I understand that, but what happens when we have to face reality concerning the vaccines? Not everyone will get them, and they are less effective against certain variants. I don’t think it’s laughable to say that, at this point, we need to face the fact that we will need to come to terms with living with COVID. That’s not to say we throw up our hands and do nothing - just that we may need to keep adjusting our solutions to the reality of our situation.
I know I hate mixed messaging too. Maybe if people were honest and answered questions instead of censoring, mocking, and silencing we’d be in a better place.
Great post. I agree. I read that this will never go away because it’s the cousin of the cold. We need to vaccinate so this thing evolves into a meek variant. I don’t own stock in COVID, just a subjective voice learned from our very own @GoofGoof and others who have posted data.
I like this my friend
While I don’t claim to be ordinary... I was annoyed that the cdc dropped masks and distancing before we reached the target percentage of vaccinated adults. They actually did “move the goalposts” that time and I believe it has set us back significantly.
I do think this is an important point... the vaccines are helping but we aren’t going to get everybody vacinated and even if we did unless we close the borders variants will find a way in. We are going to have to figure out how to live in a new normal and that may mean more masks and distancing. Just ignoring it doesn’t seem to be working.
I wear a KN95 mask. What do you wear?
I personally favor employer mandates and vaccine passports because I don’t see masks and distancing as a long-term workable solution. I just don’t believe enough people will accept them as anything other than a temporary stop-gap measure.
None unless needed. I’m vaccinated.
I feel the same about vaccine passports. They are fine for a “stop-gap” measure but having to show a vaccine card that you have the latest booster, etc. isn’t a long term solution either.
I’m vacinated as well.
I think the vaccines are our best way out though. My area of Illinois was very compliant with masks and social distancing, and that probably explains why we're in a better position than a lot of other states. When the CDC changed its guidance in May, most stores and restaurants changed their signs from "masks required" to "masks optional for those who are vaccinated." The CDC's guidance then changed (based on rising numbers) to recommend masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, but very few of the businesses in my area have adopted the new guidance. I honestly don't think they will. Regardless of how you feel about the matter, I think the reality of the situation (at least where I live) is that masks and social distancing will not return.
I’ve been to several towns for work this week and I’ve seen “masks requested” signs and all employees masked at most businesses.
Hospitals are cancelling their money making elective procedures to free up staff and resources to treat COVID patients. There are vaccinated people suffering because their care is being delayed to treat people who did not get vaccinated.
I don’t doubt it. There seems to be a pretty great disparity between areas. I was a bit surprised that no one (except our local arboretum) has changed their mask requirements. Maybe the CDC change is too recent and businesses are still trying to figure out what they should do.
Evidently Covid doesn’t pay well.
Th vaccines are our way out but we don’t have enough people vaccinated. It’s not that the vaccines failed, they are doing exactly hat they were advertised to do. It’s the unvaccinated people who have failed. If 95% of the population got the vaccine like measles or other common vaccines there would be no masking and distancing and negative economic impacts and hospitals full and death. The reason mitigations are back is because we failed to get enough people vaccinated. There’s no mixed message. It’s pretty straight forward.
Huh? How is giving up profitable procedures to treat money losing COVID patients an example of profitability being more important?
www.wsj.com
Hospitals have been hiring, or at least trying to, and adding capacity. Capacity isn’t limited just by staffing. When people are being treated in hallways there’s more than just a shortage of staff. Even if every hospital decided to add a new wing to deal with COVID-19 last year they still wouldn’t be open by now. It also wouldn’t address things like the shortages of supplies and equipment.
