The variant is called EG.5 and is a descendant of Omicron.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that EG.5 accounted for roughly 17.3 per cent — or one in six — of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. in the past two weeks.

  • Sinister [none/use name, comrade/them]@hexbear.netB
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    1 year ago

    I am the only person, literally the ONLY person who wears a mask anymore. No one in the city, no one during grocery shopping or in schools and no one public transportation. I get looks but I already got covid once, due to my „skeptical“ parents and I don’t intend to get it again.

    • SharkEatingBreakfast@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      I feel this.

      My immune system is shitty and terrible (suspected condition, but docs have no clue), so getting sick will cause a slew of awful things to happen to me. Last tiny sick bout I had a few months ago caused a chain reaction that landed me in the hospital. I was literally shitting blood due to a tiny infection! The specialist half-jokingly told me “Well, next time, just don’t get sick!” Ha. Ha ha. Ha.

      I’ve only had a single person comment on me wearing a mask in 3 years, thank god. My response was “How about you mind your own fucking business?” Don’t wear a mask. Whatever. I won’t comment on it. But leave me the fuck alone if I choose the wear one. I’m not about to explain my medical history to some snide asshole. Fuck off. I like not suffering.

    • Chronic_AllTheThings@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      I had to visit the ER a few weeks ago. Aside from me, there were two or three other people in masks, and they were patients.

      I just don’t understand it. Medical professionals should know better, but somehow don’t??

      • festus@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Similar story. I was in the ER today and most staff weren’t wearing masks, despite another patient just a few curtains down testing positive for Covid!

    • June@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      i only mask for drs offices, the dentist, and other high risk environments.

      if i worked with the general public or lived/interacted with high risk individuals on the regular, i’d behave differently.

    • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      I still mask up. I get “you know, you don’t have to wear that any more” concern trolling from grillman and maybe-later-honey maybe-later-kiddo and very-intelligent alike sometimes.

    • ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Make sure you get N95/KN95/KF94 masks, they are better than cloth or surgical masks. Personally I don’t wear a mask anymore except in doctor’s offices, although I did receive 4 doses of the vaccine and I think both myself and my family would almost definitely be okay if we did get it.

      With that said, I also have a job where I work remotely 100% of the time so that probably helps too.

    • GrindingGears@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      You do you, and don’t let anyone get you down. There’s something to be said about masking on the subway or whatever, I wouldn’t hate on anyone for that. I personally haven’t worn a mask for awhile, but anyone who freaks out about it, is just plain stupid.

    • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      I personally haven’t given a shit about COVID for over a year now. I haven’t even gotten sick in that time. I’m not trying to attack your position here, but at what point is it considered paranoia? I remember seeing the death numbers fall in line with other stuff like the flu. At what point do we just return to normal?

      • Quimby [any, any]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        I think a lot of it depends on your personal situation. For some immunocompromised people, the risk may be legitimately higher. And so in terms of it being “just like the flu”, I think it’s maybe more of a realization for people in those groups that it probably would have been a good idea to wear a mask in crowded public places before covid too, to protect against things like the flu. Masking has long been common in East Asia.

      • Eris235 [undecided]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        Last I saw, Covid death rates were still almost double that of influenza. And that’s even with (generally) higher vaccination rates for covid over the flu.