Pecking order for pandemic lifestyle safety
 

I see lots of comments where people criticize others for not following guidelines, wearing masks etc. So I came up with a pecking order for various lifestyle choices people are making during the pandemic. The higher up you are in the pecking order, the less chance there is for you to catch or spread the virus.

1. Full Howard Hughes: You do not leave your home for any reason. You get all groceries, meals etc via delivery. You avoid other people completely. If you are married, divorce may be imminent.

2. Modified Howard Hughes: You engage in some safe outdoor activities like golf, walking etc but do not enter any buildings other than your own home. You get groceries etc by delivery or curbside pickup. No going out to eat. When outside, you stay at least 20 feet from others.

3. Full Masker: You wear a mask anytime you leave your home, even when engaging in outdoor activities. You go to supermarkets because you like to, and will go to stores if employees are masked. You do not go out to eat because it would require you to take off your mask.

4. Modified Masker: You don't wear a mask for outdoor activities, but you wear one when shopping or at supermarket. You do go out to eat as long as servers are wearing masks.

5. Anti Masker: You don't wear a mask anywhere because it's your God given right not to and you don't think they work all that well. You tell people to buzz off if they criticize you.

I chose the Modified Howard Hughes method, it's the best way I can stay sane while protecting myself AND others. I have no problem with you no matter what approach you use since I don't interact with you anyway. :icon_wink:

I go with #2. So far I have not bought takeout food as I continue to read about too many restaurant workers testing positive for the Chinese virus.

Good choice. Just remember, to qualify for Modified Howard Hughes you do not enter any buildings other than your home. :)

Modified
 

Okay, I'm content being called a modified Howard, as long as saving my urine and toenail clippings isn't required.

#4 for me, myself and I, only outside at restraunts.

Wow another Modified Howard, wonder where all the full, modified and anti maskers are?

Maybe they are busy arguing in supermarket and face mask threads :)

PS. I think Hughes did not want anyone getting his DNA or something, probably incinerated his hair clippings too.

Very good, I have always felt that Modified Maskers are the most sensible of the bunch. :icon_wink:

I'm a 4 1/2. I don't wear a mask unless a store or business (like my dental or doctor's office) requests that one be worn. I go out to eat at restaurants, I follow social distancing rules like directional arrows in the store aisles and distancing marks in store checkout lines. I am fine going to the beach and I don't freak out if someone breaches my 3 feet of personal space on occasion. I also wear a mask if I am driving my elderly mother around.

I have attended concerts, sporting events, weddings, funerals, church services, amusement parks, fairs, cruises and all sorts of other crowded events during previous flu seasons and I would do the same thing now if I could (yes, I am aware that the Coronavirus is not the flu. However, it is also not as deadly as once feared). If things were to reopen fully I would go back to doing everything that I enjoy doing, no worries or apologies.

#3 seems like a charm for me...but I'll modify my behavior as I see fit....just because I don't like to be put in a friggin
pigeon hole

If you're modelling after Hughes I can imagine you threw out your nail clippers?!:icon_wink:

Good luck and God bless.

When you actually know people who have Covid and can hardly breathe when talking or are in the hospital, you might change your mind about wearing masks.

“He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind” 11 Timothy 1:9 That being said I wear a mask to protect others.

I'm a 4.25. Wearing a mask inside depends on how many people there are. I've been in some stores where there were only a handful of people where its very easy to social distance even much further than 6 feet.

I'm a #4 and my wife's #3 but we will only get take out infrequently and don't go into restaurants to eat. I don't want to criticize but more mask wearing should equal less infections.

I would add a 2.5. You don't wear a mask for outdoor activities such as golf, pickleball, and walking. There are a couple of stores you will go into, but you always wear a mask, wipe the cart if they haven't, and use hand sanitizer on the way out--because you prefer to do your own grocery shopping. You have a couple of "safe" neighbors you will socialize with, keeping distance. Only a couple. You don't take a dog into grocery or home supply stores... oh wait, that's a different thread.

:agree:

Love the pecking order. LOL. I am a Modified Masker. Stay safe. Keep the faith.

Only full and modified Howard Hughesies can not use masks at all and claim they are near 100% safe from catching or spreading the virus. I was a full Howard Hughes for about six weeks, no golf no nothing except curbside pickup or delivery of groceries.

When I read scientific papers saying 99% of infections happened indoors, and that sunlight deactivated the virus in minutes, I figured I could play golf again and a few other outdoor activities. But I still think going into supermarkets etc with or without a mask is slightly risky if you are 65+ or have certain health problems. Especially now with this surge in new cases. The surge may be mostly younger people but they can still infect you. The cloth masks may help protect others, but they don't protect you all that well. If they put "he wore a mask and protected others" on my tombstone it wouldn't be much consolation for me.

I am pretty convinced now that herd immunity is the only thing that will stop this virus. That doesn't mean you or I have to be part of that herd. As you can see if you read thread linked below, some very smart scientists have analyzed data from all over the world and think the herd immunity threshold may be as low as 20-30%. I can continue my modified Howard Hughes lifestyle for months more if I need to and still enjoy myself and not go insane.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...-think-308570/

Hey I'm a 10! Uh, oh, never mind I thought we were talking about something else.

We are three and a half. No mask outdoors unless we can not socially distance. Always mask up indoors and only go indoors in public places when absolutely necessary. No going out to eat. Very selective take-out dinners.

I was wondering why I hadn’t seen you lately. (Laughing)

Yes, that system will allow you to have a LONG "good life". Happy trails to that!

The IFR, or death rate for covid 19 has actually gone down quite a bit. It's still higher than the flu for over 65s and people with certain pre existing conditions, but for under 50s with no pre existing conditions, it is actually less deadly than the flu.

COVID-19 Pandemic Planning Scenarios | CDC

This graph is just for Massachusetts, but same numbers are seen nationally.

Attachment 85034

Here is a national one

Attachment 85035

I’m with you!

Covid 19 is not as deadly as first thought 150,000 DEAD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What figure will change your mind

Lots of people die every year

50% of covid deaths are from nursing homes. These people are going to die fairly soon anyway. Studies show Fifty‐three percent die within 6 months and 80% with one year of placement in nursing home and these stats were not generated during a pandemic.

Old People Die Alarmingly Quickly in Nursing Homes, Study Finds | The Snitch.

Million are infected by the flu every year. in the most recent 2018-19 flu season 61,000 died. The coronavirus kills more people than the flu if you are over 65 or have pre existing conditions. If you are less than 50 with no conditions the coronavirus kills less than the flu. In general it is worse than the flu but not the end of the world.

I'm a #4 - Always wear a mask when indoors and social distancing is not guaranteed. The exception is indoor dining but will only dine in when servers are masked.

I do not wear a mask for outdoor activities except when entering the sports pools. TPTB insist a mask be worn when "checking in" even though a person can easily stand 15 feet or more away from the person doing the checking in. Silly but rules are rules.

Other than that, I haven't been in any large groups outside so will never wear a mask outside. as I do not plan to partake in any activities with large groups.

Why wear a mask?
 

The government tells us to social distance and wear a mask. The government loaned American Airlines five BILLION dollars
American Airlines is NOT social distancing since they are selling all seats on all flights. So why do I believe any covid facts from government? I do not!
Why lend five BILLION dollars plus to a company that tells you either your facts pertaining to mitigation are false, or the company's profits are far more important than lives! Which is it?

Given that I once saw predictions for Florida as high as 60,000 to even 100,000 deaths, I am glad that the virus is not NEARLY as deadly as once feared. The more asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic people that test positive, the lower the hospitalization/death rate gets and the quicker we achieve herd immunity.

We supposedly have numbers "skyrocketing" but hospitalizations and deaths are not scarily high which is actually fantastic news.

The chances of dying in a car accident or from a lightning strike are low, too, but that doesn't mean that it isn't tragic when it happens. Nor does it mean that we should ban cars or being outdoors to prevent those deaths from happening. There is always going to be some unlucky person who is killed by lightning or even hit by a car while sitting on the safety of their living room sofa.

Death is a part of life unfortunately. You don't stop living because you are afraid of dying.

You forgot the most vocal group, #6: Do exactly what I want you to do and how I want you to act regardless of which of the 5 categories I fall within. AKA the be like me or you’re wrong group.

Not trying to go off topic here as this relates to personal risk/safety assessment. On a lark, I did a quick google search and found the following article:

"Despite low odds, experts warn that being struck by lightning is not worth the risk" - I think we would all agree that we don't want to get hit by lightning. But we might disagree as to what lengths we're willing to go to to avoid being potentially struck by lightning.

~~~

:coolsmiley: What I find kind of funny is that full maskers, modified maskers, and anti maskers are actually taking more risks to get infected or spread the virus because they go grocery shopping, eat out etc. They are also the most vocal at criticizing other's behavior. It may or may not be a big risk to enter buildings other than home, mask or not, but it does give you a bigger chance to get unlucky. When I see this giant surge of new cases has a median age in the mid 30s I think "hmmmm...what age group are most grocery clerks and restaurant workers?"

Attachment 85042

Those workers are wearing masks (at least in the establishments that I go to). That is why I feel safe enough to dine indoors while socially distanced from other diners in an indoor restaurant. Servers are masked. Those masks are blocking the droplets that contain those microscopic virus particles. Those masks minimize those virus laden droplets from escaping into my air space. That safely net offers me a reasonable risk that I am willing to take.

Our economy needs to recover. I'm doing my part to help our economy recover and enjoy my life too. Win Win and hopefully there will be an effective vaccine soon so we can achieve herd immunity to stop this virus in its tracks.

There is one distinct difference between the vehement "everyone should wear a mask" crowd and the vehement "no one should be telling me to wear a mask" crowd.

When a masker enters a crowded building/venue they say: "It is your job to protect me and others from getting this virus". These are the type of people who would sue a store, see businesses shut down and demand strict contract tracing if they happened to somehow contract the virus.

The non-maskers enter a crowded venue and immediately accept the risk and responsibility of doing so. If they get sick they'll stay home and recover like they do with any other virus. If their symptoms get severe enough they'll seek medical treatment like they do with any other virus.

Personally, I would rather live with the anti-maskers any day of the week.

All it takes is one server in that restaurant to test positive and the entire restaurant gets closed down whether the employees are wearing masks or not, whether they are symptomatic or not. The maskers are putting those businesses in an impossible, no-win situation.

This has never happened with any other virus, just the Coronavirus and somehow we have survived as a society. We have just completely kicked all common sense out the window with this one. The "experts" have been so all over the place with their predictions and recommendations that it's laughable.

good for you!

Not the end of the world? Humans came very close to extinction in the ice age. The big asteroid that hit the earth wiped out lots of people. Grasshoppers are eating all the food crops in Africa. The Russian Army Commander recommended a 1st response toward the US. Gorby kept his cool because it was a faulty early warning radar with blips. Gorbachov prevented WWIII. How CLOSE was that? The CV added to Global Warming could push the world into apocalypse territory. I don't think so.....BUT........who really knows?