Dealing with COVID-19

[Magna]

Other than wearing masks and not being able to go out like we normally did, travel, etc....things really haven't changed for us other than being "inconvenienced". That said, our children are adults and we don't have the extra burden of finding child care, transitioning from work at home to work at the office again, etc.

I disagree with wearing masks, etc simply being an "inconvenience". There's an underlying factor that can't be overlooked or understated: Covid19 ruined life as we've known it. What did Covid19 do?

• It forever changed the comfort level people have enjoyed (and should be able to enjoy in any free society) in interacting with each other.
• It forever changed the feeling of safety previously felt in going about day to day activities. That feeling of safety will never return to pre-Covid days. People who lived through the Great Depression even as children and truly suffered, will tell you that their lives were never the same and they never looked at their lives the same way for the remainder of their lives.
• It caused irreparable neglect and avoidance in people who needed attention most (e.g. elder loneliness, no funerals for loved ones, etc).
• Depending on where a person lives in the world, some have been subjected to "lockdown" to varying degrees for 1.5 years now. Previously the term "lockdown" was most commonly used to refer to a level of imprisonment. Are there similarities to Covid "lockdowns" and imprisonments? Of course.
• Children being isolated from society, schooling, etc for 1.5 years.

In my opinion saying that basically life really didn't change all that much for the average person, we just had to wear a mildly annoying mask out and about is like saying life in a previously free society that's fallen under the occupation of a violent dictatorship is basically the same; the only difference is that you have to follow different rules.

As such, I for one am still of the belief that should it eventually be revealed that Covid19 was manmade, it simply must be regarded by humanity as being the single most egregious and unforgivable act perpetrated in human history given its scope, impact, etc and should NEVER be allowed to be repeated ever. This has been a big big deal. Far more grave than mere "inconveniences".

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I disagree with wearing masks, etc simply being an "inconvenience". There's an underlying factor that can't be overlooked or understated: Covid19 ruined life as we've known it. What did Covid19 do?

• It forever changed the comfort level people have enjoyed (and should be able to enjoy in any free society) in interacting with each other.
• It forever changed the feeling of safety previously felt in going about day to day activities. That feeling of safety will never return to pre-Covid days. People who lived through the Great Depression even as children and truly suffered, will tell you that their lives were never the same and they never looked at their lives the same way for the remainder of their lives.
• It caused irreparable neglect and avoidance in people who needed attention most (e.g. elder loneliness, no funerals for loved ones, etc).
• Depending on where a person lives in the world, some have been subjected to "lockdown" to varying degrees for 1.5 years now. Previously the term "lockdown" was most commonly used to refer to a level of imprisonment. Are there similarities to Covid "lockdowns" and imprisonments? Of course.
• Children being isolated from society, schooling, etc for 1.5 years.

In my opinion saying that basically life really didn't change all that much for the average person, we just had to wear a mildly annoying mask out and about is like saying life in a previously free society that's fallen under the occupation of a violent dictatorship is basically the same; the only difference is that you have to follow different rules.

As such, I for one am still of the belief that should it eventually be revealed that Covid19 was manmade, it simply must be regarded by humanity as being the single most egregious and unforgivable act perpetrated in human history given its scope, impact, etc and should NEVER be allowed to be repeated ever. This has been a big big deal. Far more grave than mere "inconveniences".

With respect,...that has been MY personal experience,...clearly not yours. That's OK,...I understand. I stand by my statements with regards to the mask wearing and shut downs,...it was an inconvenience that DID NOT affect me or my wife in any significant way. That was OUR life experience. That said,...we remained employed and it frankly helped us financially since we weren't going out and traveling as usual. We never experienced any loss of an ability to get food and supplies. We never experienced issues with child care. We didn't have to deal with schooling children from home. We didn't have a business to worry about. We are not political people and never got wrapped up in all the discord and rhetoric being slung back and forth. We never socialized that much anyway, so it wasn't like we missed anything. Both of us were first in line to get the vaccines, both of us being healthcare workers. At no point did either of us think that our "freedoms" were being imposed upon,...it was something that we had to do for the greater good of society,...there are times when YOU don't matter for the greater good.

Having worked in healthcare, watched the distress at work amongst the team, seen the refrigeration trucks loaded up with bodies outside the hospital,...and having had a rough case of CoVID-19 myself,...Yes, I do have a very different perspective on the whole situation. Peace.

 

[Aspychata]

For me, Covid gave me a job because the initial workers would rather collect unemployment. Then nobody wanted to eat inside, we were booked solid at the outside bar serving food and drinks giving me needed high volume experience and much needed confidence. But then l can't work in the sun due to being very fair complexion and people only want to sit outside and so l had to leave my job or risk cancer.

I now feel more comfortable around crowds maybe due to my job. I speak up now and state what l need to say. So Covid society maybe helped me come to grips with things l struggled with. A member tried to give me Covid because l wouldn't date him, (despite me being very old, quite shocking to me, l posted the story some time back). The local men can act very entitled in this state.

I bought a place because of Covid, l was frighten that society might get out of hand and l can't depend on my family despite them living here. What is next for us? It opened up my eyes to the limitations of where we live.

So Covid was a game changer for the best, quite surprising.

Re-edit: l was nothing but polite to this member at all times. This is why older woman are afraid to go out because you just can't trust.

 

[Sherlock77]

I walked into stores today without a mask for the first time since 11 months ago! I do have both vaccinations...

It felt so good to not have to fumble for my mask as I went inside, I rarely wore a mask outside because it was rarely very crowded anywhere I went

But I do still have to wear a mask at my warehouse job for an eight hour shift, and it's been muggy this week so very hard to do that...

 

[Varzar]

I walked into stores today without a mask for the first time since 11 months ago! I do have both vaccinations...

It felt so good to not have to fumble for my mask as I went inside, I rarely wore a mask outside because it was rarely very crowded anywhere I went

But I do still have to wear a mask at my warehouse job for an eight hour shift, and it's been muggy this week so very hard to do that...

Yeah, I'm going to keep wearing a mask for a while anyways, in part to support all the people working with one. It must really suck to have to work with a mask on. :/

I mean, masks are mainly meant to protect others, not yourself. So, how do all the front line workers that still have to wear masks (cause employers mandate) to protect others feel when customers come in without them.. It's kind of like a slap in the face isn't it? They wear a mask to protect us, but we can't be discomforted to protect them...
But maybe that's just me.

 

[Sherlock77]

An e-mail I received from our church today (there isn't religious content as such, except for a few terms), it certainly gave me some food for thought, the text could apply to almost any association that meets together...

"As we all known Alberta has moved into Stage 3 of reopening and the City of Calgary voted to rescind the mask bylaw effective this past Monday night. Although I figured it would be pretty straight forward, this situation has proven more stressful than I anticipated in determining my own personal response. Although I shouldn’t be surprised, like all things Covid, removing mask mandates and “reopening” is not as straightforward as it might seem at first. Although many are eager and willing to toss the mask aside (including myself), there are still many who remain cautious and concerned about the spread of Covid (not to mention the entire under 12 population who is unvaccinated). The question I have been wrestling with, and would encourage each of you to consider is, “what does it mean to respond ‘Christianly’ in this situation?"

As a church we are leaving masking up for each family to decide, and the sanctuary will remain physically distanced in chair groupings. However here are some important points we need to keep in mind as we continue the process of returning to physical gatherings:

1. Masking protects “the other.” We wear a mask to keep our germs from spreading to other people, not to protect ourselves. As such, wearing a mask (or not) is about you paying attention to other people.
2. Physically distancing reduces the risk of transmission. If you want to reduce your own risk of “catching something” or “sharing something,” the greater the distance the lower the risk.

With these two thoughts in mind, EVERYONE who attends a worship service or event should feel comfortable. As such we need to:

• Be sensitive to other's personal comfort level - if you notice someone backing away from you when talking, respect that (especially if you have decided not to wear a mask).
• Hugging and physical embrace is awesome, but some are still cautious about being that close - let’s remain sensitive to this.
• No matter your opinion on masks, Covid, vaccines, etc., if you want to talk about them, be willing to listen thoughtfully to the opinion of others.

Like I said, I figured this would be pretty straightforward for me, but this last 3 days have proven more challenging than anticipated in terms of my behaviour. I want to shed the mask (which I did on Tuesday), but by doing so I am in some ways saying that I am not fully sensitive to those who still have concerns of virus transmission. As such, I have re-embraced the mask on Thursday in close conversations. Although people under 18 are very low risk of serious outcomes if infected by Covid-19, none of them live alone and many are young enough to have grandparents and great-grandparents (some of whom may live with them). Keeping a mask with us is good way to go, which enables us to pull it out and put it on when interacting with someone who may be high risk or more cautious, in order to demonstrate care.


Let’s do all we can to be Christ-like in all things. We are called to care for the “least of these,” which is not always easy or comfortable. Cases of Covid and transmission rates continue to go down, let’s continue to pray for the end of Covid, and behave in ways that promote that."

 

[Varzar]

An e-mail I received from our church today (there isn't religious content as such, except for a few terms), it certainly gave me some food for thought, the text could apply to almost any association that meets together...

"As we all known Alberta has moved into Stage 3 of reopening and the City of Calgary voted to rescind the mask bylaw effective this past Monday night. Although I figured it would be pretty straight forward, this situation has proven more stressful than I anticipated in determining my own personal response. Although I shouldn’t be surprised, like all things Covid, removing mask mandates and “reopening” is not as straightforward as it might seem at first. Although many are eager and willing to toss the mask aside (including myself), there are still many who remain cautious and concerned about the spread of Covid (not to mention the entire under 12 population who is unvaccinated). The question I have been wrestling with, and would encourage each of you to consider is, “what does it mean to respond ‘Christianly’ in this situation?"

As a church we are leaving masking up for each family to decide, and the sanctuary will remain physically distanced in chair groupings. However here are some important points we need to keep in mind as we continue the process of returning to physical gatherings:

1. Masking protects “the other.” We wear a mask to keep our germs from spreading to other people, not to protect ourselves. As such, wearing a mask (or not) is about you paying attention to other people.
2. Physically distancing reduces the risk of transmission. If you want to reduce your own risk of “catching something” or “sharing something,” the greater the distance the lower the risk.

With these two thoughts in mind, EVERYONE who attends a worship service or event should feel comfortable. As such we need to:

• Be sensitive to other's personal comfort level - if you notice someone backing away from you when talking, respect that (especially if you have decided not to wear a mask).
• Hugging and physical embrace is awesome, but some are still cautious about being that close - let’s remain sensitive to this.
• No matter your opinion on masks, Covid, vaccines, etc., if you want to talk about them, be willing to listen thoughtfully to the opinion of others.

Like I said, I figured this would be pretty straightforward for me, but this last 3 days have proven more challenging than anticipated in terms of my behaviour. I want to shed the mask (which I did on Tuesday), but by doing so I am in some ways saying that I am not fully sensitive to those who still have concerns of virus transmission. As such, I have re-embraced the mask on Thursday in close conversations. Although people under 18 are very low risk of serious outcomes if infected by Covid-19, none of them live alone and many are young enough to have grandparents and great-grandparents (some of whom may live with them). Keeping a mask with us is good way to go, which enables us to pull it out and put it on when interacting with someone who may be high risk or more cautious, in order to demonstrate care.


Let’s do all we can to be Christ-like in all things. We are called to care for the “least of these,” which is not always easy or comfortable. Cases of Covid and transmission rates continue to go down, let’s continue to pray for the end of Covid, and behave in ways that promote that."

You said food for thought.. I'm curious what your thoughts are on it?

 

[Sherlock77]

You said food for thought.. I'm curious what your thoughts are on it?

I'm so tired of seeing life through a mask and I'm ready to throw it out, yesterday! I never wore a mask outside unless in a huge crowd, so any time I went into a building there was a ritual of putting my mask on, and the pause as I couldn't just walk into a building... I'm running out of patience rapidly...

Yet maybe I need to ration my mask use to situations at my discretion...

As far as my church? I had thought of still wearing a mask even prior to seeing that e-mail

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

this virus spreads very slowly outside. it is air borne inside.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

This may help.

 

[Varzar]

I'm so tired of seeing life through a mask and I'm ready to throw it out, yesterday! I never wore a mask outside unless in a huge crowd, so any time I went into a building there was a ritual of putting my mask on, and the pause as I couldn't just walk into a building...

As far as my church? I had thought of still wearing a mask even prior to seeing that e-mail

That's all about the same for me.

I was out making observations yesterday in town, cause it's what I do.

At the small bookstore, about 50% of people were still wearing masks, including all the employees. probably about 60% female to 40% male ratio for more women continuing to wear masks. And as far as ethnicities go, the only notable thing was 90%+ asians I saw were wearing masks.
At the mall, the total number of people still wearing masks was probably closer to 35%, but the male/female divisions and ethnicity observations were the same. All the employees in the mall were also still wearing masks.

So, a while ago, my wife made an observation about vaccination status based on a person's background. That of the people on our little road, it wasn't the ultra conservative Albertan that refused vaccination, it was the more hippie sorts. Vegans, vegetarians, or people with other such "special diets". It was a curious observation to me.
It was interesting corroboration when we walked in to the health food store (Nature's Fare, if you know of it) yesterday and it was the first and only store we visited where *none* of the employees were wearing masks, and less than 5% of the customers. Quite the stark contrast to everywhere else we went yesterday.

I'm sure these observations would not likely hold up geographically, as I gather in the US viewpoints on masks and vaccines have become more a political right vs. left sort of thing. But, at least for our little corner of the world, I thought it was interesting. Does anyone else observe/notice any such trends?

 

[Varzar]

This may help.

I don't know what that was supposed to help with.. lol
Neither Sherlock nor I are in Ontario.
Although I'm sure the numbers are similar across the country, I'm still not sure what you're getting at with that spreadsheet of numbers.

 

[Judge]

Here while anyone properly vaccinated doesn't have to wear a mask, I see a mixed-bag of retailers still wearing them. Not sure if they have the option extended to them or not. Would be frustrating to still have to wear a mask if fully vaccinated.

As for those not wearing masks who are not vaccinated, they are definitely at risk here, particularly with the rise of the "Delta" strain. Seems to be impacting people without underlying conditions every bit as much as those who have them.

I'm fully vaccinated and haven't worn a mask since the federal and state governments changed direction in policy. And I don't expect these policies to be rescinded. Making it incumbent upon each individual to get vaccinated, especially with the Delta strain becoming so prevalent. But it's still a matter of choice. Though it would seem that those opting not to get the vaccine may be taking on more risk than they realize.

 

[Sherlock77]

That's all about the same for me.

I was out making observations yesterday in town, cause it's what I do.

At the small bookstore, about 50% of people were still wearing masks, including all the employees. probably about 60% female to 40% male ratio for more women continuing to wear masks. And as far as ethnicities go, the only notable thing was 90%+ asians I saw were wearing masks.
At the mall, the total number of people still wearing masks was probably closer to 35%, but the male/female divisions and ethnicity observations were the same. All the employees in the mall were also still wearing masks.

So, a while ago, my wife made an observation about vaccination status based on a person's background. That of the people on our little road, it wasn't the ultra conservative Albertan that refused vaccination, it was the more hippie sorts. Vegans, vegetarians, or people with other such "special diets". It was a curious observation to me.
It was interesting corroboration when we walked in to the health food store (Nature's Fare, if you know of it) yesterday and it was the first and only store we visited where *none* of the employees were wearing masks, and less than 5% of the customers. Quite the stark contrast to everywhere else we went yesterday.

I'm sure these observations would not likely hold up geographically, as I gather in the US viewpoints on masks and vaccines have become more a political right vs. left sort of thing. But, at least for our little corner of the world, I thought it was interesting. Does anyone else observe/notice any such trends?

Are you also in Calgary?

My observations outside - mainly downtown - are that far fewer people are wearing masks outside... I did walk into a major downtown shopping centre (indoor), I guess because I could I didn't wear a mask, I was only doing a quick run into Shoppers Drug Mart and even there didn't wear a mask but I think I was in the minority... I am also fully vaccinated with two jabs, so have far less personal risk, but I plan to live life, life itself is never zero risk, something could always happen at any time...

 

[Sherlock77]

It is Calgary Stampede week, for the first time since 2019, apparently the first major event to happen in Canada since March 2020... Downtown streets are full of people now, the patios are filling up, this was a couple from Toronto with a brand new cowboy hat they just purchased... The Stampede grounds will be open but with major adjustments, including crowd controls...

 

[Varzar]

Are you also in Calgary?

My observations outside - mainly downtown - are that far fewer people are wearing masks outside... I did walk into a major downtown shopping centre (indoor), I guess because I could I didn't wear a mask, I was only doing a quick run into Shoppers Drug Mart and even there didn't wear a mask but I think I was in the minority... I am also fully vaccinated with two jabs, so have far less personal risk, but I plan to live life, life itself is never zero risk, something could always happen at any time...

I'm over in BC, so I was visiting Kelowna yesterday.

Also, just about everyone takes their masks off outside here (I do too, it's not worth it outdoors).

 

[Judge]

I'm over in BC, so I was visiting Kelowna yesterday.

Great country- both the southern parts of BC and Alberta. Enjoyed visiting there many years ago.

 

[Varzar]

Great country- both the southern parts of BC and Alberta. Enjoyed visiting there many years ago.

I have enjoyed my visits to Nevada as well!

Can't wait until we can travel down that way again!!

 

[Judge]

It is Calgary Stampede week, for the first time since 2019, apparently the first major event to happen in Canada since March 2020... Downtown streets are full of people now, the patios are filling up, this was a couple from Toronto with a brand new cowboy hat they just purchased... The Stampede grounds will be open but with major adjustments, including crowd controls...

View attachment 68802

A good sign of recovery. Actually seems to reflect things here in Northern Nevada as well. All of our usual events are back and have gone off without a hitch so far. Looking forward to seeing Hot August Nights and all those classic cars in early August.

 

[Sherlock77]

Great country- both the southern parts of BC and Alberta. Enjoyed visiting there many years ago.

Just posted this photo in another forum earlier in the week, memories of a road trip into southern Alberta, very close to the American border, while driving through a very remote region... A photo from a couple of years ago...