Apple caters to an Oprah Winfrey loving segment of the population who wants masks to stay forever. Sol it makes sense they will keep masks for a while longer. But, I think this won’t last that long. As every other store drops masks requirements it will seem silly. I give this a month tops.
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Apple Stores Will Continue to Require Masks for Now
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Highly unlikely!
What's the science behind CDC's decision to say fully vaccinated people don't need masks? | CNN
A fresh batch of data from a big study of healthcare workers across the country helped prompt the CDC to say fully vaccinated people can go without masks in most circumstances, the agency said Friday.
The reason -- viral load. At least three major studies have shown that fully vaccinated people are not likely to test positive for coronavirus, which indicates they are not carrying it in their bodies, whether they have symptoms or not.
It's worth the trade-off of not contributing to the spread. I doubt that most people complaining have legitimate problems that keep them from wearing a mask, and at worst are just slightly discomforted by it
Same. I hate wearing one and have completely stopped outdoors where (common sense) airflow protects everyone from this airborne virus.
Indoors, I wear a mask even though I'm fully vaccinated because 1) it's the law and 2) there are still people who cannot get vaccinated or just haven't yet. My kid is one of them, and I have a friend who's another -- she can't get vaccinated yet because of a conflict with a medical treatment. Why not do something very simple to help protect these people?
Good. I am glad that Apple is keeping this as a requirement for now.
It was recommended that vaccinated people continue to wear masks and social distance until a larger percentage of the population got vaccinated (for herd immunity) because we were seeing mutations of the virus and it wasn't known how effective the vaccine would be against those mutant strains.
As more people became vaccinated and infections, hospitalizations, and deaths declined, those mitigations practices were slowly lifted.
Overly cautious? Maybe. But sometimes it's better to take things slowly and be safe than sorry.
At this point, considering I have not had even a stupid cold this whole year of COVID because people were actually wearing masks and washing their hands more often, I will forever wear a mask indoors in public places. Don’t know about you, but I like not being sick. I’m fine to be the weird person with the N95 at the supermarket or on an airplane and not get sick. Survival of the fittest has become survival of the smartest. Whatever…
I don't think very many people "want masks to stay forever". They're afraid. They've seen people die. In many places, it hasn't been that long since we had ****ing semi trailers for morgue overflow. A few thousand Americans died on 9/11 and we're still taking our shoes off at the airport. Well over half a million have died from this virus in the US alone, and you're bitching about wearing a little paper mask for a few months when you're indoors?
I will follow the policy of the business I go to. If they have signage that says masks required, I’ll wear one. If they say encouraged or requested, sure why not. No signage, no mask for me. I’m fully vaccinated, have no issue showing my card if requested (doubt anyone will) and if there’s a booster shot, I’ll take that too.
Well it has killed people, so there is that. Is it doing it in ways that the anti-vaccine people say? No. I won’t be dead in 10 years because I took Moderna like Alex Jones touts.
You‘re wrong. I didn’t complain about the masks, until they insisted vaccinate people had to wear them. And, if you are wearing a paper mask then that is pure theater. If the mask doesn’t make it hard to breathe then it is a joke.
Let’s continue protecting the people who refuse to protect themselves…..
You are thinking Relative Risk Reduction of up to 95% which is inaccurate compared to Absolute Risk Reduction. Reality is 0-2%.
Wired Article.
Lancets Paper.
Science does not work the way you think it to be, at times there are acute events and at times chronic events and at times many unknowns. Two of my friends who got the mRNA died and so have others and it has been reported. Does it cause infertility; dunno we just got to wait and see 9 months from when people who have been trying to get pregnant if there are any issues.
This is an erroneous statement and you know it.
Still blows my mind that facemasks became political.
Sorry, MPH here. The last statement is misleading. The Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are 94%, 95%, and 66.3% effective against SARS-CoV-2 respectively. More recent studies have shown the mRNA vaccines to be slightly less effective against new strains. This means there is still a possibility that a fully vaccinated individual will contract the virus. It is possible that the individual's antibodies and immune response will be sufficient to shorten or reduce the severity of symptoms; however, there is still the possibility of death. There have been several reported cases where patients have unfortunately passed away weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. The CDC collects this information in their VAERS database: https://vaers.hhs.gov/data.html
To be clear, although the vaccines are safe and effective, getting the vaccine does not make you 100% immune from COVID-19. Vaccines are meant to be used in conjunction with proper hygiene and other public safety measures such as social distancing until a sufficient number of fully vaccinated individuals is reached to achieve heard immunity (currently unknown; other diseases suggest a rate of ~70-80% vaccinated in local communities). States are still in the process of interpreting and implementing the most recent CDC guidance. Some of the largest hurdles remain: developing a safe, verifiable system to easily identify which individuals have received the vaccine and which have not.
That said, everyone who is eligible and healthy enough to receive the vaccine should do so. All three vaccines are safe and effective, and the more people are vaccinated the sooner we can resume normal activities.
MacRumors should probably disable comments on articles like this to prevent the spread of misinformation during a global pandemic.
Sources:
Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines
Protect yourself by getting vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Serious safety problems are rare and long-term side effects unlikely (150)
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Herd immunity, lockdowns and COVID-19
Updated 31 December 2020
The CDC acknowledges “breakthrough” events. But for some strange reason will not count vaccinated people who do not have symptoms (a.k.a. Asymptomatic) cases but will only count hospitalization and death.
Didn’t the world shutdown due to asymptomatic spread. Yes you can still be hospitalized and die with any of these vaccines.
NO, you can still get the virus, and you can still get sick, but it will be a very mild sickness.
BUT the most important thing is THAT YOU CAN STILL INFECT OTHERS !
and the ...not so smart... not tacking the vaccine will be in danger.
Ah so now Apple is not "following the science.."
Unlike a hospital setting it does not makes sense. Here is an example: you wear you mask and fiddle around with it (maybe or maybe not), you take out your mask and put it on the table prior to consuming your meal and then put it back on or store it in your pocket. The amount of bacteria being picked up from surfaces does not make sense.
Compare this to a hospital setting where staff replace masks on a regular period, yet infections still occur as those are properly trained group of people.
One could argue it was for peace of mind rather than anything else.
This is a good point.
But did they really recognize anything? I think the timing of this announcement is very suspicious, particularly with the world going to hell in a very small, very flammable, basket.
It sure does, especially if the purpose is to muzzle the populace. Just sayin'.
I'm 4 weeks from 2nd vaccination.
I say take a pic of it with your smartphone anc carry THAT around.
Okay, can somebody explain this one to me? Asking for a friend, thanks!
"Masks off for Identification, Please". I never needed to do that. Most everybody who came to my house didn't put on a mask. Could be because I told them it was optional at MY house.
Even during Covid, nobody cared to put a mask on.
Wow, this one is quite good!
I hope we come fully back by the US Independence Day holiday. That seems fitting.
I still can't believe the lengths people will go to complain about...other people's faces covering choices!
You're assuming cause without evidence to support your assumption. You have no idea if people wearing masks and washing their hands is the reason you didn't get sick.
"Things that make you go...hmmm...."
One could argue that Apple and other companies never followed the science or adjust after evidence.
There is an MIT study that argued that physics distancing never worked and I believe the type of masks questionable and what would reduce risk is limiting ones time indoors and best to be outdoors to reduce infection.
Tell the Yankees that.
Yes the vaccine makes you a lot less likely to get COVID, but you can still catch it and spread it. Symptoms will be little to none, but it can still happen. 8 Yankees employees caught it and 7 of the 8 were asymptomatic, the other had mild symptoms for a day.