tourists bring it back north with them, or even if they vacationed up north that’s still the same summer months spreading it around. Next start will be Thanksgiving through Christmas and come back down in January when school starts.

People on vacation generally do not isolate or quarantine when they are sick, they put out a ton of money for their trip.

I think if people were really made aware of the crucial times and wore masks more during those times it would reduce covid and flu dramatically.

Or, if people still masked in crowded public places like airports, airplanes, indoors at Disney, public bathrooms, just to name a few.

@Cindy1302 I was gonna ask this same question, but I’m glad you did because I do believe they are just as important now than ever. We can not “pretend” that Covid-19 is over since it is still killing people all around the world.

Masks are an important tool to prevent the spread of Covid when transmission rates are high. Ideally, people would check what’s happening in their region or destination and mask or not accordingly. And I agree that it would be best if people were still required to mask in airports and on public transportation. Unfortunately, at least in my area, most people have abandoned mask wearing completely.

I think masks are just as important now as even a year ago; however, I don’t find them to be as critical as back then. I do keep mine handy at ALL times although I seldom feel the need to wear it!!! I still practice social distancing & I carefully choose when I will venture out in public!!! IF I feel extremely uncomfortable in any given situation, I have NO problem leaving & returning home to my safe spot!!!

We now have a LOT more information than when the virus attacked us & I think that awareness has helped us to take better care of ourselves!!! I have systematically removed myself from relationships that might endanger my life & I’m finding that I don’t even miss them!!! Many of those would have exited due to the natural progression of life, so I can’t blame the estrangement completely on the pandemic as sometimes shit just happens!!!

I live in a really small town where I don’t have to worry about any form of public transportation & I have NO need to fly, so NO airports in my life either. I live in a good place where I can have more control over my life than many others do!!!

Yes, The CDC is calling for everyone to wear masks due to the surge in covid and monkeypox cases.

We have adapted to masks as routine out in public. And I’ve resigned myself to the idea that this is likely to be a fact of life from here on out. The signs either recommending or requiring them remain in place in most establishments, on public transportation, etc.

I’m not contradicting @janbb, but I want to emphasize my statement was about trying to prevent the uptick of cases at key times. That’s BEFORE the cases ever go up. Sure, if cases are high then yes people should use masks more too, I know I do, but if the CDC, FDA, NIAID, the president, and the media would remind people that wearing a mask during high travel times kicks off the covid curves then we could get ahead of it, but they won’t. They aren’t going to say anything that might affect commerce; or, they don’t see the pattern, which I can’t imagine.

Risking getting sick with family and friends I completely understand, but risking it when sitting next to a coughing person on a bus or flying next to someone for 4 hours on a plane? Why not try to reduce the risk?

The way I see it, the US government decided 120,000–150,000 covid deaths a year is acceptable, especially since it’s mostly older people.

They were never necessary as their efficiency was at best negligible.

Masks were never 100% but neither was the vaccine,or safe distancing but using them together gives one a good chance of not contracting C19, but people are happy bitching about having to any or all of them , then they wonder how they got covid, gee I wonder?

I believe the answer is yes.

There is still an extremely high presences of the Covid virus worldwide and it is still constantly mutating.

I doubt Covid will ever be eliminated or at least not for many years and the more difficult we make it for the virus to infect people the better and wearing is good mask is is an extremely effective way in which to.

There is no need to wear a mask that only covers the mouth and nose there are excellent masks which covers the whole face and does not impede breathing.

I think they are critical for people who are symptomatic or have been exposed and still insist on going out in public. I don’t think it matters much for the rest of us.

I’m still hearing from friends and acquaintances that they have recently caught covid. So yes. I wear masks in crowded places still but I’m okay to walk into a store that hardly has anyone in it without a mask. Like the other night. We were staying with friends and decided to go shopping for some breakfast items before the store closed (huge supermarket). It was 930 pm and the only people there were 4 workers and one other customer other than ourselves. The only time we came close to the cashier was when cashing out and she had a mask and a shield between us and her. We didn’t come close to a single soul and checked out quickly.

For people under 60 who have had vaccinations and boosters, Covid is not particularly deadly. Long Covid could still happen. For people who are older or have not had vaccinations, Covid could be severe. Everyone has to look out for themselves.

My 87 year old mom had gotten the vaccine + 1 booster. Last May she went to the grocery store without wearing a mask and picked up Covid. She was in and out of hospitals for 2 months. Lost mobility until August. Covid is no joke.

@RocketGuy

When did your mom get her first booster?

@Brian1946 – around Jan-Feb 2022, so about 3 months before infection.

I’m in the camp of believing that CLOTH masks are mostly about virtue-signalling. N95 and surgical masks are a completely different matter. They have statically charged filters that capture tiny particles. They definitely have value.

Studies on cloth masks had mixed results. The couple that showed them as effective, if you read their methodology, they used unrealistically good masks with 3–5 layers of specialized material that bear no relationship to the 2–3 ply cloth or spandex layers most masks people bought on amazon. And those studies were just counting particles and droplets. Not exactly relevant to covid.

Covid virus travels in particles and droplets, so those studies are valid.