There's one point that I didn't seem to see in this excellent article. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
In addition to all the misinformation you so deftly lay out, there's also most people's erroneous idea that even a nasty case of Covid is nothing to worry about. It's much easier to condemn the very elderly and those with "pre-existing conditions" to a life of never-ending lockdowns (just stay home if you're in danger!) if the general population firmly believes that the virus will leave them with no long lasting sequelae, let alone long Covid.
This is the attitude I come up against constantly, even among people well into their 60s and 70s. They honestly, truly, deeply believe that they will be spared and that it's worse to miss out on a trip to Europe or a lovely restaurant meal or a wedding than to catch what they feel is, at most, a nasty flu. My 30-ish son says he doesn't know anyone who's been seriously affected by a Covid infection. My friend who's turning 70 in a few months is more worried about the health of people who drink too much or don't exercise regularly. They speak for almost everyone I know.
"Just wait, you'll see, if not this year, then maybe next year or just a few years down the road," or "I'm really concerned about the health of today's babies, who will have had Covid ten times or more before they turn 18" are arguments that get no traction whatsoever.
Needless to say, I don't go to parties anymore and in fact, I no longer see most of my "before times" friends. Just call me Debbie Downer.
Thanks for your great writing Julia! You're definitely on the right side of history.
Wish I'd written this. Thank you for compiling it. I say some version of at least one of your bullet points to someone nearly every day.
Yes, I'm super fun at parties. Oh, that's right, absolutely no one invites me to parties anymore because they know I'll refuse to attend unless they answer my minimal COVID-safety questions correctly.
Another misconception is that a surgical mask is effective enough to block infection. Even when masking is recommended or when HCWs agree to put on a mask, it's often a surgical. Dentists, whose masks are the only barrier between them and their maskless patients, don't normally wear N95s. And even when public health communications do recommend wearing masks (when symptomatic), they don't specifically mention respirators and sometimes use graphics depicting blue surgicals.
Thank you for this cogent summary of state of the pandemic. I'm forwarding it to a few people in my family who might benefit from it, as well as to a few who need their misconceptions debunked (it's a long way down those denialist rabbit holes, but I send it anyway).
Thanks for a fully fact based, practical review of the ongoing risks of catching COVID and how to analyze them. Unfortunately these considerations are not well known among the general public.
My fear is that in addition to thinking Covid has no real long term consequences, that if it asymptomatic and testing/masking when symptomatic/staying home when sick isn’t enough, then what is the point of doing anything? I’d rather people do something of nothing. It think it is too big of a hurdle to expect everyone to go back to masking, although I wish we could.
There's one point that I didn't seem to see in this excellent article. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
In addition to all the misinformation you so deftly lay out, there's also most people's erroneous idea that even a nasty case of Covid is nothing to worry about. It's much easier to condemn the very elderly and those with "pre-existing conditions" to a life of never-ending lockdowns (just stay home if you're in danger!) if the general population firmly believes that the virus will leave them with no long lasting sequelae, let alone long Covid.
This is the attitude I come up against constantly, even among people well into their 60s and 70s. They honestly, truly, deeply believe that they will be spared and that it's worse to miss out on a trip to Europe or a lovely restaurant meal or a wedding than to catch what they feel is, at most, a nasty flu. My 30-ish son says he doesn't know anyone who's been seriously affected by a Covid infection. My friend who's turning 70 in a few months is more worried about the health of people who drink too much or don't exercise regularly. They speak for almost everyone I know.
"Just wait, you'll see, if not this year, then maybe next year or just a few years down the road," or "I'm really concerned about the health of today's babies, who will have had Covid ten times or more before they turn 18" are arguments that get no traction whatsoever.
Needless to say, I don't go to parties anymore and in fact, I no longer see most of my "before times" friends. Just call me Debbie Downer.
Thanks for your great writing Julia! You're definitely on the right side of history.
Wish I'd written this. Thank you for compiling it. I say some version of at least one of your bullet points to someone nearly every day.
Yes, I'm super fun at parties. Oh, that's right, absolutely no one invites me to parties anymore because they know I'll refuse to attend unless they answer my minimal COVID-safety questions correctly.
Signed,
Still Rocking my Respirator
As usual, a great article!
Another misconception is that a surgical mask is effective enough to block infection. Even when masking is recommended or when HCWs agree to put on a mask, it's often a surgical. Dentists, whose masks are the only barrier between them and their maskless patients, don't normally wear N95s. And even when public health communications do recommend wearing masks (when symptomatic), they don't specifically mention respirators and sometimes use graphics depicting blue surgicals.
Another bullseye article. Many thanks, Julia. Best of health to you and us all.
Thank you for this cogent summary of state of the pandemic. I'm forwarding it to a few people in my family who might benefit from it, as well as to a few who need their misconceptions debunked (it's a long way down those denialist rabbit holes, but I send it anyway).
Thanks for a fully fact based, practical review of the ongoing risks of catching COVID and how to analyze them. Unfortunately these considerations are not well known among the general public.
My fear is that in addition to thinking Covid has no real long term consequences, that if it asymptomatic and testing/masking when symptomatic/staying home when sick isn’t enough, then what is the point of doing anything? I’d rather people do something of nothing. It think it is too big of a hurdle to expect everyone to go back to masking, although I wish we could.