hugopal i see we’re back to the “they were going to die anyways” argument. fuck off with that, it’s stupid, even for you.

what don’t you understand about hospital capacities? they’re finite. if there are no doctors/nurses to staff beds because the wards are filled with covid patients, you don’t get necessary care if you’re in a car accident, for example. we were at 180% of icu capacity here in september as a direct result of loosening restrictions, which delayed acute care and delayed thousands of screening and surgeries. that’s why you can’t just let this run wild, there are repercussions.

    303abuser influenza hasn’t and isn’t causing hospital capacity issues anywhere

    Certainly not here. People masking up for the better part of 20 months did wonders for stomping the flu out (for the time being). I know I’ll be doing the mask thing moving forward during the winter months on public transportation and busy indoor spaces like grocery stores. Took me a minute but they don’t bother me in the slightest in circumstances where I don’t need to talk or listen.

    EDIT and people getting the flu shot in combo with their booster or second Covid shot. I know loads of people who are now good with flu vaccinations who were previously not on board or didn’t care. I never had a choice.

        jonattonyeah the only thing that really bothers me about masks is not being able to read people in social settings and listening, like you mentioned. my hearing is shit at the best of times in loud environments and masks made me realize that i use physical cues more than i thought.

            303abuser

            Yeah I get that. Where my work is located is in an absolute madhouse of a neighborhood. Not being able to tell disposition on the part of the homeless, the addicts, and those taking advantage of them makes for a lot of paranoia when on the streets. Just can’t tell when you can’t really see their faces.

            Masks have also been blamed for robberies. You walk into a fancy store three years ago in sunglasses and a mask, you’d get a lot of attention. Now it’s been normalized and that provides a lot of anonymity. Whether that’s true or excuse making is up to us to decide, I guess.

              that’s exactly what i mean. even just bumping into someone, normally a sorry and smile would suffice, but some of that’s been lost. if masks become the norm, between that and tech, we’re going to see some drastic changes in how people interact.

                303abuser

                Already seeing it around here given this is tech central. Quick story, was tending at the bar like, I dunno, three years ago. Dude is at the bar with his laptop. Fine, whatever. Beautiful girl sits next to him (we’re lucky in that regard). She was beautiful. He’s typing away. Not paying any attention. And the thing is, 303, I’ll do the legwork! I’m a good talker and socializer - and everyone has to talk to me ’cause I’m the bartender! It’s not hard to get a conversation going between two people sitting next to each other. Nothing. She leaves after one drink and his buddy comes in. I overhear laptard complaining how hard it is to meet women in the Bay. I’m like, the fuck?!?!?! She was right there! Not to go all old man yells cloud, but many of the younger generation around here can’t seem to do anything without a screen in front of them. Again, this is tech central so that’s possibly unique to here. Anyway, I banned laptops at the bar after that. Table? Fine. But the bar is for socializing.

                    jonattonyeah i’d imagine that’s the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come. my wife’s brothers are in their mid 30s and i hang out with them periodically. it’s fine in a large group, but i refuse to go anywhere individually with them any more. spend 2 hours at lunch staring at them in silence while they’re looking at a screen, it’s a horrible way to socialize. dropping birth rates are probably a good thing, but there are social ramifications we’re just starting to see now.

                        303abuser

                        I’m hoping as the technology is normalized the very young will grow up knowing its trappings and seek some sort of balance. Am I confident in that? I dunno. Not really. I’ve seen a group of like four at the bar, friends, all together, in silence, on their phones. I’m like, are you texting each other? Bizarre compared to what I grew up with and I’m only 40. I’m sure the olders were mocking us for playing Goldeneye in a basement with each other for hours on end. But at least we were talking!

                            jonattonyeah i don’t share the optimism that people will be aware it’s happening. when you grow up with the tech that’s available now, you don’t know any other way. it’s like being indoctrinated into religion at an early age, it’s very difficult to overcome. i’m very grateful to have grown up without it, i think it’s a better way to live from a social perspective.

                              zackster I didn’t say he came up with it on his own. He was told to do it just like he was told to lie about not needing a mask. He is too busy working on the next scamdemic to concoct his own draconian back to work policies.

                              BERKlife

                                  Where are we at with this thread?

                                  Seems like everyone has lost the plot, apart from Hugo who’s consistently a complete plank.

                                    Smallman1 So many mini battles going on in this and the Biden thread…

                                    Hugo vs Jules
                                    Zackster vs MC
                                    Zackster vs Poundwater

                                    You don’t know whose position to support because they’re all horrendous

                                        bosstrabs lol. Woke up at 4AM, gave the recent posts on this thread a read, and was out cold within minutes.

                                            hugopal the NHS would cope better if it didn’t sack c70,000 unvaccinated, regularly tested staff, who present about the same COVID transmission risk to patients as vaccinated staff.

                                              I don’t know about NHS but in Finland nurses have to take several shots to qualify (yearly flu shot being one), and that they kick up a fuss over this one shows it’s an idealogical issue. The law just passed here making the covid-vaccine, and boosts mandatory. One unvaccinated nurse here already killed an elderly she was taking care of with covid.

                                                Homegrove

                                                When i have arguments with my ant-vax friends one the biggest reasons why they won’t take the vaccine is because they say it hasn’t been tested properly plus the fact that they just don’t trust the government or big pharma. I don’t know why but a lot of it is all aimed at Pfizer vaccine for some reason.

                                                    Pfizer can be cunts and their vaccine can still be tested properly, and be safe at the same time.

                                                      Dubman I don’t know why but a lot of it is all aimed at Pfizer vaccine for some reason.

                                                      Maybe the fact that developed countries such as Japan and even the FDA web site itself admits the risk of myocarditis with this vaccine.

                                                      I mean, by all means take it, I myself am fully vaccinated (AZ x 2 + a Sinovac cherry on top), but informed consent should be the key principle, and people should be allowed to choose to be vaccinated based on clear information about the risks vs benefits, not be forced to take it (or blindly assume that the vaccinations don’t have risks).