Finally realizing that SARS-CoV-2 is a reality that's here to stay, the South Korean government announced, a while back, that beginning in November, the country would pivot to a "living with COVID" stance. In practical terms, for the moment, this means that larger groups of people can gather together; meanwhile, stores, restaurants, and other public facilities/services can return to normal business hours, and vaccinated people can do stuff like eat popcorn in movie theaters. Two things stick in my craw about the change in policy: (1) there's still a mask mandate, and (2) the "vaccine pass" that allows for popcorn-eating is now a thing. I remain unvaccinated—not because I'm anti-vaxx, but because I'm really in no hurry to get jabbed, and because I have a lot of questions as to how a vaccine pass is a rational thing. Are there degrees of vaccine passes for people who've had one, two, or three jabs? Are citizens being stratified into castes as a result? None of this sits well with me.
My buddy JW, who considers himself conservative, warned me that what the government gives, it can also take away, so we ought to remain circumspect about the new policy change. I agree. If we're still being told to mask up (even when outside—a policy I ignore when distance walking), and if we're now using vaccine passes to determine who is a second-class citizen, I'd say we're nowhere near out of the woods yet. There's still a long way to go. Still, there's reason for hope as people become less wild-eyed about infection rates and pay attention, instead, to mortality rates, which remain low.
I've pondered the idea that I personally may have been infected and gotten better without even knowing it. I don't recall going through any period of fever and a dry cough (except when I was feverish thanks to that toe infection a while back), and over the past two years, I've been tested twice for COVID and found negative each time. But two years is a long time, and I think it's at least possible I've been an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. The science currently says that natural immunity is better than getting jabbed, so there's a chance I've gotten infected and then recovered, which means I ought to have a robust immune system.
Or not: it could also be that my general habits have kept me COVID-free because I largely keep to myself and don't have anyone else at home (most COVID infections happen in the home, it turns out—not in public spaces). So I may still be a COVID virgin. Whatever the case may be, I'm in no hurry to get vaccinated, even though JW tells me that the vaccine is now available to whoever wants it, no scheduling required. I may get jabbed at some point, but right now, I just don't see the need or the urgency. Meanwhile, I guess I'm supposed to be thankful for the return of certain limited freedoms, but I can't help thinking those freedoms should never have been taken away in the first place.
I know this is probably going to come as a surprise, but there actually is no mask mandate for the outdoors--or, at least, it is not nearly as sweeping as public behavior would lead one to believe. The official government stance is that you should wear masks when social distancing is not possible--in other words, in crowded places. Walking around on a typical street where there are not too many people (or, say, on a long-distance walk where you rarely encounter people, and only briefly at that)? You don't technically have to wear a mask. And yet I still wear a mask on my walk to school in the morning, despite the fact that I hardly encounter anyone at all. Why? Because I got tired of the stares and the grunts and the angry looks and the occasional muttering under the breath. Yeah, I held out for as long as I could, but eventually I gave up when I realized that everyone had collectively decided that the mask mandate meant "You will wear a mask all the time, even when no one else is around (except when eating or drinking in a crowded bar or restaurant, of course, which as we all know is the safest place you can be)."
ReplyDeleteIs it ridiculous? Yes. Does it make a lick of sense? No. But the herd has spoken. I would like to say that I am willing to fight the good fight against mob thinking and irrationality... but it's not worth it. I am in a very prominent and visible position, which means the best thing I can do is keep my head down and try not to stick out too much. Negative attention is like a magnetic mine--if you get anywhere near it, you're going to get sunk.
The crazy thing is that I'm pretty sure the vast majority of people realize how ridiculous public behavior is at the moment with regard to masks, but nobody wants to rock the boat. You know how it is.
As far as the vaccine goes... dude, just get it. It's a quick and painless (well, except for the soreness, which isn't that bad) process, and like JW said you can pretty much just walk in off the street right now, get jabbed, and be done with it. Besides, you get free 5G as part of the deal! You can always wrap your shoulder in aluminum foil if you don't want to be tracked by Bill Gates.
"The crazy thing is that I'm pretty sure the vast majority of people realize how ridiculous public behavior is at the moment with regard to masks, but nobody wants to rock the boat. You know how it is."
ReplyDeleteIndeed. I see it all the time on the walk to Bundang, and I saw it on the east coast: people either ignore masks altogether, or they do the wussy, half-assed thing and wear them on their chins, leaving their faces exposed to invisible, demonic forces. Deep down, a lot of people realize the ridiculousness of the situation.
As for there not being any mandate re: wearing masks while outside... I see signs along the Han River telling people it's their duty to mask up, and there are PA announcements at some of the Han River parks that also stress the need to mask up, so my impression has long been that you're supposed to mask up while outside, that that's part of the mandate. Then there's that Karening incident while I was in Busan, in which an old man barked at me for not wearing a mask while outside... are you sure that Koreans are aware of what the actual policy is? Because I'm not so sure.
I understand your prudential concerns re: being seen masked in public. Were I in your position, I probably wouldn't give a shit, but that could just be because I don't understand all the consequences of being in your position. Anyway, I'm a mask libertarian; I'll never tell you to stop wearing a mask if that's your thing. All I ask people in return is that they stop automatically assuming an unmasked person must be infected. If I'm healthy and sprightly enough to be out for a walk, how likely is it that I'm sick with the (cough) world's deadliest virus? And if they already have a magical belief that their mask protects them, what reason do they have to fear an unmasked person? This goes doubly for people who are also vaccinated.
"The official government stance is that you should wear masks when social distancing is not possible—in other words, in crowded places."
ReplyDeleteSo, more directly regarding this issue, how is it that so many Koreans have gotten this policy wrong? In the big cities, a majority of people are masked while outside and socially distanced, even the cops, who ought to know the law, no? So what's going on?
I'm with you guys on these bullshit measures that do nothing to protect from infection. But like Charles, it's easier to go along with the charade than to fight it. I proudly wear my mask on my chin, pulling it up only when passing a checkpoint or authority figure. For me, the consequences of refusing to do so include deportation. Not worth it.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I've not been vaccinated even though I'm not anti-vax. I'm almost positive I had COVID back in April and I'm not afraid of any variant. I'll get vaxxed once doing so gives me the freedom to travel again, but not for popcorn in the theater. I've been surprised at how many Filipinos are anti-vax though. They are normally very submissive to government edicts.
We are a long way from where Korea is going though. That face shield mandate is STILL a thing here. Ah well, the powers that be must be happy. Ignorance being bliss and all.