It seems we are constantly being told to “Follow the Science” and that anyone who questions the public narrative is “Anti-Science!” But actual science is a process that involves a lot of questions. Science does not create a destination that everyone agrees upon. Instead, science is an open-minded method of thinking about the world. This “Scientific Method” allows us to create theoretical models which have the potential to predict real-world outcomes, given a specific set of circumstances.
This scientific method roughly looks like this: Question – Observe – Hypothesis – Predict – Test – Repeat
Science is never “Settled” because we are constantly gaining knowledge about the world around us that changes the way we think about things. Newton had some really great ideas until Einstein came up with better ideas.
WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE SKEPTICAL WHEN IT COMES TO COVID?
Could it be that there is a LOT of money involved? We are currently witnessing the greatest wealth transfer from the middle-class to the ultra-wealthy in human history! Are Government’s COVID policies facilitating this wealth transfer? Or is it just a coincidence of cause and effect?
Could it be that there is a LOT of political power involved? We are currently witnessing the largest consolidation of power, from the people to “Big Government” and “Big Business” in most people’s lifetime. Is this also a coincidence?
How effective are the lockdowns and mandates? Do we even have reliable data that would allow us to compare the results of lockdowns and mandates vs personal freedom? We know that lockdowns and mandates really piss people off, and there is growing civil unrest in parts of the country. Is there a correlation between restrictive COVID policy and civil unrest?
How bad is COVID when compared to the negative social and economic effects caused by our efforts to combat the virus? At what point does the “cure” become worse than the disease?
And what’s going on with “Establishment Media” / “Big Tech” and all the censorship of dissenting voices? Is there some sort of cover-up going on? Are “Special Interests” involved? What is it “They” don’t want you to know?
When so many of our institutions and leaders have been lying to us about so many things for so long, who would not be just a little bit skeptical about what they are telling us this time? Who can we trust to give us good information?
SO WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY KNOW ABOUT COVID?
What follows is the summary of information that seems most accurate to me, based on my conversations with two doctors who have been consistently reliable over the years. The first doctor works for the Federal Government and has consistently made accurate predictions about COVID. The second doctor has had a perfect record during the pandemic and has not lost a single patient to COVID! Obviously, this is NOT medical advice, and you should always talk to your doctor about any questions you might have.
First off, it’s well established that COVID is most severe among the elderly and infirm. It seems likely that overall health is more determinative than age regarding survival odds. This means that younger people with multiple comorbidities may be at higher risk than someone much older who is in perfect health. This means that healthy lifestyle, good nutrition, vitamins, exercise, plenty of sleep, sunlight, and fresh air are all super important.
COVID seems to be evolving into more contagious, yet less deadly variants. This trend would be consistent with other types of coronaviruses observed throughout history. It is likely that almost everyone will contract, or has already contracted Omnicron, and COVID will soon likely become endemic among our population. We know that early intervention plays an important role in preventing serious illness and death. Some medical professionals have also argued that the best way to prevent COVID death is to focus on reducing comorbidities, such as diabetes and obesity.
The opportunity to stop COVID has long passed, and people are becoming less willing to comply with authoritarian mitigation measures as COVID becomes less deadly. People also have a lot of medical options now, including vaccines and therapeutics, which didn’t exist when we were first asked for “15 days to slow the spread”... almost two years ago. While there will probably always be some debate over the best treatment and prevention methods, most people are generally less afraid now than they were in the beginning, when we didn’t know anything about virus.
We know that COVID appears to spread primarily through the air, among people who are in close proximity, and often indoors. This is why fresh air and filtration systems seem to be effective defenses. This would explain why outdoor events are generally not “super spreader” events, and why airplanes are generally considered safe due to their advanced air filtration systems.
It appears likely that having a strong immune system will allow you to resist a greater amount of COVID exposure before you contract the disease. Additionally, a reduced exposure to COVID seems to correlate with an improved chance to resist infection, and also a reduced severity of symptoms should you become infected. The theory is that your immune system can more easily fight off a smaller number of viral particles, should they enter your system. This is the reasoning behind social distancing and cloth masks.
We all know that cloth masks are not as effective as n95 masks or virus rated respirators. Virus particles can pass through the cloth masks and air blows out the sides. The idea, however, is that cloth masks will add friction and reduce the distance that viral particles can spread before hitting the ground. When combined with social distancing, this would theoretically reduce your viral exposure and improve your immune system’s ability to repel the viral intruders. On the other hand, masks are annoying and make it hard to breath, which can cause other problems due to lack of sufficient airflow.
SO WHAT’S MY TAKE ON ALL THIS?
I think COVID is bad, but it’s not THAT bad. I stopped worrying about COVID a long time ago, and it’s not even on my top ten list of concerns. I think it’s been a long time since we crossed the line of the cure being worse than the disease. I stopped trusting our leaders a long time ago, and it seems pretty obvious who is benefiting and who is suffering due to current COVID policy.
It was obvious from the beginning that we would need to protect the elderly and infirm, and that it would fall upon the youth to take some risks to keep society functioning. For example, I’ve spent the past two years delivering groceries and running errands for my elderly friends, since I’m young and healthy. It’s one of those “no brain” decisions since I’m much less likely to suffer badly should I contract COVID.
My lack of concern does not mean that I’m going to take undue risks. I’ve never enjoyed crowded places, so it’s pretty easy for me to avoid bars, clubs, and other crowded and noisy places where I would be at a greater risk of catching COVID. We generally social distance at work, and I work from home as much as possible. This is more from convenience than fear of the virus. I've always told my employees to work from home if they think they are sick, and I trust them to make good decisions. We’ve also made it easy for customers to have “no contact service” at my business. Mostly it’s just a lot of common sense precautions, and listening to my doctor.
I trust that people will make good decisions regarding their individual health situation. I don’t care if you’re vaccinated, and it doesn’t bother me if you don’t wear a mask. I’ve been taking good care of myself, I’ve got a strong immune system, and I typically social distance with strangers, so I’m not particularly concerned about minor exposure. I trust that most people aren’t assholes and that they would stay home, or keep their distance if they think they might be sick. I know how to swim, and I’m not going to drown if YOU don’t wear YOUR life jacket!
I’m much more concerned about the social and economic collapse of our civilization due to "insane" mandates, that seem more focused on enforcing compliance than stopping the spread of a highly contagious virus with an extremely high survival rate. I know there is concern about long-term effects from COVID, and I treat that about the same as people’s concern about long-term effects from the various vaccines. I simply don’t have enough knowledge about the long term effects of the virus or vaccines, but I can certainly understand the long term effects of the collapse of our civilization or the long term effects of the loss of our freedoms.
Civilization is built upon trust... And the simple fact is that I trust my doctor, my neighbors, and even complete strangers, a lot more than I trust politicians and big business leaders who are profiting from our fear. There are lots of things in this world that could kill me and there are many things I should be afraid of; yet I boldly live my life despite my fears. It’s called courage.
My opinion is that you should make good decisions and live your life with courage. You only have so much time on this Earth... so use that time wisely!
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