When to stop?
When to stop?
Muse #190 - it is a game of wait and see, live and learn
The pandemic has made us acquire lots of new practices over the last 18 months and several of them have become part of our lives. Like masks in public areas, use of gloves (sometimes), and certainly hand-washing and disinfectant use.
We still pick up our groceries at the curb at both Walmart and our neighborhood grocery store as this practice of ordering online and picking up standard stuff has become convenient so it is going to stay. But usually, we wipe down our groceries before we put them away (not recommended by any research, but a practice that we evolved on our own) and my daughter suggested today on “why not stop this practice?”. Canada’s vaccination rate has crossed 80% and 60% for one and two doses respectively and the mask mandates in private situations are slowly coming down.
We have been invited to a family gathering of 25 this Monday and this is probably the largest event we have attended since two years ago. And this is going to be mask-free. But, the question remains “When do we stop some practices?”. But there is no clear answer to that - and the factors that need to be considered include:
the Delta variant is still around and growing
one would never know in public whether the other one has received vaccinations or not
though all family members have received two doses of vaccines, we don’t know its efficacy on the individual per se.
we have got different vaccines, Pfizer, Moderna, and a mix of both.
one could still get the virus, in spite of the vaccine though there is evidence that its impacts are generally mild
we don’t know the impact on the elderly who received the vaccine who get the virus. have seen various cases where people have died from it
we don’t know the impact of the virus on vaccinated people with risk factors from other diseases.
though we know the statistics behind what is going on, one never knows what will happen to you. And you don’t want to be a statistic. And that is true with any risk.
So, I guess some practices will still continue…
Hand-washing whenever appropriate
Use of a disinfectant spray or hand sanitizers when appropriate or required
Masks when appropriate especially in most public situations
“So at what point do we stop some practices?” Rules and regulations are one guidance but - once the level of vaccinations reaches 90%? Or when new cases are can be counted in small numbers?
It is a game of wait and see… and live and learn.