Seeking solidarity, here, and advice from folks who are masking still/again for health reasons.
I was hit really hard by Covid in 2020 - the OG strain - and have suffered with long-term health issues as a result. A few months ago, I eased up on masking because, frankly, I'm over it. I wanted to teach one class without feeling like the "weirdo" in the room, and reasoned since there were only six kids, I'd be fine. ... You can guess what happened - I immediately caught covid, which knocked me *right* out. I missed work in-person for a week, and had to do the following week online. Two families terminated because they felt this made me "unreliable".
I haven't been masking for the past month or so because I figured I've got decent immunity for now, but last week THREE of my kids came in with colds (or "just allergies") and I of course got sick. It's been almost a week and I still feel awful.
It seems like returning to masking would be the best course of action here, or at least the wisest, but... ugh. I don't want to do it again. I'm concerned about the impact on my clients - and I know, I know, we have to take care of ourselves first, and I've masked before while maintaining good rapport, but... I'm sad, and apprehensive. Any encouragement or support is welcome and appreciated.