I am almost fully recovered from my hernia surgery last month. I’m working out at 90-95% of my pre-surgery capacity and intensity and feel fantastic. I have occasional surface level scar pain and the site is still puckered – but that will take months to recede. After preparing myself to expect a recovery similar or worse than my first hernia surgery, it’s been a pleasant surprise that this surgery and recovery have been much easier.
It’s fall now in Raleigh and absolutely lovely. The days are sunny and in the mid 70s. The nights are cool with temps in the 50s – 60s. Leaves are turning and starting to fall. My dogs are extra peppy now that the brutal summer humidity has subsided. So am I.
I was worried about the Covid Delta variant before my surgery. I feared it would cause a hospital shutdown that would delay my surgery. After listening to all the reports of breakthrough cases, cases and hospitalization going up, etc. I’ve been wondering, “Will this ever end?”
Then today, I heard Dr. Jay Bhattacharya on a podcast. He was one of the doctors who wrote the Great Barrington Declaration, which I’ve heard described as both conspiratorial heresy and common sense.
He is a big supporter of the vaccines. He said that based on the studies from 2020 and early 2021 that we all thought the Covid vaccines would prevent us from catching Covid. He said that was because those vaccinated didn’t get Covid.
But now that months have passed since those early studies he said we are realizing that the vaccines prevent serious illness and often hospitalizations but that they do not prevent catching Covid after a few months.
He said, if this continues to hold true, that the vaccines will not contribute to any kind of lasting “herd immunity”. He said that everyone will eventually get Covid – whether we are vaccinated or not. His recommendation is for everyone to get vaccinated because it make recovering from Covid easier and faster.
He also said we need to get back to living with this understanding. The idea of locking down or doing mitigation measures to have a Covid free society is unrealistic.
I don’t know if he’s right. But his reasoning seems to make sense.
What a bummer.
Then again, at the beginning of the pandemic, I predicted that we would all get Covid eventually as it ripped through our communities. Some of us would die. Some would live. Eventually we’d move on. Just like with any pandemic. (That’s me…Mr. Worse Case Scenario).
I have already accepted the pandemic as what “Is“. Since I can’t change this, I need to deal with it. For now, I’m vaccinated and willing to take the “booster” third dose when my turn comes up in a few months.
I hope that new vaccines will be developed that are long lasting and/or effective against catching the disease the way the MMR vaccines work.
In the meantime, I’ll follow my city’s public health pandemic theater requirements – like masking, standing on circles in the grocery store, getting my temp taken at the pool, etc.
Eventually this will all fade away.