Invisible Isn't Nonexistent

 The White House Correspondents Association Dinner last evening was a big deal for the Washington types as well as those who crave being in the spotlight any way they can, such as Kim Kardashian, Caitlyn Jenner, and Martha Stewart. At least Martha served time in prison for her misdeeds, something I am doubting the Trump cabal will ever have to do. Trevor Noah and President Biden got in the obligatory zingers. But Noah may have had, sadly, the aptest line of the evening when he said

  

“You guys spent the last two years telling everyone about the importance of wearing masks and avoiding large, indoor gatherings. Then the second someone offers you a free dinner, you all turn into Joe Rogan, huh?”


After the Gridiron Dinner became a Covid superspreader event about a month ago, it should have been clear that large, unmasked events in crowded indoor conditions remain a problem. For the WHCA, all attendees had to be vaccinated and boosted and have a negative PCR that day. Sounds safe but time will tell. With masks off, aerosols fill the air around the tables during eating and drinking. This tweet shows the carbon dioxide concentration there last night; a whopping 2233 ppm, over 5.5 times ambient outside air. This translates to very poor ventilation which means the people present were rebreathing each other’s air many, many times during the event. 


We already know that the omicron variant and its apparent successors are much more transmissible than earlier variants. Yasmin Tayag has a recent post in The Atlantic that sums up where we probably are now in the pandemic. We probably are seeing an invisible (or at least less visible) covid wave now. Because of changing how testing is done (more home tests) and reported, the case counts currently are an undercount. Reported cases have ticked up as has test positivity rate – but not everywhere. Hospitalizations have also crept up but less so and deaths have remained lower. Analysis of wastewater for covid shows a slow and steady rise in detection over the past two months. We are not out of the pandemic in the U.S. yet but we seem to be holding the line on severe illness and deaths. 


It may be that an “immunity wall” has at least temporarily occurred because of widespread vaccinations, boosters, and infections. If so, no one can predict how long it will last. This is a reason to get on with vaccinations, especially in children. Adults who have not yet been boosted and meet the eligibility should do so. Unvaccinated people, including those who believe they are now immune because they had Covid, need vaccines. We need to get on with worldwide vaccination. 


Covid fatigue is real. It is also dangerous. Masks work; use them. Ventilation works; implement it. Vaccines work; get them. Prudence works; don’t do things that increase your risk for Covid. To use a military phrase, be situationally aware. Remember that long covid is real, disabling, and will be the follow-on epidemic to Covid-19. Let’s not join that one too.

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