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On a warm July evening, Raleigh Rivera, 29, went to see a band play a backyard show in East Los Angeles. The audience—around 40 people—wore KN95 or N95 masks, tested for COVID beforehand, and agreed that they would excuse themselves from the rest of the crowd if they needed to take off their masks for any reason. Before they played, the band showed their negative test results to the attendees and asked their permission to perform without masks. They were lit with far-UV lighting, which has been shown to safely kill airborne viruses. 

This might sound like a scene from three or four summers ago, when taking COVID precautions was encouraged by most health officials, policymakers, and community members—but it happened this summer. For Rivera and the rest of the crowd—who identify as COVID-conscious—life hasn’t gone “back to normal,” as it has for so many others.

Rivera and other COVID-vigilant people have cause for alarm: At the beginning of August, the percentage of people testing positive for COVID reached its highest level since January 2022, according to CDC data. The public health agency’s wastewater testing tracker shows “high” or “very high” virus levels in most U.S. states. 

Many studies have shown that properly masking gives you an extra layer of protection against COVID. But Rivera, like others in the COVID-conscious community, is usually the only person wearing a mask in any given setting. 

“Continuing to think and live this way kind of feels like you’re living in an alternate reality all the time,” she said. She has POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), a chronic blood disorder that can cause your heart rate to jump if you stand up. Along with masking wherever she goes, Rivera and her husband have air purifiers throughout their home and use a saline nasal rinse and an antimicrobial mouthwash before heading outside. Head over to WebMD to read the full story.