i'm confused - i've moved onto being a foreign policy expert, so my infectious disease certificate has expired. 😉
anyway, what is more important right now?
antibodies? or the ability to make antibodies?
and i do mean right now - i would conjecture that being able to put up an immediate response is important to prevent spread.
that means immunization and boosters -
as a parallel, isn't that the idea behind the flu vaccine? we can fight it off w/o the shot, but it goes easier with the shot.
esp for immuno-compromised/older folks.
couple of articles talk about the booster shot shooting the antibodies way up.
Isn't this the long term goal? the body now recognizes and reacts - vs the wtf is that response?
anyway, more rambling than anything.
in local news the head of our school district said masks -
our mayor just said that parents should be able to choose for their children. He has no authority to dictate to the school district,
but felt compelled to say something. Other mayors in the region seem to have the same "ideology"
Originally, I thought this was a neutral statement - cause politics. With a little more though, I decided this was an untested
experiment in disease transmission. It could make or break the person that implements it.
consider the "experiment" the mayor is proposing.
setup:
last year: students attend in-person every other day. masks all day. no lunch, gym, or study hall.
it worked in our town. no cases traced to the school system.
this year: normal schedule, masks mandated. they haven't decided on gym.
----if there is an outbreak traced to school, we've done what we could.
it wasn't enough, or an impossible ask.
alternate: there are masked and unmasked students.
---if there is an outbreak traced to school, what is the differential in spread between masked and unmasked students?
will the post-ex reveal how many students actually wore a mask when they saw others weren't? will it depend on
the "influencer kids" ? The teachers?
It will turn into finger pointing.
Hellofa risky position.
On the other side: Kids reflect the views of their parents up to HS or so.
forcing a mask on a kid whose parents refer to it as a muzzle can't be good.
don't blame the kids, that is for sure.