Hi, I had a doctor’s appointment today. A psychiatrist I’ve been seeing for > 10 years because I need meds to not have insomnia, probably forever. He’s been vaccinated, and saw me without a mask and in fact blew his nose in front of me! I was masked and utterly shocked. I said nothing but will call his assistant, a woman I’ve dealt with for many years, and complain. This seems unconscionable.
Anybody else’s doctor pulling this sort of thing? I think medical staff should remain masked/non-nose-blowing until they know their patients are comfortable otherwise.
A nurse practitioner tried to see me without a mask. I put up a huge fuss. The doctor came in on his day off to see me, and made everyone put on their mask.
This was earlier on, when the number of known infected in my county was in the low single digits, though.
I can see why someone who has been vaccinated might mistakenly think it’s okay for them not to wear a mask. But it really isn’t that safe yet. And, even if it was, I would expect any psychiatrist to notice anyone who is still wearing a mask and wear one just to avoid causing anxiety.
I had an appointment with a new therapist for my son, and she was very clear when I made the appointment than she didn’t mask in session and preferred her clients didn’t, especially children. She’s vaccinated. She did have a “zoom” option. This didn’t bother me, because objectively it’s very low risk and was communicated up front.
Some people are ready to spike the football before they have crossed the goal line. Only about 1/6 of America has been vaccinated, and there is still a long way to go, but some people are lowering their guard prematurely. Illinois was down to a 1.7% positivity rate at its best but now, as of last night, it was up to 3.1%, the highest since February 22.
As the old saying goes, “It ain’t over till its over.”
If you’re responding to MandaJo, I can easily see a child therapist thinking facial communication is far too important to give up for the tiny chance that a vaccinated adult and a child are infection worries.
I’ve been vaccinated but still wear a mask, mainly as a reassurance I’m no threat because – short of waving the V-card around – they would have no clue whether I was safe or not.
I encounter people every day who don’t bother with masks.
I’m sick of it. And I call them on it every goddamn time now, no matter who they are.
A physician is the worst. Not calling him on it, to his face, is enabling him. Complaining to his assistant is useless. It’s not her fault. He’s probably an asshole to her too.
People get away with this shit because nobody calls them on it. A physician needs to see that his patients will walk out on him. He obviously doesn’t care about the health of his patients, but maybe he’ll care about their business and their money.
If the doctor was vaccinated and you weren’t, then, if anything, the doctor should wear the mask and you don’t have to. As far as we know, there’s still a chance of the doctor getting the virus and being contagious, and could give it to you. You could give it to him and it won’t affect him, but you could get really sick.
Yep. My son just started with a counselor, and we agreed that, if the counselor wanted to, we would agree to let both of them be unmasked. It’s important, and we manage risk in other ways, so our overall risk is low. Otherwise I am adamant about good quality masks.
And no one in the healthcare field should be going without a mask with a patient without both good reason and a conversation ahead of time.
On the other hand, the counselor was a no show for their second appointment, with no word since, so there are lots of ways for healthcare providers to be unprofessional. . .
Or, anyone interested in science at all, really. Every recommendation is to keep masking, even after you’ve been vaccinated, because you can still be a source of infection and the mask protects others more than yourself. The only exceptions I’ve seen are small gatherings where everyone is vaccinated, or family exceptions.
The kid could pass the infection to an unvaccinated parent, even though the child will probably not get sick. (Most people haven’t had the opportunity to get vaccinated yet.)
Somehow I never got a reminder for my annual eye exam last year, and for some mysterious reason it completely slipped my mind.
A few weeks ago, I remembered, and I went looking in one of the several local Facebook groups that report on pandemic practices of local businesses so people can decide whether they want to go there. Several people reported that my optometrist’s office (he’s the boss) has been “masks optional” for both patients and staff since July 2020. And a friend not only confirmed it, but told me that the doc went to Sturgis last year (which I can totally believe based on past conversations with him). So that’s a solid “never again.” Unmasked superspreader all up in my face and my naked eyeballs? I think not. Apparently he doesn’t need my business. (I have fired the local computer guy who’s serviced my home business computers for 20 years for the same reason.)
I called the cesspool, I mean doc’s office, to transfer my records to a chain location about an hour away that’s getting very good pandemic reviews (and I’ve actually ordered glasses from them before). They said I had to fill out a release form (fine), but they couldn’t email or snail mail it to me – I HAD to come in to fill it out and sign it (not fine). Fortunately they said I could have the other place send me THEIR release form. So I did that.
I’m fully vaccinated (2 weeks past jab #2), but I will remain masked and distanced in public until the CDC and Dr. F say it’s safe not to.
I have three children. The youngest, at 16 months, is learning to speak. The oldest, at seven, talks quite well, and basically hasn’t stopped talking since she said her first word years ago. The middle kid, at four, is somewhat speech-delayed, and it would not be helpful to her to have all the adults around her masked all the time.
We’ve found a solution for now.
But I do worry about the effect of near-universal masking on children learning to speak and communicate.
And children in therapy, which I hadn’t thought about before.
