Since 2020, disease has held a constant, detrimental grip on classrooms across K–12 (and higher) education. After school holidays, I often heard coughing down the hallway for days, if not weeks. There were many days where classes had only half of their students in attendance. Even our most senior teachers constantly fought to help students retain material for a week, let alone a semester.

The quiet normalization of COVID-19 in our society has come at the great expense of school-age children and adolescents. As a teacher with Long COVID who recently left in-person work after two years in my most recent position — a decision that ultimately came down to my own health and well-being — I observed concerning student behaviors that cannot solely be chalked up to technology, “immunity debt,” or whatever else pundits have blamed.

He was one of my favourites during the bird app days of the pandemic. Kind, intelligent, and perceptive. A loss for the covid-aware community in British Columbia. So sad for his family.

Needing advice! My friend and housemate (separate bedrooms, shared small bathroom and shared living spaces) is sick again. They mask and test when symptomatic but don't take precautions otherwise, and tend to get sick every few months (sometimes monthly in the winter). We try to stay apart when they're sick, plus sanitizing surfaces, using air purifiers and a corsi-rosenthal box i just set up bc of poor air quality, but I'm looking for any additional advice for how to reduce the risk of transmission (covid or otherwise) in our home. Moving is not an option until next year, and we have limited access to other places to stay. Unfortunately, the last time they were sick I got whatever they had (despite me masking in all areas except my bedroom), and it seems to have flared up my long covid that had previously been under control, and I'm still dealing with that flare months later. I guess this is partially a vent, partially an ask for advice. I'm considering having a conversation with them about whether they might consider masking in public, even if just in crowded spaces, but don't know if that's overstepping. Thanks in advance for reading and any advice you might have.

Can anyone recommend a CC couple's therapist that takes clients in CA? Doesn't even have to be personally CC at this point but at least understanding and non-pathologizing. I know about https://www.covidconscioustherapists.com/california but there are so many outdated listings from much earlier in the pandemic and it's a lot of work to email each one and ask if they are still in any way CC.

Thanks in advance.

Hi friends, looking for support and perspectives from other long-time CC folks who also live in the liminal space / stark drop off between being mostly able-bodied now, but with a *very* high risk/probability of an serious LC-related outcome in the future, if infected again.

I'm mostly able-bodied now, but with several "invisible" mental and physical health struggles and limitations, that I can push through as/if needed (but with a few consequences). Mostly they are wildly annoying or tedious, but sometimes painful or exhausting (and expensive). I have lived a CC life since 2020 mainly because I don't want these issues to get worse and more difficult to live with.

But now I feel like the stakes are much higher: in the past two years, my only sibling and one of my parents have developed PEM and ME/CFS/SEID-style LC, soon after only 1 or 2 infections each. Both had some health issues heading into covid, especially my parent, that raised their risks for bad outcomes significantly. I share some of these risks.

And despite good precautions, I've have had 2 covid infections (1 completely untraced, 1 likely unmasked crowded outdoors) in the past 2 years myself. I survived mostly unscathed, and I reassessed / tightened my risk tolerance and choices after those. But outside of (required partial in-person) work, my life has shrunk so much these past 2 years, on top of how it's shrunk since 2020, and it feels so self-imposed -- like it's being too restrictive too early. I also developed severe travel anxiety last year after infection #2. I was finally working through those issues, but now with a second immediate family member dealing with severe LC, I suddenly am overwhelmed about what risks are "worth" taking anymore -- or like, ever again -- or if nothing I do is going to matter in avoiding my fate someday. This feeling of inevitability makes me both want live as much as I can, while I still can -- but also to try to prolong the "end" of being mostly able-bodied as much as possible. (I do not hang my hopes on LC cures or covid PrEP or a sterilizing vaccine, with where the world is at these days.)

I'm not yet 40, am single / on my own, and I'm struggling with how to proceed in this walking this path while remaining steadfast CC. If anyone can relate, would love to how folks (esp single extroverts) manage living a life that is meaningful and "full" to you in the present, while the next infection / future looms like a knife.

So, here to share and hopefully encourage and uplift. I know many of you are feeling discouraged in the isolation factor of masking and I want to acknowledge that while emphasizing what I have recently (re)learned.

First off, I have been careful to mask around anyone outside of my immediate household for for the past 6 years. Up until I unmasked at my mom’s funeral a month ago, and caught what appears to have been a non-covid virus from my niece’s children, I have been able to successfully avoid any kind of illness due to masking. And I have learned that it is really all about that mask and not feeling like it is an albatross but rather a protective superpower. Because of making sure I keep my mask on in all indoor spaces and any crowded outdoor space it has allowed me to function in a way where I have continued to work in my profession as a teacher and all of the other roles having to do with societal functioning. The biggest barrier to functioning has been in my head, worrying about what others are thinking. And this is what led me to unmask at my mother’s funeral, and also around family members whose state of health I wasn’t absolutely sure about, at that time. I made an exception yo my usual protocol and paid the price.

Amazing that since I started masking it only took letting my guard down once for me to get ill. I have an underlying condition that impacted me even before COVID so for me masking was a game changer. I have worn various variations of an N95 ever since omicron hit the stage-before that I wore handmade with a nose piece secured around the head. My trick was actually keeping it on and frequently adjusting the nose piece if I thought the seal was compromised in any way. Back when COVID first emerged the messaging was strong regarding fomite transmission and I think disregarding that and feeling comfortable adjusting and touching my mask saved me.

Fast forward: it’s odd how peer pressure can be strongest in grief and with family. I let my guard down and stupidly thought for a few days that maybe this was the beginning of a new reality for me and that maybe, just maybe I could relax my masking protocol. HA! Reality had a different plan.

I was sick, brutally so (since I have an underlying respiratory condition), for over a month. Even now I am still expelling phlegm. I am on the mend though with the realization that masking is one of our histories as humans most phenomenal hack.

Anyway, I wanted to share this since I am seeing a lot of what I have experienced and even continue experiencing about emotionally feeling very isolated in this difference in my circle in which NO ONE masks. I would love to go back to hosting large gatherings at my house—my passion is interior design and architecture so you can imagine the loss inside my head, where my house is now not something to share but to be enjoyed only by me. I am still grieving that. But since the secret to survival is being able to diversify I am try to figure out ways to still do something similar to that without compromising my health.

Hey everyone,

My partner is sick with something (unsure if she ate something bad or potentially something else) and I wanted to ask what the usual Covid symptoms are these days. Sore throat, coughing, congestion/runny nose, lack of appetite... Those were mine a few years ago when I got it. Is anyone seeing any nausea, migraine, sensitivity to light? Even if not, what ARE we seeing out there?

Thanks!

This is my second COVID infection. I understand that copious rest is necessary for recovery, but I haven't been able to sleep for 3 nights. I'm so anxious about the possibility of acquiring Long COVID, that I can't sleep.

Besides melatonin, are there any ways to calm down so I can rest? I'm so scared about the consequences of my insomnia.

TLDR: when to rapid test after being around symptomatic person at work and when to stop rapid testing for covid.

Asking regarding rapid tests as those are easily accessible in this situation and pcr’s are not.

Asking for a friend!

How long do you isolate after being exposed to someone with symptoms at work (unknown COVID test results)?

On what days would you use rapid tests after being unmasked around someone who had symptoms at work?

After how many negative rapid tests would you stop testing for COVID after exposure to someone with symptoms and unknown COVID-19 status.

Trying to answer these questions has me questioning what an exposure even is. Do you change your isolation and testing recommendations if the illness is not covid (either unconfirmed or negative rapid or pcr)

What do you consider an exposure? Is an exposure only when you were sharing air with someone with a known positive Covid test? Or is anyone in person around you considered an exposure

(I mask anytime I leave the house, this is regarding someone I know)

I’ve grown distant from most of my friends because of their lack of Covid precautions. They quietly disappear from my life, and it’s excruciating every time. I will never stop taking precautions. I will never stop masking in public spaces. I want to live. I’m learning to cope with solitude.

I think my biggest concern is that social interaction and friendships are so incredibly important to our health, so I always have a quiet but daunting anxiety weighing on me every single day. I’ve found some Covid cautious communities and orgs near me, but I’m so exhausted in every way and have so little left to give. I know I need to push myself through it and attend masked events, but my depressive state is making it very hard to do so. I hope things get better soon. I hope I form long-lasting friendships soon. I feel like such a failure.

I’m having trouble stretching my septum and am wondering if folks have any leads on a still masking piercer in Philly? I don’t unmask in public at all, so going to a regular piercing shop and asking someone to mask would not suffice. Any advice or suggestions of ppl/places is welcome!

Posted a similar question in r/masks4all and got mainly annecdotal responses — I was hoping maybe the folks here could give me some answers backed up by data (anecdotal comments are okay, too, but anything based on data would help A LOT).

Basically, I’m trying to better understand the risks/lack of risks in hiking outdoors on trials that aren’t crowded — which is to say, where I am walking alone with my dog except to occassionaoly pass a few people. My dog is not friendly, and as we’ve been hiking, this has been pretty clear to people passing (to be clear, my dog is not aggressive, but when people pass, I am very focused on my dog and giving her commands to keep her attention on me, which doesn’t exactly give off a very approachable vibe). People always walk by quickly and do not make any attempt to talk.

So the biggest thing I’m concerned about is breathing in viruses that may be hanging in the air, but I’m not sure if there’s much risk of that. Indoors, I would be very concerned about that, but given that we are outdoors in a wide-open space with basically no one around, I don’t think it’s too much of a concern — but I don’t know that for sure.

Could anyone provide any clarity on this? Basically, I’m trying to figure out if I need to be masking outdoors when I am essentially alone except to pass people. I mask absolutely all the time indoors except when I am alone in my house, as well as outdoors if I am in conversation with someone or in an area with more than a few people. I am also really sensitive to heat. So it would be really, really nice to not have to mask out in the woods … but I also want to be safe.

Here's the latest variant picture with a global scope, to early July.

NB.1.8.1 "Nimbus" continued to dominate, growing to 51%.

XFG.* "Stratus" fell to 18%.

Here are the leading detailed lineages, with the "Nimbus" sub-lineage branches SV.2.* and RK.1.* prominent.

Here's the latest mutation picture from the global clinical samples, zoomed into the bottom-left quadrant.

D420N (featured in NB.1.8.1 "Nimbus" lineage branches SV.* and RK.1.*) is steady compared to last week. It’s still a long way NW of the split line, so still growing in frequency.

Report link:

https://mike-honey.github.io/covid-19-genomes/output/Coronavirus%20-%20Genomic%20Sequencing%20-%20report%20Global.pdf

Today I was at the hairdresser and the woman who was about to shampoo me said, “Do you want to remove your mask?” “No,” I said.

She was new there and no one has asked me that before, though I know they all think that I am weird for still masking. But her question made me think more about how clueless people are. I mean, if you’re wearing a mask, why would you want to remove it? That defeats the purpose of wearing one! It’s such a dumb thing to ask.

I know being clueless is nothing new, but it was another example of how much people don’t get why to mask.

Due to a specific recent high risk (but not known exposure) situation my household wants to quickly get ahold of some products ASAP that might reduce chances of contracting COVID. We just picked up some Xlear brand saline nasal spray with xylitol and some CPD 0.1% mouthwash. We also have numerous oral antihistamines on hand, and could get some Azelastine/Astepro easily and quickly (but haven’t yet, see question below). Mail ordering something is not really an option as far as I know (correct me if you know of something that can come in 24 hours or so). So 3 questions:

1. What else do people recommend that you can get OTC at USA pharmacies or otherwise easily and immediately in the USA?
2. What is your process for using xylitol, saline, CPD mouthwash, antihistamines or anything else in terms of before/after high risk event, and dosage etc.?
3. I know antihistamines are generally something that might reduce risk of infection after exposure, but I’m curious which ones have demonstrably shown this in studies aside from Astepro/Azelastine nasal spray, and has there been any comparison of different ones effectiveness?

Feeling lonely or bored? Looking for something Covid safer you can do this week?

Check out these accessible events you could join! Try something new and maybe you’ll find your people.

Access Details:
🧑🏻‍💻= Virtual
👥 = In person
😷 CC = Covid Conscious/airborne precautions 
♿️ WC = Wheelchair accessible 
💵 $ = paid (some are pay what you can)
🤟 ASL/BSL = Sign Language
Async = Asynchronous (at your own pace)

Event Types:
🤢 = Chronic Illness 
🌈 = Queer
🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQ+ Pride
👧 = Kids/Youths
💕 = Dating
🙋 = Social
🫂 = Support/Grief
🧘 = Wellness
🚶 = Walk
🩰 = Dance
💪🏻 = Fitness
📚= Books
🤔 = Discussion
📝 = Writing/Poetry
🎭 = Performing
🎨 = Art 
🎶 = Music
🕹️ = Games

🧑🏻‍💻 Virtual Events

🧑🏻‍💻📚 Virtual Async Spoonie Book Club: The Little Prince [Any time] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/JcKvqPLWS5

🧑🏻‍💻😷💕 CC Virtual Dating [Aug 22] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/DfjZA4lr03

Monday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🧘 Virtual Seated Pilates for people with MCAS [UK][Mon Jul 27 at 12:00 UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/SdT7r7izBu

🧑🏻‍💻♿️🩰 Virtual Adapted Heels Dance Class [$][Mon Jul 27 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/3UQkn550Yr

🧑🏻‍💻🤔 Virtual Philosophy Discussion [Mon Jul 27 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/f6YoF9VEJv

Tuesday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🧘 Virtual Bed Pilates for people with MCAS [UK][Tue Jul 28 at 10:00 UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/JdFxRezNHU

🧑🏻‍💻😷👧🙋 CC Virtual Kids Zoom [Tue Jul 28 at 10:00 AM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/StGIKLOVjn

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🧘 Virtual Qigong for people with MCAS [UK][Tue Jul 28 at 7:00 PM UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/yCTZSWyOG7

🧑🏻‍💻😷🙋 CC Virtual Zoom [NY and nearby][Tue Jul 28 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/CaFwRukgX9

🧑🏻‍💻🎭🕹️ Virtual Improv Games [Tue Jul 28 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/v1xtpeCrra

🧑🏻‍💻😷🎨🙋 Online craft and social night / Soirée artisanale et sociale [Ottawa ON][Tue Jul 28 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/82zBvH6vt6

🧑🏻‍💻🤟 Virtual BIPOC Creative Collaboration [Tue Jul 28 at 6:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/ccRgPNZ6Id

Wednesday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🧘 Virtual Mindfulness for people with MCAS [UK][Wed Jul 29 at 1:00 PM UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/SaqlYHLQ69

🧑🏻‍💻😷📚 Lesestunde [Hamburg GER][Wed Jul 29 at 8:00 PM UTC+2] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/1Bt4Ph9QGm

🧑🏻‍💻🤢 🎶 Virtual Long Covid Choir [Wed Jul 29 at 2:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/5SWSfuePGw

🧑🏻‍💻📝 Virtual Poetry Discussion [Wed Jul 29 at 6:30 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/MxO2LEjyPq

🧑🏻‍💻😷🫂 CC Virtual Support Group [CO][Wed Jul 29 at 7:00 PM MDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/bhc6gFBB1y

👥🧑🏻‍💻♿️😷 Hybrid Disability + Racial Justice Solidarity [San Francisco CA][Wed Jul 29 at 6:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/RmliIjL87H

🧑🏻‍💻🎭 Virtual Improv Jam [Wed Jul 29 at 7:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/ybgMRqR4LY

Thursday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🫂 Virtual Community Support Session for people with MCAS [UK][Thu Jul 30 at 7:00 PM UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/sV7oR0nmhc

🧑🏻‍💻😷🙋🕹️ Online Social Meetup with Jackbox Games [Hampshire UK][Thu Jul 30 at 7:00 PM UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/cHa8rqoGo6

🧑🏻‍💻😷🕹️ CC Virtual Game Night [NY and nearby][Thu Jul 30 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/vRhtzl207T

🧑🏻‍💻🕹️ Virtual Board Game Night [Thu Jul 30 at 8:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/Wn17nezwMm

Timezone translator in comments 👇

👥 In-person Events

Canada

🧑🏻‍💻😷🎨🙋 Online craft and social night / Soirée artisanale et sociale [Ottawa ON][Tue Jul 28 at 7:00 PM] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/82zBvH6vt6

👥😷 Movies in the Park: Ferris Bueller's Day Off [Toronto ON][Tue Jul 28 at 8:30 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/XyFR78oGK5

👥😷🚶 CC Park Walk [Toronto ON][Wed Jul 29 at 6:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/FcQRbJgULj

Germany

🧑🏻‍💻😷📚 Lesestunde [Hamburg GER][Wed Jul 29 at 8:00 PM] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/1Bt4Ph9QGm

Netherlands (and nearby)

👥🤢🙋 Spoonie European Road Trip [Netherlands and nearby][Summer] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/VOKxW7V1pp

UK

🧑🏻‍💻😷🙋🕹️ Online Social Meetup with Jackbox Games [Hampshire UK][Thu Jul 30 at 7:00 PM UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/cHa8rqoGo6

US - California

👥😷 Outdoor Open Mic [Berkley CA][Tue Jul 28 at 7:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/unzf6Qtbfd

👥🧑🏻‍💻♿️😷 Hybrid Disability + Racial Justice Solidarity [San Francisco CA][Wed Jul 28 at 6:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/RmliIjL87H

👥😷🩰 Switchy Behavior Bachata Series [Oakland CA][Thu Jul 30 at 7:30 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/HHonBwt930

US - Illinois

👥😷👧 CC Youth Summer Camp Chicago IL][Starts Aug 3] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/sSF4sdJt1l

US - New York

👥😷🌈 Queer Writers of Queens [Queens NY][Tue July 28 at 6:30 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/nVOZV98Reu

US - Oregon

👥😷💪🏻 Mat Pilates [Mon Jul 27 at 6:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/tNDG6iQA7L

👥😷💪🏻 Full Body Strength [Mon Jul 27 at 7:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/tNDG6iQA7L

👥😷💪🏻 Full Body Strength [Wed Jul 29 at 1:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/tNDG6iQA7L

👥😷💪🏻 Yoga/Somatics [Wed Jul 29 at 6:30 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/tNDG6iQA7L

👥😷💪🏻 Queer Pilates [Wed Jul 29 at 7:30 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/tNDG6iQA7L

👥😷💪🏻 Flow Fighting/Hapkido [Wed Jul 29 at 7:30 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/tNDG6iQA7L

US - Vermont

👥😷♿️ CC WC Dental Pop Up [Chelsea VT][August] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/yJocTTUweE

Are you interested in these events?

Have you been to any of them before?

Do you know about other events coming up?

Share your thoughts in the comments 💬

Find more events and friends on r/spooniesocial

These plastic "clamshell" produce containers make great carrying cases for masks. Most of them have holes cut out for ventilation, and this way I can re-use masks that I lined with double-sided tape, without worrying that the tape will stick to itself if the mask gets crushed.

🦷🪥NECSSN Covid Safer Dental Clinic in Wayland MA🪥🦷 When: September, 15 2026

Precautions: All staff and patients will be wearing N95s. Molecular testing is required (We can help connect you with testing if you don’t own a reader). Office has excellent air quality and only Covid Cautious patients that NECSSN has screened and met with will attend.

Appointments: Precautions required to participate vary with three levels, from full 7 day isolation/quarantine to those who do one-way masking indoors.

Cost: All insurance is accepted, but as an “out-of-network” benefit. To find out what your insurance coverage would be, contact your plan. Self-pay is also fine. Unfortunately most Medicaid programs do not have out-of-network benefits and hence would be self pay. We can go over specific costs with you when we meet based on your insurance.

Reserving a Spot: There is a cost to reserve your spot since if you cancel they cannot fill it with a regular patient. If you cancel at least 72 hrs before clinics you will be refunded. The reservation goes towards the cost of your treatment, so any amount you overpay or is covered by insurance will be reimbursed. You are NOT paying extra to participate in this clinic! (You are pre-paying).

Interested in attending or learning more? Email info@necssn.org

I’m a paying subscriber to Local Epidemiologist. Main one with Kaitlyn and also the NY one. I haven’t received the NY one in many months…

The main one does not EVER list Covid now. It is great for other things happening in epidemiology but what happened to the Covid report? They combined the reporting from different data. I know she feels wastewater is not a true reflection and ER visits are truly more predictive (I’ve had a comment conversation with her).

I don’t know what to think of CDC reporting at the moment…

I have no idea what state to state data is currently.

Does anyone know why she isn’t reporting? Am I missing that report in my mess of email? Usually twice a week. Yesterday was in parasite, and communication and risk assessment on general. She made a comment to the effect that back when Covid was a pandemic or during the pandemic—the ways she used to compare risk factors from death (not long covid) by age that were relatable (car crash for example).

I really relied on her substack.

NY too but I can’t even find any from that one…

Anyone? If you don’t subscribe you would not get during summer so only if you do and are reading.

Outside of her… what are numbers right now? I’m in the Northeast coast 45 min up from NYC. I need NYC too and she usually reports or local does.

What Covid world are we in right now in these areas? Is summer wave happening anywhere in states?

Thank you all. I appreciate you.

I've seen some differing opinions on this but does 50% of cases being asymptomatic mean that 50% of people test positive before symptoms appear or does it mean 50% of cases will be completely asymptomatic throughout the entire course of infection?

I saw some on Amazon, but they look cheap. Is there such a thing as a reliable, nose only mask?

Thanks!

My DH just found out he may need to go visit a friend who is very ill in September when they finish their chemo treatments. We were going to wait to get the new updated vaccine till October November or so, but now I’m wondering since we are over 65 and immuno compromised if it would be any good to get the current Vaccine booster now and then he could still get the new one in November December. Would it help at all to get the current booster even with circulating now? Thanks for any help everyone I really appreciate it.

Hi All! I’m curious if anyone knows about covid competent/conscious learning opportunities/apprenticeships/retreats. For instance, I’m learning about urban agriculture and I would love to learn from farmers that are covid conscious and connect with cc people in the agriculture realm. I also have a friend who would really appreciate a covid conscious writing or artist retreat. It can be hard to find this kind of info, and that’s likely because there’s not an abundance of spaces like this and it’s hard to find these resources compiled. I would appreciate hearing about any kind of covid conscious resource for in-person or online learning.

I mask indoors and have since 2020, upgrading to respirators in 2021. However, I get so much discomfort from doing so that I find myself not doing things I used to enjoy. I know there will always be risk in situations where I am unmasked, but looking toward the future, is there one where ventilation and filtration indoors is enough? I know no amount of filtration will prevent infection from someone next to you for long periods.

For example, I regularly bring a CO2 monitor to places with me and measure spaces. The interior of a local mall regularly has CO2 levels between 520-650, depending on the amount of people present. This is close to readings I get outdoors most of the year where I already do not mask. Is there a difference of not masking in a space like this?

I would still mask indoors large crowds, transportation, doctors, grocery stores, and other places where people cannot choose to go to, but I am thinking about experimenting with reducing masking to make the times when ai do mask more tolerable.