Rants about the mask mandate update

Firstly, a disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. This is not medical advice. This is me ranting about something.

Secondly, a summary: - Masks are good. - Not needing masks due to herd immunity is good. - We are not at that point (in the USA). - There isn't a good way to enforce the new CDC recommendations.

COVID-19 sucks. Business shutdowns, remote learning, etc... I won't parrot what a lot of people before me have said. I will, however, repeat that masks are: 1. Effective for preventing COVID-19
2. More effective for protecting others than protecting you
3. Something you should be wearing whenever you're around people outside your household

On May 16, the CDC changed their guidelines to include the following line to their recommendations for the fully vaccinated:

You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

This would be great! Except that (in my experience) the people who are most anti-mask are also the people who are the most often against getting vaccinated. They're also the most likely to push back on people asking for proof of vaccination.

I think proof of vaccination should be required (as an alternative to a negative test) in large-scale events like graduation ceremonies, concerts, etc. I don't think the same should be said for restaurants or grocery stores (too much nonsense). However, I can't see us safely implementing the new recommendations without it. According to a quick check on Mayo Clinic, "94% of the population must be immune to interrupt the chain of transmission." Meanwhile, we're at... [under 50% for 1 dose and under 40% for fully vaccination]. But this post isn't about vaccinations. This is about masks.

Let's say you're Joe Shmoe who owns Local Hardware Store #7. You're a healthy individual, but your wife is immunocompromised. If you get COVID, you might turn out okay. But you get it and it spreads to her, she's at a much higher risk of death. So, you have three options for your store: - ignore recommendations and enforce masks - follow recommendations and ask every person who enters without a mask if they are vaccinated - follow recommendations on the honour system

Let's say you try to follow the honour system. According to one study of 478 adults from a journalist at The Conversation, about 5% of people have no intention of getting a vaccine or wearing a mask if not required. Even if that is just the people at the biggest risk and not a guaranteed case of COVID, it's still a pretty high risk considering the potential damage.

So you ask every maskless customer if they are vaccinated. Chances are, that 5% will just lie anyway. And requiring proof via vaccination card will likely lead to aggressive customers at best and a lawsuit for "discrimination" at worst. "Vaccine passports" are the kind of thing many Americans will resist - myself included (though that's because I think requiring masks for everyone is still better).

So the only remaining option is to enforce masks for everyone. Guess what? You no longer have the defence of "following government recommendations". Now you have people trying to inform you of the new recommendations or something along the lines of "well you can't make me". All three options suck.

Extra notes:
It seems the CDC-recommended disposable mask is the KN95 (not to be confused with the N95).