(This was originally going to be a response to an online conversation about mask mandates, but I decided to save it, think about it, and post it here instead.)

I am glad to hear so many people have been vaccinated. That benefits all of us. Thank you.

Some of us will still want to wear masks indoors. That's not paranoia or hysteria. The pandemic has made people more aware of how diseases are transmitted.

It's really unfortunate that the conversation around masks (and vaccinations) displays so little empathy. People seem to ignore or forget that our actions affect others, not just ourselves. Vaccination protects all of us from viral mutations, not just me from infection. Wearing a mask protects other people from me in case I am infected, not just me from others. On the other hand, a person's choice to accept the risks of not getting vaccinated or not wearing a mask also imposes a risk on everyone around that person.

Now, it's true that we all accept some risk of something (like the flu) when we are around other people. That was true before the pandemic and it's true now. But as of today, May 21st, 2021, the pandemic is not over. See India, Singapore, Taiwan. We should all still be careful, in whatever way makes sense, for our own sake but also for the safety of those around us, until COVID hopefully goes the way of the seasonal flu.

But above all, remember that your choices in this matter affect not only you but everyone around you.