Unpopular Opinions 11.12

lillywonderland

@paytonpedro That’s just it. People are NOT adhering to the guidelines/mandates. People are still having events, weddings, birthday parties, Tuesday parties, etc.  It is (generally) not spreading at workplaces where mask wearing is enforced. My (essential) workplace has been open this entire time and we’ve had many coworkers come down with cases of covid but there has been no community spread. NONE. Because we’ve been wearing masks for months. It is spreading in peoples homes, from family to friends and vice versa. That’s where people “let down their guards”. 

inthewoods23

@bows22 I'm not saying masks aren't important. I 100% wear a mask when I'm out and about going to stores/appointments to protect myself and others as recommended by the health powers that be. I don't agree with a lot that @emeraldcity1214 said with her lack of any consideration for others and IDGAF attitude, but I understand how people can have that mindset based on their own experiences and where they live. Let people deal with the consequences of their actions and move on. There are people that do everything possible to protect themselves and still get the virus while others do absolutely nothing and haven't gotten the virus. There's probably a lot of people out there that got a mild case of the virus who feel that the pandemic isn't a big deal because they weren't heavily affect or hospitalized for it.

I should fix my earlier statement - it's not my actual opinions that "in the middle" but that I understand the viewpoints of both sides, hence my analogy of a mom and dad fighting.

I personally have not seen the severity of the virus, but our state is only now seeing the massive spike in cases like other states experienced early on. My BIL had it in late September/early October. That was the first confirmed case for anyone within my family so I went a very long time without experiencing the worry of a family member's health. His case appeared to be pretty mild, just feeling run down from it. Maybe I'm also a little less crazy about following all the recommended safety measures (more specifically the social distancing part) because there's a lot more certainty now than there was back in March/April.

ETA: I mean social distancing in terms of visiting people. I see my parents and DH's parents. I have seen my one friend once back in September. I have not seen any other friends so my exposure circle is... maybe 15 people? I do social distance as best I can at the grocery store and such. I am aware I am not being as precautionary as I can, and likely, should be.

chichiphin

I just wanna add - BOUT TIME for a real OU thread

bumblebee0210

Whether or not you are high-risk yourself, or in contact with people who are high-risk, you are contributing to community spread if you are not social distancing. You may have a mild or asymptomatic case, and you may give it to another low-risk mom, who then gives it to her high-risk relatives. You contribute to an environment that has increasing spread, which then overwhelms hospitals and increases overall death rates *not just from COVID*, and keeps people from getting necessary health care and other essential services (like IVF). It also keeps high-needs kids out of in-person school. 

When I think about the hardships previous generations went through for the greater good of their communities (like rationing, military drafts, etc), the idea of wearing a piece of cloth on your face really does not hold a candle. 

Also I find the selfishness of "I don't want to get the vaccine but I hope enough people around me get it to protect me" truly baffling. 

inthewoods23

@chichiphin throw politics/presidents/elections into the mix to get things EXTRA spicy!

kiki047

lol @chichiphin

krash_

Didn't expect anything less from this thread after that comment. So here goes...

I don't know how to convince you to care about other people. Masks, Covid, or vaccines are not political. Human rights are not political. People are dying. A lot of them. Your life experiences are not the same as other people and just because you surround yourself with people who think and feel the same way you do does not mean you have a sampling of the population.  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/australia-coronavirus-cases-melbourne-lockdown/2020/11/05/96c198b2-1cb7-11eb-ad53-4c1fda49907d_story.html

The #1 issue with our response to the coronavirus has been a leader that refused to accept science and unite our country to give a sh*t about other people. 

chindimples04

If you saw my area, you would no not everyone wears masks the way they should. Every store requires a mask yet no big box stores will enforce it because they would be “discriminating against those with medical exempts to not wear a mask”. So about half the people in my town won’t wear a mask because nowhere enforces it. It’s maddening. And our hospitals are starting to stress on resources and space. My county is at an average of 120 cases per 100,000 on a 7 day average, with one town as high as 200 cases per 100,000.
 My UO is if you are exempt from wearing a mask, you shouldn’t be out and about. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Just stir the pot a little more. 🤣

bumblebee0210

Also, sorry but how can you say that you are not around any high-risk people and also say you don't wear a mask at church? Is your entire congregation under 65, normal BMI, with no pre-existing conditions? 

nlc_atx

@inthewoods23 I'm with you on being a little in the middle on the social distancing. I see very few people, but we have had a few get togethers with 4-6 people at my house, and I've gone out to eat maybe 4 times (3 outside). But I do not go in public without wearing a mask, and I feel strongly that others should be doing the same.

I think I understand where people are coming from when they don't want to (and follow through with) not wear masks in public, but I think it must be based on a misconception. Your mask isn't protecting you from getting the virus. It's preventing you from spreading it to other people. So if you know you're getting exposed somehow (teachers, doctors, etc.), it's extra important that you wear one to avoid spreading. 

On the other hand, I freaking hate wearing masks and I also avoid places where I have to wear one for long periods whenever I can. But that mainly means I just stay home. We get curbside or grocery delivery, I do all shopping online, I don't go out for the sake of it, and I only go into my office when absolutely necessary. But when I finally feel like I'm going to go crazy if I don't do something, I put on my mask. I'm so excited to finally go get my hair cut, colored, and keratined later this month, but if the salon isn't enforcing mask rules I'll leave.

capnjackharkness

@chindimples04 Yup!  About 50% (or more) of the people in the rural areas myself (and my family) live in do not wear masks regularly.  They fight about having to wear one at any store. They fight about it infringing upon their rights. They fight about how they don't like it. They've never complied, and probably never will, and these groups are making it harder to get control of this thing.
The same people who post "What do you have to lose by believing in Jesus, if you're believe and it's all made up you have nothing to lose, but if you don't believe and it's true then you have everything to lose" for some reason can't fathom the idea of "If we all wear masks and it does nothing, then at worst we just look silly, whereas if it actually helps we could be saving lives, so again everything to gain and nothing to lose."

kiki047

@nlc_atx @inthewoods23 tbh, I don't see either of your situations as being "in the middle", you understand and respect the need for the mask and just because you don't like it, you're doing the responsible thing by limiting your social contacts and not going out unnecessarily. We're pretty strict ourselves but we still do those things. We still had a family bubble at one point, and we've been out to eat maybe 4 times in the last 8 months, one of which was even indoors. IMO, being in the middle would mean you wear your mask to go out in public but you don't really limit your exposure and don't think twice about wandering around the mall to get out of the house, or going for coffee 3x a week with various friend circles while not wearing masks at the table, but you only visit elderly relatives from afar. What you describe in your own lives sounds perfectly reasonable. 

@krash_ 100% agreed on all points. 

@chindimples04 we've had a mask policy for at least 6 months now but we still see tons of people with their masks down under their chins, or with their goddamn noses poking out over the top, or they're just constantly touching it and adjusting it, etc. It drives me mad but nobody says anything. At one point the local asian supermarket near us was even giving out free masks at the door for anyone that didn't have one. I got really mad when people refused the mask and continued into the store without one.  

emeraldcity1214

First off, this thread blew up and I need time to go through and read everyone’s response. I just woke up. 

Second, I am extremely sorry I didn’t put things related to my groups etc in spoilers that should have been in spoilers. Please accept my apologies for that. You ladies know I’m typically very conscious about that. I will go through and change the wording so that those things don’t need a spoiler. 

@paytonpedro You brought up a great question. Why are so many people getting sick when the vast majority of people are wearing a mask? Why are cases continuing to rise? When I go in public places everyone is wearing a mask and now even a shield if you can’t wear a mask. Our cases continue to increase. At this point we are headed to our peak and no amount of social distancing is going to slow. You leave your house and you’re exposed. 

I wear a mask in places it is required. If I can avoid going there I do. Why? Because I try to be respectful of people who don’t feel the same way I do about masks. The ONLY places I don’t is where they aren’t required. Any one who attends these places knows the risk before coming. I am not the only one who isn’t wearing a mask at these places. The vast majority of people at these places aren’t wearing them. 

Also, I think it’s important to state, I live in a place where masks mandates aren’t widespread. I can drive 30 minutes up the road in one direction and no one is wearing them and cases are at an all time low. I can drive 30 minutes in the opposite direction and everyone is wearing them and cases are at an all time high. My point, I don’t live in an area that requires a mask at all times. I respect the mandate when it is required. I take my personal freedom of choosing not to wear one when it is not. 

Now I’m going to edit my original comments and then read through and respond to people. 

inthewoods23

@krash_ I'm going to catch so much flack for this  but hey, he was actually right about having a vaccine available in weeks

@chindimples04 I have always wondered how many people go around proclaiming they are exempt from a masks when they don't have any medical issues

@nlc_atx exactly. I'm either home, at the grocery store, in the office (when required which has been like 3 times), or at my parent's, sister's, or IL's house. That's covers at least 95% of my whereabouts. I've been out to eat sitting in a restaurant less than 5 times and been to a store for very short shopping trips for things I specifically need. All other "eating out" has been ordering online/by phone and picking it up to take home. I did attend a wedding in August with about 40 people but we sat distanced and the tables were basically family pods (although my aunt and uncle who I hadn't seen in forever were also at our table). On the bad side though, I've already had my hair cut 3 times since lockdown ended 


How rich do you think we'd all be if we got a dollar every time we saw someone wearing a mask wearing it incorrectly? That's just obnoxious.

emeraldcity1214

@keikikove When I went hiking with that lady she wasn’t wearing a mask. She knew none of us were planning to wear a mask prior to coming and she knew that me and another lady are frequently together i groups hiking with no masks. She came at her own risk and she purposely stayed 6 feet away from everyone most of the time. I, knowing how many people I am frequently around, stayed as far away from her as I possibly could. So did my friend who I hang out with often. So I didn’t put her at risk. She knew the risk and decided it was an acceptable one. I went above and beyond by staying far away from her as possible. I shouldn’t feel the need to wear a mask in front of someone who isn’t wearing one either. I think it’s also important to state, our mandate doesn’t include outdoor spaces. It’s just for indoor, public places. Or places were social distancing isn’t something that can be done. I was able to socially distance myself from her and that is exactly what I did. I showed her that I cared by staying at the back of the group while she took up the lead. 

kiki047

@emeraldcity1214 @paytonpedro cases are still going up because of all the situations where people let their guards down and think they're also immune to the really dangerous, fatal effects of a virus they think will only harm old people or those considered "high risk". The private house parties, weddings, funerals, baby showers, 50 person spin classes, all times when people put their own needs above all others and figure they'll assume the risk involved, but then don't think about what happens when they take that home to their parents, their kids take it to daycare, daycare workers spread it to their neighbour who's in their bubble, and so on and so forth. 

There was a case here recently where someone decided they just had to have their wedding in the middle of a pandemic and, in an effort to get around the 25 person limit, had 4 separate gatherings over the span of 2 days with 25 people each, where at least 49 people ended up testing positive and caused hundreds of possible exposures. Selfish. Unnecessary. Dangerous. Irresponsible. As someone who got married recently I can't fathom the disappointment of having to cancel your plans but FFS have a small, legal ceremony, do a little virtual toast on Zoom with some speeches, and have your party later and pray that none of your 100 guests contract covid and have lasting, permanent health effects or worse, die from it. 

bows22

@inthewoods23 agree with @kiki047 100% that I wouldn’t consider you in the middle. That’s why I included you in my tag because I knew you were pretty reasonable and respectful about everything. My only thing is saying that “let people live with their consequences” is hard. In theory I do agree with you as long as they aren’t potentially exposing others without their knowledge if that makes sense. 

mamanbebe

Wow. First and foremost, holy crap you guys. I am kind of astounded by some of the lack on information that is still floating around (heavily) about masks vs the virus.

Wearing a mask does protect you a fair amount, where it fails is that you have exposure through your eyes. Thus, if someone sneezes/coughs/is trapped in a small space with you, the virus can still enter your body through your eyes. If people wear masks all of the time in public AND wear them correctly, the chances of exposure are almost negligible. 

As several of you all have said, some of the reasons why the virus is rampant is because a) SO MANY people have been disregarding the mandates for masks/distancing either all or part of the time (family gatherings, friend parties, kid play groups, etc) b) people are wearing masks incorrectly (and becoming infected or spreading to masked people through their eyes) c) people who do not have access to personal protective masks due to economical situations and other d) the spread within homes e) spread within healthcare settings (remember the nursing homes being wiped out early on?).. the list could go on forever. 

I live in a pretty small community and it has been mostly proactive in mask and social distancing mandates.. and up until August was very successful in keeping the occurrences of infection low, because of such. Then.. came the college students who continue to party and socialize without masks. Now our regional positive covid results (and deaths) are up with larger cities and we have only a fraction of the population. It's terrible. 

Something to remember with the vaccine is that normally, it takes much longer for a vaccine's efficacy to be tested because we are not usually in a global pandemic. Because the chances of becoming infected are quite high, they are able to see at a much faster speed whether trial participants are being protected or prevented from having severe illness. And I'm with @chichiphin.. I signed up to be a potential participant in the trial. 

kiki047

While we're talking about masks, can I just say how much I despise those stupid masks with the fucking straw holes so Karen can still drink her frapp while wandering around target? 

bows22

@kiki047 please tell me that’s not a real thing 

chichiphin

@kiki047 I get mad at the face shields. Sneeze near me with that thing on and I'll pop off. 

bumblebee0210

@emeraldcity1214 You said that you recently had COVID. Did you at least socially distance/wear a mask when you were actively infected? Wouldn't your husband have to quarantine if his spouse had tested positive? 

inthewoods23

@kiki047 somewhere in NY(?) there was some billionaire's son/daughter getting married not too long ago with like, thousands of people??? It's absolutely insane to have so many people together for a wedding.

@bows22 thanks. Yeah I don't necessarily think it's a good idea to just let people do whatever, but we all know there are plenty of people who will never change their mind, no matter how much proof, stats, studies, evidence, etc you give them on the pandemic or any other hot button topic.

@bows22 @kiki047 you'll love this article
https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-20200504-qjpnujrrpzdtzlxlsavkfanjie-story.html

@chichiphin I saw someone with that the other day (maybe election day?) and all I can think is how they say a mask properly fits when air can't escape at the top around your nose our down towards your chin. So yeah... Face shield alone literally does nothing 🙄

emeraldcity1214

@gingermama29 Do you honestly believe you will avoid this virus until the day you die? I don’t think it’s possible even with a vaccine. How many people get the flu vaccine and still get the flu? I refuse to live in fear when this virus has such a high survival rate. Getting exposed is unavoidable due to my husband’s career. He wears a mask the entire time at work. I’m not sure what his fellow coworkers are doing but somewhere someone let their guard down and now several of the nurses and doctors got exposed. I had to come to terms in March that our exposure was almost guaranteed. So yes, I am less worried about the unavoidable exposure to the virus than the possible vaccine injuries. 

@kiki047 Wow, I’m not sure how my race got brought into this. Every single person in this area, regardless of race, has the same access to healthcare that I do. It doesn’t matter if you live in the big houses on the hills or in the tents camping. Everyone has the same access and gets the same standard of care. They are treated at the same hospital I would get treated at. It is true that I am a SAHM but it isn’t true that our lives haven’t been impacted by this virus. We lost a large portion of our income during the first lockdowns. We have had our share of hardships this year just like everyone else. 

@chichiphin I just couldn’t hold back since it was a UO. I hope we can all walk away from this with no hard feelings. I put my flame suit on when I hit post. Then I doubled it up when I responded to @bows22 about what my UO really was. I sneezed in the grocery store a few weeks back (while wearing a mask) and someone literally ran from me. It was ridiculous. It was literally just a random sneeze. I have also swallowed my spit wrong and ended up having a coughing fit and I thought I was going to get thrown out. 

@bumblebee0210 No one is allowed to go into work with any symptoms regardless of a positive or negative test. You stay home until you aren’t contagious no matter what. So yes there are protocols and yes we are following all of them. As soon as I realized I was sick I stayed home and notified everyone when I realized we had been exposed. As far as I know, no one I was around prior to showing symptoms has been affected. As for my church, there are older individuals there and they are fully aware that they are surrounded by people not wear masks. Even if I wore a mask, it would be me with another handful of people. So they would still be exposed to people not wearing masks. The church has actually had a boom in attendance since they don’t require a mask and they offer in person services. 

I have also taken extra precautions to keep us home anytime we are not well. That means when someone is talking in a way that sounds like they may have a cold we stay home. Sniffles? We stay home. Random coughs that keep happening? We stay home. So I have gone above and beyond to make sure that we stay home anytime we could even possibly be sick. I have been extremely strict about that because I don’t want to unnecessarily pass anything along. 

I think I have said everything I can possibly say. Anything I say at this point will just be a repeat of what I have already said. 

mvt2003

*lurking* 

Just my .02, but properly worn masks help curb the spread. I had a Covid exposure at my office (went in for a couple of hours for the first time since March, got a call two days later that one of the only other people in there with me got a positive test, and he and I were in a room together. He was wearing a mask and so was I and my immune-compromised coworker, and we were ok. Agreed with everyone else that the rising rates are due in large part to smaller gatherings both familial and college student in certain areas.  ( @mamanbebe living next door to a university I also see this, and I also see the gymnastics some of these college kids are doing to escape campus security and the enforced distancing rules. It's maddening.) 

The very difficult part of all of this is that there is no immediate "reward" (for lack of a better term) to wearing a mask and social distancing. The only thing that happens is "I didn't get sick," which can feel tough to continue when we see and perceive others doing things out and about without masks or distancing and to our knowledge also not getting sick. The reality is that we don't always know everyone's circumstances and risk, and it's also possible to be asymptomatic and still spread the virus, which is why we all need to be wearing masks. 

fitzfizz

Well this blew up! 

A few points I will add: 

@chindimples04 So much agree to your point about mask exemptions. The very concept of medical mask exemptions is infuriating to me. If you have lung disease to the extent that you actually have trouble breathing because of a piece of cloth, you 100% should not be going anywhere. But those are not the people asking for it, it is the people who claim they get anxiety from masks 🙄. Oddly enough, the people with actual lung disease are the ones taking serious precautions. I refuse to ever give someone a medical mask exemption and it makes me lose faith in my profession that anyone else would. 

@kiki047 and others, I also hope that wearing a mask when you are sick lasts forever. It is a courtesy to those around you! It used to drive me nuts that when people are sick, they come to my office, decline the mask offered at the door, and then cough all over me. This is the longest I have ever gone without getting sick in any way, and I love it. I plan to require any patient being seen with sick symptoms wear a mask for the foreseeable future. 

emeraldcity1214

@fitzfizz DH has been healthier since the pandemic began simply because he has a mask protecting him from people coughing directly in his face. He said he plans to wear them every flu season from here on out. 

ETA: specifically when he is working at the ER and not just when he goes in to see a patient. He used to get sick all the time and bring it home. 

kiki047

@bows22 oh yes, it's a real thing. Some have a velcro flap, some have zippers, they're all facepalm worthy. 
@inthewoods23 LOL the most terrifying thing about the "Karen mask" is that there are people who legitimately believe that's ok. 
@chichiphin oh yes, the face shields, I also see loads of people here that just wear a flimsy piece of plastic instead of a mask thinking it's ok. 
@emeraldcity1214 That's great that you live in an area where you think there is equal access but nobody, NOBODY can make the argument that this is a universal statement. Race absolutely plays a part, whether you want to believe it or not. Just the fact that you don't believe race plays a part shows how privileged you are. And I'm not trying to throw that in your face, honestly. I've spent most of my life advocating for race relations and multiculturalism and for the elimination of racism and discrimination so I hear that same response of "wow, what does my race have to do with it" a lot. Almost exclusively from white women. Without giving too much away about who I am and what I do, let this be a lesson in what white privilege looks like from the viewpoint of someone who isn't white. 
@mvt2003 GREAT point on that whole risk/reward concept. I think that's what gives people a false sense of security too. That they've gone all this time without getting sick so it's probably not going to happen at this point. 

And846

Wowzers. This is a good threat with a lot of information. 

1. As mentioned previously above about bog box retailers not enforcing. I manage one of those stores and we are located in a county that does not mandate masks. So, you can imagine the fight we get from customers, even though we provide disposables for use. We are instructed not to argue and give it a pass for legal reasons. However, 10 minutes East is a county with a mask mandate and i have never had an interaction of no masks. The retailers have leverage that it’s a mandated requirement.

*tw lc*
2. we have had a bubble since March and have stuck with only that bubble. It’s my parents/sister, DH family and 4 families, all of which our children are in the same daycare class. We’ve celebrated birthdays, birth of children and had dinners at each other’s house. Literally all the parents are working from home except me - I’m the only one that works in the wild 50hours a week. And we have the understanding that i keep my precautions at all times. 

3. I 100% support masks. I wear mine when I’m out. I avoid people not wearing one in Public, if people get too close to me in public while out i tell them to back up. I just wish everyone wore them and just put on the piece of cloth. That’s all it is.

emeraldcity1214

@kiki047 I appreciate the insight you have given me and I see your point. It definitely isn’t something that is universal. 

gingermama29

emeraldcity1214 said:

@gingermama29 Do you honestly believe you will avoid this virus until the day you die? I don’t think it’s possible even with a vaccine. How many people get the flu vaccine and still get the flu? I refuse to live in fear when this virus has such a high survival rate. Getting exposed is unavoidable due to my husband’s career. He wears a mask the entire time at work. I’m not sure what his fellow coworkers are doing but somewhere someone let their guard down and now several of the nurses and doctors got exposed. I had to come to terms in March that our exposure was almost guaranteed. So yes, I am less worried about the unavoidable exposure to the virus than the possible vaccine injuries.  

@emeraldcity1214 I don't expect that I'll change your mind but I want to respond to your question and need to get this off of my chest. No, I'm not naive enough to think I can avoid this virus forever. But I'm absolutely willing to do my part and try to avoid it as long as possible and to help ensure I don't contribute to the spread. FWIW, I'm a teacher and am exposed to hundreds of students every single day so I'm well aware that I'm very much at risk of possibly getting the virus, particularly as several of my students aren't always great about properly wearing their masks. As a result of my exposure, I am missing so many extended family get togethers and events because I can't in good conscience risk potentially exposing anyone there to the virus (the fact that they're having even these get togethers is a whole rant all by itself). I've been assured many times that they're fine with the risk but I doubt they can make those assurances for every single other person with whom they come into contact and even if they could, it's incredibly irresponsible. Call it "living in fear" but it's not worth the risk to someone else's health or possibly their life IMO. 
 
Also yes, the survival rate is high. But there are so many long term health effects of this virus in people who have recovered or survived that are far more worrying to me than the potential for vaccine injuries, again even in people with mild cases. The impact and damage it has on your lungs, for example, is just one of the many reasons I want to avoid it as long as possible. I have every intention of getting a vaccine when it's available and continuing to wear a mask afterwards.

@kiki047 the one exception I'm okay with for masks that have an opening in the middle are the specialty ones that were created for playing instruments. In those cases, the bell of the instrument is also covered and it prevents excess aerosols from being expelled outside of the mouthpiece.

acleverusername

I can't really contribute much more than what's been said, except that:

1. I will keep on keeping to myself so as not to put others at risk.
2. I will keep on wearing a mask, even when I go running, so as not to put others at risk.
3. I will unfortunately skip going home for Christmas, and not see my family for the first time in 37 years, because my grandmother is 91yrs old, my dad has asthma and both MIL and FIL are in cancer remission.

All of these are hard for someone who is very extraverted and very family oriented, but I think it's a small price to make not to contribute to the pandemic. 

Oh and I'm totally up for @kiki047's suggestion of wearing masks after the pandemic is over, because like @fitzfizz, this is the longest I have ever gone without getting sick in any way, and I too LOVE IT. 

Now, where do I sign up for the vaccine trial? I'll take one for the TTGP team as well. 

P.S. I made the following comment to my friend in late July, when cases in California were exploding: "I'm starting to think that the decision of whether or not I get Covid is a decision that will be made FOR me." Luckily, California (especially San Francisco county) has kept things closed shut and we're still YELLOW when most other counties in California are orange, red and even PURPLE! 

kiki047

@gingermama29 cool, I didn't know those masks existed! I'm hard of hearing and wear an aid and rely on lip-reading for around 50-75% of comprehension so masks are a double-whammy for me when it comes to being able to hear/understand people. I love the masks that have a clear plastic piece in the middle so you can still see the wearer's mouth through it, but to this day I have only ever seen it on the internet and not IRL. 

@emeraldcity1214 the shadow that covid casts over those of us with IF also feels like it puts us at a disadvantage. The very fact that covid isn't going to affect your ability to continue to TTC is a privilege, and I hope you understand how triggering this is for the people who may not have access to the care/treatments they need. Because at the end of the day, no matter where we stand in our views, we're here because we're all TTGP and as someone with no living children and highly restricted access to the IF treatments we need to even have a chance at getting pregnant again, covid could put a stop to all of that all over again and that devastates me. We already had a 6 month gap between our 1st and 2nd FET because of covid, and could very well be faced with another lockdown. There could be women in my former BMB who might have their babies before we can try again. It's not just a matter of not getting sick, the conditions around us dictate what restrictions are put in place. 

acleverusername

You all should check out this tool to see exactly is your risk for getting infected by this piece of sh*t of a virus:

http://covid19risk.biosci.gatech.edu/

inthewoods23

@acleverusername unfortunately this damn pandemic isn't going to be ending anytime soon! Estimates say this is going to last 2-3 years. 8 months down..... 28 months to go 

eta: can't do math, 28 months, not 32 lol

@kiki047 ugh god I just remembered the whole "quarantine baby" joke. I'm going to just leave it at that.... I have so many more thoughts in that realm but I'm going to save us all from those nightmares.

emeraldcity1214

@kiki047 I’m sorry your journey has been affected by the pandemic. Will you be able to move forward in the next few months?  From what I have heard Biden’s advisors are recommending another 4-6 week lockdown like we had in March. 

kiki047

@inthewoods23 yup, just the phrase "quarantine baby" or "covid baby" is a trigger. Yes we had plenty of sex, no we did not get KU. 
@emeraldcity1214 our intention is to move forward with another FET of our last remaining embryo, but my RE has cautioned us that it is likely we'll be stalled before we get a chance to proceed. Last time women who were already mid-cycle were allowed to continue their procedures but the timing will be extremely iffy because it won't be until January at the earliest. My only saving grace is that my RE is the best and he'll do everything in his power to make it work, even if that means putting me on BCP so that I'm already in one continuous cycle but that is entirely dependent on when I get my first period AL. 

emeraldcity1214

@kiki047 Hopefully AF comes on time so you can start and be midcycle before any potential lockdowns. 

krash_

@inthewoods23 damn quarantine babies. What I wouldn’t give to be the Krash of March who was worried everyone would think she had a quarantine baby though we had already been trying for 4 months. 

misshelen86

As a nurse in a city that is currently under lockdown with hospitals over capacity.. I’m so frustrated with anyone not following public health orders or wearing masks in public. It’s just so hard to fathom the sheer selfishness of some people. I’m so done with the privileged who don’t see, can’t imagine and are “so hard done by” from restrictions like wearing a mask.