I didn't stop. But I don't go to very many public places either lol.

I didn't! I've never stopped masking since March 2020, and I've never regretted it. Also haven't had COVID that I know of but that's more due to luck and the privilege to work at home. 🙏

Although I'm much more lax about it when I'm in other countries that aren't governed by greedy imbeciles.

I never did. We still mask. I saw both of my parents get that disease (This was before the vaccine) and it nearly killed both of them. My mother has been left crippled by it. So I still wear a mask unless I'm outside and the closest person is like ten feet away.

I don’t anymore unless I’m at a doc office or hospital. I’ve never contracted covid. TBH it just… fell away from importance for me. My husband was vulnerable and I had a hard time getting him to mask, then everywhere I went I was the only, then he died (not of covid).

Wanted to share this essay since I’m seeing a lot of the common misconceptions it describes mentioned in the replies to this question - hopefully can help educate on why masking is still crucial for both personal health and community care!

Weird she doesn't mention any of the studies showing that being vaccinated dramatically reduces the likelihood that you will infect others.

It reduces the risk but not that much

Estimates I've read suggest it reduces the risk of transmitting covid by 50%

Where did you read that at?

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Estimates from various studies across different variants, etc, but several examples ranging from 40% to better than 70%

From which srudies?

They are linked out in the big meta analysis I posted above this (it's one of those ones that links to like 60 studies, so there's a lot in there, but there's a bunch in the section on secondary infections)

(I read this in other places, too, but this seems pretty reputable)

I'll confess I dont know what the estimated reduction in risk is for constant mask use, but 50%seems like a pretty big number to me

Like, she's clearly read and thought a lot more about this particular topic than me, so surely she has *seen* those studies I would think?

That was true in 2021. Not so much anymore in 2025. And the vaccine is no longer being offered to large parts of the population.

I would be interested to read newer information! Even for Omicron, which was notable for being very transmissable, I still find numbers around 50% reduction in secondary transmissions (it's just that Omicron is 3x more transmissable overall)

First month 58% protection, but this wanes quickly to around 9% at 6 months. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

This analysis does not look at transmissability or secondary infection at all, as far as I can tell.

No, this is just the chance of getting infected yourself. I think the assumption is that if you get infected, you will be able to transmit the virus.

I find this interesting. What I was told by the nurse last summer when I got it but never tested + at home (everyone else in the fam did; I had mild symptoms) was that people who’d gotten all the boosters and/or had COVID aren’t always testing + when they get it now, and no + means no transmission

Shouldn't that have stopped the virus in countries with high vaccination rates, such as Portugal? 95%+ got vaccinated there. If vaccination would prevent transmission, the Portugese would no longer have Covid going around.

So I am curious if she said that just because she’d been hearing it from other patients or if there is any actual research to back it up

I’m not sure. The nurse didn’t say if it was common, just that it was happening. It was a Typhoid Mary at the family reunion situation, where none of us had (knowingly) had COVID before and were all up to date on our boosters. I was the only one who didn’t test positive but I had mild symptoms

When you use a mask, you can still infect others if you're sick, it just occurs at a lower rate. Similarly, when you are vaccinated, if you are sick you can still infect others. But also similarly to masking, it occurs at a lower rate.

Which is why doing both provides a better rate than either alone, right? Layers of protection are important!

Indeed! And it's why, when you're sick, you should mask up! The cool thing about vaccines is that they work all the time, even if you're not wearing a mask. (they are also easier to study!) Do we have any good estimates for how much protection masking offers the people around me if I have covid?

And the reason *why* it works for both, is because it is actually the same mechanism: fewer viruses reach other people.

It is the reason why I still wear a mask when sharing indoor air despite having had all the boosters that were offered to me. Why still boosters? Because they lower the risk of long Covid in most studies.

Same - my family caught Covid for the first time in 2023 after vaccinations in 2021 and boosters in 2022, and even with that layer of protection my partner has been struggling with long Covid ever since.

the fact that we even need boosters is because the spread is uncontrolled & the virus keeps mutating.

We wanted it to be like the flu. So it will mutate like the flu. And so we will keep on needing annual boosters, just like for the flu. It will harm the blood vessels and the brain, just like the flu. Only much more often than the flu.

I admit I’ve gotten more lax, but I still mask in crowded places, grocery stores, and doctor’s offices. I’ve also gotten every available booster. I’ve been fortunate that the only time I know I had it, it was very mild (so mild, I only tested because my husband had it.)

Still always masking indoors anywhere but at home and outdoors if it’s crowded

I want to ask that very question to the nurses at the children's hospital where my kid has quarterly appointments. The signs say masks are required. The pre-appointment text says masks are required. But those women developed a "fuck them kids" mindset and their child patients deserve to know why.

If they started now, they would have to admit to themselves that they did tremendous harm to vulnerable children, perhaps killed some, during the time they didn't mask. That's a huge hurdle for the average psyche to manage. They basically killed the doc that discovered dirty hands kill patients.

That we, as a global society, committed the guy who figured out “washing hands saves lives” to an asylum says A Lot™ about us & how our psyches work.

The made-for-TV nature of humanity is the closest thing I see to evidence of a higher power (this doesn't even meet the lowest of bars, but closer than anything else so far).

I snorted reading this, b/c “god exists b/c we’re total assholes but good for ratings” is lowkey hilarious

The tragedy of human nature feels like fiction. Humans: smart enough to learn how to save lives with simple measures, but wired to reject even the most beneficial knowledge that's emotionally threatening, sometimes by killing. But, I'm sure I am cherry picking the tragic bits.

We’re wildly adaptive AND wildly murderous if we even _briefly suspect_ your adaptation is a threat

That said, at the same time, I said this elsewhere bsky.app/profile/thej...

I generally avoid crowded places but still mask up when I'm in one. My strategy seems to work since I haven't had so much as a cold in a few years. Plus I'm vaccinated to the hilt.

who? not me i avoid public places like the literal plague

I always mask in indoor spaces except for 2 households we pool risk with Outdoor spaces are a function of people density + infection/infectivity rates + what proportion of folks I expect to have been in high risk environments recently (e.g. have kids in school, have traveled, etc.)

Like, I'm 100% masking for reunions, weddings, funerals, graduations, or when I know/suspect folks have recently attended concerts/cons/etc. I have one friend who's visiting later this summer who's explicitly visiting *before* attending a con so that they can safely do so

I'm the only person masking in this town

Thank you! Solidarity

Because if I didn’t stop, I’d be doing it for the rest of my life for nebulous and uncertain outcomes and reasons. I hate wearing masks and not showing my face and being normal. I will only wear a mask if I am made to do so.

In outside public places & in a grocery store that has high ceilings & space where I can safely stay 6 to 10 feet away, I have stopped masking. In closer quarters, I still mask.

High ceilings do not equal good ventilation. I demonstrated this to my brother with my CO2 monitor and he was very surprised by how poor the indoor air quality can be in very spacious surroundings. Being 6-10 feet away from a smoker wouldn't keep you from smelling the smoke. COVID is airborne.

Thank you, I did not know that...it feels so spacious & airy. I guess it's back to masking in the grocery store for me!

I still always mask on transit (including airports and airplanes), in any very crowded space, in pharmacies, and in medical facilities. I'll mask everywhere indoors when the local sewage COVID levels get high.

I haven't. I've already gotten it once (despite being vaxxed and masking up), and I don't want to find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of this particular Tootsie Pop (meaning, how many times I can catch COVID 'til I develop long COVID or it just kills me).

I didn’t.

It killed my ability to socialize. I was masking for about a year after getting vaccine and then one day I went to a local concert without one just because I left it at home by mistake, and had more random conversations with strangers than I ever had.

It can be more difficult to socialize, especially if there are vehement anti-maskers in your close group or around you in general. So you have to calculate whether the need to conform to not masking is more pressing than not catching and/or spreading airborne illnesses.

I don't really care about the opinions of anti-maskers or about conforming. I was the only person wearing a mask anywhere I went for a good 6 months, and in retrospect I think it was giving me a closed off or less approachable vibe. I still mask when around someone who is immunocompromised or sick.

how do you know whether strangers around you are immune compromised? +what do you tell yourself about risking that happening to you, since it's a relatively common impact of covid (which can be permanent)? also, would u be happier to mask if more ppl were again? if yes, what can we do towards that?

With very few exceptions, even at Pride events and gatherings where almost everyone is guaranteed to be liberal or leftist and believes that COVID is real, masking everywhere would mean never having a conversation with a new person unless I initiate it ever again.

Strangers I really can't. The thing of it isn't that people stopped masking, which they did, but that even people who aren't anti-maskers or COVID denialists in general take wearing a mask as a social cue to stay out of my personal space and not initiate conversation.

ty for that point. if u don't mind i wanna take that piece on its own, but what do u tell yourself about risking disability, since it's a relatively common impact of covid (which can be permanent)? +it sounds like u may be happier to mask if more ppl were again? if yes, what can we do towards that?

Man this thread gives me a shocking amount of hope. Also never stopped. Severely IC and on an immune suppressant. And when it’s so easy to not get (more) sick why would I not do that?

Never stopped masking. I work from home & wear a KN95 or N95 everywhere else -- grocery store, pharmacy, post office, DMV, medical appt, therapeutic massage, picking up a takeout meal. We also don't dine out anymore since March 2020 except about once per season, and patio dining only. No crowds.

I never stopped. Get bullied for it sometimes. Even health workers will trip over backwards to try to justify why they won't mask when I request it. I'm immuno-compromised, and can get sick at the drop of a hat. Masking is the least folks can do to show they care for their own health and for others.

Honestly I wish I understood how much it could do for my health earlier. Pre-pandemic I got bronchitis a few times a year. Simply masking on the subway might’ve made a dent in that (and prevented exposure from poisonous subway fumes).

Masking helps so much for situations like that! And it drastically lowered my asthmatic attacks. So it helps not just with protection against airborne diseases but also with other issues like exposure to poisonous fumes or allergens or smoke.

Same all the way around. #disabilitypride

Never stopped. I also wear kneepads but that's because I work with wrestlers that throw things like broken glass, barbed wire and legos.

I still mask in shared public spaces. Hard to imagine stopping - I like being healthy; I like not making other people sick; I like making public spaces more accessible to people with immune conditions and other risk factors. These things are nice! And it’s so easy.

We stopped masking up about 1 1/2 years ago. We still get the vaccines every flu season but it just seemed like the worst of it was over. I still keep 3 masks with me just in case the family and I are in a situation where we might need them but it’s been a while.

Respectfully, the worst of it is not over. Hospitals still get overwhelmed, mortality rates are still high, your community is still getting long COVID. There are fewer protections than ever and a new variant is causing a summer surge. It's never too late to start caring and masking again 💛

I didn't

I never stopped. Why? Because I know people with devastating long term consequences of covid infection. I don't want to cause that for anyone. And I hope to avoid it for myself.

I still mask when I can get out. I have a chronic illness and don’t need to be at risk for any thing else.

I love that you ask this question, because it makes us confront that the answer is some form of "I stopped caring" and it's so important to give a shit, about ourselves and our neighbours. It's never too late to start caring and masking again 😷💕 maskbloc.org#useful-links is a great place to start

It's never too late to start masking again. A new COVID variant (NB.1.8.1 / "Nimbus") is surging right now, which means case numbers are rising. The more people who wear masks to protect against spread of COVID, RSV, flu, and bird flu, the harder it is for cops to arrest a person for wearing a mask.

haven't left home w/o one on since 2021ish

After 3 yrs living in a city that still masked (me included), I stopped bc it was untenable to live the rest of my life masking when around others. I didn't want it anymore. I lived in fear but then spent time in a city where no one masked, and the fear gradually lifted.

is it living in fear to wear a seatbelt?

At this stage it's endemic. I will still mask in high stakes scenarios or when I'm really trying to prevent getting sick in advance of some important event, but it's something I have to live with forever and I don't want to do that permanently masked.

If the virus is still going around and still causing long term health issues at high rates, wouldn't it make sense to keep masking instead of giving up?

What does endemic mean here? And how would it impact your fear and ability to do things gas if you developed a heart condition, ME/CFS or other chronic condition? I am afraid of developing debilitating issues that mean I can’t go out. So I mask.

It's a personal choice and based on personal health issues. I have no issues with others choosing what's right for them. As for endemic, look it up. But basically, we're past the pandemic phase and the virus is circulating in the population.

public health is not a personal choice. you share the air you breathe.

I didn't know anyone was still doing the "personal choice" dodge about decisions with public costs.

There is no medical /scientific definition by which Covid is no longer pandemic. The fact that it is constantly spreading does not decrease the danger. personal choice only applies if you never go anywhere. I mask. I vaccinate. I have had Covid twice because personal choice isn’t how this works.

Lady, I'm not looking to argue. You asked a question and I can now see it wasn't in good faith. ✌️👋

I was genuinely trying to understand what you understood about endemic. I thought perhaps you didn’t have access to info. Once you brought up personal choice in spreading a deadly disease, my good faith did drop I’ll admit it.

"living in fear" damn pulling out all the hits

I never did. Always mask everywhere

i didn’t, and it sucks ass, bc nobody else is doing anything about it. not even doctors or nurses at the chemotherapy center (where i get iron) wear masks

My choice is to ALWAYS mask in all indoor and most outdoor public spaces. Living in this ableist world has taken a huge toll on me. I love life, but the thrill is gone in so many ways because of the eugenics as "public health" policy push.

I did not stop. I mask indoors. Outside I don't usually but it depends on how many people. Went to Philly Pride outside and wore a mask then

Never stopped

Still masking 80% of the time - & always on planes, trains, & any crowded spaces. SARS2, Flu, RSV, measles, & mpox can ALL be spread by breathing other people’s lung juice. Haven’t been sick in years.

i don't really mask anymore but if a store or restaurant looks too crowded i'll just turn around and walk right back out the door like i've done six times this month

wouldn’t it be easier to just put on a mask though?

if its an *emergency* need i mask up but eh if it's just going there to get random crap that's not life or death i just wait, its easier

okay 🤷🏻‍♀️

in general ive hated crowded stores even long before covid so if im going to the store it's early in the morning or late at night

one of the things im saddest covid killed was 24 hour stores; its the dream to shop for groceries at like, midnight in an empty store

yeah, it’s a bummer that they don’t offer safe hours anymore, too. i am immunocompromised & haven’t been in a grocery store since before the pandemic so i’m grateful curbside pickup/ delivery is an option.

haven't yet, no plan to

never stopped! 💘

I never stopped. I wonder how many people only wore ear loop masks and quit because they hated them. The 3M Aura mask (N95) is my overall favorite mask, because it's comfortable and secure. In contrast, every ear loop mask I've ever worn hurt my ears and/or was prone to falling off.

I didn't. I still mask on the subway and indoors if I'm there for a prolonged amount of time. Thank God I'm a New Yorker and nobody gives a fuck what I'm doing 🤷🏼

Still masking indoors, in public. Someone asked me the other day if I'd mask forever, I told them I don't know. What I do know is I've been sick one time in almost 5 years, and my ex has had covid more than 6 times. Now that vaccines are going to be messed up, it's more important to be safe.

Case counts dropped, it never stopped being a sensory annoyance, my baby was vaxxed, and it’s tough to hold a crying baby while undoing a mask so you can kiss and comfort them. I still mask in healthcare settings or if I have to go out at the tail end of a cold- yes, normal kid colds do still exist

I can’t say if I get sick more than I would because I have a toddler. We’re not sick all the time, but we definitely get 3+ colds a year. We have pediatric masks for him and he’s slowly learning how to wear them. Except for the store we only go places where parents are unlikely to take a sick kid

From what I’ve heard the average for kids under 10 is 6-9 colds a year, so what we’re doing seems to be mostly working for us for now

I still mask in public because my roommate/best friend is immunocompromised and I'd really like to not kill her.

💜

I still mask in public. I used to get multiple uper respiratory infections every year. Since masking, I get maybe one every two years. Masks work. They ALWAYS worked.

I used to have chronic sinusitis, repeated respiratory infections (on top of asthma), & rounds of antibiotics &/or steroids. All of that stopped when I started masking in 2020. Now that I know what feeling healthy is like, I’ll never stop masking indoors.

Same.

I work retail and was a cashier in the early days of the pandemic. We were required to mask, but our employer didn't provide masks, so we had to bring our own. Customers weren't required to mask for a while. Then we instituted a "No entry without a mask." policy. A backlash soon followed. (cont)

People would wear the mask to get in the door past the person checking for masks then immediately pull their masks down, either under their noses or down to their chins. They would be very shitty to personnel who asked them to please pull their masks up properly. (cont)

Even those who complied would quickly pull their masks back down as soon as they turned around. I'll never forget the guy who wore a regular mask to get in then swapped it for a mask made of panty hose material. (cont)

This wasn't just a pantyhose on his face, this was a legit mask someone sewed together. It had black trim, adjustable ear straps and everything. Instead of actual cloth, it had a fine mesh. He checked out with me and just stood there with a big shit-eating grin on his face. (cont)

He kept leaning closer and closer as I rang up and bagged his stuff. I'm sure he was daring me to say something, but I just acted normal. The worst thing about the pandemic is it showed how so many people cared more about their own ego than protecting other people's literal lives.

Me too! I still get colds occasionally bc my preschooler doesn’t mask consistently at school, but I need meds much more rarely.

Still masking. 1. No reliable data to tell me either way, so we stay the course. 2. When they said do your own calculation, they did not say how and with what data and tool.

I am not sure why people fell for it. Maybe they decided that if they didn't, others would think they didn't know how to assess their own risk. If they resume, they have to admit they had no clue at any time.

Here's an answer that might make people mad at me: When my household got vaccinated, simple as that. I'll still occasionally wear a mask when 1) I'm sick and 2) have to go somewhere where I might get someone else sick. (I've never gotten covid!)

about half of all covid cases are asymptomatic. how do you know when you’re sick? how do you know you haven’t had covid?

Alas, we can only know what we can know! It's perfectly *possible* that I've had covid seven times asymptomatically, and also that every time I've been sick with anything that had symptoms, i tested negative for covid. Or eleven times, or thirty times!

so if you don’t know if you have covid, how can you assess if it’s safe for you to go out unmasked? or you’re just willing to risk that on other people’s behalf?

How can I know I won't get hit by a car and die? And yet choose to drive almost every day?

(the answer is, I just do my best, like anybody, to figure out what to do based on the information I have)

right & the information says that masking protects ourselves (&&& others). it’s not a personal choice if you share the air.

It remains a personal choice, I'm afraid. Is it my responsibility and duty to my community to remain permanently in my home and never leave? Remaining inside my home makes me FAR less likely to spread covid than leaving my house with a mask on. I think most people would say "no, that's too far"

who said all that? you’re running to extreme examples to absolve yourself of any responsibility to do *anything* to mitigate risk.

I am using a deliberately extreme example to say we have to draw lines. And I think that's hard. Some people draw lines in places that I profoundly disagree with, and I think it makes them wildly irresponsoble! Some people draw lines in places that are not where I'd draw them, but ~OK with me.

I use that example only to point out that pure "percent chance of spreading covid" is not a replacement for human decision-making about risks and trade-offs. People have a duty to their community, and yet we *still* have to draw lines. And sometimes those lines won't be in the same place.

But I don't think it's particularly useful to organize my life that way most of the time

Same for me. I still bring one for flights and if I'm in a doctors office. But for daily life I just treat it like the flu now. Also, still never had Covid.

When did the flu cause systemic vascular disease?

(But it's still obviously good to mask if I've got some other thing that I could breathe into someone else.)

The vaccination doesn’t really keep you from getting or spreading Covid, just helps keep you from dying/getting hospitalized

In fact, all the covid vaccines we have *do* help keep you from getting covid, and *do* help you spread fewer viral particles, just like masks do.

This is according to *everything* I can find. Even when I read about the most transmissable variants, it looks like you could be 30-40% less likely to get covid (regardless of symptoms) when fully vaccinated, and about *half* as likely to spread it to someone else if you do get it.

Talking as if it’s sterilizing is the issue. It is not a guarantee and the chance that it actually keeps you from getting or spreading it is relatively low (but it’s great at keeping you from dying!) as long as you are actually getting the shot 2-3 times a year

Right but that isn’t the same thing as “preventing someone from getting or spreading Covid” it’s a percentage of a chance (which is why I do get my vaccines every 6 months but I would NOT trust it to keep me from getting sick or spreading it, I would trust it to keep me from hospitalization)

I agree with you, we're talking about percentage chance. I just want to point out that we're *also* talking about percentage chance when we talk about masking in public, both for getting and spreading. (I'm hopeful that this is a non-controversial point.)

I think people might choose a belt and suspenders approach if that makes sense for them, I think that's great. For that matter, some people might stack other measures on top of THAT, like pulling your children out of school, or making them attend remotely. But even drastic stuff, is still % chance.

Yeah, masking isn’t perfect and if it’s not fit tested or you’re not using like a good quality mask your chances go up for sure, my issue with people saying they’re just vaccinating and doing nothing else

is that a lot of people understand the actual protective qualities of the vaccine and how long they last for. Like people getting vaccinated once when they came out and thinking that they’re just good forever now which I’ve encountered multiple times.

Maybe 40% chance of not contracting or spreading it’s just not something I would feel comfortable only vaccinating and not masking for my me and my family.

if you're utd with vax and have the 30-40% protection against transmission that confers; AND you are masking, which with low quality/non fit tested ones confers another ~40% protection? you've doubled your safety. (use n95 instead, you're@ near 100) it rly makes zero sense to skip either mitigation

I mean, I hear that, and I respect it, there's a lot of considerations. For my family, as my young children attend school, they eat food. And that means the most draconian mask regime I could possibly impose is ~worthless even if children are ~perfect, since they sit with others, and remove masks.

Are you/whoever getting boosted every 4-6 months? Bc it loses efficacy and is not gonna be protective for anyone if that isn’t happening. It strengthens your immune response but it absolutely does not “prevent” getting Covid which is a huge thing to recognize (vax and relax is not helpful)

Serology studies show that you've almost certainly (87%) had COVID. The vaccines prevent symptomatic disease. You've most likely had the disease, sans symptoms, thanks to the vaccines. I wonder if you've killed anyone...

"this effectiveness declines to 9 % (95 % CI: 7 %–23 %) and 55 % (95 % CI: 49 %–60 %) by the sixth and fifth month, respectively. " I guess you get a new booster every 3 months or so? www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Because I’m stupid.

Didn't.

I never stopped. I hoped at one time the vax might let me stop. But it turned out the risk of long covid is still way too high + when I did get covid once, I was sick for a month and I am a person who starts testing pos again after antivirals, + I could still infect and kill/harm others.

I haven't. I mask in all public indoor spaces and anywhere outside where there are people.

It's extremely hard to make yourself understood in normal proximity with a moderate amount of background noise. I employ a mask during a wave strategy... the success of which has been marginal.

I didn't. Everyone else did though. Interestingly, they're also complaining about how they're "sick all the time".

I still mask at the airport, on planes and in the doctor's office. I tend to forget at places like the supermarket and restaurants. I need to go back to leaving a mask in my car for when I do forget.

I've gotten lax about it but I still shop at 6am when stores are empty

Respectfully: the stores aren't empty, there are employees in them, and you can protect yourself and them, and stop the spread of disease, by wearing a mask 💗 A new COVID variant is spreading right now, so cases are surging. Take care 💛

I haven't, nor will I ever. I'm not the kind of person who can convince myself that I didn't kill someone just because everyone else is doing it, and the chain of transmission might not lead to me, directly. Also, now that I'm learned in post-viral chronic illness, I wish I'd worn them forever.

My family still does everywhere inside but at home and if we test first with friends and fam. Outside if it is crowded. It feels pretty isolating sometimes- especially at school and I wonder how long my 12 year old can be the only kiddo masking…

Still masking primarily because we have an immunocompromised daughter with a fatal rare disease. Doing what we can to protect her. Also still avoiding public places when possible and keeping an eye out for places with good ventilation.

I’m also severely immunocompromised, but my mother wouldn’t have protected me like you do for your daughter. So glad she has this kind of love, and I’m grateful for people like you who value her life ❤️

I’m sorry you had to experience that. And that’s very kind of you to say. We’re certainly not perfect about it, but we do our very best!

💜

I refuse to live in fear. That’s why I always mask in public places. I also get COVID vaccine boosters. I’ve never had COVID and as a result of these simple precautions, I’m not afraid I’ll get it.

I haven't stopped, I've just become more selective based on risk. But when I go to a Bucks game, I'm the only person I see masked.

Being a lone mask-wearer can be tough, but thank you so much for stopping the chain of transmission and taking care of yourself and your community 😷💕

Thanks. I am mostly just selfish, I've had mild COVID twice and it SUCKED. Who wants that crap?

Lol, fair enough! I have also had mild COVID twice and indeed, it fucking sucked. I mask for many reasons, including protecting myself from pollen and surveillance in addition to airborne viruses 😂

Bucks games you say 👀

Of course! I usually go to a few games every season

Still mask indoors in public and outdoors in big crowds! Not only have I never had COVID, but I’ve basically only been sick once in the past five years, I’m not giving that up.

i let this toddler look under my mask and she coughed in my face 3 yrs it took for covid to get me, disguised as a cute little toddler

oops, it took 4 years, time has no meaning anymore

I still mask.

I still mask.

Haven't stopped. Covid is still out there with still truly unknown long term consequences.

I’ve never stopped—masking has improved my health so much!

Yes! It really works & I feel great. No colds flu or Covid since 2020 & no cavities either! Good for wildfire smoke as well! #maskup

Because ICE ruined masks worse than what Bieber did to ink. Or Ted Cruz did to beards, even.

Still grateful never to see his jawline tho, don't miss that thing at all.

Gators and respirators are very different. Wearing a K/N95 mask in public spaces (especially healthcare, transportation, grocery/pharmacy) is critical to normalize masks as a public health tool vs tool of oppression.

*gaiters

This is the absolute weakest excuse I’ve ever seen. Congratulations.

I didn't. My housemate gifted me with covid in March so I'm not leaving the house without defcon 1 level protection.

I had a choice between a mask and peace. Men everywhere would try and pull it off my face, men in restaurants intentionally coughing and sneezing all over me, men crossing the street to harass me about it, men thinking I owed them a debate... I WANT to mask. I hate men now more than ever. 😒

Mask *and* pepperspray?

I’m still masking. No grocery store or gym or mode of public transportation has seen the lower half of my face for 5 years. If we’re stuck DIYing public health, I’m not gonna stop doing the literal easiest thing to help protect myself and my loved ones!