After a year of playing close attention the the Covid-19 statistics and fuming at the half-assed response to the pandemic in this country, now that I am fully vaccinated (and soon to be as immune to the virus as I will ever be), the daily numbers are much less meaningful to me.

But the half-assed response still continues. On one side states like Texas and Mississippi are eliminating the mask mandates in public places and opening the states up to all economic activity - Perhaps a little too soon.

On the other side the self-appointed pandemic specialists (who many people believe represent The Science) are lamenting that far fewer people are being tested for Covid-19 and that this could leave to more large outbreaks (the Fourth Wave). Last week it was the variants the could lead to the Fourth Wave. It is entirely good news that fewer and fewer people are getting tested... it means that fewer people feel that they are experiencing the symptons of Covid-19. The only downside is that statistically the percentage of positive Covid-19 tests will go up. The pandemic specialists have been using percentage of positive Covid-10 tests as an important metric to quantify the spread of the virus. Ever hear this one.. Perhaps the fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves... The fault is in or scorekeeping, not in the score.

The self-appointed pandemic specialists are also saying that to keep the spread of Covid-19 low, those who have been immunized (either through vaccination or contraction of the virus) need to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing... Rubbish. I have seen no-evidence that people who are immunized can spread Covid-19 to others.

I do plan to continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing where required and I believe that keeping the requirments in place for everyone is good social policy. If fewer people wear masks where required it will become less likely that non-immunized people will continue to wear masks (as they should) without more enforcement of the rules. That would lead to unnecessary spread of the virus.

Remember we wear masks and practice social distancing to protect others from the virus that we may be unknowingly spreading. It is not to protect us from others, it is to protect others from us.