Whenever Joe Glickman heads out for groceries, he places an N95 mask over his face and tugs

Author : jimmyn

Publish Date : 2021-05-17 15:00:03

I have used this security protocol for the last 14 months. He did not change after being infected with the Coronavirus in November. He didn't budge when he got the full vaccine earlier this month. And while President Joe Biden said Thursday that people who are fully vaccinated do not have to wear a mask, Glickman said he intended to stay on track.

In fact, he said, he plans to do his grocery business with double masks and glasses for at least the next five years.

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Even with a raft of cutting-edge public health recommendations and epidemic fatigue driving more Americans to abandon the masks they've worn for more than a year, Glickman is among those who say they plan to keep their faces covered in public for the long haul.

For people like Glickman, the combination of anxiety and vague information about the new viral variants and the emergence of a stubborn and massive faction of resistant vaccines means that life without masks hangs, maybe forever.

"I have no problem being one of the only people," said Glickman, a professional photographer and musician from Albany, New York. "But I don't think I will be the only one."

Whether made of dazzling fabric or polypropylene, masks have become the focus of a miserable political focus during the pandemic. The map of countries applying the assignments to masks closely aligns with the way people in those states voted for the presidency.

Last year, protesters staged demonstrations against the official requirements to wear masks, building incinerators to protest and firing matches when faced with not wearing them inside the supermarket.

But as more Americans receive and restrictions on viruses eased, masks are at the center of the second round of the country's cultural conflict. This time, people who choose to continue covering their faces have become targets of public outrage.

In interviews, vaccinated people who continue to wear masks said they are under increasing pressure, especially in recent days; Friends and family urged them to relax, or even suggested they were paranoid. On his recent trip to the grocery store, Glickman said a man who came without a mask looked at him.

Retired news anchor Dan Rather wrote on Twitter last week, "I'm at a loss" as the reactions on the platform mount toward those still masked. "Why should people care if someone wants to wear a mask outside?"

According to the latest directives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 20 states have canceled mandates for masks or issued orders granting vaccinated people exemptions from wearing masks. Other states, including New York, said they were reviewing their rules.

But for some people, no new freedom will convince them to reveal their faces yet. A year later, they said they are accustomed to the masks and are happy with the extra security they provide.

The day after the CDC announced, George Jones, 82, a retired postman, stood in the sun outside Grant's public homes where he lives in Harlem, New York City and said his blue surgical mask, although uncomfortable and uncomfortable, was his. , Will remain. . Put another year at least.

“I'm not in a hurry, so why should I be in a hurry?” Said Jones, who was fully vaccinated about a month and a half ago. Until New York City reaches a higher level of vaccination, only 40% are vaccinated. He believes detection is too risky. Being soon is more important. This is important. I am an old man, I would like to be around for as long as possible. "

On Broadway, a group of young men passed by him, without a mask in sight. Jones said he understood: "Young people, they know that they are in danger, and I hope they are."

Public health data shows that masking and social distancing have likely had positive far-reaching effects, going beyond slowing the spread of COVID-19. While more than 34,000 adults died from influenza in the 2018-2019 season, deaths this year are on track to remain in the hundreds, according to CDC data.

Lenny Cohen, 51, a retired kindergarten teacher from New York City with a weak immune system, said she plans to continue wearing a mask when she helps as a surrogate teacher. But what he wishes most is that his students remain masked.

"Even though the kindergarten is amazing, they are quick to share their secretions," Cohen wrote in an email, listing ailments, including colds, sore throats, pneumonia, influenza and parvovirus, which he contracted from his students throughout his life.

"This year is very different!" She continued. "Kids don't suck their hair or put classroom things or their thumbs in their mouths. Their mouths and noses are covered, so I'm (mostly) protected from sneezing and coughing. I can see I'm keeping up with masks. It's the safest I've ever felt in a class full of kids ranging Their ages are between 5 and 6 years. "

Barry J. Nelly, 41, a songwriter from Los Angeles, contracted the Coronavirus in March 2020 and fought symptoms for several months. She also experienced guilt over learning whether she had inadvertently infected people she had been in contact with prior to her diagnosis, which came at a time when the government was discouraging the wearing of masks.

Now he plans to wear a mask whenever he feels upset forever.

"It's not hard to wear a mask," said Neely. "It is not difficult."

He added that he follows in the footsteps of many East Asian countries, as wearing a mask when feeling sick is not only socially acceptable, but also

Whenever Joe Glickman heads out for groceries, he places an N95 mask over his face and tugs

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