I have a group of friends who have gone back to normal for the most part. Restaurants, concerts, clubs, bars, etc... One of them tested positive today and that sparked the standard slew of get well messages from the rest of them. All well and good, I'm not gonna sit here and act like we should point and laugh at the sick. However the conversation that followed didn't sit well with me.
I asked the group if they normally quarantine from the rest of their household when only one gets sick, or if they just wing it. Someone said they stop kissing and sharing food, but stay unmasked and still sleep in the same bed. They were adamant about not sleeping on their couch. (must be a huge inconvenience to sacrifice a little comfort for their health). Anyway, same person proceeds to say that it wouldn't matter that much due to incubation time. I responded anecdotally that in the past quarantining from my household while sick has worked for for us and kept the healthy people healthy. No response after that.
The conversation continues with someone else who was saying they did the same thing I did, quarantined in their office and slept on the sleeper sofa to keep their partner healthy, AND IT WORKED?!?! This person then proceeds to question how they got it in the first place because they are fully remote for work... They would understand if their partner got it because of their on-site job, but couldn't reason with how they themselves the remote worker would get it. Mind you, all these people indulge in dining indoors at restaurants and bars, going to concerts without masks, running errands without masks... So, I said just that. "Probably restaurants? Honestly anywhere public.". The conversation ended right there, no one responded to me after that.
The bright side of the whole convo was that someone did eventually chime in and say that "It's best to assume COVID when you are feeling sick, because even a cold isn't worth spreading." Only to be countered by the sick person saying, "if I would have tested positive sooner I would have been wearing a mask or cancelling appointments" Felt sick and didn't care until the 2 lines showed up on the test.
So yeah, at the end of the day vibes and treats rule the world. No one wants to be told that their incessant need for good vibes and tasty treats is what may have gotten them sick with a highly communicable disease.
It's really exhausting...
It feels harder to maintain friendships with people who've gone back to pretending covid isn't a thing. At this point I won't hang out indoors with anyone who won't wear a mask
The most annoying thing about this is that if more people masked, thered be more opportunities to hang out because you'd know that person is safe
TOTALLY! Instead I hang out online and vent to some homies on the bear site.
Lighthearted anecdote related to this tho. I started dating my wife during COVID and she always jokes that me meeting her in the parking lot of my building with a mask on was the sexiest thing ever.
Exactly. Like hey, friends, you miss me? Want to see me? Same here! Wear a fucking mask so we can hang out!
It's extremely hard to maintain these friendships. Most of the group I mention here were colleagues who all linked up via Discord in March of 2020 and got very close during quarantine. So its especially tough for me to see them acting contrary to how they were early on. Hell! One of them was leaving amazon packages outside the house in a clear tupperware for a week before even bring them inside. Now that same person is out at clubs every weekend. The complete 180 is more confusing than anything at this point.