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Comment by dabbledash | Hacker News Reader

This is something I really worry about: that people are so risk averse and so invested in the COVID response that society is going to permanently become more cold, more closed off, and less human. 2020 life is no way to live long term, and I don’t even want to take a step in this direction. If I found out tomorrow that there would never be a cure or vaccine for COVID, I would just go back to living like I lived before.

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People need to read history. History shows this isn't our first rodeo with a pandemic. History shows that social distancing works. History shows that society thrived after.

In fact, cities that didn't socially distance had things much worse and took longer to recover.

Humans are resilient creatures. We're not going to lose our social capabilities just because we're also evolved enough to be smart to stay safe for survival.

I disagree strongly with the notion that mitigating risk of harm to others via awareness and simple action somehow makes society less human. I live in DC, a notoriously cold and closed off city as far as social interaction goes. Mask usage (even outdoors) is close to 100% here. When I see someone wearing a mask, I’m filled with a sense of warmth and camaraderie—that person cares about me and others. Someone else may see the same scene and think, “look at all these petrified sheep”. I sort of understand, but I’d challenge those people to shift their perspective.

If kinship isn’t your thing but sober analytical thinking appeals to you, wearing a mask is a no-brainer: positive benefit with effectively zero cost (the only negative thing that can happen to you is that someone might think you’re a terrified dweeb, but they’d be wrong).

It goes far beyond masks. No hugging. No shaking hands. No singing. No bars. Masks and plexiglass for kids who are lucky enough to actually get school. Not having funerals for the dead. We can put up with these things in the short term to protect the vulnerable, and you’re right that people’s concern for others speaks well of them.

But the logic some people use to support these things veers into territory where it sounds like they would be willing to make (or demand) any sacrifice for literally any increase in safety. I worry about how that will play out long term.

But that’s just my fear. Hopefully it’s overblown (and it probably is).

>But the logic some people use to support these things veers into territory where it sounds like they would be willing to make (or demand) any sacrifice for literally any increase in safety. I worry about how that will play out long term.

Seems like you're strawmanning/shifting the goalposts, considering your initial comment says "I would just go back to living like I lived before", which would suggest you would take zero protective measures.

Yeah, I think that was an overstatement of my position and unnecessarily provocative.

I probably would mostly go back though. Overall, I’d rather accept a more dangerous world with normal human contact than continue the kind of things we’re doing now indefinitely. But I’m sure I’d be more cautious about visiting a nursing home than I was pre-Covid. I’d be a lot more likely to isolate at the first sign of a fever than I used to be. I’d wear a mask when I’m sick. But I’d probably stop avoiding gatherings, masking when I’m well etc.

I sure hope that sick people continue to wear masks once this is all over. It's basic human decency to avoid spreading germs - even the flu - to others, especially elders. This is the norm in Asia.

After COVID ends, I won't wear a mask if I'm healthy but I sure as hell will if I have a cough or fever.

Might be reasonable, but would you wear one all flu season just to make sure you don’t unwittingly infect someone while you’re asymptomatic? Might save a life.

If everybody comes out of this more careful about handwashing, I can’t argue that that’s bad. But I worry it’s going to go way past that.

I’m probably wrong though, judging by the number of people who already can’t be bothered with the one way aisles at the grocery store.

You can cough and sneeze into a mask if you want. I think it's disgusting.

More or less disgusting than coughing and sneezing all over everyone around you?

My elbow hasn't complained so far.

You just dump snot and mucus into your own elbow? What, like, onto the skin or does it just soak into the clothes you're wearing? For someone throwing around the word "disgusting" you're not exactly an exemplar.

You're joking, right?

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/27/health/how-to-sneeze.html

Nope. I think sneezing into your elbow is pretty gross. You telling me it's better than your hand doesn't suddenly make it nice.

Of course it isn't nice. It's just the least bad option when other people are around.

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