Posted by:
Nightingale
(
)
Date: March 27, 2021 03:05PM
Get Fact Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If the vaccines actually work we will not need all
> these restrictions. If they keep them, you should
> question why.
The end goal is indeed to dispense with the current restrictions. They are presently in place because humans, indeed, are vulnerable to a new virus to which no-one was immune, not having encountered it previously.
Until the vaccines were available the protective measures were crucial to try and keep down the startling and tragic morbidity and mortality rates.
Now that vaccines have been developed we can see a time when "normal" is again our daily experience. However, that won't happen, health experts explain, until herd immunity is achieved. (Yes, it's '"herd" immunity - I don't know why you put 'sic' to indicate an error there. I note some people misspell it as "heard" immunity, which is an error due to the two words being homophones).
But even after a person receives their full dose/s of a vaccine they have to wait 2 weeks before relaxing their precautions because it takes that long, approximately, for highest immunity to occur.
And relaxing does not denote fully dispensing with all preventive measures even after full vaccination due to the fact that a person who is vaccinated can still carry the COVID-19 virus and infect non-vaccinated people with whom they come into contact.
That is where the herd immunity comes in. Until a majority of the population in each country is vaccinated we will have to carry on with the mask-wearing, social distancing and hygiene practices. There will be more situations in which we can gather (such as in family groups if at least the more vulnerable people are fully vaccinated) but not a total return to "normal" for the duration.
Unfortunately, it is not yet known what percentage of population needs to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to achieve herd immunity.
It is known that 95% of us need to be vaccinated against measles, for instance, before herd immunity is reached.
I don't understand the reluctance to practice these simple measures out of caution for one's own health and consideration for others. How devastating would it be to know we had infected another person through our own carelessness or reluctance to observe the measures and that that person became gravely ill, thereby suffering greatly, or even died, losing their precious life unnecessarily and bringing untold agony to their loved ones?
The bottom line with COVID, unfortunately, is that even after being vaccinated, you can still contract it. The up side there, though, is that apparently having been vaccinated makes the case less severe than it may otherwise have been.
It's not forever. Just for now while we strive to limit the damage and prevent even more enormous and unnecessary loss of life.
Is that really too much to ask?
(Too, I like people who wash their hands regularly, COVID or no COVID).
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/2021 03:28PM by Nightingale.