And if you were single during that period did you abstain from sex, which is the only true method to prevent an STD. I would think that for most men in this country the fear point was Magic Johnson. Prior to that most believed it would only get transmitted to you if you were gay. But after a brief period of caution most people went back to having sex as usual. The majority of those people are now 55 and up. Nothing has changed as far as attitudes about "catching" something in 40 years, why would anyone expect it to?

[QUOTE=danglanzsr;1898005]No, I haven't.[/QUOTE
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Patently not true. Covid droplets are VERY small and can pass through many masks available today. Masks serve to reduce the amount of droplets that get through. It is viral load and duration of contact that determines whether you get Covid.

Perhaps you could enlighten us with your medical curricula vitae since you appear to represent yourself as quite the expert.

Although I do not have a medical degree, I was on adjunct staff at the American College Of Emergency Physicians, was pre med in College, have a son who's a PCP and a Daughter In Law whose EM. I keep up by reading medical journals.

I read your frustration. It is a symptom of panic. Flu is down a positive result of attempts to limit the spread of covid. Gas is up .50. I don't know about you but I am retired. I used to drive 20,000 to 30,000 miles a year. Now I do far less than 10,000.
I do recall gasoline being .28 cent a gallon and it being 4.00 a gallon. Today ?????? it is at neither price that I remember in my lifetime. Marxism? "I, for one, cannot afford $8,000 federal tax on my home." That is a Marxist, communist view.

Back to normal? Things never go back to normal. Frankly for me normal was not as I remember anyway. We will have a new normal. Life is never and will never be perfect.

Freedom of choice. You can look at the weather and see it is nice or you can choose to look at the weather and worry it will rain or it is snowing somewhere.

It is a choice.

dittos; this week makes ONE YEAR this fiasco has been going on. if you see me out without a mask, ...mind your own business & leave me out of this chaos.

Warmer weather in 2020 didn’t show a reduction in numbers. Countries throughout the world have climates that are always warm and the temperatures did not reduce their numbers. But pandemics typically last 24 months. I suspect we will be seeing more mutations until the end of the year. Vaccinations will help reduce the hospitalizations and masks will be needed for months to come.

My deepest sympathies on the loss of your husband. Our neighborhood lost a wonderful man to COVID-19. My son-in-law lost two cousins. Unfortunately, people don’t believe until it effects them first hand.

FYI. We are not Covid deniers. What we deny is that Covid is the bubonic plague and that everyone who gets it dies and it was worth shutting down the world economy and the only way to vote was mail in voting. Covid is a flu.

It seems every few years or so my flu vaccine changes to keep up with the changes in the flu strains from mutations so doesn't that seem to suggest that the Corona virus will also mutate meaning we may be wearing a mask the rest of our lives? YIKES!!!

People don't believe what?

Early on when we Americans were finally informed by Dr. Fauci and the CDC that we must cover our faces when in public, there were plenty of segments on TV newscasts that warned us NOT to use neck gators as face coverings. Even multiple layers of these neck gators split droplets into aerosols which is actually worse than not wearing a face covering at all. Those aerosols do travel in the air much longer than droplets which basically fall to the ground right away.

I get it. It has yet to be proven, one way or the other, that these vaccines either do or do not eliminate the vaccinated person from being able to pass on the virus even though they are not ill with Covid.

When will it be safe for us as a population to no longer need to be masked in public? When will it be safe for us as a population to be able to hug our family and friends? That is the million dollar question. Only time will tell.

MASK, MASK, MASK, MASK
TALK, TALK, TALK, TALK

I see The Villages clearing emerging as 50% going about their lives again, Going to the Squares, Eating Out, etc. And 50% will worry and wear Masks. IRONIC is that wearing a Mask is PRIMARILY for the protection of "OTHERS". And "OTHERS" are Not wearing Masks. See the IRONY there.

Reminds me of a comedian once at a huge Concert that asked everyone to shake hands with the person behind them. When you did this the person behind you was turned around trying to shake the hand of the person behind them and so on and so on. Big Laugh at this mental ineptitude.

Home made and disposable masks do serve a purpose and that is for source control. Only problem is EVERYONE MUST wear masks in order for the source control to work. That has been verified many times over early on when we were first informed to cover our faces to mitigate this respiratory virus.

Those home made masks or disposable masks offer some protection for the wearer of the mask but not that much at all. We all know that already. No one is saying home made masks and disposable masks are as good as an N95 mask.

If what you are looking for is protection, then of course wear an N95 mask for your own protection. If you are looking for source control to mitigate the virus and slow the spread, PLEASE, wear a home made mask or those inexpensive disposable masks that you can purchase by the box. As a population, we could really put a dent into this pandemic with social distancing, source control masking and inoculation of our population with vaccine.

If I see you without a mask, I will most certainly stay clear of you, just like I do with everyone out "there".