My friend came back from a 5,000-person academic conference with Covid because nobody masks anymore and I'm angry and baffled. Beyond baffled. I continue to mask for all the reasons. Why don't others, especially academics? It's unconscionable to me.

Has anybody tried to predict the last date the maskers stop masking? Who will be the Hiroo Onoda of the COVID pandemic masking? twitter.com/FromPhDtoLife/…

@thackerpd I have no plans to end masking in public. At least not in 2023.

@R_H_Ebright I'm asking for a hard stop date. You're a December 31, 2023?

@R_H_Ebright @thackerpd You're terrified of the spike protein, unless it's programmed into your own cells, right? Bizarre

@R_H_Ebright @thackerpd I have no hard end date. I will mask in public and in my students homes until we have an effective vaccine that stops transmission OR a treatment that stops vascular damage/immune disruption/Long Covid etc etc associated with Covid 19 or forever. Whichever comes first.

Let me help you Paul. It will take a couple of very simple things against this textbook bulky virus: Update the vaccines Cheap tests (<$1 for RAT, <$10 for NAT) OTC regimens that cost less than 4 dollars per regimen LC regimens that work. Then the masks will go away. twitter.com/thackerpd/stat…

@R_H_Ebright @thackerpd In my case, maybe earlier than 31 December 2023, maybe later, because Virological reality and not the calendar will be my basis for deciding. Even if it gets safe enough in summer for me to stop masking, I'll use it during cold and flu season forever: I don't miss colds & flus!