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AUGUST 6, 2021
WHAT IS THIS? SEE P. 2
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THEWILDRIDE This rollercovid ride isn’t over yet. And as suggested by these two kids, some of us are completely unfazed by all of this pandemic talk while others are living in dread of whatever might happen next. Which is the appropriate reaction? Probably neither. There is certainly no need for fear and panic, but ignoring the pandemic and the recommendations for dodging its effects seems highly inappropriate too. For better or for worse, plenty of people are in both camps, but it seems like there are more people in the “I’m so done with this pandemic” faction than there are in the “I’m fine with more new restrictions” camp. You’ve been on a roller coaster, right? Have you ever been on one that allowed you to decide halfway through the ride that it’s too boring or too intense or too long and allowed you to get off at that point? That’s not how it works, is it? The same situation applies to every one of us now. We can’t get off this ride even if we want to. There is something we can do, however. Following the advice of public health experts is something everyone should at least consider. Two points to ponder: one, most of us are free to accept or reject the advice we’ve been given by the healthcare community (although some employers have made things like
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vaccines mandatory for their employees; some businesses have requirements that their customers must meet). But the second key point is that every decision we make should be based on accurate information from reputable sources. It’s one thing to carefully weigh the information from the CDC or WHO and say no thank you, but it’s another matter entirely to base our decisions on anecdotal evidence from a friend or perhaps a YouTube video or Facebook post, even if the poster is a physician. This pandemic has seen its share of doctors who use social media to advocate positions that run counter to the vast majority of their peers. Some people cite these lone wolf voices as their experts of choice. Odds are, if 10,000 doctors advocate a certain course of action while 10 or 100 other doctors disagree, the overwhelming likelihood is that the 10,000 are correct. In a nutshell, here’s what the 10,000 are currently saying: we could crush this pandemic — and could have done so months ago — if more of us were vaccinated. The 10,000 are honestly reporting that some vaccinated people are having side effects and some people are testing positive for COVID after being vaccinated. Globally, well over 4 billion vaccine doses have been administered. It would be bizarre if that many doses of anything were administered without a few glitches or serious reactions here and there. That is normal with virtually every medical intervention, including aspirin. We routinely accept small risks (of the sort the COVID vaccine carries) to avoid larger risks (the very kind COVID-19 represents). The 10,000 are telling us it’s within our power to put an end to this wild ride. Will you consider doing your part to help? +
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