How’s that for click bait!
No, I am not saying that vaccines are not important. They are crucial. But vaccines cannot be looked at as the “quick fix” for this pandemic. Vaccination, along with continued control measures proven to be effective, must be continued. Masking, distancing, personal hygiene…
What we also need to do is stop focusing on getting back to “normal”. Whatever “normal” was got us into this mess in the first place. Unhealthy people. Factory farming breeding these bugs (remember that almost every single infectious disease out there came from animals). Climate change. All of these issues, and more, must be changed if we are to not only get past Covid-19, but the next pandemic which is is probably even brewing. We already know about H7N9, the very deadly avian flu out there in the world. If you want nightmares, look it up. IN addition, we now know that those who survive Ebola can still spread it to others even 5 years after they were “cured”.
Rushing to open things up, and that unfortunately includes opening up schools, has and will continue to lead to spread of the various forms of this virus. Some schools have already closed, only days after reopening due to outbreaks. The numbers had been decreasing, but the trend, not only in other parts of the world, but in the US are rising again. Albeit slowly, but we have not yet seen the ramifications of spring break and all the accelerated “normalization” in the social world.
I am very happy to see that the AstraZeneca vaccine has been put back on the vaccine menu in many of the countries which put it on hold.
Remember that most of the world has not been vaccinated. Although we are improving in the numbers, most Americans have not been vaccinated, but the way we are opening up, you’d think this is all over! It’s not and not by a long shot.
Please continue to be careful.
Socialize, but do so carefully and as performers say, you have to know your audience, or in this case, the behaviors of those you socialize with.
Have a great weekend and please continue to do all the things we know help.
GET VACCINATED. Whichever one you can. In Canada, they are adopting the “get the most people at least one shot as fast as possible” approach. My father got his Pfizer shot 2 days ago and is not scheduled for the second shot for almost 4 months! This practice has actually been going on in Britain now for a while and it seems to be working. Although after the second shots of Pfizer and Moderna, there is about 95% protection, there is about 70% after only one shot. In addition, there may actually be a benefit and longer lasting protection by spreading it out more. We just don’t know, because we are still learning.
This whole thing has been a medical, social, economic… experiment and we won’t have the final answers for years.
MASK UP.
DISTANCE.
WASH and sanitize as needed. Don;t overdo it.
VENTILATE.
GET HEALTHY!!!!!
Stay Safe and Be well.
AC