right, yeah that doesn't tell you anything, it tells that person whether they need to quarantine for an additional week and is only useful if they hadn't seen anyone the prior 7 days.
I hear many quips like "I already had it last year" or still even people that think their one test once says they were negative and thats that.
The crazy thing, the crazy thing, is that these aren't even the people that don't understand thermodynamics and think seeing hot breath in front of a mask proves that masks offer no protection effective against covid aerosols.
Oh right. So we know for a FACT that you were exposed, and became a carrier and probably a spreader; maybe by bad luck and unfortunate circumstances, maybe by being a bloody idiot. But NOW you're even MORE blasé about it, because you feel invulnerable, so you're going to be engaging in MORE risky behaviour regarding an illness that we know people can have repeated bouts of ("catch" more than once). Thanks for letting me know, I guess. Video call it is.
Make a list now, so that you remember who the idiots are after everyone is vaccinated.
I've already had to re-plan my reintroduction to retail after finding out a few of my preferred shops weren't obeying mask mandates, or in one case actively flouting them.
It will be easy to forget and put it all behind us. Don't. We're lucky to receive such useful side-channel data.
Don't get me wrong, I'm enraged at the lunacy of some. But I don't think we're going to be better off in aggregate by insisting on payback.
On the contrary, spite definitely has a useful purpose in social structures. It strengthens the negative effect of unwanted behaviour.
That's not the only utility for this.
Understanding the networks of information flows over social media will allow for easier reintroduction of accurate concepts, using similar looking quacks and new language for people who prefer to believe quacks over any reputable institution.
It can also be useful to get people to realize how consistently they are led on, as many of them forgot their prior theories and are just subscribed to random causes alongside their vegan, spiritual or political journey.
I have for years had a big list of people, companies, and other organizations I wish to actively avoid. The pandemic just gave me higher resolution on the "undefined" set of humans and organizations.
I already avoid racists, extreme partisans, assholes, anti-science types, people who are mean to waitstaff, people who don't read books, et c. Covid gave me a few more categories.
Perhaps there are false positives; I am willing to take that risk for the immense benefits so far.
"it doesn't exist"
"its just the flu"
"nothing you can do to stop it anyways"
"5G over the air microchips"
"dna-rewriting vaccines"
ideas fell apart and were just led to other wacky ideas.
He's in his 60s. Will he experience long term effects? Who knows.
I'm starting to get invited to meet in person for business and some are like "I get tested every week". And I just say sorry I don't make exceptions. I live with someone with a rare respiratory condition. A weekly test - what does that even tell me anyway? I know you're running your business and have employees coming in.
Everything is much easier with data. But when there is still so much to learn everyone weighs their risks differently.
Many of us here are extremely fortunate and can afford to pay for delivery and stay home.
So we need to understand that some people's perspective IS a real calculated risk tolerance.
If we can get data to understand long term effects, that will help with educating those that are really only weighing the risk of them dying.