Friday, June 26, 2020

Love Thy Neighbor, Wear a Mask

Coronavirus can infect anybody.  Sort of like other viruses, say HIV, not everyone infected develops the disease.  So not every infected person developed Covid19. Why some do and some don't is simply a mystery at this time, but if you have he virus you can infect others with it.
 
The others you infect will in turn either develop Covid19 or not but the virus is still as virulent.  What the statistics do show us is that older people are more likely to develop the actual disease and when they do they have the greatest risk from it.
 
It is also unclear whether having the virus without symptoms means you develop immunity to it.  Its possible you do but since most asymptomatic people aren't tested we just don't know.
 
What we do know is that once you get the disease, mortality is pretty high.  If you look at resolved cases, cases where you either recovered or died, worldwide nearly 10% died.  In the US it is higher. 
 
This might seem high since generally you see mortality measured against all cases including active ones and it is lower.  It is also possible that older people resolve more quickly and not as favorably skewing the results.
 
No matter it is a deadly disease that can kill you.  So far younger, healthier people are less likely to die but just as likely to spread the disease to older household members who might die.
 
Some fatalists might feel that universal infection is inevitable so why take precautions.  This will of course allow rampant spread of the virus and more deaths.
 
Taking precautions is unlikely to eliminate the virus completely pre-vaccine but it can greatly reduce the risk, allow for self quarantine, and keep people alive until we achieve herd immunity.
 
I prefer keeping as many of us alive as possible.
 
We owe it to each other.

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