comment: >
  
  Same. I did everything I was supposed to. Got the jabs, masked everyday, lost thousands of dollars in lost work that unemployment STILL hasn't paid me 2 and a half years later, sat indoors for lockdowns etc. 
  Either rise up and kill us all or fuck off and let me go get a beer cheese pretzel in peace.
context: What do you expect people to do? You're not going to mandate that employers give people sick leave, or indeed any paid leave at all; you're not going to cover any expenses for people who can't work, you're not going to give people healthcare. You're not going to mandate businesses enforce social distancing or anything like that. When you say "take precautions and avoid close contact" you mean "... except for sitting in a crowded office for 50hrs/week". >
  
  I got COVID last year. Wore a mask constantly but none of my coworkers did. Zero social distancing. I was required to not be at work for two weeks. And I had to use my PTO. So because I had to go to work in person, was the only one wearing a mask and my mouth breathing coworkers didn't care anyway I got sick and had little time off last year other than being told to stay at home. Gee can't imagine why people are burnt out. >
  
  All my PTO this year went to covid and then the flu a few months later.
  No vacation for me. >
  
  Will increasing the price of the vaccine from $0 to $140 be helpful? >
  
  I was just about to say, doesn’t seem like any of these pharmaceutical manufacturers are considering Americans safety a priority with the 400% increase either. >
  
  They never were. >
  
  I hate to say it but this deep into the pandemic it's going to take 100,000's of deaths very quickly to even get an iota of the publics attention again. >
  
  I'm confused about why this is news... "People are not taking this seriously" was pretty clear at the start of this pandemic. >
  
  It's interesting. Of course we are all aware of the people who never took it seriously but lets not forget that their were many of us who took it very seriously. 
  We obeyed the lockdown(s), we spent Christmas alone, we worse masks, we did a lot. 
  It got the point where the same amount of people that died during 9/11 were dying each day of Covid. I think now most people don't really care now even if that many were dying a day. >
  
  And it's not just the people deciding they don't care anymore. The lockdowns have almost all ended, the travel bans have lifted, the mask laws have loosened. People stopped isolating and masking because they don't have to anymore. 
  Then there's our mental capacity. 2020 took a toll on most, if not all of us, one way or another. The stress was huge. But we can't live in such stress too long. We just wouldn't make it. So we get used to the situation, and stop stressing that much. 
  Take a war for example. I can't speak about WW2, but I can speak about the current war in Ukraine. It depends on where you live, but I'm in Poland and housed and talked with Ukrainians and I've heard at least some anecdotal information. At first, everyone was terrified. Some managed to leave and run to safety. But the people who stayed and continued to live under the attacks, they can't just spend 24/7 in their basements. They have to keep going to work if they can, they have to go out to buy food, medicine etc. And sure they're all still scared, and they're all still in constant danger. But they have to live with it, and can't take all the safety precautions forever. >
  
  The London Blitz mentality. Keep calm and carry on. >
  
  Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way >
  
  The time is gone, the song is over >
  
  Thought I'd've something more to say >
  
  Home, home again, I like to be here when I can >
  
  They really don’t. My work wanted me back after 5 days despite me still having a fever and full symptoms. I lasted 5 minutes before I was told to go home and talked to about putting others at risk. You told me if I didn’t go in I would be fired. >
  
  
  You told me if I didn’t go in I would be fired.
  
  A friend of mine at a previous job was pulled into a meeting with HR and his boss. They told him that he was in trouble for working more than 30 hours a week the last two weeks because he wasn't supposed to have benefits, but working that many hours would require it 
  He replied that they had been the ones to set his schedule, not him.
  They ignored that and told him not to do it again.
  He pointed out that he was already scheduled for more than 30 hours the next two weeks.
  They replied that he wasn't to go over 30 hours.
  He asked if they were telling him not to come in the next day.
  They told him no, he was scheduled for that day, so he needed to be there.
  He pointed out that this would put him over 30 hours. They told him he couldn't do that.
  Again he asked "So I shouldn't come in?"
  He was told he had to be there, and he'd be punished if he didn't show up, but he would also be punished if he went over thirty hours.
  My best guess with this runaround is that they hoped to intimidate him into showing up but not clocking in. >
  
  I would ask for them to please put this in writing for me, so that I won't forget the policy, and be able to properly follow it. >
  
  That's where you follow up with an email and bcc your personal email. State you were told you were required to come in tomorrow, this will put you over 30 hours, if they don't want you to come in, please let you know in writing. >
  
  And then let the state labor board know. >
  
  Some states like FL have no state level DoL while others like MO have no teeth to do anything but provide documents that may be used as proof in your favor that can be used in small claims (another can of worms). In that case, they need to go to the federal DoL. >
  
  Might as well write the same article every day for 3 years straight maybe it will work at some point. >
  
  Yep. It's already too late, people are "bored" of covid so good luck getting most folk to mask and social distance again. 
  Edit: I'm pro vax, fyi. quit yelling at me. >
  
  
  people are "bored" of covid
  
  Yes, because it's totally normal for millions of people to live in constant fear of getting sick for 2+ years straight with 0 hope of it getting any better.
  People learn to accept the new level of risk and go on with their lives. Can't hide in a hole your whole life. I wouldn't call that being "bored" of covid, it's more of tired of living in fear of something beyond our ability to contain further.
  A good chunk of this country alone is batshit insane thinking vaccines are the true threats and would rather inject bleach into themselves. What can you do about a section of the population basically intentionally ensuring covid never dies? We're all fucked and covid restrictions are not sustainable. Ensuring children are required to be inoculated against covid is about the best result we'll get going forward. It's already been made a stupid political game. >
  
  Except that it's not that difficult to contain. People were refusing to wear masks a month after the original outbreak due to conspiracies and political tribalism and we STILL have people insisting that the vaccines turn their nipples turquoise and are actually tracking chips.
  Coming to terms with reality does not mean denying reality. The risk is being forced on all of us. There is a reason our death toll is well above the worldwide average. >
  
  
  it’s not that difficult to contain 
  people were refusing to wear masks a month after the original outbreak
  
  It is difficult to contain, because a large number of people suck and there’s nothing any of us can do about it >
  
  My government job required all the employees to mask up two weeks ago.  Literally and I mean literally no one wore them and it was just dropped. It's now just tracked as flu 2.0 on our daily emails. >
  
  My government job was work at home until May 2021 when we were ordered 100% back to the office with about 10 days notice from the Governor's office. About a year later, we stopped tracking or doing anything COVID related because the Governor's office declared victory over the illness. We had an outbreak in December (2022) but the organizational safety folks ignored it and continued writing people up over failing to observe proper procedure when fastening and unfastening the seat belt in a car. >
  
  sounds state level.  what state? >
  
  In unrelated news, all of these companies are doing back to office >
  
  Fatigue is real and if I'm still in danger after being triple vaxxed and having it twice... what the fuck are we supposed to do? >
  
  Not to mention that we aren’t being compensated for not working. I literally can’t afford to miss a week a work over a runny nose. >
  
  Idk about just a runny nose. I had it last month, I am vaxed & boosted 3 times, and it still knocked me and my spouse on our asses for about 3 days. >
  
  The people who downplay covid either haven't had it, or were lucky enough to not be effected by it that much. >
  
  True.  I have it and am sitting here with weird tingly body aches and a 101 fever, feeling delusional.  It can be nasty. >
  
  This paragraph right here:
  “There’s accumulating data that repeated Covid accumulates risk for short- and long-term complications, including cardiovascular, mental health and other problems,” Ray said. “We will only know in retrospect exactly how big this cost is. But evolving data suggests that there is a cost that’s incremental as we accumulate infections.” >
  
  Why doesn’t the immune system get stronger with repeated exposure. That’s terrifying. >
  
  Because you’re NOT a perfectly designed machine. Upper level college science courses always tell you it’s less “survival of the fittest” and more “reproduction of the good enough”. It’s the same reason that gazelles don’t just “get faster” and outrun the cheetah by now. >
  
  Yup. And the other key thing is that if something doesn't have an onset until after child bearing age, it has far less selective pressure against it. That is why some afflictions of the elderly never seem to get less common and we as a species don't really get better at dealing with them. They have next to no impact on our ability to reproduce and pass on our genes. >
  
  And our adaptations are frankly, very bad. “Oh malaria keeps messing with your blood?  Well now your blood cells twist into an unusable sickle shape. You’ll die slightly less so I count this as a win!” >
  
  And Moderna will start charging for a medication that was paid for by us. Over 100 a shot of you want protection. Pharmaceutical extortion. I hope the CEOs all get genital warts on their faces. >
  
  If you haven’t learned anything from the past 7 years, know this: society is fucked. Capitalism rules and controls all, efforts to address global warming, pandemics, gun violence, medical/drug prices, women’s rights, wage disparities, political/justice corruption, gerrymandering, higher education costs, etc are only going to make progress if there’s something corporations gain from supporting it. There’s no morality only convenience and profit.  
  What’s going to happen is we are going to continue to complain on social media while the country burns, people are so divided politically that it’s impossible to unite for a common cause due to hatred of other people’s differences. People/companies with money only care about more money and support a divided country that can’t condemn them unequivocally >
  
  This is what national strikes are for. We are going to have to get serious about making changes, if we want anything to change. Folks aren’t quite hungry enough but we will get there. An ideological revolution is in progress, and inflation is throwing gas on the fire right now. >
  
  
  This is what national strikes are for.
  
  Which would be fine if the average person had enough money saved up that they could handle being out of work for the time required to do that, but with stagnant wages and inflation and such that's rare... and in the U.S. their healthcare also being tied to their employment...
  You'd almost think things were rigged in such a way as to specifically discourage people protesting and striking during circumstances like these... >
  
  You're not even close.
  The system isn't just rigged. It's hidden in plain sight and has been a part of us since the founding of our country. Americans both want the lie to some extent and are ignorant of it at the same time. Income inequality is part of our culture.
  I actually know how to overthrow a civil oligarchy. But I cannot say without getting banned from reddit and possibly flagged by the FBI. 
  That's what makes this problem so extreme. The "cure" to fix it is just as bad as the "disease". And nobody is going to fight a war when no one understands the problem or really believes in the cause.
  My advice, get used to the way things are because it is what it is. As a Gen X, I plan to ride this shit storm until I die >
  
  I work in healthcare (imaging) and we have no quarantine rules. If you are positive and symptomatic, you still have to come in to work. >
  
  Yeah, it's insane that the government just threw up their hands and went "it's your responsibility" after removing worker protections, widespread free testing, mask mandates, etc. >
  
  The whole thing highlighted that government's only master is business. They do whatever companies decide is best for their profits. >
  
  We are way past the point of getting the general public to care again. It's been at least a year since there were any kind of restrictions or major precautions around here and getting anyone to go back is going to be impossible. Most people believe COVID is over and will continue to think that unless people start falling over dead in the streets. >
  
  Look, I am fully Vaxxed and boosted and wore a mask for the two weeks after the holidays just to be safe in the office. But in general people are not dying of Covid anymore, and the incidence of serious illness, especially those resulting in an admission, are extremely rare. I’m just not sure that quote “Covid” means but it did two years ago.
  I worked on a Covid only inpatient unit in literally one of the first cities in the country that was hit with Covid. We brought in freezer trucks to store bodies because our morgue ran out of space. We literally ran out of body bags. Two of my colleagues ended up in the ICU, intubated.That is absolutely not happening right now.
  So, while I have been very supportive, obviously of Covid science, and lockdowns, when appropriate, the idea that the situation we are dealing with today, deserves the same level of urgency, scrutiny, and awareness that Covid did one to three years ago is a stretch I think.
  To me, this is really simple: be fully vaccinated. If you are not feeling well, test yourself. If you are negative and have cold symptoms, wear a mask and encourage others to wear a mask around you if you were Covid positive, isolate yourself. What I just outlined is insufficient, what exactly are we all proposing? >
  
  My wife's mom, dad, brother, and sister in law all have covid, and can't smell or taste anything. 
  Guess what my MIL is doing all next week?
  Working.... at the hospital she's been at for 20 years because she's afraid she'll be fired if she misses any more work.
  Saying people aren't taking this seriously is a massive understatement. 
  A more accurate description is "Nobody gives a fuck." >
  
  Every person I know who works in healthcare is expected to be back after day 5. And most people cannot afford to lose their job, so what do you do? It’s ridiculous. >
  
  massive labor rights reform. How do you actually do that.. I have no idea. >
  
  I think people have just thrown in the towel. You have a large percentage of people who have been taking it seriously since day one and an even larger percentage that refuses to do the tiniest things to help the situation.
  I myself still follow the regular precautions, but I am exhausted. The majority of my coworkers give zero fucks, so every step I take to be proactive and safe is effectively useless. >
  
  I was one of the most militant adherents to being safe and I’ve essentially given up, what’s the fucking point. I get my boosters and wash my hands, that’s literally the only control I have. >
  
  I still wear an N95 when it’s crowded. I’m just taking care of myself at this point. >
  
  Great point! For some reason, a lot of people (including people replying to your comment) seem to think "I can't do 2020 again, lockdown was awful" and somehow that means their only option is to take zero precautions and just get covid repeatedly. There is a middle ground!! Not just two absolute choices. It's crazy how much "normal" stuff you can do while wearing a KN95 or similar, and if you're careful and smart about it, you can just about eliminate the risk of getting covid. 2020 locked isn't sustainable long term, but some precautions are! >
  
  here we go again blaming the victims
  JOBS are not taking this seriously. forcing people to go back to work, threatening to fire people if they call out, etc
  POLITICIANS are not taking this seriously, lifting mandates and masking, etc
  PHARMA is not taking this seriously by axing free vaccines etc
  FUCK OFF WITH THE VICTIM BLAMING
  PEOPLE... are just trying to survive and pay their bills >
  
  My job stopped giving a fuck a long time ago and if we get covid and have to stay home it's either unpaid or have to file a medical claim thru sedgwick which is a giant pain in the ass and crap money. So everyone just goes into work if they are not bed ridden. >
  
  It's so bad that everyone in our county got a call from the emergency manager saying not to go to the ER for flu like symptoms, to visit your primary care or urgent care. Three weeks ago I felt unwell, so I went to urgent care. Luckily it turned out to be a severe allergy flare up, but when I left there was a three hour wait, so those places are are overwhelmed too.
  I'm a county school employee so I can't stay home, and they've pretty much declared Covid over and mandating in person meetings with some exceptions, so I do what I can, which means not going to a lot of social events unless outdoors, and wearing a mask in stores. I'm also vaccinated and double boosted. >
  
  Why were people going to the ER for flu like symptoms to begin with? That seems pretty standard that a person should just go to their primary care physician if they have the flu. >
  
  If you're not high risk or having unusual flu symptoms like trouble breathing why do you need to see anyone? Isn't standard practice that you should just stay home and rest, etc? >
  
  Because if you don't have a doctor's note, it's an unexcused absence and therefore a fireable offense, and PCPs are booking weeks out, so it's ER, urgent care, or lose your job. It's fucked up an unnecessary and wastes everyone's time and exposes people to further risk, but it's still common practice in the majority of workplaces. >
  
  This is where Telehealth should come in. Proper utilization of Telehealth could improve healthcare costs, quality, and efficiency. I’ve actually used it a few times recently and it’s been perfect for getting prescriptions and ordering tests. >
  
  I mean yes, definitely, but also workplaces should treat their employees like adults and assume they know when they're sick just as a baseline. >
  
  I work at a clinic and I swear we get a staff email every few days telling us a coworker has Covid and was at the worksite recently. >
  
  Seems like at this point, the pandemic could take 6 billion of us and the remaining 2 billion would be like, “oh well”. >
  
  Its not that everyone isn't taking this seriously but because there's no incentive to. The US has no protections that would benefit us during a pandemic. Our social safety nets are a joke and the support systems we have barely function. I got covid twice (vaxxed and boosted) and both times had to take PTO because I don't get sick leave. I have friends who have long covid who cannot do full time work and are financially fucked because of this. 
  COVID tests aren't subsidized anymore nor is treatment. So now if I get sicked, despite having really good health insurance, I'm financially fucked. >
  
  I honestly don't know what "they" expect from us. I know people who became suicidal because they took the first round / 2020 so seriously it broke them. People can't live scared indefinitely. >
  
  I think people are just burnt out.  You can only worry about something for so long >
  
  Yea I just can't bring myself to care. Feels nice >
  
  What are we supposed to do!? I put my life on hold for literal years and it did nothing because not enough people in this county were careful together? At some point people Gatta accept that if we aren’t being diligent as a community it means nothing. Folks who were being careful and cautious are fatigued and can’t do it alone. >
  
  I was nervous, but I started traveling again in 2022. I had been taking it seriously since day one, staying on top of vaccines, masking, social distancing, etc. Even when family and friends around us got horribly sick, people played loose with the risks while I stayed away and careful, because everyone thought they would be the exception to catching it. 
  Eventually I had to start living. 2 years was my breaking point, and it was clear this was as good as it was going to get. >
  
  Some, like me, are lucky. We can stay home and accomplish everything we need. Others can't take an indefinite break from their lives and careers >
  
  People have been getting so many mixed messages from the government, of course they’re not taking this seriously. This is what happens when the government worries more about business than the wellbeing of the people. >
  
  I went for an ophthalmologist appointment, they had signs up in the clinic apologizing for their service, because so many staff were out sick.  No one was wearing a mask.  When I suggested that if they enforce masking they might have fewer staffing problems, they said they were following CDC recommendations, which do not recommend masking.
  Public health institutions have completely surrendered to COVID.  I no longer have any faith we'll do anything meaningful about climate change. >
  
  That's crazy, anything even tangentially medical has been strictly enforcing mask usage since 2020 and that hasn't changed at all in my area. >
  
  Where do you live?  That's not the case at all in the southern US. And this is in a major city (Austin).
  I do see better masking compliance when I'm back in California, but it's still pretty random if the medical staff will be wearing one correctly, or if they'll just hurriedly pull it up when someone comes in. >
  
  Metro Atlanta doctors’ offices are still masking. At my eye doctor’s office, the doctors wear a mask, but the rest of the staff don’t. >
  
  Wow, who would’ve thought that giving the “Don’t Look Up” treatment to a virus wouldn’t work? >
  
  I was rooting for the meteor throughout that movie. >
  
  Remember when they all started sticking spoons to their foreheads in townhall meetings to prove themselves right?
  Oh wait that was real life and not the movie. >
  
  Wait what? Is that real? Source? >
  
  I did my part. Worked as an essential worker, took the vaccine when it was first available, wore my mask, distanced from others, and eventually got COVID anyways. I don’t care anymore, I’m tired of it being a hindrance to daily life. It is what it is. We are never going to control the damn thing or eradicate it until we have a vaccine that fully prevents it.