I like masks.

I'll probably continue to wear them after the pandemic is over. 
  Normally by this time of the year I'll have had several colds, flu, and pneumonia.  Probably 2 or 3 double pneumonia.  So far nothing!   
     Yes I get flu shots and both pneumonia shots. But 500+ walking pathogens get on my bus every day. Sneezing wheezing coughing and blowing snot. I doubt a single one of them knows what a Kleenex is or how to use a handkerchief.  

I have a face for radio but very distinctive eyes courtesy of central heterochromia. Mask wearing has served me well. 

Back in normal times, I saw a lot of masks in Japan. Totally makes sense. 

I've seen research saying that masks + social distancing has lead to flu season basically disappearing this past year.

I know that I've had less allergy issues when out running this past summer when I would have a neck buff pulled up like a not great face mask.  

David S. Wallens said:

Back in normal times, I saw a lot of masks in Japan. Totally makes sense. 

This.  I lived in Hong Kong during bird Flu.  If you were sick, you wore a mask out, no exceptions.  This ain't my first rodeo. 

When not at work, I use a quad-folded keffieh to cover my face. I feel it does a better job at keeping a cough or seneeze contained especially with a beard. I always kept one on me before, just not folded and used to cover my face. I quite like it, honestly.

I've been predicting a "cold and flu medicine sales are way down" news article for six months.  I like wearing a mask. Helps keep your E36 M3ty cologne away from me.

David S. Wallens said:

Back in normal times, I saw a lot of masks in Japan. Totally makes sense. 

Same thing in Korea. Asian people have been dealing with this kind of thing for a long time, they know what works.

It makes me pay more attention to my dental hygiene, that's for sure.  Who else has gone out to the store or somewhere and suffered for forgetting to brush that morning?

I have always been a constant sinus infection through winter person, so far this winter we havent had so much as a sniffle (knock on wood) and that's with an infant and a toddler in the house. 

It will be interesting to see what impact, if any, it has on what next years flu season is like. 

Once we get out of this hell, and it is happening with the successful vaccines, I'll continue to wear masks. I won't be as strict about it as I am now, but when I'm in a Costco or if I'm at a convention with a lot of people in one place indoors, I'll put it on. Probably even at bars in the winter.

But I cannot wait to see my family without one on. Getting very close to where most of my family will be 2+ weeks out of vaccination, so I'm thrilled.

Oh, the one thing that I like about masks (other than helping to save lives and restore our economy): When it is really berkeleying cold out, they help to keep my face warm. I've noticed that I am frequently leaving it on when leaving a store without thinking about it, because it is cold.

My wife tends to get multiple sinus infections a year, usually two of them get severe enough to need prescription drugs.  She hasn't had one since March 2020.  I've gotten sick a lot less, too, so I'll likely be keeping my masks around for a while for situations where I can't avoid sick people (and for when I'm sick and still have to go out somewhere).

I travel the US frequently for work. Seeing Chinese folks in the airport wearing masks was routine. 

While I've not had my annual bronchitis, I have had plenty of really nasty sinus headaches, so it's not 100% for me.  I don't typically get the flu or anything, so I haven't noticed much of a change myself.  My wife, however, had a toy train installed where the rest of us get an immune system and she has been sick only once or twice in the last year - and one of those wasn't anything that comes from respiration.

Having a mask in my pocket was really handy for the dusty days shagging cones on the rallycross course, though!  I had about 50% fewer mud boogers the next day.  And I really hope that it's making facial recognition technology mostly worthless, but I suspect that Skynet has already figured that out....

I haven't had so much as a runny nose or cough in the last year either 

A well fitting mask is totally comfortable to wear all day, the only issues I have are with glasses fogging outside in the cold.

Washing them by hand with Irish Spring bar soap was also a really good move from the dish soap I used to use. Smells great all morning!

Agreed with most here. We haven't been sick at all since we started wearing them, and they do help you stay warm. The only thing is that your breath condenses on the inside and gets them wet if you're outside long enough on a cold morning.

wae said:

And I really hope that it's making facial recognition technology mostly worthless, but I suspect that Skynet has already figured that out....

100% agree. Hopefully we're not at the point that they can see through them yet. 

The checkout lady at the liquor store doesn't get that panicked look in her eyes anymore when I approach her with my face covered like she used to. 

mtn (Forum Supporter) said:

wae said:

And I really hope that it's making facial recognition technology mostly worthless, but I suspect that Skynet has already figured that out....

100% agree. Hopefully we're not at the point that they can see through them yet. 

I thought of a way to make money on masks. Take a Selfie send it in and have your mask look like your face. 

The only negative I can find is my glasses fogging up. Small price to pay.

I'm not sure I'll continue to wear them once we no longer have to. I have a fairly stout immune system, didn't even catch COVID when my girlfriend (we live together) caught it over the Thanksgiving break.

frenchyd said:

mtn (Forum Supporter) said:

wae said:

And I really hope that it's making facial recognition technology mostly worthless, but I suspect that Skynet has already figured that out....

100% agree. Hopefully we're not at the point that they can see through them yet. 

I thought of a way to make money on masks. Take a Selfie send it in and have your mask look like your face. 

I so wish people would do that in large numbers!  Not so much for Skynet and our robot overlords, but I have a really hard time telling people apart as it is.  Not being able to see most of people's faces means that everyone I know probably thinks I'm really rude because I don't say hi to them when I see them in public anymore.  Because I can't really tell who they are.  Also, I can't understand a word anyone is saying.

In reply to wae :

That and the inability to understand anyone because I can't read their lips anymore. Public conversations with masks just ceased for me. IT was difficult before when I could read lips and facial expressions and piece together what is being said. With masks, I just nod. I'd say smile and nod but no one knows. 

I rarely get sick anyway and despite flying multiple times a month for years I have never been sick during or after returning from a trip. Having said that, I have settled on a disposable mask that is really easy to wear and does not bother me at all. I often find I have forgotten to remove it.