I'm not talking to habitual maskers here - I know you mask all the time anyway. But if you don't mask any other time of year, this is the moment - the next 45 days are the time to mask up in public spaces. Yes, I know it is awkward when other people aren't doing it, but the pain and suffering, and long term health consequences you are going to spare yourself and your family, the better holidays you are going to have, the higher chance that you won't harm a medically vulnerable or elderly family member, are worth it, no? Honestly, given an unending, immune damaging pandemic, the only sensible strategy would be to to offer OPTIONAL work from home and online school from Thanksgiving to January 15, allowing families that CAN protect themselves to stay home, and those who can't to have much smaller classes with less exposure, and obviously good air filtration and masking. We aren't going to do anything so sensible, and now we're all fucked by that. But if you can mask, if you can get your kids to mask, do it now. So you get to enjoy your life.

Facebook post from Sharon Astyk: Tomorrow, y'all are going back to work and your kids are going back to school. Meanwhile, everyone and their Grandmother has been together in groups celebrating, out shopping, flying, visiting etc... Tomorrow, a lot of contagious people will still feel fine, since Covid, Flu, Norovirus and RSV ALL have periods before you show symptoms where you are contagious. The H3N2 flu seems to be hitting people VERY hard. Tomorrow, they will spread those diseases in their classrooms and workplaces, at stores and businesses, and in holiday gatherings, and those get brought to you, and your vulnerable loved ones. Statistically speaking, you can either wear a mask and get your kids to mask, or you can stay home for December (most of us can't) or you can plan to take a week to two weeks off when you and your family are sick in December and then again in January when you are sick again.

I'm not talking to habitual maskers here - I know you mask all the time anyway. But if you don't mask any other time of year, this is the moment - the next 45 days are the time to mask up in public spaces. Yes, I know it is awkward when other people aren't doing it, but the pain and suffering, and long term health consequences you are going to spare yourself and your family, the better holidays you are going to have, the higher chance that you won't harm a medically vulnerable or elderly family member, are worth it, no? Honestly, given an unending, immune damaging pandemic, the only sensible strategy would be to to offer OPTIONAL work from home and online school from Thanksgiving to January 15, allowing families that CAN protect themselves to stay home, and those who can't to have much smaller classes with less exposure, and obviously good air filtration and masking. We aren't going to do anything so sensible, and now we're all fucked by that. But if you can mask, if you can get your kids to mask, do it now. So you get to enjoy your life.

Facebook post from Sharon Astyk: Tomorrow, y'all are going back to work and your kids are going back to school. Meanwhile, everyone and their Grandmother has been together in groups celebrating, out shopping, flying, visiting etc... Tomorrow, a lot of contagious people will still feel fine, since Covid, Flu, Norovirus and RSV ALL have periods before you show symptoms where you are contagious. The H3N2 flu seems to be hitting people VERY hard. Tomorrow, they will spread those diseases in their classrooms and workplaces, at stores and businesses, and in holiday gatherings, and those get brought to you, and your vulnerable loved ones. Statistically speaking, you can either wear a mask and get your kids to mask, or you can stay home for December (most of us can't) or you can plan to take a week to two weeks off when you and your family are sick in December and then again in January when you are sick again.