CORONAVIRUS: Sunday 5/16/2021 roundup, including our weekly West Seattle trend check

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Tonight’s pandemic notes:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the King County Daily Summary Dashboard page, the cumulative totals:

*102,989 people have tested positive, 233 more than yesterday’s total

*1,559 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total

*6,041 people have been hospitalized, 11 more than yesterday’s total

*1,068,166 people have been tested, 2,855 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 101,099/1,542/5,949/1,056,877.

WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: Sunday is the night for our weekly check. These numbers are shown in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the countywide daily-summary dashboard; to determine WS status, we combine the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas” (HRAs): For the past two weeks, 114 positive test results; 174 in the 2 weeks before that; 150 in the two weeks before that. … We also are noting WS death totals each week. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 67, unchanged again this week. And a look at hospitalizations: 190 total have been attributed to people in the two West Seattle HRAs since the start of the pandemic, none recorded in the past week.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 158.3 million cases and 3,293,000+ deaths, 581,000+ of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here

SUPERMARKET MASK POLICIES: You’ve probably heard about national chains like Trader Joe’s and Costco. Two regional chains with West Seattle stores have loosened their mask policies too – here’s what Metropolitan Market says on its website:

With the recent announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concerning mask usage, and guidance from local officials, fully-vaccinated customers and team members now have the option to choose whether or not to wear a mask within our stores. According to the CDC, a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson). Individuals who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are still required to wear a mask or face covering while in our stores.

PCC‘s announcement is shorter:

Starting [May 14th], following the guidance of the CDC, shoppers are not required to wear masks for entry into PCC’s 15 locations. The co-op supports CDC guidelines that masks must be worn indoors by those not fully vaccinated. All PCC staff are still required to wear masks.

VACCINATION SITUATION: Seattle Public Schools starts campus clinics this week at high schools, middle schools, and K-8 schools.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

East Coast Cynic May 17, 2021 (7:08 am)

Re Metropolitan Market’s updated mask policy, will those that choose not to wear a mask show proof of vaccination or are they on the honor system? I believe this is a reckless policy in that many of those that choose not to vaccinate will use this as an opportunity to cheat and not mask.

Brian May 17, 2021 (9:35 am)

The answer to your question is “whatever is easiest”.Unless the store has hired a specific person (or persons, honestly) to check vaccination cards, the other store employees sure as heck aren’t going to do it. And I don’t blame them.
Bronson May 17, 2021 (11:59 am)

Why is it reckless? They are the only ones assuming the risk now. Vaccines are widely available, and if you haven’t received it yet, then you should continue to mask up. If not, or you don’t want a vaccine, then you accept the risk of severe illness or death. The science has shown that those vaccinated aren’t likely to have any severe form of the illness.
- MB May 17, 2021 (2:36 pm)
  
  My 3 month old can’t get the vaccine, nor can she wear a mask. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to accept the risk of sever illness or death.

Lisab May 17, 2021 (7:51 am)

I’m really surprised Met Market is letting EVEN team members go maskless.

Bell May 17, 2021 (9:44 am)

Honor system?? How absolutely ridiculous.

Barb Z May 17, 2021 (9:49 am)

Unless businesses can prove unmasked people are fully vaccinated, I think this is a reckless decision to no longer require masks. There are still many people who cannot be vaccinated, such as children, and those who CHOOSE not to be vaccinated will just stop wearing masks. Even being fully vaccinated does not insure full protection against unvaccinated people, especially as the businesses have also discontinued all social distancing requirements & most cleaning protocols. May have to make changes in where I shop, and hope the employees can stay safe!

Lisab May 17, 2021 (11:03 am)

Agree completely, Barb. I’ll be making some changes in my shopping venues. MM is on the avoid list.
- adam May 17, 2021 (1:38 pm)
  
  I’ll be going there now, thanks for shortening the line, Lisa!

Its Yimw May 17, 2021 (9:53 am)

Why are people making a big deal out of the no masks for fully vax? The people at risk are those who choose to not to vax. I understand that there are exceptions and mean no harm or disrespect to those. My point is vax people are not the risk to others. And non-vax are not a risk to vaccinated people. The ones at most risk are the non-vax. And they choose this risk for not getting the vax. It sounds more like lack of trust and paranoia, then real-life risk. If someone wants to wear a mask, so be it and no judgement. And I should not be required to wear one for getting the vax. I am not the one who will give covid to someone else. Lastly, there will always be cheaters and who are they really be cheating? Themselves!

Brian May 17, 2021 (10:45 am)

To repeat: children are people and they cannot currently be vaccinated. Even those over 12 have a month before full immunity can be conferred.

You are essentially saying that children do not matter to you.
- Bronson May 17, 2021 (12:01 pm)
  
  Children should continue to wear a mask. This is not that hard..
  - rme May 17, 2021 (1:01 pm)
    
    It’s actually not that simple. Getting young children to wear a well-fitted mask consistently is quite challenging. My 2 year old is into masks, but fiddles with it constantly and can’t be trusted not to rip it off. Just trying to point out that this is complicated for a lot of people.
- Its Yimw May 17, 2021 (4:34 pm)
  
  You missed my point. Vaccinated people are not giving covid to the unvaccinated (including children), which why it is ok for them to not wear a mask. All unvaccinated should continue to wear masks. If you are vaccinated, then you are protected and won’t pass covid to others…or at least very very unlikely. There is no added protection for anyone if a vaccinated person wears a mask.
  - Masks make good sense May 17, 2021 (9:41 pm)
    
    We are still learning about the effectiveness of the vaccines, there are some things known, and still some unknowns. Some health professionals still encourage mask usage in public, for both vaxxed and unvaxxed, as a public health precaution.
    
    https://www.healthline.com/health-news/if-youre-vaccinated-can-you-transmit-covid-19-what-we-know#Variants-are-still-an-unknown-for-transmission
    
    That our state is shifting quickly to allowing masks to be removed in public settings, on an ‘honor’ based system, when many aren’t yet vaccinated or fully vaccinated, or won’t be and won’t care to keep masking, has many understandably concerned.
    
    Bottom line, please everyone, get vaccinated, unless your doctor advises you not to. And if you can reasonably tolerate wearing a mask, please join your more concerned neighbors in wearing masks in public settings.
    
    No, you don’t have to if you’re vaccinated, but it could be a helpful thing to do, so many of us will be continuing masking for everyones benefit. Join us if you can, and for those that do, thank you!
Brunner May 17, 2021 (11:48 am)

@Its Yimw Too much common sense in your statement. I agree— if I am not vaxxed then aren’t I the one at risk, not you?
wsalien May 17, 2021 (11:51 am)

Unvaccinated people are most likely not a risk to fully vaccinated people right now but if covid continues to spread among unvaccinated people, more variants will appear, maybe even variants that spread easily to people who are fully vaccinated.
beanie May 17, 2021 (12:56 pm)

Lifting the mask requirement before more people are fully vaccinated means unvaccinated people are more likely to stop wearing masks, which puts other unvaccinated people at risk.While something like 70%+ of king county residents have had at least one shot, only 50% have received both shots, and likely a bit less are two weeks past that second shot. Seems like we should wait until the second shot stats are a bit higher to start lifting the mask requirements.
Eddie May 23, 2021 (5:50 pm)

I’m vaccinated and not wearing my mask anymore. #covidCantTouchThis
- heartless May 23, 2021 (7:25 pm)
  
  Yeah, I get that. I also get doing things out of courtesy or kindness. I know I’m not going to mug anyone, but sometimes if I’m walking late at night and I see someone walking towards me, maybe with kinda nervous body language, I’ll cross the street just because.
  
  I feel it’s the same thing with masks now–so I have one around my neck, even just for walks in the neighborhood, and if I see a walker coming towards me, I just pull my mask up. No skin off my nose, and it often seems to put other people more at ease.

Bill May 17, 2021 (9:56 am)

When will we stop the daily updates?

WSB May 17, 2021 (10:35 am)

If and when we really do fully reopen June 30th (or sooner), that’s a likely milestone for ending the daily updates (assuming the county doesn’t stop its daily updates sooner).

shotinthefoot May 17, 2021 (10:36 am)

There is no “honor system” with people who have no honor. All this does is allow the unvaccinated to run around maskless now, spreading disease like the selfish dips they are and taking full advantage of the sacrifices others have made.

Wseattleite May 17, 2021 (11:03 am)

And those who are vaccinated need not worry. This is very simple. You are free to wear a mask, or two, or three if you want. Maybe four would make you feel safer? No one is stopping anyone from wearing a mask.
- shotinthefoot May 17, 2021 (12:42 pm)
  
  You are aware that even if you are fully vaccinated you can still test positive for Covid, right? And a fully vaccinated person can spread it to the unvaccinated. I’ll wear a mask until all the selfish ninnies out there realize that getting the vaccine shows care for your neighbors. I’ll continue to wear a mask so my fully vaccinated self isn’t even tangentially responsible for passing on the disease even to someone who refuses to /can’t get the shot. And I’ll continue to point out their selfishness and stupidity as much as I want as I continue to mask up for others’ safety, even as they’re flaunting the CDC rules right to our fully masked faces.
  - CuriousQuestioner May 17, 2021 (1:10 pm)
    
    Being this resentful and angry is extremely detrimental to your health. Probably more-so than getting Covid! The effects of adrenaline and cortisol levels on your immune system are detrimental and shorten lifespan (and well documented). The reality is that we can’t control what others choose to do. And if we need other people to act a certain way in order for us to feel OK, then we have given them our power. “Resentment Is Like Taking Poison and Waiting for the Other Person To Die”
    - shotinthefoot May 17, 2021 (3:06 pm)
      
      LOL are you seriously tone-policing me during a deadly pandemic? Go concerntroll to your own reflection, hon. All of us have every right to every thing we are feeling right now after this has gone on for so long, especially when it seems like the selfish and stupid are hell bent to make it last forever. The reality is, you shouldn’t tell others how to feel – it’s pretty detrimental to your mental health…clearly.
    - Steve May 17, 2021 (6:09 pm)
      
      Well you continue to do what you want. Wear five masks. I, however, having been vaccinated months ago, will be living my life, mask free wherever I can. I certainly hope you enjoy your day at home
    - Masks make good sense May 17, 2021 (5:04 pm)
      
      While there is some truth in what you say @‘curiousQ, it’s wisdom being inappropriately wielded. Using it here is just showing a lack of understanding of social responsibility and respect for others.
      
      This is a conversation about a pandemic that is not over. We’re at the start of what we hope will lead to the end of it. There are still big unknowns regarding how this will play out in upcoming months. Maybe some people just aren’t aware of the complexities of the moment and possibilities of vaccination efforts not being sufficient at beating back this virus. It’s going to take widespread vaccinating, some continued dedicated mitigation efforts by everyone, and ongoing close monitoring and communication by public health. We are not out of the woods. And no, not ‘spreading panic.’ Just calmly stating the reality.
      
      There will be ongoing risk, of some varying degrees, for all of us, for who knows how long. It is understandable for people to feel how they are feeling about it. Especially since we have varying perspectives about how to manage and behave responsibly during a social crisis. It is frustrating! And, I understand it’s frustrating on all the sides.
      
      Unfortunately, some of us may have to choose to continue living cautiously, opting out of some public life, until it’s more clear that it’s safe, that we have sustained low transmission in the community. The rest of you will be free to gamble more with infecting yourself and others apparently. And concerned parents (hopefully all parents) may have to guard their children’s health more for awhile. Some may think about keeping their kids home from school next Fall. Might be good to have conversations about it now.
      
      It’s sad that many cannot feel more safe and free after vaccination, because we can’t all agree and be on the same page with how to behave and act with the same level of social responsibility.
      
      Sometimes feelings of resentment and anger are understandable and appropriate. What is important is that you don’t hold onto it or let it take over, and that you take healthy action to do what you can to feel better. Some occasional bitching about selfish ninnies, is okay.
  - Pessoa May 17, 2021 (1:46 pm)
    
    Maybe a reasonable assessment of risk doesn’t play a factor in your life, but for the rest of us – thankfully – it does.
  - Bronson May 17, 2021 (2:01 pm)
    
    The point of the vaccine is to prevent you from getting seriously ill or dying, not to prevent you from getting COVID. However, please stop spreading the nonsense about vaccinated people spreading COVID. There is little to no evidence that supports your claim. I mean, you’re more likely to shoot yourself in the foot. ;-). If you’re waiting around for no risk at all, I guess you will be wearing the mask forever; there are no zero-risk scenarios. Same with waiting for selfishness in this country subsiding, unfortunately.
Unvaxed with honor (?) May 17, 2021 (1:35 pm)

Such name-calling. I’m not planning on getting vaccinated but I’ll continue to wear a mask. So I guess that makes me a stupid, selfish, honorable ninny? :)
- shotinthefoot May 17, 2021 (3:08 pm)
  
  yep. aside from the honorable part, that is.
- Masks make good sense May 17, 2021 (5:25 pm)
  
  Thank you for wearing a mask and social distancing.
  
  You may have a good reason for not getting vaccinated (like serious allergy to an ingredient) so don’t agree with the name calling.
  
  Here is the current CDC guidance on what they advise is safe activity for non vaccinated and vaccinated people.
  
  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/pdfs/choosingSaferAct.pdf
  
  There are some selfish ninnies out there though, and I understand we’re all feeling our frustrations at this point.
  
  All the harsh division across communities in our country is concerning. We’re going to have to work hard on building bridges and finding common ground again.

Pessoa May 17, 2021 (11:04 am)

I understand the predicament that local businesses find themselves in, but I greatly appreciate any local business that chooses not to enforce a mask mandate – particularly in a community that is at so-called “herd immunity,” by vaccination and/or naturally acquired immunity. Apparently, I have a higher regard for my neighbors than do many on this thread.

neighbor May 17, 2021 (12:48 pm)

What community are you referring to as being at “herd immunity.” Because we are nowhere near it here.
- Pessoa May 17, 2021 (4:11 pm)
  
  West Seattle. In addition to the the substantial majority of those who who have received at least one dose of the vaccine, we have a sizable number of those walking around with naturally acquired immunity, many unknowingly.
  - wsalien May 17, 2021 (7:07 pm)
    
    WS does not have herd immunity, even if we did, WS isn’t inside a bubble, if you live here and you’re not vaccinated, you can still get Covid.
  - neighbor May 18, 2021 (8:52 am)
    
    Substantial majority of those eligible for vaccines…. not a substantial majority of the entire population since children still aren’t eligible. And WSALIEN is correct. Go to Alki on any sunny weekend and you’ll see tons of people from all over. We are lucky to live in a wonderful destination, but that also means we can’t pretend we have anything resembling herd immunity.

beanie May 17, 2021 (1:00 pm)

I just double checked the vaccination stats for West Seattle. https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/data/vaccination.aspxWe're at 83%, 81%, and 71% for the three main zip codes for the first shot, but only 61%, 59%, and 51% for having received both shots. Feels a little early to start lifting mask requirements!

Lola May 17, 2021 (1:10 pm)

I refuse to go into Met Mkt. anymore as at the beggining of the pandemic and everyone was wearing a mask, the checker started to scream at me as I was loading my grocery’s onto the conveyor belt, I looked at her confused as I said well how am I supposed to put the stuff up here? Lob it onto the conveyor belt? It was utterly ridiculouse and I have not gone in there since.

newnative May 17, 2021 (2:52 pm)

I stopped going there for a while too because the checkers all had different policies and were rude about it. and they have never tried to control the traffic flow in there with all of the displays causing jams. Not to mention that so many of the customers there are rude and will get in your space, cut you off, block the lanes/aisles.

Susan May 17, 2021 (1:30 pm)

It’s simple really, if you’re still scared of covid even after being vaccinated or out of some sense of unrequited moral duty to strangers, you can shop at Safeway and QFC, the rest of us will enjoy shopping at MM, Trader Joes, and Costco mask free because we are following the science and trust in the effectiveness of vaccines

Eddie May 25, 2021 (5:11 pm)

Well I’m glad there are a few of us that understand taking your mask off is going to be ok… you go Susan!! See you out there with your pearly whites.

Sue May 17, 2021 (1:51 pm)

I totally agree. I was not eligible to be vaccinated until April 15th, and chose to be a decent human being and NOT cheat, therefore I am now not fully vaccinated yet. The state lifting mask mandate before the last group of adults, not to mention children, is safe is really terrible. We are talking about a matter of weeks for the state to fully open and it would have made sense to keep mask mandates until that time. This is confusing for business owners, stressful for employees being exposed to those that want to fight mask policies of responsible businesses, and unsafe for those that are not fully vaccinated yet.

Sue H May 17, 2021 (4:57 pm)

I agree as well. I’m a different Sue in a similar situation – wasn’t eligible until mid-April with the added concern of having lung disease and being on immunosuppressants and having an allergy history to the point that I need to consult with immunology to see if I can safely get the vaccine, and what my immunosuppressants will do to their efficacy if I can. I’ve been trying for months to get an appointment with immunology and was initially told they couldn’t see me until October! Thankfully I found someone in a different hospital system that could see me later this month. So if I’m cleared it’ll be June at the earliest that I can even start the vaccine process..Vaccinated or not, I have no intention of stopping the masks anytime soon. I’m concerned not only for my own safety, but those who cannot be vaccinated, and the workers at these stores who are spending full days in contact with the public. If we can’t at least respect our neighbors, can we try and keep the essential workers safe, especially in these smaller and more crowded stores?

Ninny May 17, 2021 (2:36 pm)

This is getting crazy… name calling, blaming anti-Vaxxers…even though probably 75% are NOT anti vaccination, just want to wait until more information is at our disposal, and throwing the “you are selfish!” and “you are killers”. You don’t know our stories… I have been an essential worker and have been helping people daily. All the negative people must be so programmed with fear that they can’t even fathom that those who are vaccinated are protected. It isn’t PC to suggest people lose weight, stop smoking, stop drinking (which has increased considerably during this time), driving erratically, and becoming physical with those that didn’t wear a mask. And if I hear “variants” again…You are protected, you can still wear your mask. If you really cared about people’s health, use that vigor to shame those who are clearly not taking care of their bodies…

Sue H May 17, 2021 (5:07 pm)

<<If you really cared about people’s health, use that vigor to shame those who are clearly not taking care of their bodies…>>And how do you suggest we make those decisions? By making stereotypical assumptions on what “taking care of” our bodies means to you visually? Shaming anyone has never worked.
Masks make good sense May 17, 2021 (5:47 pm)

@Ninny, You’re calling others fearful, when you have reservations about getting a vaccination, that has been tested and approved, and is supported and recommended by the vast majority of public health and medical professionals?

Also, masks aren’t just about protecting yourself… they help protect others. The protectiveness goes up when both are wearing masks.

MW May 17, 2021 (3:01 pm)

I am fully vaccinated and have passed the two week mark. I understand and respect the many reasons people will continue to mask. My question revolves around the likelihood that I would pass Covid to a child or adult who is vulnerable. My current understanding from reading articles is that it is not scientifically being shown that I could be an asymptotic carrier and if so, I would not shed virus in large enough loads to infect another. I would like to respect my community members and not make them feel at risk around me which is in part why I got the vaccine but if the scientific community is saving the vaccinated aren’t passing Covid then why can’t I go maskless? I’m wondering if a lot of the concerns around seeing maskless people are fear based and a response to the scary year we have lived through?

Its Yimw May 17, 2021 (4:23 pm)

Thank you! You said it better than I did.
heartless May 17, 2021 (5:05 pm)

MW: Your question is a good one, and the answer is that you are incredibly unlikely to infect anyone.

The reason you are unlikely to get a straight answer from the scientific community is twofold. First, they will (almost) always err on the side of caution. Second, what you are asking is for them to prove a negative–that is, prove that something does not happen. That’s not normally in their wheelhouse.

That said–if you are vaccinated, particularly with mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna), and are asymptomatic, you are not a threat. I think a lot of what people are worried about is unvaccinated (and careless) people now not wearing masks more freely–something that is a really bad idea. I think many of the people expressing concern are casting rather wide nets, and you and others who are careful and vaccinated and (reasonably, I believe) going maskless are getting caught up in those nets.
Outandabout May 17, 2021 (5:18 pm)

MW, I think you hit the nail on the head. For over a year I feel I did everything right to prevent getting covid while I watched way too many people doing what they wanted. Traveling, still going out, denying covids existence etc., and making people such as myself going longer and longer with not being able to do anything. The selfishness of this country is disheartening to say the least. I’m now fully vaccinated. To the people who are waiting or choose not to be vaccinated..it’s my turn, I could care less, so go get vaccinated or be quiet. To the parents of kids, I’m a mom too, you just have to hang in there, protect them the best you can and soon they will be protected too. For now I feel free, safe and smart for believing in science.
CAM May 17, 2021 (7:00 pm)

MW, I agree with you that the available information suggests you are less likely to carry the virus and pass it to other healthy, unvaccinated individuals. My question is, how am I as a stranger who has to interact with you or be in the same close vicinity as you (either because you choose to approach the space I’m in or because I need to go where you already are) supposed to know that you are vaccinated when I see you in an indoor environment or crowded outdoor environment without a mask? Are you going to inform everyone who comes within a certain distance of you that you are vaccinated? And to be fair, why should that stranger believe you? I’m happy you’re vaccinated and feel safe and want to do more things. I hope you do. That doesn’t mean that other people should be more restricted though because of your choices. They should be comfortable going to the store and the park or other places. I wear my mask because even though I feel safe in most situations now I want other people to feel safe interacting with me. And I don’t need to hand them my medical records for them to do so. I’m also fine showing documentation that I’m vaccinated to be seated in vaccinated only seating or full occupancy sections. Social engagement comes with responsibility same as it always has, it’s just different now.

Mj May 17, 2021 (3:53 pm)

It’s nice to see faces again, the ones I’ve seen are of people fully vaccinated. All a person has to say to an unmasked person is it must be nice to be vaccinated, to call out cheater’s in a non confrontational manner. I hate shots and one of the primary reasons I got it was to ditch the mask!

ForeverShakingMyHead May 17, 2021 (4:30 pm)

A reminder or two: While wearing a mask does help decrease your chances of catching Covid, it’s main purpose is to stop the person wearing the mask from spreading the illness. If the person wearing the mask is not wearing a K94, N-95, or KN-95 respirator mask, they have only a little added protection from an unmasked, unvaccinated, a-symptomatic person who is roaming around a business establishment that is okay with the honor system.Next, while vaccines have efficacy rate of 90ish percent, what that means is around 10 in every 100 vaccinated people are still susceptible to the full fury of Covid. A diminished risk, to be sure. However, given about 40ish percent of West Seattle is unvaccinated due to choice or qualification, there is a huge opportunity for the unmasked, unvaccinated, a-symptomatic person to unnecessarily spread Covid. Vaxed or not, business policy or not, where a mask inside a business establishment. It’s smart, it’s ethical, and has zero downside. Be the good neighbor.

heartless May 17, 2021 (7:59 pm)

“Next, while vaccines have efficacy rate of 90ish percent, what that means is around 10 in every 100 vaccinated people are still susceptible to the full fury of Covid. “

No, that’s not what it means. Two things are incorrect here: first, the rates of infection are much, much lower than you posit; second, the vaccines also diminish the severity of illness were infection to occur.

“Vaxed or not, business policy or not, where a mask inside a business establishment. It’s smart, it’s ethical, and has zero downside. Be the good neighbor.”

The same could be said for every year, particularly every flu season. I understand where you are coming from, but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. We can always increase safety, at what might very well be a minimal cost, but where does one draw the line?

I agree with most of what you say, and in the midst of a pandemic (and yes, folks, we are still in the midst of it) I see how vaccinated people continuing to wear masks serves a twofold purpose: it makes mask wearing the default, making it harder for those unvaccinated to go maskless, and it reassures those who cannot be vaccinated or who are vaccinated but are still worried. Reducing their anxiety is indeed an easy kindness to offer.

That said, from a purely epidemiological stance it is indeed very, very, VERY safe to be vaccinated and not masked–both for the individual and for their neighbors.
- anonyme May 19, 2021 (12:25 pm)
  
  Thumbs up, my friend. I will continue to wear a mask in crowded conditions, if only to allay the anxieties of others and avoid strife, although masking may become my permanent default for riding the bus. Before the pandemic I was always picking up something icky, probably Metro related, and thinking about the pathway for that is even ickier.
  - heartless May 19, 2021 (1:48 pm)
    
    Hi, Anonyme! I hope you’re well.
    
    I agree that wearing it to make others feel better is a fine reason–I’ve been vaccinated for some time now, since I got early access via the work I do with seniors–but even just on walks around the neighborhood I have my mask around my neck, and if I’m approaching someone I’ll pull it up. It’s such an easy kindness, I see no downside.
    
    And also a big yes to fewer other bugs in the past year–yay to no colds and flus!
Pessoa May 18, 2021 (1:03 pm)

I have to go with my alter ego, Heartless, here. There is a great deal of confusion about what medical professionals mean when they claim a vaccine is “95% effective,” for example. Fortunately, it does not mean 5 out of 100 people will still became infected, it means a person has a 95% less chance of becoming infected versus the non-vaccinated – protection of a much greater magnitude than what that stat might seem to infer.
- heartless May 19, 2021 (3:45 pm)
  
  “Alter ego”!? I think “better half” has a much nicer ring to it…
  
  Hope you’re well, Pessoa.

Aaron May 17, 2021 (9:08 pm)

It would be very interesting for the number of positive cases reported to also include the number of those who were (or were not) vaccinated. A more telling statistic might be how many of the newly hospitalized were fully vaccinated. The Cleveland Clinic press release excerpt, “From January first to around mid-April, we’ve had around 4,300 admissions to the hospital with COVID. Of those patients, 99% were not fully vaccinated,” said Eduardo Mireles, MD, Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit.In addition to showing the majority of COVID-19 hospital admissions were in people who had not received a full vaccine series, another set of data looking at hospital employees shows a similar trend.Researchers looked at nearly 2,000 hospital workers who had contracted COVID-19. They studied infections in the four months after the vaccine was offered. Results show 99.7% of infections in this group occurred among those who were unvaccinated. “

Masks make good sense May 17, 2021 (10:07 pm)

May be of interest to some….

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/05/health/covid-natural-immunity.html

Pessoa May 18, 2021 (9:27 am)

The gist of the article? Scientists really aren’t sure which provides greater protection – the vaccine or natural antibodies, though a vaccine dose has the advantage that it can be uniformly administered. Both are effective as this passage extracted from the article suggests: “Natural immunity from the coronavirus is fortunately quite strong. A vast majority of people infected produced at least some antibodies and immune cells that can fight off the infection. An the evidence so far suggests that the protections will persist for years.”

Lbalm May 17, 2021 (10:08 pm)

And from Connecticut: Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut has only treated six COVID-19 patients who’d been fully vaccinated, compared with “hundreds” that haven’t been fully vaccinated and have passed through the health system in recent weeks, according to the Hartford Courant. Of those six, all were older and most had underlying conditions. None required intensive care and all left the hospital.“Those are patients who would have been very much at risk for death a year ago, and they left the hospital and survived COVID without a severe course of illness,” Deborah Rhodes, MD, a vice president at Yale New Haven Health, told the Courant.

Idiocracy May 19, 2021 (9:59 am)

It’s quite unreal how wrong so many of you are about the effectiveness of the vaccine, or really even how the damn vaccine works. People like Heartless, MJ, Ninny, Aaron it’s like you’re reading comic books for your scientific perspective. One thing the pandemic has definitely taught us – we live among abject morons who are so focused on themselves and their own tiny, petty, lives that we’re doomed. It no longer matters what we do because you are all so unbelievably stupid, we are truly and completely effed. Mask, don’t mask, get vaccinated, be a complete and utter imbecile and believe vaccines are unsafe, be an equally moronic nimrod and believe that vaccines function like a magic forcefield – whatever. This blog is a clear window into the idiocy that we live with daily.

heartless May 19, 2021 (11:13 am)

Does somebody need a hug?
- shotinthefoot May 19, 2021 (11:45 am)
  
  heartless, doing a bang up job of illustrating Idiocracy’s comment.
  - heartless May 19, 2021 (12:40 pm)
    
    Providing evidence to someone who offers no argument or evidence of their own is a fool’s errand, particularly these days where if you really seek answers you can just google something. But in this case I’ll be the fool, and provide support for my claims:
    
    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00075-X/fulltext#:~:text=Rather%2C%20a%2095%25%20vaccine%20efficacy,at%20least%20for%203%20months
    
    Quote from the article:
    
    “It is imperative to dispel any ambiguity about how vaccine efficacy shown in trials translates into protecting individuals and populations. The mRNA-based Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were shown to have 94–95% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, calculated as 100 × (1 minus the attack rate with vaccine divided by the attack rate with placebo). It means that in a population such as the one enrolled in the trials, with a cumulated COVID-19 attack rate over a period of 3 months of about 1% without a vaccine, we would expect roughly 0·05% of vaccinated people would get diseased. It does not mean that 95% of people are protected from disease with the vaccine—a general misconception of vaccine protection also found in a Lancet Infectious Diseases Editorial. In the examples used in the Editorial, those protected are those who would have become diseased with COVID-19 had they not been vaccinated. This distinction is all the more important as, although we know the risk reduction achieved by these vaccines under trial conditions, we do not know whether and how it could vary if the vaccines were deployed on populations with different exposures, transmission levels, and attack rates.
    
    hugs, heartless

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