I assume that you also wear gloves and eye protection. We might as well do it right.

That doesn't figure in The Villages. The death toll attributed to the virus in The Villages is low enough that a rough computation makes it less than a half of one percent.

I wonder what the overall death rate this year is compared to last year or the year before.

A similar thing can be said about FLU. People are always tossing about "But flu kills 60,000 a year" or whatever number. The actual number of deaths due only to FLU is under 5k a year. Most of them actually die of Pneumonia. Most of them also had co-morbidities.

I don't know of a single person who ever died of the FLU. I do know two people who died of Covid-19. One was in her 80s, the other was in his 90s. How much longer did either have? I don't know, but Covid certainly accelerated the process.

I think if you look at the charts that show how the infection burns through a geographic region then peters off to nearly nothing, you start to realize that everyone has to take a big ole bite of the poo sandwich. In other words, this thing seems to burn through the weakest among us and then...not so much. I'm all for taking precautions and one thing we aren't getting from any of the "SCIENCE" types is preparing your own terrain to be hostile to the virus.

Studies on Vitamin D have shown it drastically improved outcomes. Reduces death, reduces severity, complications, on and on. Further retrospective studies have shown that most of the worst outcomes came in patients who were deficient. You hear a recommendation on taking a supplement from anyone? No? Why not. The Science is there. Even Web MD ran an article on it. Low Vitamin D Levels Tied to Odds for Severe COVID

Spend some time researching it, there has been a lot of research done on it, all of it says the same thing. If your Vitamin D level falls below a certain level and you get CV19, you're going to have a bad go of it.

You can play with numbers as much as you like.
Argue obout with Covid or from Covid as much as you like.
Whichever way you think, it still come down to tens of thousand of deaths because of Covid.
Why the big argument about doing something to help reduce the risk?
Even if it is only a few % it must be worth it.
A bullet proof vest doesn't stop you getting your arms legs head or balls being blown off, but it gives some protection, and a mask is a lot easier to wear!

Wearing a mask won't end this virus... The only way to end the virus is to not let anyone in or out of the country. Shut all business including Walmart, Publix, Postal Service, Publix, etc. And lock all people in their homes, including police for 45 days.

what you can control
 

you cant control other people - they will do as they please - take care of yourself - remember it's a virus - there is no cure - there is no vaccine - anybody ever take a sick kid to the Dr. who said - it's a virus - gotta ride it out - be smart be safe

Boomer - I hear you. I think you did the right thing!

No More WalMart for Us!
 

I just decided to stop shopping at Wal-Mart. Not at all safe inside, and every time I try pick-up, they say they have my most important item, then when I get there, they don't. Or, they tell me to pick it up inside the store, totally defeating the purpose of doing pick-up or delivery. Life is too short, and there are too many other stores following the rules. Big Lots and Dollar General seem to follow the rules. I have too many immunocompromised people I love in my life to risk infecting them. I have to sadly admit "culling the herd" has crossed my mind, but what about all the innocents they infect in their path of destruction?

What stands out to me in the original post is the couple claiming that their civil rights would be violated if they are required to wear a mask.

This is not the first time this argument has come about. I saw a video of a guy trying to get into a store screaming that it's still a free country.

Freedom and civil rights have nothing to do with businesses requiring people that enter their premises to wear a mask.

A business has every right to decide with whom and under what circumstances they will do business. Some upscale restaurants require men to wear a coat and tie. Some have signs saying "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Business". These requirements have nothing to do with freedom or civil rights. If you don't like the store's rules, you are free to not go in. The store is also free to set standards on which you may enter.

Some business do not allow firearms. There is not law against someone that has a permit to enter these facilities. All the business can do is to tell you to leave. If you refuse to leave, you can be arrested for trespassing, but not for violating gun laws.

What surprises me is businesses that have a sign stating that masks are required yet fail to enforce their rule. I've seen many people not wearing masks in such businesses and no one does anything about it.

Soon they'll be a vaccine and treatment for Covid-19 and this will all be behind us.

I don't like wearing a mask, but it's not a big deal to wear it when I'm on someone's property that requires it. I'm not giving up my freedom or civil rights. In fact, I just stopped doing business somewhere because they have a sign outside stating that masks are required and half of the staff are not wearing masks and some of the clients were not wearing them. In fact, I was free and it was my right not to do business with them any longer.

I follow the requirements of the store I'm visiting. I will never disrespect the employees who are following corporate guidelines. With the current population of the U.S. around 328 million and we've only had around 8 million infected, this will be with us for a long time. My suggestion is to follow your own instincts and situation. If you are vulnerable, keep the guidelines. If not, just use common sense but do follow the business rules. My feeling is none of us know how much time we have left, could be tonight, could be 20 years from now. Do I want to spend the time isolated? No and I won't. Will I tempt fate by diving in to a situation where there is a high chance of contracting it, No. Depending on the strain you get, it can be mild or devastating, including death. The country cannot afford to lock down again and I don't expect that to happen.

Tired of the statement wear the mask to protect others. I tested negative. I wear the Mask to protect me from you. I wear gloves in stores to protect my hands from your germs. Yes I know how to safely remove them. My skin has to many broken areas and requires protection. I do not like to wear them I do not like masks. What I do like is living.. Commodities puts me at risk. So I do what I need to do to protect me. If that helps you too that is an extra point in life's game.
Everyone has a right to move away from those they do not want to swap air or space with. If you approach me without a mask you will see my hand go up as a stop and I will move away from you. Check my eyes for the smile . It is not about you. It is for me. May we all accomplish what it is we think we want and need. Just be kind.

The key is to stay the course while scientists develop vaccines and effective therapies. Those should start coming out by next spring or summer. Once we have vaccines and therapies then it becomes more like colds or flu. During WWII Germany invaded Russia and it looked really bad for the Russians but they held on knowing that come winter, the advantage would turn to them. Just hold out while we rally the defenses.

...

I read through all of the responses and the thought came to me about the Far East where they wear masks all the time (because of the air quality---or lack there-of)...yet China had a (what sounded to us) a large group of infected people and deaths back when this started. Why would they get the virus if they were wearing masks? I personally don't have any family or friends who've had it---but have heard of some friends/relatives of friends who have. I've had SARS (I think it was anyway) as well as the H1N1. What was the strain 3 yrs ago that filled up the hospital? I had that one, along with pneumonia but not hospitalized for it. We've ALL heard conflicting reports---numbers, wear the mask/don't wear the mask---with all the conflicting stuff it filled everyone with fear. The fear in turn has made people snappy. People, who otherwise were quite civil prior to this past Feb./March. Will this end? I wonder if the folks back during the flu of 1918 acted the way people are acting now? Many questions on this whole thing that haven't been answered fully.

For those who feel the government should mandate or it is ok for the government to mandate safety measures: how would you feel if the government mandated the covid vaccine when it becomes available?

Where in the Constitution does it say that you have the right to put others at risk? Where is the thoughtful nature of folks gone? Is this what our service men and women sacrificed their lives for?

Wearing gloves to protect you is fine, however, everything you touch is now contaminated with whatever you have touched. Would happen without gloves also, those who don’t wear gloves are at risk. Are we at an increased risk then before? I think not.

WE just got back from Walmart this Monday morning and EVERYONE we saw in the store had a mask on. I think you are speaking to and focusing on an isolated situation. Please take a breath and together we will get through this.

Wearing a mask provides some protection for the wearer, but the more important function is protecting others from you,. If one contracts the virus he/she is contagious for several days before any symptoms appear. So many contagius people are unaware and spreading the virus to others.

This has not a thing to do with veterans and their service. As one, please leave me out of this.

Up until recently the governor and others around the country have attempted to "hide" their belief and support of the "herd immunity" approach. They are not open about using the term but by reactions it is obvious at this time they are " all ahead full " to support it.

Actually, I am putting NO ONE at risk. They are putting themselves at risk if they see me (If I am not wearing a mask) and still approach. It is not my responsibility to retreat. It is your responsibility to be cautious. You do not keep walking toward a snake, gator or a coyote when you spot one, do you? Sorry, but I am not my brother's keeper. If you think otherwise, then you misunderstand the Constitution. If I was a bus driver and I was recklessly operating a bus full of passengers, then I would be putting someone at risk. If I put a sign on my vehicle, warning folks that I am a terrible driver and that if they rode with me they were putting their lives at risk, then it would be their problem if they insisted on riding with me. And if they did ride with me, they would have no right to demand that I change my behavior. Get it?

That said, I wear my mask and sometimes wear gloves. I have been tempted to wear my military gas mask when shopping, just to see the reaction of some folks:clap2: However, I do not care if others wear their mask or not. Friday, I went to a restaurant that continued to fill until it was at full capacity. I enjoyed my meal and left. Far as I know, I do not have the virus.....yet. I have no intention of wearing a mask when I am eating. If they start demanding that we wear a mask I will not eat out.

That didn't work so well for Europe, did it?

Last night I had dinner at the home of my girlfriend’s brother and sister-in-law. Their dad died of the virus last month, and their mother nearly died, but has been negative for several weeks now, though her dementia is much worse.

The sister-in-law is in charge of phase three testing for the vaccine being worked on by Sanofi (I think it may also be working on it together with Glaxo-Smith-Kline, but I’m not certain). A month ago she was hopeful that the phase three testing would go fast, but it’s not. She thinks that if the Sanofi vaccine turns out to be safe enough to be approved and marketed, it is more likely to be at the end of 2021, rather than 2020, and she thinks that may be the case with some of the vaccines we are told are ready for approval. This is not some plot by any political party or a failure by a president. It’s just very difficult to run the trials and gather all the information, and a lot of the very promising vaccines may not work.

She says she assumes that most people will get COVID-19 eventually. However, she says it’s a lot better to get it now than it was six months ago, and it will be a lot better to get it in six months than it is now. More is known about treating it, and the treatments are improving, even without a vaccine. Most of the people who die will have other contributing factors, especially age, so their life-expectancy is limited anyway. (My girlfriend’s dad was 91 and had COPD and had had lots of stents put into his arteries, so his days were numbered in any case.)

As for people who catch this because they don’t follow the safety rules because they insist on their freedoms, think about the people who refuse to wear seatbelts because of their need for freedom, or the motorcycle riders or equestrians who don’t wear helmets and die much younger than they might otherwise have died. Maybe I’m lacking in empathy (well, actually, I am, for medical reasons), but I’ll be sorry they are gone, but I will certainly say, “They are sleeping in the bed they made for themselves.” It’s tough, though, if they also infect their loved ones, or the rest of us. Tough luck! Sorry, Charlie, but you’re the one who chose to bite that hook because you lack self-control.

So, I will continue to wear my mask and a new pair of gloves and—most important at all—keep my distance.

Imagine if we were told this virus will be with us from now on, and it will never get better, and what we have to do now is what we will have to do for the rest of our lives. What if you were told that? Would you be willing to be alive if you knew you would never again be able to eat in a crowded restaurant or drink in a packed bar or praise God in a crowded church or praise players in a crowded stadium or go to a movie or hug friends or go on a date? Well, of course, there are plenty of people with low immunity who are in that condition. I have a friend who had his immune system removed in order to stay alive, and he had to live in a “bubble” for a year. He treasures his life. He doesn’t think it’s better to die than wear a mask.

I keep thinking about what would happen as a result of a nuclear war. What if we had to change our way of living for decades or centuries because of radiation? Would some people declare that radiation isn’t real? Would they go out without masks or eat contaminated food? They can’t just declare themselves immune to radiation poisoning.

I agree. Does anyone know the total number of deaths in The Villages attributed to Covid?

Agree wholeheartedly. Let nature take its course. Live your life!

I think it is a little over 70 deaths total. Something less than a half of a percent of the total residents here.
I would be interested in seeing the total amount of deaths for the past three or four years and compare them with the total deaths in 2020.

Its called "Covid fatigue". The US is catching it and also some parts of Europe. Australia and Asian Countries have very little CV problems. Google epidemiologist Michael Osterholm for more information.

Nope. They have a right until someone mandates by law that everyone wear a mask. Therefore, they are not "imposing" anything. As long as you have the ability to protect yourself from the virus, no one else can be responsible for your putting yourself at risk.

There are 331,002, 651 total people in the US as of 2020. There have been 210,000 total deaths in the US due to COVID. Could someone check my stats because this shows that .0006% have died in the US due to COVID. A VERY low percent.

You are correct in total.

Lacking any national doctrine or message on handling this thing, we are on our own.

Those who want to argue this and make it political....well, you are on your own, and obviously you feel the same way about the rest of us.

This is unique. Called for a unique plan back in January. Without it, we are on our own

Unless you or yours is one of those stats

I agree with everything except the optimism about vaccines. It could take 2 doses. It will be hard to distribute to everyone. It requires extremely low temperature storage. Many groups of people will REFUSE to take it. The problems are large and are not realized by the general public yet.

Don't give up! Continue to wear the mask. Here is what "smart guy", Dr. Fauci says Dr. Fauci: You Should Have Mask Wearing, Distancing In 'Any Situation, Without Exception' | MSNBC - YouTube

That is one beautifully worded post. Like a professional writer, possibly. Anyway, I have had to stop many activities and shut down past friendships because of CV disagreements. I can forgive my former friends for disagreeing with me, no problem. I understand that 1/2 of America is in a propaganda trance - because of polarizing Television channels and social media's math model that drives their users further into one of 2 camps and down a rabbit hole. The US and TV Land are fast approaching a tipping point as to a TOTAL way of life change. So, buckle up and be prepared for a VERY rough next couple of months. Nice to know how aware and smart some TV Landers really are!

I don't see that many people without masks in the stores either, the majority of people are wearing masks.

I think if people want to be stupid let them!

It's been a long time ago, I think in the late 70's or so, there was a flu virus going around that was worrisome, new and improved or whatever. Just don't remember the name of it anymore. There was a new vaccine that was rushed through it's testing and wasn't proved to be totally safe. I was in the army at the time and we were required to be vaccinated, no refusing. Myself and several of my fellow soldiers had adverse reactions to the vaccine, nothing serious, but we had fevers and aches from it. I don't recall any serious reactions or deaths but I didn't like being an involuntary lab rat. The government knew of the risks but decided GI's were a great source for test subjects and seemed to believe that the ends justified the means.