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I had a call from my brother-in-law yesterday. He is one of the kindest, most considerate humans I have ever known and has a remarkable intellect. He is also able to be anxious about anything that threatens his family. He asked if it was safe for him to visit his 10-year-old granddaughter in Georgia without putting her at risk for COVID. I told him that the risk was minimal since he was vaccinated, still wore masks and avoided populated venues. He is driving from Duchess County, New York to Athens, Georgia to avoid airport crowds and will not go to restaurants. The probability of his being a vector for the virus is minimal.
What I did not tell him is more germane for the public. I did not tell him that he should go now rather than wait for his usual winter sojourn to warmer climates. He may not be able to travel then because of the nature of this virus: it mutates. It has already mutated to Delta, which is incredibly transmissible, able to spread by casual bypass. It can be acquired by walking past an infected person, assuming that both are unmasked.
Lambda variant is gaining a foothold and we don’t know much about it yet. It is only a matter of time before a highly transmissible virus evolves that is resistant to the antibodies of the previously infected or inoculated. This will put us back to square one with a resurgent pandemic. The probability of this occurrence is increased by the number of infected individuals that are present.
The unvaccinated are the breeding ground for this and serve as petri dishes in which the virus can evolve. Thus, the unvaccinated are putting us all at risk. They will have us all wearing masks again and threaten our health, lives and livelihoods.
More than that, through their ignorance or stupidity, there is a fair chance that they will keep my 80-year-old brother-in-law from spending time with his beloved grandchildren. What will they cost you?
John A. Rothschild, M.D.
Harveys Lake