Mask up!

That exclamation point should be read as anger.

I know I haven't spent as much time blogging against capitalism as I would have liked, partly because I still have a lot of work to do on improving my own knowledge. 

Regardless, it should be pretty clear that there are decisions that get made that have more basis in a desire for profit than science. Switching isolation time from 14 days to 5 days was done by the CDC but it happened at the request of the airlines:

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/29/1068731487/delta-ceo-asks-cdc-to-cut-quarantine

I know that is relatively old news, but it's part of a pattern, and it's relevant.

I will acknowledge that most people who contract COVID are going to show symptoms within five days of exposure. There are outliers, and that is one concern, but the bigger concern is that if we keep cutting corners because we are prioritizing corporate profits over public health, that is not a good way of decision-making, and it is not good for public health.

It does not end up being great for capitalism either. We keep hearing more about canceled flights due to crew shortages.  How much of that is due to illness? How much of that has gotten worse because of shorter isolation times and the removal of mask mandates?

That's not just airlines. My job is currently understaffed, and unexpected closures and reduces hours are happening at many places due to worker shortages.

The WHO's last update for U.S. Coronavirus deaths was 1,012,816; 6,358,899. 

Some people will tell you that those were only old, retired people, so it doesn't affect the labor force.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/02/jobs-where-workers-have-the-highest-risk-of-dying-from-covid-study.html

Line cooks had a 60% increase in mortality during the pandemic. That restaurant on reduced hours? It may not be just the front of the house.

The next four job types most affected were warehouse line workers, agricultural workers, bakers, and construction laborers. 

That could affect some things.

Also, we know some people lost child care. They may be out of the work force because of that.

And, one in five COVID cases ends up with long terms symptoms:

https://health.ucdavis.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-information/covid-19-long-haulers

That's not just the adults, many of whom are ending up with symptoms similar to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which can have dramatic effects on their ability to work. Common complications in children include diabetes and hepatitis.

I don't think the most important thing about these illnesses is potential future productivity, but there should be a realization that the denial will eventually implode. We shouldn't want that. Even if many captains of industry are not willing to risk their profits, collectively we should be resisting their will.

Instead, what we seem to get is a fatalism that "we are all going to get COVID so we might as well accept it."

Screw that!

I haven't gotten it. My sisters haven't gotten. Yes we have gotten our vaccines, but we are also wearing masks. We do avoid some things. We gave up on a vacation that we had been planning for a long time because the improvements we were sure would come didn't, but we are still uninfected.

It is wonderful that children can get the vaccines now. People who still refuse to act at all responsibly means that variants keep happening, some vaccine resistant. 

It's not enough.

We can improve ventilation, but that requires collective effort. 

We can all wear masks.

Put on your mask!