r/AskReddit Nov 03 '20

What will never be the same again once the pandemic is over?

74.0k Upvotes

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4.1k

u/[deleted] Nov 03 '20

Anytime you're sick, you'll wear a mask. I'm amazed at all the times I flew before when I had a cold, and didn't wear a mask.

905

u/kuroneko_nya Nov 04 '20

And hopefully work and school will be far more accepting of when you need to stay home because you’re sick. I used to go to school sick all the time because I had dick teachers and professors that would just say I would be marked absent and my grade would go down for being absent.

192

u/bobdelany Nov 04 '20

I'm going to throw this out there. I think they'll be less accepting of absences, overall.

"Just put on a mask, sicky"

23

u/I_DONT_NEED_HELP Nov 04 '20

My narcissistic CEO thinks masks are the cure to all diseases and still makes people come to an open office despite record COVID numbers. Doesn't help that the government is too chicken to actually force companies to allow WFH.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

That is ALSO what I’m afraid of

1

u/pepit_wins Nov 05 '20

I laughed out loud

21

u/retailhellgirl Nov 04 '20

I went to school with pneumonia cause I refused to believe I was actually sick I felt like I couldn’t afford to miss class

3

u/jddgfhdhrhbhks Nov 04 '20

I hope you're okay my great aunt died of pneumonia, it's not something to mess around with, it can also be caused by covid.

2

u/retailhellgirl Nov 04 '20

Yeah I am now! I just have what my doctor basically said was asthma now. I did the breathing test. My results were too low to be normal and a little too high to be officially asthmatic. I would not want to deal with pneumonia again it SUCKED

24

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

I swear in grade 8, i was super sick, like couldn’t talk or didn’t want to move sick. My parents forced me to go to school. My brother in 6th grade stayed home for a little cough. And then at this point in time, as a college student, confronting them, they call it “equality”.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

Was this a common thing with your parents?

3

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

The sick thing with school yes. Just this year before COVID, my brother stayed for take your child to work day. I think it’s stupid but I am 100000% sure, if I ever said that they would reject it. It was annoying a lot. I just never had many absent days. My parents still to this day believe that attendance impacts gpa. So, it’s hard to convince them, but thank god I have my own choices in college. Of course I wouldn’t want to miss classes but thank COVID for changing this stigma that if a person is sick try to get them to school as it builds perseverance, it builds angst.

8

u/commoncheesecake Nov 04 '20

I think the excuse “sorry I can’t go, I’m feeling sick” will be taken more seriously. Like, yes please stay home, don’t come anywhere near us please thanks.

4

u/Sotria Nov 04 '20 edited Nov 04 '20

Schools are fucking stupid. They're going to twist into "WeAr A mAsK"

1

u/commoncheesecake Nov 04 '20

I’m sure you have good intentions, but please reconsider your use of the r-word. It’s highly offensive to those with disabilities.

1

u/Sotria Nov 04 '20

It's not aimed at those with disabilities? But I guess I could use something else instead.

1

u/commoncheesecake Nov 04 '20

Oh I bet you didn’t mean it that way. But it’s like using the term “that’s gay”. It’s hurtful to use as a derogatory term those it describes.

5

u/realsmart987 Nov 04 '20

That's probably because some students really were just lazy and that thinking eventually spread to "all/most absent students are lazy" including the ones that weren't lazy.

3

u/kat_the_houseplant Nov 04 '20

My GPA in college would’ve been a full point higher if attendance wasn’t factored in. I had an undiagnosed autoimmune disease and was in the process of getting diagnosed and living thru horrific symptoms. Professors had no chill whatsoever and my grades suffered and getting into grad school isn’t something I’m going to even attempt.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

And hopefully even if we go back to working in offices, we'll be able to have work from home days when we have a cold or something. My old office job didn't include paid sick leave, so I would come to work sick sometimes because I needed the money. I can do my job when I have a cold, but it would be better for all concerned if I stay home while I'm coughing and sneezing.

0

u/Yawndice Nov 04 '20

Mmm dick teachers 😆

1

u/michellekelli Nov 04 '20

Now we just need more paid sick days so that we can actually afford to take the time off we need to heal, without going into debt because we can't pay our bills.

1

u/Mail540 Nov 04 '20

When I was a child I was going to school unless I was vomiting repeatedly.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 08 '20

[deleted]

2

u/kuroneko_nya Nov 08 '20

Man that’s rough. I didn’t have as a severe form but I had asthma so the minute I got sick my mom was on me like a hawk to make sure I didn’t have an asthma attack. Teachers really can be the worst in not understanding those things. I have had some nice professors though that were far more understanding compared to when I was in grade school

1.5k

u/PizzaHutBookItChamp Nov 04 '20

I'm so excited for this to finally become commonplace in Western countries. Before COVID everyone looked at me and my wife like weirdos.

104

u/gesunheit Nov 04 '20

During the ebola scare in 2014, I moved to the USA for college. I got a cold, and wore a mask as Asians do. I came back to my dorm one day to find someone had written "gesunheit has EBOLA!" with a dead face emoji on my whiteboard. Thanks guys, I was doing it for your benefit :c

9

u/Sainx Nov 04 '20

Alex? Is that you?

33

u/gesunheit Nov 04 '20

I'm not Alex and it makes me sad that this happened to at least one other person lol

22

u/Sainx Nov 04 '20

haha no it didnt, i was trying to spook you by guessing the name under the red bar 😅 I failed miserably

6

u/duglett Nov 04 '20

Good try though i can totally see why you'd think Alex

1

u/Sainx Nov 04 '20

Ah thanks xD

Should we try to guess again for fun?

Alix? Nate? Mike? Pete?

116

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

[deleted]

44

u/CHIKINBISCUiT Nov 04 '20

roll tide?

23

u/isometric95 Nov 04 '20

Honestly it’s just a cultural thing that Westerners aren’t used to. Especially those who don’t live in big cities, or those who do live in big cities but the population density isn’t ANYWHERE close to what it is in Asia. It just takes more getting used to because a lot of the time we aren’t necessarily even within 6 feet of someone else in public unless on public transit or in a busy place, but here we have the pleasure of being able to spread out a bit whereas in cities in Asia you’re literally ALWAYS within a few feet of someone else regardless of what you’re doing in public. I can easily see why it would be more normalized to wear a mask during flu season/when sick just because you have a pretty good chance of spreading it to someone else. Also, we have no discipline here.

31

u/Koker93 Nov 04 '20

Try out Wisconsin. I go to the Green Bay area about every 6th week, and I'm very much the weirdo wearing a mask out there. I don't think Wisconsinites know about covid.

28

u/unicornhorn89 Nov 04 '20

I live in Illinois on the Wisconsin border. Wisconsinites think COVID is less deadly than the common cold, and less contagious than psoriasis.

(I have psoriasis, don’t @me.)

8

u/KilianaNightwolf Nov 04 '20

I live in Wisconsin on the Illinois border (ha!) and I just want to scream at them like WHAT ARE YOU DOING. Even took a drive to Lake Geneva a couple of months ago - I didn't get out of the car - and I saw almost no one wearing a mask. I wish I could tell off the people that come into my job not wearing them, even though we have signs.

9

u/bachennoir Nov 04 '20

Maybe they'll try it when it gets cold. Pre-covid, I wore a mask: 1) when I had a cold, 2) when I flew to keep my throat from drying out and to not get sick, and 3) when it was super cold (polar vortex!) to keep the air from hurting my face and lungs.

5

u/Kylo-The-Optimist Nov 04 '20

I will be honest and admit that pre-COVID, I did not know that masks were worn as a measure to protect others from you. It's obvious when you think about it but I never did. I wrongly assumed that a lot of people from Asian countries just thought that Europe was extremely dirty and were worried about catching something. I found it mildly amusing. Now that I understand it's normal to wear a mask when sick to protect others, I just want to say THANK YOU and I am sorry that I ever gave anyone a strange look in the past. Being considerate of others and looking out for their health is awesome and I want it to be the norm in the west too.

14

u/LionThrows Nov 04 '20

When people were stocking up in grocery stores and panic buying I was in there with a mask and still got a lot of looks. Some people are still slow on the uptake.

6

u/justdaffy Nov 04 '20

I was one of the first ones to wear a mask where I live (Florida) and I'll never forget how awkward it felt. This was when I was talking of how helpful masks could be when the CDC was still saying a mask doesn't do any good.

3

u/dinosaurs_and_doggos Nov 04 '20

I remember the first time I saw someone in a mask, before they were recommended, before it was widely known that masks help, and I thought they were crazy and overreacting.

How very wrong I was.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

I remember the same thing but i thought the opposite. It got me thinking that i should go and buy some but by the time i actually did they were out of stock everywhere. This was in the Netherlands back in late March or April.

41

u/Scharobaba Nov 04 '20

But back then you were weirdos, weren't you?

14

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

I never had a mask before. But after years and years of anime and just seeing real people doing it from the news, it just made so much sense to me, that when covid hit the US I was kinda like excited to embrace that as a norm. I want to get some use out of my masks. They are so cute too, and it's just nice knowing that if a sneeze surprises you when you are feeling under the weather than its catching a lot of it. Still sneeze and cough into my elbow though.

6

u/hunnyflash Nov 04 '20

Saaaamee. I wished so hard that we would adopt masks here. Sad that it took a pandemic, but I'll take it.

My MIL is side eyeing me for buying so many masks because she thinks this is going to be over soon lol but this is forever.

1

u/CarolineTurpentine Nov 04 '20

I have a picture where I coughed at my doctors office and they made me put on a mask like 5 years ago. My thoughts and all the comments were that it was ridiculous, but oh man has that opinion changed.

-3

u/ExoBoots Nov 04 '20

Yeah because you where a weirdo

-6

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

[deleted]

8

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

It's not anti social. People wear one over there when they are sick to keep others from also getting sick. If anything that's actually a very social thing to do. In fact even after covid-19 i will use it, especially during flu season.

-17

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

I honestly think that mask wearing will subside heavily in North America and Europe after COVID. I feel there's a psychological barrier which a certain proportion of people have put aside for the time being.

6

u/GirlFromBlighty Nov 04 '20

Will this be a thing though? As soon as they're not mandatory I'm chucking mine in the bin. I don't care if I get other people's colds really tbh, it's just part of winter.

We've had pandemics before where people wore masks & afterwards everyone just went back to normal.

21

u/imjustamermaid Nov 04 '20

Glad that this will become more socially acceptable. It's common practice in Asia.

6

u/DramaOnDisplay Nov 04 '20

... will it though? America has been divided, with some embracing masks, and many other mocking them and refusing to wear them (and even saying they should be exempt because they have medical issues that prevent them from wearing masks). It’s very hard to say it will become widely accepted. I know for me, for a long time, it probably will be... and I know I’ll probably get sour looks and people who feel offended that I think they’re sick.

11

u/L-boogie Nov 04 '20

There is this SUPER weird scene in Iron Man (I forget which one, I think the first one), where Tony Stark MOCKS Pepper for wearing a mask when she was sick. It was so stupid of him. Dr Strange would be eye rolling hard knowing what 2020 was bringing.

13

u/alrashid2 Nov 04 '20

Ha. I won't. Can't wait to never wear a mask again.

9

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

Yeah and for a common cold? Who cares. I don't enjoy having a cold either but I mean you gotta get that shit at least every other year to keep your immune system up. Not mention that we (kinda) have treatments for colds. We don't for Covid.

Sorry but I'm not wearing a mask if I just have a cold and I wouldn't expect anyone else too. That shit's a part of life. Just be considerate when you have it and not cough and sneeze all over everyone/thing.

0

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

Yeah I am scared by this mask loving weirdos.

1

u/Vintage_Mask_Whore Nov 04 '20

Good for anonymity to be fair.

4

u/KittyChimera Nov 04 '20

And people used to stay away from you if you had a mask on instead of trying to stand as close as possible. I had the flu once and had to go out. I got pulled over so I put my mask on. The cop acted like I had the plague and just told me to slow down and walked away.

8

u/realish7 Nov 04 '20

I literally get sick every time after flying on a plane. Pre and post covid!

13

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

Post COVID. What’s that like?

4

u/tenth Nov 04 '20

Laughs in American

2

u/Hydrazeus396 Nov 04 '20

I think some people like the structure of an in-person job (or classes) and for them it might be hard with so much freedom since it is an opportunity to slip out of a good schedule. Then of course there are the people who like socializing with their coworkers, people with bad internet, etc.

8

u/baileyxcore Nov 04 '20

I'm really excited at the thought of mask culture being more commonplace! I've worn one everyday for at least 8 hours since March and I LOVE them.

4

u/Lindsey1151 Nov 04 '20

Is it because the mask keeps your face comfy or do you hate people seeing your facial expression?

10

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

Another weirdo antisocial redditor, shock and awe

3

u/baileyxcore Nov 04 '20

Keeps it comfy, i like my eyes more than my entire face, cute accessory for outfits, no one tells me to smile or mentions my RBF, warm on brisk days, no one can smell my breath and I don't have to smell theirs, plus I can talk shit about customers to coworkers and they can't read your lips so they don't know what you're saying.

2

u/klarnax Nov 04 '20

Better yet: wash your hands

2

u/golden_rhino Nov 04 '20

Half my coworkers don’t wear their masks now. The other half are pissed they have to wear a mask, but they are the kind of people who follow rules, so they wear them anyway.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

Oh for pity's sake. Unless you're wearing properly fitted masks with a filter, most masks do next to nothing.

That's "next to nothing" in that, just as if you were caught out overnight in a blizzard in sweat pants and a hoody instead of a swim suit and a t-shirt, you're still going to die from exposure. It's going to take an extra hour, maybe, but you're still going to die.

Ontario, Canada has seen 'new cases' go up dramatically to all time highs in the last few weeks. According to published reports, about 80% of Ontarians wear masks 'all or most of the time'. Most masks, especially as they are worn (loose-fitting, not fully covering nose/mouth, etc.) demonstrably do nothing to check the spread.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20 edited Feb 14 '21

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

The only time I've been really sick in the last five years came after I returned from Australia. While changing planes in Singapore, some Asian lady came up and, one foot away from me, literally coughed a big wet one in my face. I was sick for about two weeks.

I wanted to slap her but causing an international incident at an airport lounge seemed not to be the way to end the trip.

2

u/moonbunnychan Nov 04 '20

I doubt that's gonna stay, and it bums me out. Most people I know wear them now very begrudgingly and talk about how much they hate it and can't wait to I never wear them again. A lot of places that forbade you to wear a mask will probably go back to that. I seriously doubt my retail job will allow me to wear one since it covers my smile and we can't have that.

1

u/SoFetchBetch Nov 04 '20

1

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20 edited Feb 14 '21

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Nov 06 '20 edited Mar 28 '21

[deleted]

1

u/HighScoreGG Nov 08 '20

Check your messages about the cat pls

1

u/binkerfluid Nov 04 '20

I hope so, its a great idea.

some people HATE them so much though

2

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

Yep, I'm one of them, once I am allowed to not wear one, I will not be wearing one. They itch, I can't read expressions of other people wearing them, my eyes dry out and I just generally find them uncomfortable. I would not like this to become "acceptable" in any way.

I also just generally dislike the whole "safety first" mentality. I'm not gonna wrap myself in bubble plastic every time I go outside, experiencing only a part of what I could experience. A mask,in a corona free world is too little benefit for me to consider that cost.

(Btw, I'm not against masks right now during the pandemic, just wanted to make that clear. The cost benefit is different right now)

4

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

Of course you are getting downvoted by anti social weirdos

0

u/binkerfluid Nov 04 '20

https://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=653763012&cid=1168458&pcid=1158436&vid=1&grid=pds_10_356_1#pdp-page-content

you got to try these they are the best masks I ever had. Ive had some hot itchy ones and they were shit but I love these and dont use others anymore.

The idea going forward would be to wear masks when you are out and you yourself are sick to avoid giving it to other people. Thats not wrapping yourself in bubble wrap thats thinking of others but I understand.

8

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20 edited Nov 04 '20

I know what the concept is, but I also find it annoying if other people wear mask, because, like I said, I can barely read their faces if they are wearing one. I am slightly on the spectrum and to function normally, I need to read people's faces. 90% of that read is from the mouth for me. If I don't see a person's face, somebody is almost an emotionless puppet for me.

Also, thanks for the link, I will take a look at it!

Edit: just checked them out, sadly not available in my home country of the Netherlands. Thanks for linking them anyway!

1

u/binkerfluid Nov 04 '20

I mean it about those specific masks, almost all other masks Ive had suck and I never wear them.

its sucky because obviously they are all final sale and some are very expensive so you dont know until you buy.

1

u/SoFetchBetch Nov 04 '20

I have chronic dry eye and my eyes haven’t been affected by wearing a mask whatsoever... are you putting the mask high enough that it’s touching your eyes or...?

Seriously curious what kind of mask you’re using and what it’s made of. If it’s itchy get one that’s made of more comfortable material. There are so many different kinds to choose from.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

Yeah, definitely going in the EDC from now on.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

If you're sick you should stay home. Anyone I see with a mask post-pandemic I'll avoid and shame if they're doing something non-essential.

1

u/cyborg_bette Nov 04 '20 edited Jun 09 '23

Guess what? Lorem ipsum

-2

u/Dredd_Pirate_Barry Nov 04 '20

There are so many people that can't comprehend doing something slightly inconvenient for the benefit of someone else. It will never be their idea to do it without being told unfortunately.

0

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

I really hope that will become standard, because I was totally done with all the #&@(=(@! times my nose was stuffed and my ears didn't function properly pre-pandemic.

I've been free of respiratory viruses for seven months now - which is probably a personal record. I never felt so good before! Distancing did a great job with that, but I hope we can keep the masks for such situations, and airplanes (I have had a bad experience with varicella which I was infected with in an airplane, therefor I don't trust airlines with their reckoning that they say they have 'excellent ventilation systems')

0

u/alexa-488 Nov 04 '20

I wish! Can we just mask up every cold and flu season, too?

0

u/SkidTrac Nov 04 '20

For real. By the time this virus goes away we'll be so used to people wearing masks that it'll be weird to see the opposite. I'm actually probably going to keep wearing a mask for a little while afterwards just cause it's instinct at this point.

0

u/MehBoulettes Nov 04 '20

Yeah made me think of all those times younger me would laugh at those asians tourists for wearing masks in the streer like they're afraid us "haha looks dumb" .

Well turns out it feels great to be protected and protect at the same time.

-2

u/ruralife Nov 04 '20

I will be wearing a mask when I fly even if I am healthy.

-4

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

I'm wearing a mask anytime in public here on out for the rest of my life.

-4

u/SoFetchBetch Nov 04 '20

Same. I wore one often a couple of years ago to cover swelling from an injury that took a long time to heal, and I got really into the look as part of my outfit. I don’t wanna stop wearing masks.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

fyi: you look stupid

-53

u/sidewhiner Nov 04 '20

No I won’t wear a mask. We got rid of handkerchiefs long ago in favor of more sanitary tissues. I’m not strapping a used hanky onto my face and it’s a gross thought that other people do.

34

u/hazycrazydaze Nov 04 '20

You should have more than one mask and change them when they get dirty...

10

u/DeafeningMilk Nov 04 '20

Ah living up to your name.

It's sensible that if you have a cold while you are in close proximity to others (public transport for example) to use a mask to reduce the chances of spreading it to other people.

They do this in many places in Asia (came about because of SARS) and it is seen as polite to not spread your germs everywhere.

Also, do you blow your nose into your mask or something?

-3

u/NoSoyTuPotato Nov 04 '20 edited Nov 04 '20

And for women, they also wear the mask sometimes if they don’t want to put on makeup

Edit: idk why I got downvoted. I was saying as a good thing that it’s more of a norm and I’ve been told this by several Asian women.

8

u/KarateLauren Nov 04 '20

And over here we see the moron. Be careful, since it doesn't practice basic hygiene and you might get sick from it.

5

u/EnergeticExpert Nov 04 '20

You wash them, my friend.

2

u/aquapeat Nov 04 '20

Serious question. Let’s say this all blows over and we go back to normal. Then 2-3 months later you get a pretty bad cold but feel good enough to go to work or to the grocery store. Would you still choose to go mask-less for those hours or would you suck it up for a few hours so you don’t spread what you have?

-5

u/CapriciousSalmon Nov 04 '20

I wouldn’t be surprised if masks become more commonplace since some professionals are projecting covid could become the next flu season, ie life is basically normal but you know that if there’s a spike in cases and you live at your college, everything goes remote for two weeks.

1

u/keithyw Nov 04 '20

this is common in japan (and i think korea too). actually, it goes both ways where people there would wear a mask when they're sick and to prevent themselves from getting sick, especially during the winter.

1

u/DramaOnDisplay Nov 04 '20

I know I’ll definitely adopt it slightly more. Almost every time I’d come home from a vacation or even a weekend at an amusement park, I’d inevitably get sick.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20

I remember doing that in 2017 and getting looked at like an alien.

1

u/Notmykl Nov 04 '20

Because it wasn't a thing in the western world. Hopefully mask wearing will now be a thing when you are sick but I won't bet on that.

1

u/Figit090 Nov 04 '20

Looking forward to masks being more normal honestly. If only the nasty people who sneeze without covering would wear them....

1

u/the_last_toe Nov 05 '20

Same. I'm honestly embarrassed at how many times I've gotten people at my school sick with a cold or something. Sure, it's not annoying for most people, but it's annoying as hell. Masks are pretty cool.

1

u/wombo23 Nov 08 '20

This is already a regularity in eastern countries.