Some parts of the St. Louis metro area recently lifted the mask mandate. (Specifically, the area that actually HAD a mask mandate.) I hesitated to go out, because I suspected people would say things to my masked face, because I’ve heard enough stories. So, what to do?
I felt the masks I’d seen that read “immunocompromised” were not subtle enough, and, I suppose not apologetic enough. My plan to embroider “immunocompromised” on an existing mask did have one flaw: embroidery repeatedly pokes holes into a mask.
So, I bought this button, and dangled it off the ear strap of my mask when I went out into our mask-optional county to get something notarized.
That was not Gary’s take. ARE YOU CRAZY DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO SPIT ON YOU?
It wasn’t worth the argument, so I didn’t wear the button, just the mask. But still? There is just a whole map of pandemic politeness I can’t navigate.
9 responses to “Covid In Your Face”
At a rest area on the way home from a medical roadtrip, we ran into some people who were apparently there to celebrate the “freedom convoy” (which was fortunately going the opposite direction)(I did not realize that their camo+”76″ outfits were trump-y – I thought it was probably a sports team, like the 49-ers, until I saw the “76” flags waving along with the rest of the pack farther along on the highway). However, I am skinny and pale as death and in a wheelchair; they did not comment negatively on our heavy-duty masks and they were polite and even opened the door for us, which I think was probably a “this person is clearly sick” response. (while not wearing masks, but also no coughing/spitting) Obviously, results would vary, but I think the “immune compromised” button might help? (but a more confrontational, “look, *you* are the reason this sucks so much for me” message would not work so well)
Anyway. Glad people weren’t jerks!
KC – I think instead of proclaiming “Im sick” that we should say “I’m contagious. ” More effective.
I was briefly trying to think “contagious with what?” because my thing isn’t actually contagious. But! Contagious with Weird Facts [look up a carpet octopus!] and Medical Science and also Bad Puns and sometimes Earworms!
So! Contagious! Probably!
I wonder if one could lean into the independence thing: I wanna keep my germs, I want you to keep yours…
KC – I think I heard that the vaccine makes one less likely to unwittingly spread Covid to others, so if the vaccine isn’t effective in immunocompromised people, wouldn’t be we be more contagious? That’s what I was thinking.
KC – also, I found blanket octopus?
Oooh, yes, immune-compromised being slightly more likely to be infectious if given the same dose of virus would work!
Sorry, I meant carpet shark: https://earthlymission.com/tasselled-wobbegong-eucrossorhinus-dasypogon-carpet-shark-seafloor/
Possibly also contagious with brain fog…
KC – that shark is hilarious.
I live north of Seattle and am gobsmacked to hear that wearing a mask can cause goons to hassle people where you are! I may have received the stink eye but that is the extent of it.
KT – the people I know who have been confronted were all men. Maybe women get a pass?