with another SARS-CoV-2 wave in full swing here's a few reminders for the few of you that still care about yourself or others:

1) COVID isn't just a respiratory infection, it spreads through the cardiovascular system and infects pretty much everything. every infection causes damage, the question isn't if but just where and how much. you might get obvious long COVID symptoms. or you might just have a heart attack a year or two later without warning. the statistics on long COVID are misleading cause they only capture what can be diagnosed. 10-20% cumulative risk should still be scary enough, but it doesn't mean that the rest come away entirely unscathed.

2) you can pass on infections without showing symptoms, and the risk of that is actually very high. you'll be infectious before showing symptoms and many infections with SARS-CoV-2 stay asymptomatic. you can still hurt or kill people even if you feel fine. you can still come away with long term damage if you feel fine too, that just means your immune system didn't react that strongly.

3) masks are effective to protect you and your community but not all masks are equal and they need to be used correctly. first of all you want a proper respirator mask with a meltblown filter medium. cloth masks are only minimally protective. surgical masks have a filter medium but a lot of air can easily pass around the mask. these are better than better than nothing but shouldn't be relied on. make sure you have a mask that properly seals around your face. this is the biggest factor in whether a mask will be effective. better quality masks can have lower breathing resistance, which isn't just a comfort thing, but helps protect you by reducing pressure pushing air through gaps around the mask. if you feel air pushing around your mask it's not protecting you as well as it should.

4) there's nothing magical about being outside that will protect you or others. you can just get infected there or pass on an infection. it's just a matter of enough virions getting into the system to cause an infection. with close contact, dense crowds, prolonged contact etc. infection risk goes up even outside.

5) since it's getting cold in many parts of the northern hemisphere now also a reminder that the cold will temporarily weaken the immune system in your respiratory tract, increasing your risk of contracting an infection both outside and for a bit after coming back inside. wearing a mask outside can help with keeping you warm too.