Back to Where We Started

A new report about the Delta variant from the CDC demonstrates how dangerous it is. My key takeaways from this summary:

1. 

   Photo by Nandhu Kumar from Pexels

   "One chart shows that it could be as contagious as chicken pox — which is one of the more transmissible viruses out there. It spreads more easily than the common cold, the 1918 flu and small pox."
2. "It also says that in addition to being more contagious, the delta variant likely increases the risk of severe disease and hospitalization, compared to the original strain."
3. "Vaccinated people are just as contagious as unvaccinated people when it comes to the delta variant. With previous strains, vaccinated people who became infected with the coronavirus had much lower levels of virus, meaning they were less contagious."

So basically, thanks to people who didn't want to get the vaccine (or follow any of the other guidelines that could have slowed the spread of this thing), it's out of control again and we're back where we started last year 🙄

Some cities and even the federal government are about to mandate that employees either get vaccinated or submit to regular testing. Of course, antivaxxers interpret this as "get vaccinated or lose your job." In the comments of a Facebook connection's post, somebody wrote, "They are forcing people to get vaccinated or they will no longer have a job. For example, if you don't get the vaccine, you will need to do a weekly COVID test proving you're negative in order to work." ...Where in that did it say they would lose their job? 

Stories and interviews keep coming out with people who have gotten really badly sick and suddenly regretted not getting vaccinated, but it was too late. I just watched this one yesterday, where the woman is wearing oxygen and urging everyone to get vaccinated now ... It's just too bad that this is on CNN, and not one of the networks watched by the people who really need to hear this message. (Also, she said she didn't get the vaccine because it hasn't been around for that long. You know what hasn't been around much longer? COVID.)

We've made plans for a short, 2-night trip in a few weeks. Besides our hotel room, we will be outdoors only - we're even planning on getting takeout food and eating outside or worst case in our room. If you'd asked me about it a month ago I would have felt really confident about going, but now I'm already thinking we might have to cancel it 😕