Quote Originally Posted by Yppej View Post
The pandemic may not be over in time. Today the World Health Organization said it may not go away. They compared it to HIV which has been with us for 4 decades now. Do you really think people will want to wear masks for 40 years?
My perspective. I figured out I was gay when I was about 15 years old, in 1982. At the same time AIDS was being reported as a thing that was known to kill gay men, seemingly at random. Not wanting to end up dead I waited before becoming sexually active. And waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when I was in my mid-20s I accepted what was then becoming widely accepted advice that condoms weren't perfect but were very helpful in reducing the transmission of HIV and started dating but insisting on "safe sex" with everyone. If I have to wear masks and never, or at least very rarely, go to bars and restaurants for years to keep from getting covid I will.* Because I REALLY don't want to get infected with this. It took years for scientists and doctors to get a handle on HIV. It will potentially take years with Covid. For all we know Covid may turn out to be as deadly, long-term, as HIV. I'd rather not be one of the people who learns that the hard way.

*Unfortunately, unlike with HIV and condoms, I can't insist that everyone who comes near me wear a mask. I can only hope that people will feel some sort of societal duty to not put others at risk. But I won't hold my breath waiting for that to happen. Instead I guess I'll just have to hold my breath whenever I'm around someone that shows me through their actions that they are unconcerned with other people's health and safety.