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1. Embed this notice
   Thomas 🔭🕹️ (thomasfuchs@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 31-Jan-2026 23:39:09 JST Thomas 🔭🕹️

   If you're running a conference, please have a COVID policy that includes mandatory indoor masking for everyone but active presenters.

   I, and many people like me, cannot participate in indoor events without _everyone_ masking.

   Thank you.

   • Embed this notice
     Thomas 🔭🕹️ (thomasfuchs@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 31-Jan-2026 23:47:53 JST Thomas 🔭🕹️

     in reply to

     • Micha

     @rattletat Because everyone wearing a mask reduces the risk to immunocompromised people by several orders of magnitude over only individuals wearing a mask.

     This isn't rocket science.

   • Embed this notice
     Micha (rattletat@tum.social)'s status on Saturday, 31-Jan-2026 23:47:55 JST Micha

     in reply to

     @thomasfuchs
     Honest question: why? Is wearing a mask not enough protection, or is it about the feeling of being included?

   • Embed this notice
     Thomas 🔭🕹️ (thomasfuchs@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 31-Jan-2026 23:51:38 JST Thomas 🔭🕹️

     in reply to

     • Shouty person

     @clacksee yes, as long as this isn't used to backdoor-exclude people from attending in person

   • Embed this notice
     Shouty person (clacksee@wandering.shop)'s status on Saturday, 31-Jan-2026 23:51:39 JST Shouty person

     in reply to

     @thomasfuchs
     And online options for those not comfortable attending person.

   • Embed this notice
     Thomas 🔭🕹️ (thomasfuchs@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 01-Feb-2026 03:21:38 JST Thomas 🔭🕹️

     in reply to

     • Theolodian

     @theolodian @rattletat@tum.social

     What sort of bullshit excuse to not care about each other is that "it just doesn't happen anymore".

     I'm specifically addressing conference organizers who can absolutely do this.

     I have been to a conference that did exactly this in September 2024.

   • Embed this notice
     Theolodian (theolodian@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 01-Feb-2026 03:21:39 JST Theolodian

     in reply to

     • Micha

     @thomasfuchs @rattletat I understand your point, and yes COVID still exists, however I haven’t seen more than a handful of people wearing masks IN TOTAL in the last 2-3 years. It just doesn’t happen (in the UK) anymore.

   • Embed this notice
     Thomas 🔭🕹️ (thomasfuchs@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 01-Feb-2026 03:28:17 JST Thomas 🔭🕹️

     in reply to

     • Theolodian

     @theolodian I don't give a fuck if it's "realistic" to ask people to not kill me and my family.

   • Embed this notice
     Theolodian (theolodian@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 01-Feb-2026 03:28:18 JST Theolodian

     in reply to

     @thomasfuchs I’m not making excuses, I am pointing out that it probably is not realistic. At least not over here. The USA might be different, more people seem to still use masks over there. You didn’t specify a country.

   • Embed this notice
     Fred Moyer (phredmoyer@hachyderm.io)'s status on Wednesday, 04-Feb-2026 13:48:44 JST Fred Moyer

     in reply to

     @thomasfuchs I know this falls into the B not A camp, but in your opinion would daily rapid tests for Covid/flu-a/b represent a less tractable option?

   • Embed this notice
     Thomas 🔭🕹️ (thomasfuchs@hachyderm.io)'s status on Thursday, 05-Feb-2026 11:11:14 JST Thomas 🔭🕹️

     in reply to

     • Fred Moyer

     @phredmoyer rapid tests had always had extremely high false negatives and who’s gonna check on that everyone is doing it?

     so no

     if you want to keep people safe at a conference you need to have mandatory masking and ideally extra air filtering

     you can’t shortcut your way to this

   • Embed this notice
     Fred Moyer (phredmoyer@hachyderm.io)'s status on Thursday, 05-Feb-2026 12:21:02 JST Fred Moyer

     in reply to

     @thomasfuchs srecon did it in 2022(?). If I recall correctly they got a couple positives.
     But yeah, c02 monitors and filters. Masks also prevent things like the #kubecold in 2019