After looking new cases of COVID-19 and deaths due to COVID-19, the editors of the Washington Post encourage “us”, presumably federal, state, and local governments to ease back into “normal” life:
This time, let’s do it right. First, finish the vaccination job. About half the population eligible for a booster dose has yet to get one; about a fifth of the eligible population lacks even one shot. A major increase in vaccination would do wonders against another variant or surge. Second, jurisdictions should heed local conditions, such as the test positivity rate and cases per capita when deciding whether to lift restrictions such as masks. Epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina of the University of Texas Health Center created a useful guide for decision-making based on cases and test positivity rates by county, suggesting that indoor masks could be removed when cases are fewer than 50 per 100,000 people and positivity under 8 percent. By this measure, Montgomery County, for example, has a case rate of 163.99 but the positivity ratio is under 5 percent — so it’s not quite ready, but it could be soon if omicron continues to retreat. D.C. and other Maryland and Virginia counties in the region are similarly not quite ready.
Third, the U.S. government should maintain pressure on companies to keep producing test kits and masks, as well as the new antivirals, so the nation is adequately stockpiled in case of a new variant. Reaching more of the unvaccinated beyond the United States will help, too.
I’m in material agreement with that although I think we should acknowledge there’s a more than a little “no true Scotsman” in those prescriptions. So, for example, I agree that empirical standards should be set for easing particular restrictions and governments should be open about them and follow through with them.
Here in Illinois and Chicago I can’t quite tell whether Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot are leading or following. If they’re paying attention to the statistics, they’re leading. If they are just looking at what’s already happening, they’re following. Aren’t election years wonderful?
As the worn joke goes. They are following the science; political science.
I’m in agreement on setting objective metrics / thresholds — but that required an objective goal — which until now was a big argument on “living with covid” vs “zero covid”. It seems Omicron (plus a sub-40% Presidential approval rating and the Virginia Governor election) has decisively settled the answer on “living with covid”.
Its really something to see the sudden wave of actions lifting mandates this week (in Oregon, Connecticut, Virginia, Vermont — even in Canadian provinces, Saskatchewan, Alberta). Its like the reverse of March 2020 when the lockdowns came in a cascading wave.
As a final point. I recommend this video that made waves in Canadian politics yesterday. A legislator of the governing Liberal party stated succinctly some serious mistakes Canadian governments made in pandemic policy in the last few months that led to the truck convoy protest — many of which also apply to US governments. He also made some good suggestions on fixing those mistakes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB9Q6cCQ1bM
To add to Curious’ examples, Boris Johnson has announced that all Covid restrictions might be lifted shortly in UK. He must be operating from a position of strength? Less snarky, I thought it was interesting teacher’s unions are leaning on changing policy on masks. On the first school day after an Illinois judge ruled against the governor’s school mandates, half of the teachers at my son’s high school stopped masking. (And why not? they are either fully vaccinated or have received an exemption.)
A colleague of mine in the UK described their political situation to me today as a “skip fire” (translation: “dumpster fire”).
The Canadian legislator makes some good points I guess but not sure about his pleas for the unvaccinated. In person I will always treat the unvaccinated the same as vaccinated. It is a trial sometimes because so many of the unvaccinated are A holes. We have one of our facilities under police protection due to threats from anti-vaxxer/anti-masker. Even if you think masks dont work in a general setting wouldn’t most people understand that there is higher percentage of vulnerable people in a hospital?
But in general arent these people just a bunch of snowflakes if they can take criticism? The reason you have to wait 10 hours instead of 46 minutes to be seen in an ED is almost entirely due to the large numbers of unvaccinated with covid. The reason any restrictions still exist is largely due to unvaccinated. It is well understood, except by the conspiracy folks, that the vaccines are incredibly safe. If everyone was vaccinated that could be covid is not a big deal.
So how should we treat and talk about people who are inflicting both costs and harms upon others? That always brings up the comparison to others like Obese pts, drug addicts, etc, but in this case the unvaccinated have a problem that can be cured just by getting a few shots, unlike the other usual comparisons. At this point the unvaccinated are not going to get vaccinated so I dont see the need to avoid hurting their snowflake feelings. Its not like we dont make fun of or talk badly about drug addicts or majorly obese people if we are honest so I think the unvaccinated should probably expect to have their feelings hurt occasionally and just sick it up instead of whining about it. Heaven knows the unvaccinated dont hesitate to dish out the vitriol.
Steve