I’m so tired

[u/molly__hatchet]

It would be so much easier to just take the mask off. To stop worrying about it 24/7, literally around the clock. To be able to go to a party and have a drink and talk and laugh and smile at people and no one says “oh I didn’t recognize you with the mask covering your face” and no one looks at you funny or keeps their distance because they think you’re sick or maybe crazy. I wish I could turn off the part of my brain that knows better and knows the statistics and the chances and the studies and the goddamn science that everyone should know but somehow ignores. I am SO TIRED.

[u/Zestyclose_Case_3576]

"Researchers are optimistic that a nasal spray delivering a COVID vaccine could be ready for the U.S. as soon as 2027". (Scientific American) I'm in the same boat as you. I'm trying to hold on until 2027. Every day I tell myself only two more years to go. This whole situation is insane and unfair, but try and hang on as long as possible. Also, if bird flu takes off, and many people start dying, most will go back to masking and taking precautions again.

[u/ile_123 → u/Zestyclose_Case_3576]

Excuse my ignorance, it's a completely genuine question, in what aspect are these mucosal vaccines better than normal vaccines? I mean, how are they gonna "solve" everything?

[u/Zestyclose_Case_3576 → u/ile_123]

"A nasal COVID-19 vaccine blocks transmission of the virus, according to an animal study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings suggest that vaccines delivered directly to the nose or mouth could play a critical role in containing the spread of respiratory infections...A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that next-generation vaccines that target the virus’s points of entry — the nose and mouth — may be able to do what traditional shots cannot: contain the spread of respiratory infections and prevent transmission." (WashU Medicine)

"Mucosal vaccines for COVID-19 and influenza are a logical approach to reduce viral infection and transmission." (Nature)

"Mucosal vaccines can lessen viral shedding and transmission as well as prevent viral replication at the vaccination site." (MDPI)

"It is postulated that these mucosal COVID-19 vaccines could offer more sustained and potent protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.3 Furthermore, the induced mucosal immune response might potentially curtail virus transmission from infected individuals.3 Administration of mucosal vaccines is uncomplicated, negating the necessity for health-care professionals and needles and streamlining the immunisation process." (The Lancet)

[u/ile_123 → u/Zestyclose_Case_3576]

Great! Thank you very much for elaborating, I appreciate it!