COVID-19

TMP — The Wrong Direction

Fandango33 Comments

Every Monday, Paula Light, with her The Monday Peeve prompt, gives us an opportunity to vent or rant about something that pisses us off. Well, my peeve today is about stupidity and selfishness.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is very frustrated. He is worried that the United States is in an “unnecessary predicament” of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent delta variant.

The only way to stop the latest surge of COVID-19 cases is through herd immunity. Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.

Herd immunity can be achieved when enough people have been vaccinated for a disease and have developed protective antibodies against future infection. What is “enough” people? It is at least 70% but preferably closer to 90%.

Unfortunately, as of yesterday, only 49.1% of Americans have been fully vaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s nowhere near enough vaccinations to stop the spread of the delta variant, the most contagious strain of novel coronavirus ever identified.

In 48 states, the rate of new COVID-19 cases this past week jumped by at least 10% compared to the previous week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. In 34 of those states, the rate of new cases increased by more than 50%.

Hospitals are starting to fill up again with COVID-19 patients, but now, in many areas, patients are younger than before.

The rational and smart response to this situation is simple. Eligible Americans who want to prevent the continued spread of the disease need to do their part and get vaccinated. To refuse to get vaccinated because of political or religious reasons or due to unfounded, ridiculous conspiracy theories is not helping.

Don’t be stupid, people. Don’t be selfish. Get vaccinated and when out in public, wear a goddam face mask. That is the only way to help every single American enjoy the freedoms that we want to return to.

End of peeve.

Here We Go Again

Fandango29 Comments

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water….

I took a lot of grief from some commenters on my last Provocative Question post in which I asked if people were fully vaccinated. In that post I pointed out that…

COVID-19 cases are back on the rise in the U.S., with a disproportionate number new cases among unvaccinated people. Further, the rise of the delta variant of the virus is rapidly speeding transmission among those who haven’t been fully vaccinated, and that variant accounts for more than half of all new COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

Yet some took offense when I suggested that not getting vaccinated was selfish. But here we are. Just as health experts predicted, the combination of unvaccinated people and the more contagious delta strain of coronavirus has led to new COVID-19 surges. According to Johns Hopkins University, in 46 states, the rates of new cases this past week were at least 10% higher than the rates of new cases the previous week. And in 31 states, new cases this past week were at least 50% higher than new cases the previous week.

The vast majority of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S. have one thing in common: They’re among unvaccinated people. Duh! More than 99% of all COVID-19 deaths in June were among unvaccinated people, according to the CDC.

But go ahead, folks. Stubbornly refuse to get vaccinated, don’t wear face masks, or maintain social distancing. Never mind that not getting vaccinated and not wearing face masks could result in keeping COVID around indefinitely. Maybe you don’t give a shit about your own health, but some of us want to stay healthy and alive.

Fandango’s Provocative Question #126

Fandango87 Comments
FPQ

Welcome once again to Fandango’s Provocative Question. Each week I will pose what I think is a provocative question for your consideration.

By provocative, I don’t mean a question that will cause annoyance or anger. Nor do I mean a question intended to arouse sexual desire or interest.

What I do mean is a question that is likely to get you to think, to be creative, and to provoke a response. Hopefully a positive response.

This week’s provocative question is about COVID-19 vaccinations. I know that four months ago, in this Provocative Question post, I asked if you’d gotten vaccinated for COVID-19 yet. My question this week is similar, but different.

I know that many of us were hoping that COVID-19 would be behind us by now, given the widespread availability of free vaccinations to protect us from this potentially deadly disease that brought the United States, and most other countries around the globe, to its knees in 2020. But it’s not behind us.

COVID-19 cases are back on the rise in the U.S., with a disproportionate number new cases among unvaccinated people in Southern and Appalachian states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida, and West Virginia, where vaccination rates are low.

Further, the rise of the delta variant of the virus is rapidly speeding transmission among those who haven’t been fully vaccinated, and that variant accounts for more than half of all new COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

So my provocative question is simply this…

Are you fully vaccinated against COVID-19 yet? And if not, why the fuck not?

If you choose to participate, write a post with your response to the question. Once you are done, tag your post with #FPQ and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments. But remember to check to confirm that your pingback or your link shows up in the comments.

One-Liner Wednesday — Getting Old

Fandango8 Comments

“You know you’re getting old when you get that one candle on your birthday cake. It’s like, ‘See if you can blow this out.’”

Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian

I’m pretty sure that when Jerry Seinfeld first said this it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. After all, who blows out the candles on their birthday cake and then passes out slices to their birthday party guests anymore? Um, thanks but no thanks.

Written for Linda G. Hill’s One-Liner Wednesday prompt.