Gregory's Server@augieray On the other hand... Doesn't this mean that COVID will *never* be over, and so many measures we take to deal with it should be measures we can live with long-term?
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@augieray I'm pro-vaccine, pro-HVAC modernization, pro-masks (especially in healthcare settings or if someone has any symptoms of anything). I agree with you that all of these tools are still under-used. I don't think changing social habits is a long term solution. When we're trying to interrupt exponential growth before vaccines and treatments are available, we have little choice but isolation. But it's not sustainable, and leads to backlash that spills over onto other measures if overused. @marymessall There are a lot of ways to change social habits that don't involve constant isolation. Like prioritizing outdoor activities. Or going over to someone's house versus meeting them in a crowded bar. Or staying home in months when COVID surges. I get tired of people saying we can't change habits. We used to not wear seatbelts or wear helmets on bikes. We used to hang out in bars cloudy with smoke. Somehow, we managed the miracle of change to protect health. @augieray Outdoor activities are fine, when possible. But it's not realistic or fair to ask people to give up crowded bars, performances, parties, sporting events, classes, conferences, religious worship... Forever. Being in crowds all sharing the same experience is fundamental to human culture in a way that bench seats and tobacco are not. Staying home for months is likewise *painful* for people, something we can successfully impose only briefly & in emergencies. But COVID is here to stay, now. |
@marymessall On the one hand, I think it's likely COVID will never be over. On the other, where do you see long-term measures? We haven't changed social habits. We don't wear masks. We have not passed laws for cleaner and more monitored air in public spaces. Vaccine uptake is miserably low.
I agree this data tells us COVID may be here to stay, and it SHOULD encourage to take the long-term measures we've almost completely ignored.