I already said this in a Facebook status, but if you don't have any resolutions yet for the new year, you might consider hunkering down for two weeks. I say this because I know people have been doing many activities over the holidays where there has been the potential for spread, and it takes a few days for the extent to really show.
Does it really take the whole two weeks to incubate? Not usually. That doesn't mean that shortening the quarantine time was not economically motivated or that it's a good idea, but yes, a lot of the new cases will be showing up this week.
The thing that it is important to emphasize is that the rate of infection is so broad now that the chances of contracting it go up exponentially. We did slow the spread for that six weeks back in 2020, but people kept getting worse at preventing spread: more fed up, more skeptical, more ignorant, and really more psychopathic.
It spreads.
And it is hard to go back. If you do give up on something too early, people resist going back to that earlier state. There is a cycle there. That is why, even though vaccines are widely available and the shortages of PPE seem to be resolved, the death rate keeps rising.
For the record, as of December 28th, 2021, the World Health Organization reports 281,808,270 cases world wide, and 5,411,759 deaths.
For the United States, that is 812,577 deaths and 52,543,602 cases, and -- perhaps most to the point -- 525,763 cases in the past 24 hours.
Those deaths are changing. At the beginning of the pandemic, cases and deaths were disproportionately marginalized people, due to inequities in health and employment protections. That has switched to white people, the group least likely to wear masks and get the vaccine.
I know, "not all white people". There is a strong correlation with Trump support there. If you want to delve into the numbers, there are some good links here:
Regardless, I don't want to get sick, and I do not want to get other people sick. I know that some people are higher risk, and there is no straight correlation between who deserves to die and will die, or who deserves and will get long COVID symptoms.
But I want good things for others (that does not correlate with Trump support), so I have to be responsible.
For me, this means that I am not socializing for the next two weeks. I have a milestone birthday coming up right about the end of that, and I am not planning anything fun. Maybe I can set up a list of Zoom calls.
I am very fortunate to be able to telecommute. If you have to be at work, do what you can to protect yourself and others with masks, distancing, and supporting of sick leave.
I will probably go to the store twice over those two weeks, but absolutely will not dine in a restaurant, or go to a museum, or anything like that.
Also -- here is where I have the most qualms -- I will not be going to church. I do not feel good about that, but speaking of Trump supporters!
Even in the other, nearby, stake where they said that people not wearing masks would have to talk to the stake president, it needed to be said. Our stake has not been that forward, and I have to do what I think is right.
I hope that the pandemic will subside, and I will be seeing many of you before the end of 2022. I hope we will be hugging, laughing, and singing karaoke.
Right now is the time to make that happen.
Bless us all, every one.
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