covid confusion

[gertie]

I have been hearing so much information that there was never a covid virus & the vaccines & masking only made things worse.   How are you handling being in public places now?  I don't mean this as a political thing I would like to know how people are really reacting to this.  No one in my area is wearing mask or distancing.  I don't drive anymore so I must  order everything I need but I think I would wear a mask to go to a doctors office.  There still seems to be people that are still getting covid.   I am confused.  Your opinions please!

[Jyoti]

People are still getting Covid AND people are still getting Long Covid AND people are still dying of it.  The surge wasn't as bad as anticipated this winter, but it none-the-less ended a lot of lives.  Personally, I am not keen on having LC on top of POTS and M/ECFS, so mostly, I mask when I am in public places.  I have to admit to becoming a bit more lax than I was.  Occasionally I eat in a restaurant (it's rare, but still...) but in grocery or other stores, I wear a mask.  

Most people are not, and I get the fatigue this whole thing has caused.  But an old friend of mine had a post-coved stroke last week and is incapacitate.  Another person I know died of a post-Covid stroke the week before that.  

It seems like a small thing--to me-- to wear a mask.

[gertie]

I agree & thanks for reply.

[MikeO]

I have yet to catch Covid. Been tested numerous times. I did get sick last fall with some other respiratory disease but was not the flu. I do see in the medical community folks being a bit lax with masking or even to the point of being Anti-maskers. I did fire a allergy provider after getting the mask are worthless talk.

Masks may not be the all catch all but are effective.

[Sushi]

I wear a mask anytime I am indoors outside of my home. Yes, people are still getting Covid and long Covid is real and is ruining lives. For me, masking is a small price to pay for a good measure of protection. I wear an N95 as those are supposed to give the most protection. In many parts of Asia people wore masks in public long before Covid and still do. There it is the norm.

[Pistol]

Where I live no one wears a mask anymore, even the local hospital does not require them anymore as of January. I had COVID twice and do not fear it but I think that anyone who does should take any precautions they deem necessary. People say masks dont help but I have to say: how can't they help? They may not be 100% safe but no doubt do they help avoiding contact with germs in the air, as well as prevent us from spreading the virus. I am all for masks IF YOU WANT TO WEAR THEM. 

COVID is no joke, and yes - people still die from it. 

[edriscoll]

@gertie  I can understand your confusion, especially since there is so much conflicting information and because what should have remained a medical issue became a political one so early on.  

I agree with @Pistol about the mask controversy.  How can masks not help somewhat?  I believe the push to get people to wear masks gave some people anger about being told what to do and others a false sense of protection.  But that doesn't mean that they didn't and would continue to cut down some of the viral load you are exposed to.  And that is the big point that people forget - viral load is everything.  The number of viral particles you absorb into your system can be the difference between what your immune system can handle or not.  And that's where the vaccination conversation comes in.  Vaccines were never expected to prevent COVID, any more than they can prevent flu.  That is a very misunderstood point too.  Just like with the flu, there are different strains and changing varieties all the time.  So no vaccine can be expected to ensure that you won't get infected.  But it does give your immune system a fighting chance for a milder infection.  To me, all of this adds up to a matter of how much protection you need and which measures are the healthiest choices for you, both physically and mentally.  Staying isolated completely is the only true way to avoid all risks, but that isn't healthy or practical.  So get vaccinated if you can, wear a mask in crowded situations, and keep your immune system in the best shape it can be in long before you become sick. All these measures seem to be the smart way to go regardless of what type of virus is out there, especially for all of us already living with auto-immune issues and dysautonomia.

I really applaud you for asking these questions and looking for solid information.  We have a series of articles pertaining to COVID and Long-COVID on our site: 
https://www.dinet.org/info/longcovid/

DINET is participating in the Long COVID Alliance, a group of over 140 non-profits, medical researchers and physicians working to help the 23 million people experiencing symptoms long after the original COVID virus is gone.  Long-COVID is no joke either, affecting 10-20% of patients after COVID, in many cases debilitating and long-lasting symptoms that have yet to resolve themselves.  The latest research shows Long-COVID affects people with mild infections as well as those with serious illnesses.   For anyone struggling with the after-effects of COVID infection, visit https://longcovidalliance.org/home/about-us/