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Related: About this forumFauci On Maskless Safety If Vaccinated And Who Should Play Him Next - MSNBC
Dr. Anthony Fauci explains why it is extremely safe to go maskless, if you are fully vaccinated. Dr. Fauci also reveals who he would like to see play him next, after Kate McKinnon and Brad Pitt have both played him, in conversation with Jonathan Capehart. Aired on 05/16/2021.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,750 posts)I will happily comply with requests by local business to wear my mask inside. But those here who think they are somehow not safe if fully vaccinated, are simply wrong.
progree
(10,864 posts)With 28% ineffectiveness against catching it (and 15% ineffectiveness against "severe" Covid), that still seems to be a non-negligible chance of catching it and spreading it to others, for Johnson & Johnson vaxxed, like myself. Even though there's about 0% chance of me dying from it (or being hospitalized from it according to another source -- the AMA back in April)
And this is before many of the more dangerous variants were widespread, and none of the yet-to-emerge variants. Also, how long are these effectiveness levels maintained?
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Many DUers have gleefully posted that they don't care if unvaccinated people die, they've all had plenty of opportunity to get their vaccinations, but chose not to, blah blah.
Here is the percent of people who have had NO DOSES of vaccines (from sources dated May 15 and May 14 respectively):
Minnesota: 62% of Native Americans: 60% of African Americans, 60% of Hispanics, and 42% of whites [1]
Minneapolis: 72% of African Americans, 65% of Hispanics, and 29% of whites [2]
This one from the PBS Newshour (Friday May 14):
U.S. population overall that is NOT fully vaccinated (including children): 64%, African Americans: 72% [3]
So when we're gleefully rubbing our hands at the unvaxxed people croaking, let's contemplate the above statistics a bit.
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I also like to think about the comfort level of others when I'm thinking about wearing / not wearing a mask, and I'm much more comfortable grocery shopping or whatever when most people wear masks.
Because I'm a golden rule type of person, for now I wear a mask no matter how wonderfully protected I might think I am from my vax (I know, silly progressive), because I think others might be more comfortable with my presence when I wear a mask.
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[1] https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/05/15/latest-on-covid19-in-mn 5/15/21
[2] https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2021/05/14/despite-end-of-mandate-many-minnesotans-not-ready-to-drop-the-masks/ 5/14/21
In [1] and [2], they gave the percentages that have had AT LEAST ONE DOSE. I subtracted these percentages from 100% to give the percentages that have had zero doses. In [1] I also eyeballed the "at least one dose" numbers from the graph, so I'm probably off by as much as a percentage point on some of the numbers.
[3] The PBS Newshour 5/15/21 gave the percentages that are FULLY VACCINATED. I subtracted these percentages from 100% to give the percentages that are NOT fully vaccinated
Rhiannon12866
(203,041 posts)And the percentages of the vaccinated, even here in New York, doesn't give me much comfort. But it doesn't much matter what I think. I'm in New York and masks are required to enter any business, grocery, pharmacy, gas station, bank - and I can't see that changing anytime soon.
progree
(10,864 posts)but leaves it up to cities, counties, and businesses to have or not have a mask mandate
Also, "the CDC guidance does not apply to health care settings, such as hospitals, doctors offices, and long-term care facilities. Correctional facilities and homeless shelters will also still require masks, as will planes, trains, and other forms of public transportation, including Metro Transit."
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2021/05/14/covid-in-minnesota-executive-council-ends-statewide-mask-mandate/
I heard Health Commissioner Malcolm say on the radio an hour ago that ideally there would be a mask mandate for unvaccinated people, but something like that would be impossible to enforce. So they did away with the mask mandate, though as indicated above, localities and private businesses can have their own mask mandates, and certain settings still have a mask mandate.
I'd rather we had kept the mask mandate the way it was until we got our Covid numbers down some more.
EDITED - oops, meant this as a reply to #3, but have brain fog from wearing a mask and breathing my own CO2
EDITED - forgot to mention, both Minneapolis and St. Paul have kept the mask mandate.
Fun link to read:
We Dont Have To Do It: Mask Mandate Confusion Abound In Twin Cities, CBS Local, 5/16/21
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2021/05/16/we-dont-have-to-do-it-mask-mandate-confusion-reigns-in-twin-cities/
Rhiannon12866
(203,041 posts)And despite calls for him to lift the required mask mandate for those who are vaccinated, he's only said that he's "still reviewing the new federal guidance" and consulting with health officials in neighboring states. It appears that nearby Connecticut has lifted their mandate, but New Jersey is so far keeping it in place same as Cuomo.
And that does make sense since Connecticut isn't all that urban, while downstate New York and New York City are much more densely populated - and the outbreak on the East Coast did start here from those coming in from overseas. I remember reading that the variant that came from Italy started in New York while the one that came from China started on the West Coast.
Given the struggle that New York had in the beginning with the initial major outbreak, I don't blame the governor at all for being cautious. And besides, we've gotten used to it.