COVID Urgings

I don't have medical or scientific knowledge. I sometimes state conclusions here with vehement confidence when I believe myself to possess special knowledge or insight. This is not one of those times.

I'm just sharing my perspective on the current COVID situation, and my practical plan of action.


News today:

1. The extra-contagious UK variant is becoming widespread

2. The very dangerous South African variant has been spotted in the NYC Tristate area.

3. There have been ominous hints all along that even mild COVID cases may present delayed health problems after recovery. There's new research on this reported today, specifically regarding children, but I wouldn't be surprised (and I doubt any scientist would preclude) the possibility that this still-new pathogen (which we don't fully understand, and for which we have no >1 year data) might act akin to polio, with problems suddenly surfacing months or years later. I've heard murmurings from knowledgable people that the South African variant might be more worrisome on that front.

Don't panic over murmurings and hunches. But do recognize, as we all face COVID fatigue and general sloppiness, that we need to ratchet up vigilance, and do it now. This is not the time for complacency.

I've doubled up my mask (details here, and note that this may or may might not be a good idea with genuine medical-grade masks). There's good consensus that this is helpful, especially against the new, more contagious variants. For all we know, they've already spread everywhere and we haven't yet seen the effect. Remember that our data lags our reality by a week or three.

I'm also suspending all home repair projects, even if the workers wear masks. And I'm reverting to March 2020 reluctance to freely shop, etc. I'll still do takeout, but with more substantial, less emblematic nods toward distancing, etc. And I'll dart in and out. Time of exposure is a factor.

Furthermore, I've never understood the notion of a vengeful God, but one thing's for sure: that motherfucker is nothing if not ironic. I have a vaccine appointment in mid April, and I'm giving him zero opportunities to mess with me before then.

The Slog's technical advisor (who hasn't vetted the above) tells me that we can consider ourselves reasonably safe two weeks after the first shot. That's the safety point to shoot for. Until then, be careful out there.