The End of the Pandemic!

I read about someone getting a woman pregnant while he was wearing a condom...

I guess safe sex is out too

(Serious science educational moment....96% effective means that some people will still get the virus. If no one got the virus after being vaccinated, we would call that 100% effective).

I'm in Massachusetts. Two weeks ago the local grocery store announced "NO MASKS REQUIRED, NO SOCIAL DISTANCING NEEDED". The reason this state got to there already is we're not a bunch of red dummies. Sadly however, it is the presence of red dummies which caused me to still wear my mask because the store was 30 - 40% full of maskless unvaccinated IDIOTS spreading germs and still waiting for Trump to be reinstated. Thank you terrible red dummies.
HOWEVER, I am psyched that the end is near, and summer is here. I started looking for places to go out and...it's a LITTLE early for normalcy to have been reinstated fully. The July car show is postponed till next year. The music store wont let anyone in still.
But I'm going out normally in July regardless.

Getting the virus after vaccination is one thing.

Getting the virus fatally after vaccination is quite another.

If the vaccine is not 100% effective at preventing Covid fatalities, it may be a good idea to stay bunkered down until herd immunity is achieved, or at least keep wearing masks and social distancing when out in public.

This is intended as a celebritory and optimistic thread. There are plenty of threads predicting doom. This isn't one of them.

The vaccine is working better than expected. Hospitalization rates are plummeting and life is opening up again. My daughter can hug her grandparents.

I am going to be happy about this, they cant take that away from me.

It is time to jump back onto Tinder and start licking eyeballs again.

although I agree with you in general about this - 100% effective? Nothing is 100% effective...I am surprised you drive a car, eat food, or walk down the street - any of those are not 100% safe from fatality.

This is why I'm hoping for more information about this case of a fully vaccinated person dying.

The risk may be a one in a billion long shot that there is nothing to worry about.

The risk may be a frequent occurrence that means we should all stay in our bunkers.

More data about this event is needed before I can make a decision.

Although even if it is an extremely rare occurrence, that still might make it a good idea to keep wearing masks in public.

Like wearing a seatbelt in a car - doesn't stop 100% but does help mitigate the risk.

What they've been saying is that, with the other variants, vaccination helps by preventing death and serious illness. This Delta (Indian) variant doesn't play by those rules.

I'm with you in continuing to maintain the safety cautions. I may not die if I get the Delta variant, which obviously I could given that example I mentioned, but I don't want to. I also don't want the pain and imposition of it.

And then there are all the long-haulers. I don't want to go through that, either, so I will continue to mask up and distance where I feel it's best.

In your place, I would go out, but still avoid crowds.

One of the best parts of the pandemic was the traffic. I could drive in Boston during rush hour in record time.

This isn't the first time something like this happened. In the weeks after 9/11 I went to New York City. I got a beautiful hotel room in Midtown Manhatten for under $60, and I got a almost private viewing of the (at the time) new cool planetarium at the Museum of Natural History. It was a pretty awsome time. The Restaurants were happy to see me. Even the cab drivers were friendly.

I am not going to argue with those poor sad souls who will remain isolated in their homes. In truth, the longer they stay hunkered down in fear, the better it will be for me to enjoy life again. In 2019, I remember traffic was a frustration. If you give me some time to have a little fun before you start getting in my way; I am OK with that.

I want to tell the negative, uptight people that mutants viruses are deadly and vaccines won't save them and we are all doomed.

But this is a positive thread.

Yeah I find myself when going out - still trying to be distant from others - like waiting in line I always space myself from others or walking down an aisle - I try to avoid any with people.

Not sure if this habit or just being careful.

You know, the first six months of mask-wearing, we were constantly running back to the car to get our masks... then, I had one in my purse, pocket, and several in my car. When I get in, I put it on my ears and under my chin so I know I have it. It's been 1.5 years thereabouts - what's it going to feel like going maskless?

Although, from the very beginning I had to laugh at solo people wearing them in their car or in their back yards.

Going maskless feels good (free), but a little strange. There is something important about seeing people's faces. I didn't realize it until people started being maskless again.

I am still carrying folded up mask in case I feel I need it. I mostly follow what other people are doing. In most public places (Dunks, the convenience store, target) I would guess about 20% of people are still masked. In some places people are still masked and I follow suit.

I used to carry a condom for much the same reason. I stopped when I realized I never used it and it started to seem a little ridiculous.

Actually if anyone asks me to put either on, I will probably comply.

I'm working at the airport, but nearly a month, I haven't work. That sad.

I am sorry to hear that. I hope you get back to work soon. I am flying in a couple of weeks. I think the airports are going to start fulling again.