[bee_rider]

It seems like there must be a million confounding factors at thing point. Given that immunity eventually wanes and new variants show up, at what point is a person considered no longer 'vaccinated?' I get that people were excited to not need masks anymore, but I'm hanging on to my n95 in most indoor situations, even in my relatively low-risk region.

[lamontcg]

> Given that immunity eventually wanes and new variants show up

Immunity isn't one thing that wanes.

T-cells are largely permanent and cross-reactive. Somatic hypermutation means that you have B-cells to variants which don't exist yet which can be quickly activated if you encounter them.

There's more to the immune system than circulating NAbs.

The 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic was a bit of a nothingburger because after mutating in pigs for at least 50 years, people born before 1957 still had cross-reactive T-cells to the H1 protein so old people were already immunized.

This is not the human immune system's first goat rodeo with a pandemic virus.

[neverstop222]

If you are still wearing an n95 and your risk avoidance criteria remain stable, you will be wearing one in public for the rest of your life.

That's your choice, and it's your right, but it's absolutely bonkers, and if you think it should be mandated, you're a totalitarian.

[bee_rider]

Unfortunately I can't really afford "brain fog" at the moment, and we're still apparently finding out new information about long COVID and vaccines, so I guess it turns out this wasn't actually bonkers.

[neverstop222]

I'm sure there are lots of diseases that could dehabilitate you; my wife has brain fog from her multiple sclerosis and is still brave enough to go back to regular life because she understands that the risks of serious outcomes from the extant strains are incredibly low, and somehow she manages to be a successful professional with the brain fog.

Life is a risk. You have a lower chance of serious outcome -- assuming you're relatively healthy and younger than 80 -- from the extant strains than you have risk from driving. You can choose to face the risks of life and live, or grow old and die sad and scared.

I choose to be inspired by my wife's courage in the face of her brain fog. Our time on this planet is limited, and spending it afraid is a waste.

[mdp2021]

> You can choose to face the risks of life ... sad and scared

There are reasons to believe this public will be more than typically keen to consider, in general, risk mitigation.

Risk awareness does not bring «sadness» - on the contrary, it brings relief. Surely, many will also be «scared»: but that is not because of /one's own/ risk mitigation practices - it is an effect of "looking around". In fact, «spending... limited time on this planet afraid» is pretty much an objective perspective. It may avoid you worse predicaments.

And for the ever present mention of «risk from driving»: there are Cost/Risk/Benefits considerations involved. Easily, renewing them may not bring to a reconsideration of the advantage of driving.

[bee_rider]

Risk evaluation is a matter of tradeoffs. Since I can easily avoid this particular danger and I don't benefit from engaging in it, it isn't 'brave' to get rid of my masks, just foolish.

I'd rather spend my risk budget on things more interesting than showing my chin off at the grocery store.