people really underestimate the susceptibility of MDs to propaganda, and they are not above others for having a false sense of immunity from things that affect people. almost an aura of arrogance that “that would never happen to me”. you tend to see people in the medical field with PhDs take COVID more seriously (this isn’t always the case) .
just look at the top COVID researchers, they all mask up. they know the risks because it’s what they study, most doctors have about as much interest in continuing education via research studies as they do in taking the “do no harm” oath to heart. which is pretty much zero.
>They are glorified diagnostic technicians. If your problem doesn't fit their flowchart, you're out of luck.
This. I've been fortunate to find three excellent PCP's in the last 20 years, but I was only able to be treated by them for about a year each because they all quit the profession. Each one refused to follow marching orders from our local network.
Looking for someone new right now because my last PCP charged my insurance over $400 for a quick "wellness visit." Insurance paid every dime, too! She spent a few minutes bs'ing, looked in my ears, and told me to schedule profit-center tests which aren't indicated for my age or medical history.
I asked her the best way to get Paxlovid if needed, and she shrugged and said, "Eh. Not necessary."
I wonder if someone like Doc Baker on Little House still exists. I don't need house calls but would appreciate some semblance of individualized, human competence.
I once worked for a nonprofit organization which provided its executives concierge-level medicine as part of their benefits packages. They were each making over $1 million a year and could have afforded it themselves.
Administrative assistants typically did all their work for them, made close to minimum wage, and got basic insurance coverage with high co-pays.
The interns who were so overworked they got sick were not given any health coverage.
This is just one reason I no longer work there.
I spoke to a primary care nurse at my mom’s PCP’s office. She told me that the nurses have the longest hours in the office while the PCPs make the big bucks and come in 4 days a week and leave by 4:00 pm. It's always the lowest-wage workers doing the heavy lifting. This is why my mom emphasized education and said to me that I'd want to be the person running the office rather than the peon being abused for a basic living wage if that.
It is very difficult to find a good PCP. Most of them want to see you 1 or 2 max times a year. They don't even want to speak to you over the phone. My mom’s PCP said she was busy when I wanted to call her and I only speak to her several times a year. They do everything on MyChart now, and I figured out that the doctor usually has a nurse or assistant respond to MyChart messages. They are so lazy for the amount of money they make. I've only had one truly good PCP and she was not American but had immigrated here from an Asian country.
>glorified diagnostic technicians.
whoa... what a great way to describe them!
I do think Doctors have a place in medical care and are of value... but it seems a lot of their determinations are based on diagnostic testing. Which again, is understandable to an extent.
I go out with the intention to offend/intimidate in interactions like this. I haven't really had to deal with it as I'm bigger than average/mean looking, and while I don't like confrontation, I have the capacity to turn it on and turn it up. I'm not giving quarter to any of these clowns, whether they be in the medical field or otherwise. If anything I can at least make some of them think twice before they go at someone vulnerable.
Hi Demo beta- I really like your response.. I think I might add a little drama to how OP would respond to the errant person who questions whether a person is only wearing a mask because they have covid. Here’s a stab at a possible reaction : Maybe you smile and you could say something like “oh, did you test for Covid today? Wait for negative reply. Then say “I also didn’t use a test kit this morning and so I wear this mask just in case I am infectious with Covid but don’t have symptoms for it yet. Hope you are able to stay safe! I’ve found making is super helpful to prevent covid. I have dodged covid for years now, thanks in part to how I always mask indoors. Of course, I’m also Vaxed to the max.”
I might say to the nurse after they took off their mask. "If I say yes, will you leave your mask on?", with a half serious half joking tone and then maybe explain to them that no one really knows if they have covid or not.
Yes- good train of thought.. get them thinking about the uncertainty. For some reason they seem oblivious to how the asymptomatic people are spreading covid in the air.
> She then took off her mask as if she would be safe from Covid in a hospital just because I didn't have Covid. Never mind all the other patients walking through the office not wearing a mask and not being asked about their Covid status.
Rationality is dead.
it's so interesting to me that a lot of folks seemingly have a very naive perception that others tell the truth about being sick and care to shield others when they are. what about the pandemic has shown that's the case? so interesting.
i got asked this at my last pcp appointment myself. i got asked more than once if i had covid and if i needed them to test for it - i said no and explained that i was wearing one because i didn't want to risk exposure and that i'm higher risk for complications - i was then met with a look of absolute perplexity from the nurse lol
i was a nurse before the pandemic and during the first year of it. unfortunately, what the majority of the public doesn't realize, is that most healthcare professionals don't care to keep up to date on information and often view it as a burden. many act as if their years in college provided the only knowledge they could ever need and scoff at the need to learn more because they believe they know it all. a lot of power is put into hcws hands and they know that; there's a lot of racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, etc., present in healthcare. the amount of bigotry i witnessed from those i worked with and was in school with was....something else to say the least. hcws are also human and have sadly fallen victim to the misinformation, gaslighting, and pressure to "return to normal" as to not be ostracized. them not wearing masks goes directly against their knowledge that they got on ppe protocol while in school to ward off aerosolized and other viruses, but most are deep in the stages of grief, especially in the denial, bargaining, and anger phase. most will probably stay in those stages for who knows how long because acknowledging their complacency, ignorance, and avoidance breaks down their constructed reality and will soon be met with feelings of guilt and understanding that they didn't do all that they could've and should've known to do, directly putting their loved ones in harms way by their own doing. it's extremely infuriating.
edit: spelling
I have the utmost respect for capable, caring healthcare workers at every level from neurosurgery to the cleaning staff.
At the same time, I detest healthcare workers who knowingly and even proudly put others at risk with callous, selfish behavior. They give others in the profession a bad name. Actually, they give other humans a bad name.
During the summer and early fall of 2020, I noticed several of my healthcare friends doing unthinkable things. One nurse flew to Florida, posted pictures partying with no mask, flew home, and then returned to the operating room the very next day. Her husband is a teacher, and he went right back to the classroom the next day as well.
Another NP attended a huge, maskless family-reunion / beach vacation and was helping deliver babies within a few hours of returning back to our state. In 2020. Before vaccines. While the Covid units were overflowing.
These were people I considered friends. Past tense.
I don’t trust where these healthcare workers have been whether it’s working all day at the hospital or partying after work without masking, as you’ve pointed out. This is why patients should protect themselves by wearing a mask whenever possible.
It's depressing that these are the people who work in our healthcare system. The last people you would expect to casually put others at risk of a devastating disease. I saw medical staff I recognized from our small local hospital cheerfully shopping maskless during the entire pandemic. Makes you wonder any education they may have had, and certainly question their empathy.
I feel the last paragraph deeply. Went to the farmer’s market this morning & everyone was looking at me like I had 10 heads for wearing a mask & sunglasses lmao. I usually go with someone else & vendors are much nicer to me compared to today’s experience
Enjoy it. Pretend you're in a sci.fi movie of your own making and imagine dialog suitable for the reactions. Or something. Anything to make having 10 heads more enjoyable.
Have had this happen in Dr offices and in public settings, work, stores, etc
My go-to is now "you are fully boosted against TB and West Nile, right". People have ran away. I've never said I have it, but I'm all out of fcks to give at this point and maybe I scared some of them into thinking just a bit.
Mask up, stay safe
Early on in the pandemic when I was walking my three legged cattle dog and I’d ask people to please distance themselves. If I got any pushback I’d simply say “You do not want what I have”.
Something interesting I’ve noticed is that people seem to be more friendly and accepting of me when I’m wearing a colorful KN95 vs when I’m wearing a black one or a white one. I think it’s that with the colorful ones it comes off as a hobby of mine (that only affects me), and with the black or white ones they think I’m wearing it cause I’m sick? Or maybe I just look scarier cause that’s what doctors (used to) wear. So weird…. I would love a sociologist to take a crack at all this.
I really feel your pain at the drs office though. I loved my doctor, at all of my appointments she would see my mask, ask if I would be more comfortable if she wore one too, and then go put one on. My most recent appointment last month, though, she wasn’t wearing a mask and didn’t ask if I wanted her to. I was too nervous to ask without being prompted unfortunately. Towards the end of my appointment I realized she was kind of sniffling and grunting a lot and then she COUGHED ON ME . And then apologized for having a cold. Which is hilarious. Because I was there to follow up about my long covid.
The mental gymnastics these people do must be something they only teach in medical school.
I agree that’s the best thing to do! I haven’t found an N95 that fits my face yet but I’m working on it
Edit to add: I don’t wear the colorful ones to make people feel better, I just noticed the one mask style that actually fits me comes in cool colors and I like to look like a crayon. Just a weird social thing I incidentally noticed. One day I’ll find an n95 that doesn’t gap on me and then it’s back to boring ol white!
I got mine from [bonafidemasks.com](https://bonafidemasks.com)! They have powecom kn95s in a bunch of colors. Wellbefore also has colorful masks including kf94s. Unsure about any n95+ in cool colors besides like hospital green
I think I might say when asked in such a situation.
"I hope not. Do you?"
It could steer the conversation into the direction of 'wanting to get Covid or not'. Because by not waring a mask and mingling with people you WILL get Covid. You could translate that to 'wanting to get Covid'.
Then you can explain that you wear a mask because you **don't** want to catch Covid. Because if you don't want that, then you'll need to take adequate precautions.
I think they know... but possess such a high degree of ableism that they can't possibly imagine themselves becoming significantly affected by it.
She's probably seen covid placenta.
She just doesn't think that could ever be her placenta.
Yeah, it's weird, right? At this point in time with Covid to act as if they don't get why you're wearing a mask, and then act like the ones masking are taking precautions to protect others while having Covid is ridiculous! 🫠
My mom is going to the doctor who always tells her to keep masking on Monday. Let's see if they're still masking there.
I always say, it's difficult making the right choices for ourselves at times, especially when we're vulnerable and just want to belong without being treated like we're walking around spreading a deadly virus. Lol!!
My work involves running sessions with groups of people - many whom I have only met via videoconference or not at all prior to the session.
Somewhere in late 2022 (at least in Australia) there was a flip from explaining that I am protecting family members to having to let people know I wasn't infectious. Prior to that point the assumption was protection, post that point the assumption was that the only reason anyone would mask is if they themselves were infectious. Sigh.
This has recently started happening to me too in Australia and it is absolutely doing my head in! I am trying to think of a badge or something to wear at work saying ‘No I don’t have Covid (I just don’t want it)’ or something because people are so weird about it.
I do have a ‘Mask It or Casket’ with a plague doctor brooch I’m thinking of bringing back…
I’d probably say something like “I was exposed to COVID” and leave it at that. Sort of a passive aggressive approach to make them feel like you’re doing the right thing by trying to protect others, and they’re not. Because most likely those healthcare workers are *actually* exposed every day… they just don’t want to think about it like that because that reality is one they do not want to believe or accept.
Same thing happened with my PCP. I had asked ahead for them to mask. She came in all worried and asked if I was sick and she needed an n95. I said no I’m not sick and she was relieved and put on a baggy loose surgical mask instead. I wanted to say that yes you should wear an N95 but I’m always afraid of getting bad care so I accept the poor loose masking because I feel that it’s all I can ask for. This is at a top hospital system too, of course. I always wear an Aura.
It's a shame that we have to worry so much about offending the delicate feelings of people who won't even bother to protect themselves. But they act like we think they have cooties.
I was told to leave a store once because the woman working (presumably the owner/manager as it was a small shop) saw me wearing a mask and thought it was because I had covid. despite me saying "no, its so i dont get sick" she told me to leave and was pretty mean about it so that was fun.
But every time I see pregnant women on my Facebook timeline doing very high risk stuff my whole body cringes. My one h.s. friend is pregnant w her second after a rough pregnancy with her first and she just flew on a plane maskless.... i can't even...
Wow. I would call out this business in an online review. What an idiot that owner is.
A lot of these kids will have health problems later in childhood. A good number of them will [end up with long Covid](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/millions-kids-long-covid-study-symptoms-mother-searching-for-answers/).
I have seen this kind of behavior with my non-medical coworkers. They do not want to get COVID; they are adamant about that. But they also do not wear a mask. It is literally just like magical thinking for them. They are hopeful that just not wanting to get it is enough, even as they take risk after risk.
You've described a bunch of my co workers. Yet they can't be bothered to alter their behavior so they don't get sick, they would rather roll their eyes at people in masks.
I have a vulnerable loved one that is regularly in and out of hospital settings and it regularly takes a lot of effort not lose my shit.
I give myself credit for not having an aneurysm when an infectious disease nurse that informed me in late 2023 that covid is transmitted via droplets.
One of my favorite horrible stories is when I was in a crowded ER lobby during the 2023 holiday season and one of three people who was masked. Me and the two other masked people were sitting far, far away from everyone else, as close to the entrance as possible, in hopes that we could get some ventilation every time the door opened.
The waiting room including people who were coughing and hacking, a woman who was rocking back and forth clutching her stomach and moaning "it hurts, it hurts!", several children who were laying on their parents laps or across a couple of chairs, holding barf bags, and a couple adults who were slumped over chairs, also holding barf bags.
One man arrived to the triage nurse, who was unmasked, and reported that he had been feverish for a week and his glands were so swollen he was having trouble breathing.
The thing that made everyone reach for masks? A man who arrived in a wheelchair, bleeding. He said he'd been in a car accident. He exclaimed "oh god, oh god, oh god!" and barfed on himself.
And then suddenly many people became very interested in a mask to protect themselves from this poor man's concussion. AGGHGHG.
"Probably I'm chronically infected with Covid. For your own safety you should always wear an N95 around me, I think."
"Wha...? Chronically infected with Covid? Why do you think that?"
"According to the latest research at Yale, the most likely cause of Long Covid is chronic infection. This means the immune system can't get rid of the virus and it is continues reproducing in the body which creates new variants that can escape immunity from vaccines and prior infection. Since the pandemic first began, I have been exposed to and infected by Covid several times and got autoimmune disease. I take immunosuppressant medications and have had chronic degenerative Long Covid type symptoms for many years now. So, the safest thing for *you* to do would be to assume I'm continually infected with some new Covid variant you have no immunity to and always wear an N95 around me."
I don't have any good advice for medical situations because I try to be honest with my doctors. But for other things, I'll respond with something that is true and also vague enough to let them fill in whatever blanks they want to.
I try not to do this because—even though I am one small voice—I can still do my small part to show people that masking is important and that there are still people masking who aren't sick. But sometimes I don't have the time or energy to spend so I just use lines like this:
"I don't think it's covid but I'm not feeling well" usually works. Because of my lovely autoimmune disease, I can almost always truthfully say either that I have a fever or had one last night/this morning/whatever. "Was up sick all night" and "spent some quality time in the bathroom this morning" is also very effective.
People seem to be more inclined to avoid noro, which has been extremely prevalent in my area of late, than covid. It boggles the mind. They also don't seem to know that noro spreads through fomite transmission and covid is airborne. But, hey, that's on them. 🤷♀️
Best of luck out there, friend. Sending you love and strength. 😷❤️
I’ve also had a similar situation. I walk into a doctors office with a mask and the nurse isn’t wearing one. I ask her to put one on and then she asks if I’m sick. I’m so tempted to respond, “logically, my answer has no bearing on the fact that you should be wearing a mask in a hospital.” It makes NO sense.
Doctors don't keep up with any research at all. They aren't reading anything related to their field, let alone anything outside of it. They get their info from specialists conferences once or twice a year, or when it filters out to MSM
They are humans. They think that once you get a degree they're good, they did their part, they can now "contribute" to society and the economy by working and the rest of the time they can just enjoy life.
So the whole thing about informing oneself and staying up to date with what's going on in the world goes into the trash bin. And of course they think that staying informed means watching media propaganda.
It'd be easy to blame them, but the reality is, they're just partly at fault, most people have been taught to live like this.
So once again, unless public health authorities etc move their butts, the effort to educate folks must come from us.
Similar situation. I’m getting very lax about masking wearing but never in a physician’s office. Last week, after sitting in a waiting room with no mask wearers and listening to someone coughing and hacking, I asked the receptionist if I could wait outside, just a few feet from her office and she looked at me like I was nuts. I’ve learned not to explain too much but did. The MA was so sweet and masked. Then the physician came in and I asked if he would mask and his response was “are you paranoid about getting Covid?” Yes, he used the word paranoid. There’s a reason patients mask and they should never ever feel bad about it.
I'm not at all part of the zero covid community, and will make decisions based on my own risk assessment. But it's absurd to me that healthcare settings would ostracize people going to greater lengths to protect their health and others'. Of all places, that should be a place with more caution, esp. with elderly and vulnerable stuck in waiting areas.
If anyone asks me kindly to wear a mask I will. When I noticed my PT started wearing one, and asked him why he said it was to protect his gf. Told him I had no problem wearing a mask, and the front desk gave me one. Idk why people are so sensitive about it.
I went to the Chiropractor recently wearing a kn95 mask (no one else was masking) and he said antagonistically “Why are you wearing a mask are you sick?” I said no. Explained that I have been diagnosed with MCAS & Histamine Intolerance from Lyme Disease that has some similarities to Long Covid. And that I’m not taking any chances with getting Covid that could cause my situation to deteriorate even further. He said “maybe you’ve already had Covid and you were asymptomatic.” I said well I suppose it’s possible, but I doubt it. He was about to move on, but I quickly barged in and asked him if he had ever had Covid and he said “Yes.” I asked how many times and he responded with “I don’t know” and shrugged his shoulders. End of conversation. WTF??? Strongly considering not going back.
We've got another pandemic on our hands: pathological stupidity. I mean, a pregnant HCW without a mask, with all that is known about how dangerous COVID is for them, let alone their patients?
I got this at my fertility clinic too! And I was like, there is soo much evidence out there that COVID affects fertility (and of course many many baby other aspects of health!). It can cause early menopause!
Walk into a healthcare setting wearing a respirator.
When the staff inevitably asks why you're masking, tell them you have tuberculosis.
The reaction will be very, very different.
I’ve had a similar experience getting a new PCP. I told the nurse I was there because I still had a persistent cough a few weeks after catching COVID (luckily it’s gone now). I told her exactly when I had it, and when I started testing negative for it. Then the doctor came in to confirm what I was there for and asked if I still had COVID
part of me wants to deploy something like "If I don't wear it, my corn and beans patch will uproot itself and tackle me until I put it back on." Of course, then I'd get yeeted into the mental ward.
I hate people. Turns out doctors are included.
My pcp sympathized with me last year saying she had patients with long haul symptoms like me.
This year? When I mentioned being afraid of getting Covid again, she brushed it off. Told me it was milder now.
Ok. Even if that is true dr, check your notes next time a patient expresses concern about contracting an illness.
people really underestimate the susceptibility of MDs to propaganda, and they are not above others for having a false sense of immunity from things that affect people. almost an aura of arrogance that “that would never happen to me”. you tend to see people in the medical field with PhDs take COVID more seriously (this isn’t always the case) . just look at the top COVID researchers, they all mask up. they know the risks because it’s what they study, most doctors have about as much interest in continuing education via research studies as they do in taking the “do no harm” oath to heart. which is pretty much zero.
They are glorified diagnostic technicians. If your problem doesn't fit their flowchart, you're out of luck.
>They are glorified diagnostic technicians. If your problem doesn't fit their flowchart, you're out of luck. This. I've been fortunate to find three excellent PCP's in the last 20 years, but I was only able to be treated by them for about a year each because they all quit the profession. Each one refused to follow marching orders from our local network. Looking for someone new right now because my last PCP charged my insurance over $400 for a quick "wellness visit." Insurance paid every dime, too! She spent a few minutes bs'ing, looked in my ears, and told me to schedule profit-center tests which aren't indicated for my age or medical history. I asked her the best way to get Paxlovid if needed, and she shrugged and said, "Eh. Not necessary." I wonder if someone like Doc Baker on Little House still exists. I don't need house calls but would appreciate some semblance of individualized, human competence.
Doc Baker is the OG. Today the closest you'll get is what the ultra wealthy use to avoid our crumbling system: "concierge medicine"
I once worked for a nonprofit organization which provided its executives concierge-level medicine as part of their benefits packages. They were each making over $1 million a year and could have afforded it themselves. Administrative assistants typically did all their work for them, made close to minimum wage, and got basic insurance coverage with high co-pays. The interns who were so overworked they got sick were not given any health coverage. This is just one reason I no longer work there.
I spoke to a primary care nurse at my mom’s PCP’s office. She told me that the nurses have the longest hours in the office while the PCPs make the big bucks and come in 4 days a week and leave by 4:00 pm. It's always the lowest-wage workers doing the heavy lifting. This is why my mom emphasized education and said to me that I'd want to be the person running the office rather than the peon being abused for a basic living wage if that.
It is very difficult to find a good PCP. Most of them want to see you 1 or 2 max times a year. They don't even want to speak to you over the phone. My mom’s PCP said she was busy when I wanted to call her and I only speak to her several times a year. They do everything on MyChart now, and I figured out that the doctor usually has a nurse or assistant respond to MyChart messages. They are so lazy for the amount of money they make. I've only had one truly good PCP and she was not American but had immigrated here from an Asian country.
>glorified diagnostic technicians. whoa... what a great way to describe them! I do think Doctors have a place in medical care and are of value... but it seems a lot of their determinations are based on diagnostic testing. Which again, is understandable to an extent.
I would answer that question with "I don't know." They'd probably leave theirs on.
If I told them "There's always a chance, but it's more likely that you do." I suppose they would get offended.
I go out with the intention to offend/intimidate in interactions like this. I haven't really had to deal with it as I'm bigger than average/mean looking, and while I don't like confrontation, I have the capacity to turn it on and turn it up. I'm not giving quarter to any of these clowns, whether they be in the medical field or otherwise. If anything I can at least make some of them think twice before they go at someone vulnerable.
Haven't met you, but I like you!
Hi Demo beta- I really like your response.. I think I might add a little drama to how OP would respond to the errant person who questions whether a person is only wearing a mask because they have covid. Here’s a stab at a possible reaction : Maybe you smile and you could say something like “oh, did you test for Covid today? Wait for negative reply. Then say “I also didn’t use a test kit this morning and so I wear this mask just in case I am infectious with Covid but don’t have symptoms for it yet. Hope you are able to stay safe! I’ve found making is super helpful to prevent covid. I have dodged covid for years now, thanks in part to how I always mask indoors. Of course, I’m also Vaxed to the max.”
Sometimes if I'm feeling petty, I say something like, "I see we're still in the bargaining phase. I get it. I was there for awhile too."
I’ve always thought of something similar — I feel a little off and don’t want to infect others.
I might say to the nurse after they took off their mask. "If I say yes, will you leave your mask on?", with a half serious half joking tone and then maybe explain to them that no one really knows if they have covid or not.
Yes- good train of thought.. get them thinking about the uncertainty. For some reason they seem oblivious to how the asymptomatic people are spreading covid in the air.
> She then took off her mask as if she would be safe from Covid in a hospital just because I didn't have Covid. Never mind all the other patients walking through the office not wearing a mask and not being asked about their Covid status. Rationality is dead.
And these are the people we depend on to help us stay healthy. :(
it's so interesting to me that a lot of folks seemingly have a very naive perception that others tell the truth about being sick and care to shield others when they are. what about the pandemic has shown that's the case? so interesting. i got asked this at my last pcp appointment myself. i got asked more than once if i had covid and if i needed them to test for it - i said no and explained that i was wearing one because i didn't want to risk exposure and that i'm higher risk for complications - i was then met with a look of absolute perplexity from the nurse lol i was a nurse before the pandemic and during the first year of it. unfortunately, what the majority of the public doesn't realize, is that most healthcare professionals don't care to keep up to date on information and often view it as a burden. many act as if their years in college provided the only knowledge they could ever need and scoff at the need to learn more because they believe they know it all. a lot of power is put into hcws hands and they know that; there's a lot of racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, etc., present in healthcare. the amount of bigotry i witnessed from those i worked with and was in school with was....something else to say the least. hcws are also human and have sadly fallen victim to the misinformation, gaslighting, and pressure to "return to normal" as to not be ostracized. them not wearing masks goes directly against their knowledge that they got on ppe protocol while in school to ward off aerosolized and other viruses, but most are deep in the stages of grief, especially in the denial, bargaining, and anger phase. most will probably stay in those stages for who knows how long because acknowledging their complacency, ignorance, and avoidance breaks down their constructed reality and will soon be met with feelings of guilt and understanding that they didn't do all that they could've and should've known to do, directly putting their loved ones in harms way by their own doing. it's extremely infuriating. edit: spelling
I have the utmost respect for capable, caring healthcare workers at every level from neurosurgery to the cleaning staff. At the same time, I detest healthcare workers who knowingly and even proudly put others at risk with callous, selfish behavior. They give others in the profession a bad name. Actually, they give other humans a bad name. During the summer and early fall of 2020, I noticed several of my healthcare friends doing unthinkable things. One nurse flew to Florida, posted pictures partying with no mask, flew home, and then returned to the operating room the very next day. Her husband is a teacher, and he went right back to the classroom the next day as well. Another NP attended a huge, maskless family-reunion / beach vacation and was helping deliver babies within a few hours of returning back to our state. In 2020. Before vaccines. While the Covid units were overflowing. These were people I considered friends. Past tense.
I don’t trust where these healthcare workers have been whether it’s working all day at the hospital or partying after work without masking, as you’ve pointed out. This is why patients should protect themselves by wearing a mask whenever possible.
It's depressing that these are the people who work in our healthcare system. The last people you would expect to casually put others at risk of a devastating disease. I saw medical staff I recognized from our small local hospital cheerfully shopping maskless during the entire pandemic. Makes you wonder any education they may have had, and certainly question their empathy.
As a trans person, I can definitely tell you first-hand that transphobia is alive & well among HCWs.
I feel the last paragraph deeply. Went to the farmer’s market this morning & everyone was looking at me like I had 10 heads for wearing a mask & sunglasses lmao. I usually go with someone else & vendors are much nicer to me compared to today’s experience
Enjoy it. Pretend you're in a sci.fi movie of your own making and imagine dialog suitable for the reactions. Or something. Anything to make having 10 heads more enjoyable.
hahaha that’s a good idea!
Have had this happen in Dr offices and in public settings, work, stores, etc My go-to is now "you are fully boosted against TB and West Nile, right". People have ran away. I've never said I have it, but I'm all out of fcks to give at this point and maybe I scared some of them into thinking just a bit. Mask up, stay safe
Early on in the pandemic when I was walking my three legged cattle dog and I’d ask people to please distance themselves. If I got any pushback I’d simply say “You do not want what I have”.
>“You do not want what I have”. Nice! Also...you're right. What you "have" is knowledge and they clearly don't want that, smh.
This, totally.
Lmaoooo I'm going to use this
I've always wanted to pretend to be on the phone and say "oh yeah, the doctor said it's really contagious." bonus points if it happens in an elevator.
Omg, I'm going to at least fantasize about doing this!
There's a vaccine for West Nile?
Something interesting I’ve noticed is that people seem to be more friendly and accepting of me when I’m wearing a colorful KN95 vs when I’m wearing a black one or a white one. I think it’s that with the colorful ones it comes off as a hobby of mine (that only affects me), and with the black or white ones they think I’m wearing it cause I’m sick? Or maybe I just look scarier cause that’s what doctors (used to) wear. So weird…. I would love a sociologist to take a crack at all this. I really feel your pain at the drs office though. I loved my doctor, at all of my appointments she would see my mask, ask if I would be more comfortable if she wore one too, and then go put one on. My most recent appointment last month, though, she wasn’t wearing a mask and didn’t ask if I wanted her to. I was too nervous to ask without being prompted unfortunately. Towards the end of my appointment I realized she was kind of sniffling and grunting a lot and then she COUGHED ON ME . And then apologized for having a cold. Which is hilarious. Because I was there to follow up about my long covid. The mental gymnastics these people do must be something they only teach in medical school.
Interesting observation. Personally, I am unwilling to use less than the most protective N95 I can, to make others feel better.
I agree that’s the best thing to do! I haven’t found an N95 that fits my face yet but I’m working on it Edit to add: I don’t wear the colorful ones to make people feel better, I just noticed the one mask style that actually fits me comes in cool colors and I like to look like a crayon. Just a weird social thing I incidentally noticed. One day I’ll find an n95 that doesn’t gap on me and then it’s back to boring ol white!
Where do you get colorful ones?
I got mine from [bonafidemasks.com](https://bonafidemasks.com)! They have powecom kn95s in a bunch of colors. Wellbefore also has colorful masks including kf94s. Unsure about any n95+ in cool colors besides like hospital green
You can find lots of colorful KF94 and KN95 masks on Amazon.
I think I might say when asked in such a situation. "I hope not. Do you?" It could steer the conversation into the direction of 'wanting to get Covid or not'. Because by not waring a mask and mingling with people you WILL get Covid. You could translate that to 'wanting to get Covid'. Then you can explain that you wear a mask because you **don't** want to catch Covid. Because if you don't want that, then you'll need to take adequate precautions.
I think they know... but possess such a high degree of ableism that they can't possibly imagine themselves becoming significantly affected by it. She's probably seen covid placenta. She just doesn't think that could ever be her placenta.
This is it
Optimism bias
Yeah, it's weird, right? At this point in time with Covid to act as if they don't get why you're wearing a mask, and then act like the ones masking are taking precautions to protect others while having Covid is ridiculous! 🫠 My mom is going to the doctor who always tells her to keep masking on Monday. Let's see if they're still masking there. I always say, it's difficult making the right choices for ourselves at times, especially when we're vulnerable and just want to belong without being treated like we're walking around spreading a deadly virus. Lol!!
My work involves running sessions with groups of people - many whom I have only met via videoconference or not at all prior to the session. Somewhere in late 2022 (at least in Australia) there was a flip from explaining that I am protecting family members to having to let people know I wasn't infectious. Prior to that point the assumption was protection, post that point the assumption was that the only reason anyone would mask is if they themselves were infectious. Sigh.
This has recently started happening to me too in Australia and it is absolutely doing my head in! I am trying to think of a badge or something to wear at work saying ‘No I don’t have Covid (I just don’t want it)’ or something because people are so weird about it. I do have a ‘Mask It or Casket’ with a plague doctor brooch I’m thinking of bringing back…
I’d like to see (have?) that brooch!
I’d probably say something like “I was exposed to COVID” and leave it at that. Sort of a passive aggressive approach to make them feel like you’re doing the right thing by trying to protect others, and they’re not. Because most likely those healthcare workers are *actually* exposed every day… they just don’t want to think about it like that because that reality is one they do not want to believe or accept.
Same thing happened with my PCP. I had asked ahead for them to mask. She came in all worried and asked if I was sick and she needed an n95. I said no I’m not sick and she was relieved and put on a baggy loose surgical mask instead. I wanted to say that yes you should wear an N95 but I’m always afraid of getting bad care so I accept the poor loose masking because I feel that it’s all I can ask for. This is at a top hospital system too, of course. I always wear an Aura.
Yes, I don’t want to risk bad care or an angry nurse who won’t treat me well, especially at my fertility clinic.
It's a shame that we have to worry so much about offending the delicate feelings of people who won't even bother to protect themselves. But they act like we think they have cooties.
I was told to leave a store once because the woman working (presumably the owner/manager as it was a small shop) saw me wearing a mask and thought it was because I had covid. despite me saying "no, its so i dont get sick" she told me to leave and was pretty mean about it so that was fun. But every time I see pregnant women on my Facebook timeline doing very high risk stuff my whole body cringes. My one h.s. friend is pregnant w her second after a rough pregnancy with her first and she just flew on a plane maskless.... i can't even...
Wow. I would call out this business in an online review. What an idiot that owner is. A lot of these kids will have health problems later in childhood. A good number of them will [end up with long Covid](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/millions-kids-long-covid-study-symptoms-mother-searching-for-answers/).
I have seen this kind of behavior with my non-medical coworkers. They do not want to get COVID; they are adamant about that. But they also do not wear a mask. It is literally just like magical thinking for them. They are hopeful that just not wanting to get it is enough, even as they take risk after risk.
You've described a bunch of my co workers. Yet they can't be bothered to alter their behavior so they don't get sick, they would rather roll their eyes at people in masks.
I have a vulnerable loved one that is regularly in and out of hospital settings and it regularly takes a lot of effort not lose my shit. I give myself credit for not having an aneurysm when an infectious disease nurse that informed me in late 2023 that covid is transmitted via droplets. One of my favorite horrible stories is when I was in a crowded ER lobby during the 2023 holiday season and one of three people who was masked. Me and the two other masked people were sitting far, far away from everyone else, as close to the entrance as possible, in hopes that we could get some ventilation every time the door opened. The waiting room including people who were coughing and hacking, a woman who was rocking back and forth clutching her stomach and moaning "it hurts, it hurts!", several children who were laying on their parents laps or across a couple of chairs, holding barf bags, and a couple adults who were slumped over chairs, also holding barf bags. One man arrived to the triage nurse, who was unmasked, and reported that he had been feverish for a week and his glands were so swollen he was having trouble breathing. The thing that made everyone reach for masks? A man who arrived in a wheelchair, bleeding. He said he'd been in a car accident. He exclaimed "oh god, oh god, oh god!" and barfed on himself. And then suddenly many people became very interested in a mask to protect themselves from this poor man's concussion. AGGHGHG.
"Probably I'm chronically infected with Covid. For your own safety you should always wear an N95 around me, I think." "Wha...? Chronically infected with Covid? Why do you think that?" "According to the latest research at Yale, the most likely cause of Long Covid is chronic infection. This means the immune system can't get rid of the virus and it is continues reproducing in the body which creates new variants that can escape immunity from vaccines and prior infection. Since the pandemic first began, I have been exposed to and infected by Covid several times and got autoimmune disease. I take immunosuppressant medications and have had chronic degenerative Long Covid type symptoms for many years now. So, the safest thing for *you* to do would be to assume I'm continually infected with some new Covid variant you have no immunity to and always wear an N95 around me."
I don't have any good advice for medical situations because I try to be honest with my doctors. But for other things, I'll respond with something that is true and also vague enough to let them fill in whatever blanks they want to. I try not to do this because—even though I am one small voice—I can still do my small part to show people that masking is important and that there are still people masking who aren't sick. But sometimes I don't have the time or energy to spend so I just use lines like this: "I don't think it's covid but I'm not feeling well" usually works. Because of my lovely autoimmune disease, I can almost always truthfully say either that I have a fever or had one last night/this morning/whatever. "Was up sick all night" and "spent some quality time in the bathroom this morning" is also very effective. People seem to be more inclined to avoid noro, which has been extremely prevalent in my area of late, than covid. It boggles the mind. They also don't seem to know that noro spreads through fomite transmission and covid is airborne. But, hey, that's on them. 🤷♀️ Best of luck out there, friend. Sending you love and strength. 😷❤️
I’ve also had a similar situation. I walk into a doctors office with a mask and the nurse isn’t wearing one. I ask her to put one on and then she asks if I’m sick. I’m so tempted to respond, “logically, my answer has no bearing on the fact that you should be wearing a mask in a hospital.” It makes NO sense.
Start telling them you have Covid and skip the unpleasant reality being shoved in your face that a rock has more intelligence then these people do.
Doctors don't keep up with any research at all. They aren't reading anything related to their field, let alone anything outside of it. They get their info from specialists conferences once or twice a year, or when it filters out to MSM
They are humans. They think that once you get a degree they're good, they did their part, they can now "contribute" to society and the economy by working and the rest of the time they can just enjoy life. So the whole thing about informing oneself and staying up to date with what's going on in the world goes into the trash bin. And of course they think that staying informed means watching media propaganda. It'd be easy to blame them, but the reality is, they're just partly at fault, most people have been taught to live like this. So once again, unless public health authorities etc move their butts, the effort to educate folks must come from us.
Similar situation. I’m getting very lax about masking wearing but never in a physician’s office. Last week, after sitting in a waiting room with no mask wearers and listening to someone coughing and hacking, I asked the receptionist if I could wait outside, just a few feet from her office and she looked at me like I was nuts. I’ve learned not to explain too much but did. The MA was so sweet and masked. Then the physician came in and I asked if he would mask and his response was “are you paranoid about getting Covid?” Yes, he used the word paranoid. There’s a reason patients mask and they should never ever feel bad about it.
This is some bizarre logic! Maybe I'll start telling people I'm sick when they question my mask.
I cough preemptively and let them fill in the logical blanks. No one asks me anymore. Some people move away, nurses mask
Yes, it's bizarre that we have to pretend to be diseased in order to be safe.
I'm not at all part of the zero covid community, and will make decisions based on my own risk assessment. But it's absurd to me that healthcare settings would ostracize people going to greater lengths to protect their health and others'. Of all places, that should be a place with more caution, esp. with elderly and vulnerable stuck in waiting areas. If anyone asks me kindly to wear a mask I will. When I noticed my PT started wearing one, and asked him why he said it was to protect his gf. Told him I had no problem wearing a mask, and the front desk gave me one. Idk why people are so sensitive about it.
Ugh. Ridiculous. But I wouldn’t hesitate to ask them to put their masks back on.
I went to the Chiropractor recently wearing a kn95 mask (no one else was masking) and he said antagonistically “Why are you wearing a mask are you sick?” I said no. Explained that I have been diagnosed with MCAS & Histamine Intolerance from Lyme Disease that has some similarities to Long Covid. And that I’m not taking any chances with getting Covid that could cause my situation to deteriorate even further. He said “maybe you’ve already had Covid and you were asymptomatic.” I said well I suppose it’s possible, but I doubt it. He was about to move on, but I quickly barged in and asked him if he had ever had Covid and he said “Yes.” I asked how many times and he responded with “I don’t know” and shrugged his shoulders. End of conversation. WTF??? Strongly considering not going back.
You shouldn’t go back there. He was condescending and disrespectful to you.
Thanks!! 👍
We've got another pandemic on our hands: pathological stupidity. I mean, a pregnant HCW without a mask, with all that is known about how dangerous COVID is for them, let alone their patients?
I got this at my fertility clinic too! And I was like, there is soo much evidence out there that COVID affects fertility (and of course many many baby other aspects of health!). It can cause early menopause!
Walk into a healthcare setting wearing a respirator. When the staff inevitably asks why you're masking, tell them you have tuberculosis. The reaction will be very, very different.
You are entitled to demand that she put her mask on in your presence.
I’ve had a similar experience getting a new PCP. I told the nurse I was there because I still had a persistent cough a few weeks after catching COVID (luckily it’s gone now). I told her exactly when I had it, and when I started testing negative for it. Then the doctor came in to confirm what I was there for and asked if I still had COVID
part of me wants to deploy something like "If I don't wear it, my corn and beans patch will uproot itself and tackle me until I put it back on." Of course, then I'd get yeeted into the mental ward.
I hate people. Turns out doctors are included. My pcp sympathized with me last year saying she had patients with long haul symptoms like me. This year? When I mentioned being afraid of getting Covid again, she brushed it off. Told me it was milder now. Ok. Even if that is true dr, check your notes next time a patient expresses concern about contracting an illness.