Travel -> apprehensive

[Chuckanut]

I have recently returned from an out of state road trip. No doubt about it. Mask wearing is definitely going up from what I observed. Most businesses do not require a mask but often I see that all employees are masked. Many government places (like NP visitor centers) require it.

Given what I have read about Delta, I have decided to wear a mask more often, especially in public restrooms, and more especially in the closed, poorly ventilated vault toilets one finds in out of the way places like trailheads, beaches and even less used public parks. Ventilation is a key tool in prevention, and these vault toilets are the kings and queens of un-ventilated nasty places.

Yes, I am fully vaccinated.

 

[Major Tom]

Exactly. People who expect Covid to go away are living in a fantasy. I often hear people say..."When the pandemic is over I am going to...." And I ask "How will you know when it is over?" I haven't gotten a clear answer to that question yet.

There is a big difference between a pandemic, and a virus being active in a population but being mostly controlled. Influenza still kills people, though at a very low rate. We go on with our lives, despite the fact that the flu virus is still around. We are not at that point yet with COVID-19. We'll get there. Of course we won't all know that the pandemic is over at a specific point in time. The rates of serious illness and death from COVID will decrease gradually over time. Collective attitudes towards the situation will change gradually too.

In other words, at some point, the pandemic will be over. The transition will happen gradually. There won't be a clearly delineated marker between "pandemic" and "no pandemic". It doesn't seem that COVID will disappear completely for a long time though, if ever.

None of this seems hard to comprehend.

 

[gayl]

My next cruise is in 3 weeks. I do staycations here all the time: SF, Mt Diablo, Delta, wine country, and Sonoma / Mendocino. I love traveling. But I'm becoming a little apprehensive about going to Seattle. I'm leaving an area with 81% fully vaxed / 5% partially vaxed and going into an area with only 57.3% vaxed. I will mask up and am searching for a better mask (N95 or KN95) because I only need a dbl layer here. The ship requires everyone to be fully vaxed so I'll relax there.

I want to go but any tips on how to deal with my nagging concern??

Update: everyone has to have a Covid-19 test now. Getting real