I don’t understand the mask debate. I’m very willing to concede that masking alone doesn’t have a dramatic impact. But, there are numerous observational studies that show that it has some impact. Of course, estimates vary from little to moderate impact. But, even some impact can save lives. Yet, it seems like people want to ditch them at every possible juncture (downturn in cases) during the pandemic.
It’s one thing when we talk about vaccine mandates. Even though I am generally in favor of mandates, I get it that people worry about governments imposing such requirements. With masks, I really don’t understand it.
By the way, while I do think BA.2 will have some impact – a return to moderately rising caseload and hospitalization – I think the BA.2 wave will be shorter than BA.1 (becoming dominant by the end of February, and already in descent by mid to late March). I am not willing to say that BA.2 is coronavirus’s last gasp, but it could be.
Vicki, in your last post of the evening yesterday you asked why masks are such a big deal. For me personally, I wear glasses and they immediately steam up in the cold. I can see little or nothing as a result. “Anti-fog” sprays are a joke. Getting on public transit buses has been a pain on these cold days especially. Also at work it’s sometimes difficult understanding people who approach my desk with a question or concern as we all have to be masked in the lobby area. I have also had people misunderstand me as well. It hasn’t affected my job performance in the least of course but it is an annoying inconvenience at times during my shift.
Frankly, I was counting on vaccinations replacing masks. Obviously that never happened due to so many breakthrough cases.
I do understand it’s an inconvenience. I wear glasses, too, and masks can be a nuisance.
Thanks for your understanding Joshua. 🙂
Thank you. I do understand. I also wear glasses. I have managed to get the mask settled under the glasses so they don’t fog. It is not easy and sometimes not successful
And it is an inconvenience. I’ll take it over covid. And if it is for the best.
Since most people don’t wear glasses it’s unlikely there will be any real incentive to stop fogging. I am somewhat surprised scientists or chemists haven’t come up with something by now. Oh well.
That would be a great opportunity, but perhaps too short lived to make it worthwhile. Kids now wear glasses far more frequently than they did when I was young. Even without a mask, glasses can fog going from one temp to another.
The Covid-19 pandemic’s fallout is not just the closure of many restaurants and bars. It has also shuttered the primary care practice I used to go to, and the dental practice I used to go to. Both have been disbanded. Gone. And, I can’t schedule appointments with my PCP – probably the only PCP I ever liked since moving back from the Netherlands – as she has moved to California (clearly out of network!). And, I can’t schedule appointments with my dental hygienist or dentist of the last 18 years, as the practice they were part of no longer exists. I can’t even find them anywhere.
Oh no. Losing a valued pcp is just awful. I’m so sorry.
A friend’s daughter has a fairly large dental practice in the chestnut hill area and has has to close several times. Of all professions, I can’t imagine having to work in someone’s mouth right now.
So sorry Joshua. I would be curious though if your particular situation is a rare exception rather than the rule. I never heard of medical practitioners as victims of the pandemic like the restaurants. I know that the long time Copley Sq. Hotel on Huntington Ave. is a casualty.
The old Copley plaza???
No, Copley Square Hotel. Different location. Copley Plaza is on Dartmouth at St. James Ave.
Ahhh ok. Thank you. I know the two can be interchangeable. Our company had its yearly conference for North American electric utilities at the Copley plaza and I remember going to the merry go round bar and ordering Shirley temples from the time I was very young.
My youngest and I were talking about masks and school this morning. I always enjoy hearing the perspective of younger folks. She pointed out that the majority of parents she knows are quick to say it is the parents and not the kids ….for the most part…who object to masks
Her oldest has ADHD and touches on the autism spectrum. He cannot wear a mask. But …and it is a bit but…she absolutely does not expect mask rules to revolve around him. For her, as his parent, it is her responsibility to find a solution. Her biggest gripe is parents who seem to want that responsibility to land on someone other than themselves..such as schools. It is not a new issue….covid just brought it to the forefront. And I honestly do not believe for a minute that the majority of parents do this. It is absolutely the minority. And once again, we allow the tail to wag the dog.
We are a ship of fools. We have not come anywhere near close to keeping schools safe. Darn but you cannot fix stupid.
BREAKING NEWS ALERT
The Baker administration said Wednesday that the statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools will be lifted Feb. 28.
“With Massachusetts a national leader in vaccinating kids, combined with our robust testing programs, it is time to lift the mask mandate in schools and give students and staff a sense of normalcy after dealing with enormous challenges over the past two years,” Governor Charlie Baker said Wednesday in a statement. “We have all the tools to keep schools safe as we move into dealing with the next phase of managing COVID.”
If anyone needs further proof of the idiocy of this, masks will be removed right after February vacation. One of my kids just said he has lifted masks nearly every time right after vacation/holiday weekend. First time was after Memorial Day 2020
But we knew when it was announced numbers would no longer be tracked that this was coming. You gotta get rid of proof before you mess up
When the primary care practice closed, I was offered an alternative, which I accepted. Then, before I ever got to even meet my new PCP, she left the network. I was then assigned a nurse care practitioner as my primary care person. I haven’t yet met her. But, this shows you how screwed up the U.S. healthcare system is. There isn’t continuity of care, at least not for many. It’s all so dependent on insurance, networks, and … money. While I think capitalism is great, I do not believe capitalism and healthcare mix well; the exception being some of the amazing innovations fueled by capitalism’s bountiful venture capital flows.
Just found out a few minutes ago that the folks in the same dental building at Tufts who could see me for a check up don’t accept my specific type of Delta Dental insurance (I have Premier, they only accept PPO). I will now have to find a new dental practice on the Delta Dental website. I almost feel like canceling the insurance at this point, and simply paying out of pocket for the folks at the dental school who can see me for a check-up. But, again, my issue epitomizes the fragmentation and frankly weird set-up of our health and dental care systems.
Oh dear heavens. I’m so sorry. What a run around.
Joshua, many dentists…including mine….. now offer their own insurance. It usually includes two cleanings, one set of X-rays at no cost, 20% or sometimes 10% off costs and a free emergency visit. Anyway….along those lines. I forget what I pay but know there two cleanings covers it
Good luck.
We had a PCP that my parents and sister used for 40 yrs., until he passed away in 2017. He was 72 when he died. It was sudden, heart attack. We were all devastated. So, we searched for a new PCP, trying not to compare any dr. to our former dr. who was caring and very knowledgeable. But between insurance issues and drs. who just didn’t fit at all, it was extremely frustrating. My husband and me have a relatively new PCP who I only talked via computer and I am overdue for a physical (she took over from a dr. in the same practice who we liked but retired only a yr. after we used him). I can’t see her until June. It’s a crazy world out there. And I will admit – I suffer from General Anxiety and have had many therapists in the past but they left. Now, due to the pandemic, therapists are in big demand. And the world situation doesn’t help.
Vicki – I did not know about your sister-in-law. Thoughts and prayers for her.
Thank you, rainshine. She is an amazing woman. It is just one small example of how our lack of mandates that we know work have impacted every corner of our country.
My most favorite ever pcp switched to a concierge plan years ago. It’s too expensive for me
After bakers announcement, a friend in the medical community told me he does not understand why these decisions are not made by health professionals.
Clearly if baker uses the words safe and schools in the same sentence, folks advising him are doing a horrible job.
Well then, apparently they do get good advice. They simply choose to ignore it.
Vicki, thanks for the advice on dentists. I was able to find a dentist nearby who will accept Delta Dental Premier. Unfortunately I couldn’t book an appointment until May, but at least I have registered as a new patient and they’ll retrieve my records from Tufts in the meantime.
Philip, it’s sad that the old Copley Square hotel has closed. I like that building very much, and hope it is home to another hotel or some living arrangement (maybe some affordable housing) soon.
Good luck. I have my first meet and greet next week with my new pcp. Virtual. Partners or physicians under the partners umbrella are finally moving out this way. I switched to him in the fall but couldn’t get a non urgent appointment till now.
From NYT. All I can see since I do not subscribe
“ Denmark declared that as of Feb. 1, it would no longer consider Covid a “socially critical disease” and dropped all restrictions, including a mask mandate in closed spaces and on public transportation.”
Denmark has indeed done this. Sweden has as well. Others in Europe will follow suit in the coming weeks. Notably, the public health authorities have all reserved the right to change their mind, if you will, should circumstances change. What all these countries have in common are significantly higher vaccination rates than the U.S., and MUCH higher booster rates among the elderly and vulnerable. This does allow for a much more manageable disease, though I must say much remains unknown about Covid-19. We really shouldn’t wish away the long-term effects of a disease which is not strictly a respiratory illness, and has impacts that go well beyond the respiratory system. https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/generalneurology/97034?
Thank you Joshua There is so much we do not know. That in itself cautions us to not rush ahead
The school mask mandate topic was sure a thing of conversation yesterday.
I get the idea myself and many of my colleagues may keep our masks on for a while after the 28th.
My reason is I don’t want the flu or any colds. Also, while the weather is chilly and raw, I like it for keeping me warm.
Assuming the numbers are way down in May and June and depending on how fast the weather warms, I might take it off then.
Makes sense. I wish you and every teacher and staff member and student the best. I’d be surprised if many parents don’t want kids to continue masking. But then bullying comes into play.
Unfortunately we will not know numbers since there is only home tests. We will have an idea from pool testing. We knew removal of masks was the end game when DESE announced no more numbers
C-19 for 2-10 is ready.
Comments are closed.
Your no-hype southeastern New England weather blog!
Thanks TK.
I can’t even imagine having covid for 14 months
https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/turkish-man-seeks-help-after-14-months-with-covid-19/news
I don’t understand the mask debate. I’m very willing to concede that masking alone doesn’t have a dramatic impact. But, there are numerous observational studies that show that it has some impact. Of course, estimates vary from little to moderate impact. But, even some impact can save lives. Yet, it seems like people want to ditch them at every possible juncture (downturn in cases) during the pandemic.
It’s one thing when we talk about vaccine mandates. Even though I am generally in favor of mandates, I get it that people worry about governments imposing such requirements. With masks, I really don’t understand it.
By the way, while I do think BA.2 will have some impact – a return to moderately rising caseload and hospitalization – I think the BA.2 wave will be shorter than BA.1 (becoming dominant by the end of February, and already in descent by mid to late March). I am not willing to say that BA.2 is coronavirus’s last gasp, but it could be.
Vicki, in your last post of the evening yesterday you asked why masks are such a big deal. For me personally, I wear glasses and they immediately steam up in the cold. I can see little or nothing as a result. “Anti-fog” sprays are a joke. Getting on public transit buses has been a pain on these cold days especially. Also at work it’s sometimes difficult understanding people who approach my desk with a question or concern as we all have to be masked in the lobby area. I have also had people misunderstand me as well. It hasn’t affected my job performance in the least of course but it is an annoying inconvenience at times during my shift.
Frankly, I was counting on vaccinations replacing masks. Obviously that never happened due to so many breakthrough cases.
I do understand it’s an inconvenience. I wear glasses, too, and masks can be a nuisance.
Thanks for your understanding Joshua. 🙂
Thank you. I do understand. I also wear glasses. I have managed to get the mask settled under the glasses so they don’t fog. It is not easy and sometimes not successful
And it is an inconvenience. I’ll take it over covid. And if it is for the best.
Since most people don’t wear glasses it’s unlikely there will be any real incentive to stop fogging. I am somewhat surprised scientists or chemists haven’t come up with something by now. Oh well.
That would be a great opportunity, but perhaps too short lived to make it worthwhile. Kids now wear glasses far more frequently than they did when I was young. Even without a mask, glasses can fog going from one temp to another.
The Covid-19 pandemic’s fallout is not just the closure of many restaurants and bars. It has also shuttered the primary care practice I used to go to, and the dental practice I used to go to. Both have been disbanded. Gone. And, I can’t schedule appointments with my PCP – probably the only PCP I ever liked since moving back from the Netherlands – as she has moved to California (clearly out of network!). And, I can’t schedule appointments with my dental hygienist or dentist of the last 18 years, as the practice they were part of no longer exists. I can’t even find them anywhere.
Oh no. Losing a valued pcp is just awful. I’m so sorry.
A friend’s daughter has a fairly large dental practice in the chestnut hill area and has has to close several times. Of all professions, I can’t imagine having to work in someone’s mouth right now.
So sorry Joshua. I would be curious though if your particular situation is a rare exception rather than the rule. I never heard of medical practitioners as victims of the pandemic like the restaurants. I know that the long time Copley Sq. Hotel on Huntington Ave. is a casualty.
The old Copley plaza???
No, Copley Square Hotel. Different location. Copley Plaza is on Dartmouth at St. James Ave.
Ahhh ok. Thank you. I know the two can be interchangeable. Our company had its yearly conference for North American electric utilities at the Copley plaza and I remember going to the merry go round bar and ordering Shirley temples from the time I was very young.
My youngest and I were talking about masks and school this morning. I always enjoy hearing the perspective of younger folks. She pointed out that the majority of parents she knows are quick to say it is the parents and not the kids ….for the most part…who object to masks
Her oldest has ADHD and touches on the autism spectrum. He cannot wear a mask. But …and it is a bit but…she absolutely does not expect mask rules to revolve around him. For her, as his parent, it is her responsibility to find a solution. Her biggest gripe is parents who seem to want that responsibility to land on someone other than themselves..such as schools. It is not a new issue….covid just brought it to the forefront. And I honestly do not believe for a minute that the majority of parents do this. It is absolutely the minority. And once again, we allow the tail to wag the dog.
We are a ship of fools. We have not come anywhere near close to keeping schools safe. Darn but you cannot fix stupid.
BREAKING NEWS ALERT
The Baker administration said Wednesday that the statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools will be lifted Feb. 28.
“With Massachusetts a national leader in vaccinating kids, combined with our robust testing programs, it is time to lift the mask mandate in schools and give students and staff a sense of normalcy after dealing with enormous challenges over the past two years,” Governor Charlie Baker said Wednesday in a statement. “We have all the tools to keep schools safe as we move into dealing with the next phase of managing COVID.”
If anyone needs further proof of the idiocy of this, masks will be removed right after February vacation. One of my kids just said he has lifted masks nearly every time right after vacation/holiday weekend. First time was after Memorial Day 2020
But we knew when it was announced numbers would no longer be tracked that this was coming. You gotta get rid of proof before you mess up
When the primary care practice closed, I was offered an alternative, which I accepted. Then, before I ever got to even meet my new PCP, she left the network. I was then assigned a nurse care practitioner as my primary care person. I haven’t yet met her. But, this shows you how screwed up the U.S. healthcare system is. There isn’t continuity of care, at least not for many. It’s all so dependent on insurance, networks, and … money. While I think capitalism is great, I do not believe capitalism and healthcare mix well; the exception being some of the amazing innovations fueled by capitalism’s bountiful venture capital flows.
Just found out a few minutes ago that the folks in the same dental building at Tufts who could see me for a check up don’t accept my specific type of Delta Dental insurance (I have Premier, they only accept PPO). I will now have to find a new dental practice on the Delta Dental website. I almost feel like canceling the insurance at this point, and simply paying out of pocket for the folks at the dental school who can see me for a check-up. But, again, my issue epitomizes the fragmentation and frankly weird set-up of our health and dental care systems.
Oh dear heavens. I’m so sorry. What a run around.
Joshua, many dentists…including mine….. now offer their own insurance. It usually includes two cleanings, one set of X-rays at no cost, 20% or sometimes 10% off costs and a free emergency visit. Anyway….along those lines. I forget what I pay but know there two cleanings covers it
Good luck.
We had a PCP that my parents and sister used for 40 yrs., until he passed away in 2017. He was 72 when he died. It was sudden, heart attack. We were all devastated. So, we searched for a new PCP, trying not to compare any dr. to our former dr. who was caring and very knowledgeable. But between insurance issues and drs. who just didn’t fit at all, it was extremely frustrating. My husband and me have a relatively new PCP who I only talked via computer and I am overdue for a physical (she took over from a dr. in the same practice who we liked but retired only a yr. after we used him). I can’t see her until June. It’s a crazy world out there. And I will admit – I suffer from General Anxiety and have had many therapists in the past but they left. Now, due to the pandemic, therapists are in big demand. And the world situation doesn’t help.
Vicki – I did not know about your sister-in-law. Thoughts and prayers for her.
Thank you, rainshine. She is an amazing woman. It is just one small example of how our lack of mandates that we know work have impacted every corner of our country.
My most favorite ever pcp switched to a concierge plan years ago. It’s too expensive for me
After bakers announcement, a friend in the medical community told me he does not understand why these decisions are not made by health professionals.
Clearly if baker uses the words safe and schools in the same sentence, folks advising him are doing a horrible job.
Well then, apparently they do get good advice. They simply choose to ignore it.
https://ibb.co/twGVpG1
Vicki, thanks for the advice on dentists. I was able to find a dentist nearby who will accept Delta Dental Premier. Unfortunately I couldn’t book an appointment until May, but at least I have registered as a new patient and they’ll retrieve my records from Tufts in the meantime.
Philip, it’s sad that the old Copley Square hotel has closed. I like that building very much, and hope it is home to another hotel or some living arrangement (maybe some affordable housing) soon.
Good luck. I have my first meet and greet next week with my new pcp. Virtual. Partners or physicians under the partners umbrella are finally moving out this way. I switched to him in the fall but couldn’t get a non urgent appointment till now.
From NYT. All I can see since I do not subscribe
“ Denmark declared that as of Feb. 1, it would no longer consider Covid a “socially critical disease” and dropped all restrictions, including a mask mandate in closed spaces and on public transportation.”
Denmark has indeed done this. Sweden has as well. Others in Europe will follow suit in the coming weeks. Notably, the public health authorities have all reserved the right to change their mind, if you will, should circumstances change. What all these countries have in common are significantly higher vaccination rates than the U.S., and MUCH higher booster rates among the elderly and vulnerable. This does allow for a much more manageable disease, though I must say much remains unknown about Covid-19. We really shouldn’t wish away the long-term effects of a disease which is not strictly a respiratory illness, and has impacts that go well beyond the respiratory system. https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/generalneurology/97034?
Thank you Joshua There is so much we do not know. That in itself cautions us to not rush ahead
The school mask mandate topic was sure a thing of conversation yesterday.
I get the idea myself and many of my colleagues may keep our masks on for a while after the 28th.
My reason is I don’t want the flu or any colds. Also, while the weather is chilly and raw, I like it for keeping me warm.
Assuming the numbers are way down in May and June and depending on how fast the weather warms, I might take it off then.
Makes sense. I wish you and every teacher and staff member and student the best. I’d be surprised if many parents don’t want kids to continue masking. But then bullying comes into play.
Unfortunately we will not know numbers since there is only home tests. We will have an idea from pool testing. We knew removal of masks was the end game when DESE announced no more numbers
C-19 for 2-10 is ready.