Here are the results (and thank you to the nearly 300 of you that took the time to respond).
A whopping 92% report that they still wear a maks at least some of the time — 12% always, 62.5% when in close contact with others, and the other 17.5% reporting a range of reasons.
That number was very reassuring to me (although anecdotally, and based on my own experience out in the world, I'd find it highly likely that the 92% number is exaggerated).
More interesting to me, however, is the breakdown of the reasons why 8% of people have stopped wearing masks (if they wore them at all).
- 52.6%: Masks don't work to slow the spread of Covid-19 or protect me from it
- 52.6%: It's inconvenient or uncomfortable
- 47.4%: My body; my choice; my civil liberties
- 36.8%: I'm fully vaccinated
- 15.6%: Other (science is conducted through public opinion; I had Covid and recovered; this nonsense has to end)
- 0% (thankfully): It's against my religion
As for me? I'll be continuing to mask up in public. It's going to be long winter. Covid is surging (even before we see any impact from Omicron), our vaccine-based immunity protects us well from serious illness but not perfectly from any illness at all, and I don't want to catch Covid or transmit it to others. Masks remain our best prophylactic against this virus. Anyone who says otherwise needs to get over themselves, quit being so selfish, and mask up. We all might be done with Covid, but as recent news has demonstrated it's not yet done with us.