Yes, but they're still expected to come into work even when they're ready to fall over.

If it weren't for the work culture, I would love to live in Japan.

That is the decent thing to do. Well the most decent thing is to isolate yourself when you're sick.

I seriously wonder how many MAGA morons would suffocate themselves if Biden (or better, Obama) came out as pro-oxygen.

The FOMO would be too much. I'd jump

I got banned from Lemmy.world for saying that the main purpose of the masks were to protect others from you instead of protecting you from others.

It's like everyone forgot that masks were part of the "stop the spread" campaign.

A mask mandate was recently reinstated for New York City's public hospitals due to an increase in flu/COVID/RSV infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently warned that respiratory illnesses are on the rise across the country. Just before Christmas, national COVID-19 hospitalizations jumped 17% in one week.

"I think that's a major reason why we're seeing this rise in not only cases, but also hospitalizations. Because we've just had Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, so a lot of people are gathering from all over the country," Roy told NY1.

Some places have been encouraging but not mandating indoor masks due to the usual uptick in winter for COVID and flu

Hey, get this: did you know people wore face masks before COVID? That's right! Little known fact.

In fact, many people in Asian countries used to be seen wearing masks in enclosed spaces like subways when they are sick, purely out of consideration for the health of others. Wow!

The more you know...

Some people have never stopped masking where I am. I've asked my partner to mask up when going any place indoors where sick people can't avoid (pharmacy, groceries, etc). We don't mask at a bar, but we do mask at a concert. The difference is that a concert happens once and tickets spoil. A bar is available every night, and sick people are more likely to stay home.

It's mainly if you have contact with vulnerable people. COVID and flu both get upticks in the winter months, and hit the elderly and immunocompromised pretty hard.

I'm not militant about it but I keep 2 masks in my car and use em if I remember. I've only had covid mildly once and never have caught the flu in my life, but learning I could be an asymptotic carrier I decided no point in not wearing it when I remember.

I can't afford to miss work 🤷‍♀️

I still use them if I am the one who is sick to prevent spreading, or if I'm going to be going on a trip soon to prevent me being sick and ruining the vacation, or if I'm around vulnerable people. The vacation one might sound silly, but I had a very close call this year where a family trip that couldn't be canceled and had to be planned a year in advance was almost ruined by everyone getting sick a few days before. We lucked out and it was very mild, but it could have been something nasty that made us cancel the trip. So now I wear a mask when going out in public a couple weeks before a trip.

Covid is no longer that much worse than the flu.

People bandy about that it's no worse than flu as though that's like saying it's no worse than a bad cold. Flu still kills thousands each year and will knock you on your arse for a fortnight.

evolving to be more infectious and less lethal

It was already around 3 times more infectious than the flu. If it's getting more infectious and is still just not that much worse than the flu we're in for a rough time.

Masks help preventing spread, they help a little to stop you from catching it but it's more about spread prevention, refusing to wear one because YOU'LL be okay is selfish.

I won't shame you for it, but I am making you aware that you're being selfish.

Covid is not entirely over, though. People can still die from it if unvaccinated