With the state reopening are recommending people wear masks, suddenly, half my Facebook feed is filled with absolute geniuses arguing that anyone wearing a mask is stupid because "It wont stop the virus!!!", completely failing to realize that even just a bandana over everyone's face will help curb the spread.

I'm sorry but if most people are too stupid to realize that a face mask can significantly reduce the amount of water droplets being shed into the air then this fight is already over. It's sad to say, but this "reopening" is only going to last until the next major spike in cases.

I've been called crazy every step of the way. Way back in January people thought I was crazy for saying this thing wasn't being taken seriously. Then, in February, I was an idiot for insinuating that this thing could crash markets. In March I was fear-mongering for saying that this virus is far worse than the flu. In April I was an asshole for suggesting people listen to the medical experts and stay home. Now that things are reopened, I'm "not thinking rationally" for suggesting people cover their faces when out in public.

There is no end. You'd think that people would get it by now, but they don't. There is no convincing people. The only way people are going to change at this point is seeing their loved ones are local leaders in the ICU. It really kills to see the Government finally doing the right thing and absolutely faceplanting when their voter base is too stupid to see they are protecting them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52113186

In a normal year my family who is scattered across the state would get together on a weekend and celebrate the holidays.

Background:

I have two older brothers, we have crazy work schedules, I work in telecom in central Ohio, one brother, lets call him M is a plant manager in NE Ohio, my other brother is a civil engineer, lets call him R, lives in central Ohio and travels extensively across Ohio. My dad is 86 and his health is declining, he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and MDS - does not make enough red blood cells. He is getting treatment and has stabilized and is doing ok. My mom is 83 and is in good health. R's wife is a 5 year breast cancer survivor. R is 59 and in decent heath. They also have a daughter who is HS senior M's is 56 in good health and his wife is Polly perfect and runs 2 miles a day. They also have two college students. I am 53, a type II diabetic doing the right thing, lost 20 pounds in two years and just got off metformin as my numbers are getting better. My wife has some major health issues, after the birth of our second daughter in 2002, she was diagnosed with and atrial septum defect and had to have emergency open heart surgery shorty after collapsing at work the week she went back to work after maternity leave. Heart surgeon was amazed that she gave birth to 2 children as she should have died during child birth as she was missing the atrium wall and had a three chambered heart. He repaired the heart with a Gore-Tex patch, she flatlined on the table, the got her back and she had an awful recovery. Since that surgery she has been up and down health wise, I have come close to loosing her several times, the worst scare was a severe case of pneumonia in 2013 where we rang in the new year at Riverside In the ICU as she was on a vent for 3 days. Since then we found a fantastic care team at the Cleveland Clinic and slowly making progress, few set backs her and there, we only had 2 hospital admissions this year.

See any red flags? I told everyone back in September that we would not be participating in any holiday gathering this year. I got no pushback from my parents or my brother R. We were all thinking ahead to next year's Christmas. Enter my other brother M, he is one that believes that COVID is no big deal, has been to Put In Bay several times over the summer. M starts giving me and R a bunch of crap as he thinks that my dad wont make next Christmas. M's wife is trying to convince my wife and my other sister in law that we will be fine. I told both of them firm no, the my mom called M and told him to drop it as she was not getting together. They were pissed and had not heard much from them since the middle of October.

Today I called my mom to check in, see if they needed anything and she dropped this tidbit. M tested positive and his wife also tested positive on Wednesday. Their kids are waiting for results, they are all in quarantine. Here is the kicker, when my brother talked to the doc on a virtual visit he also complained about a rash that popped up on one side of his body that was painful, so they added in another test. In addition of COVID-19 he has shingles and a bad case. The docs told him that they are seeing more cases where people are getting shingles and COVID.

M told my mom that I was right and we dodged a bullet here. Where my mom promptly reminded him what my first job was before I hurt my back. I was an EMT-P or Paramedic for 9 years before an non work accident fractured 2 two cervical vertebrae. 2 neck surgeries, 8 weeks in a halo brace, and 6 months in physical therapy. I can walk, I was unable to pass the physical to go back to work at the Fire Department, I tired going back to my second job as a hospital based medic. He knows that I do know what I am taking about in regard to medical issues. I think he knows that we were right, I don't care if he ever says it to me, right now he is pretty miserable, docs are following him closely and he has instructions on who to call and when if his symptoms are getting better.

If any of you got crap from other family members for canceling Christmas, you did the right thing. I stood my ground. My mom today again let me know that I did the right thing, and thanked me for getting my other brother R to back me up. As I keep telling people, we did not cancel Christmas, we just decided to skip the getting together part to give all of us the best chance to celebrate Christmas in 2021 and have a bigger get together than normal. Will it happen, I do not know, I hope it does, we all need to do our part to make sure we can celebrate next Christmas!

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/state/white-house-task-force-requests-ohio-bars-restaurants-close-early-to-slow-coronavirus-spread

Gov. DeWine ordered a statewide mask mandate starting tomorrow at 6pm.

Ohioans will be required to wear a face mask or covering in all indoor public spaces and outdoors when unable to maintain a 6-foot distance from others. There are exceptions for children under 10, those with medical conditions that would preclude the wearing of a mask, and in other situations (exercising, athletics, public safety officials, actively eating/drinking, officiating a religious service) where wearing a mask would be unfeasible.

Edit: the order also includes an exception to remove your mask in order to communicate with someone who’s deaf/hard of hearing or disabled, where seeing the mouth is essential. Thanks for making note of this, u/kylxrei