I appreciate your honesty.
Your right he took the job. Presumably at 88 because he wanted to impart knowledge and help prepare students for their professions. I suspect he wasn’t in it for the money or glory. He didn’t sign up for putting his life at risk.
So he did the right thing and retired.
Similarly the student was there to learn. Poor outcome for what seems like a symbolic gesture at best.
I am sorry but an 88 yr old has no business teaching a live class during a pandemic. I am sure he can find other lower risk past times or online tutoring. Do I think she should have worn a mask? Yes, I do. But shame on the institution for hiring an octogenarian during a pandemic and surge for live class teaching.
Exactly! The miracle of the vaccine in this case, and broadly, is its ability to limit morbidity and mortality.
The vaccine is to a single antigen. That is not effective immunity long term. Real immunity comes from getting the infection, and generating immunoglobulin and cellular immunity to ALL current antigens. We are a cap protein mutation away from square one.
If we want COVID to end, get vaccinated, take off our masks and get COVID.
Indeed, we are ALL suffering. We aren’t suffering though because we cover our faces.
This is hyperbole, not borne out by historic fact. There has not been a time when we, or other industrial sized countries have deficit spent our way out of crisis, and led to the catastrophe you predict. It is because the growth in GDP eventually makes those expenditures miniscule. During WWII the US deficit was 100% of GDP. Great Britain…200%. Now, poof, it means nothing.
I agree that we should be fiscally responsible. For example, we shouldn’t give massive tax cuts during a booming economy.
I certainly don’t know. No one does. It is but one of many possibilities. Yet, it is SO easy to do, why not?
I cannot speak to the veracity of your claims made here. Anecdotal evidence of one: my kid is currently training at an Olympic-level athletic facility. The athletes have worn masks as much as possible in an effort to respect guidelines. It is very hard for them to train in masks. My kid experienced worse training feelings over time wearing a mask. Other athletes expressed the same sentiments. The coaches have encouraged my kid to ditch the mask, well after peers have done so.
I am a physician BTW - so please don’t assume I have not seen a Covid ward. I also have a degree in microbiology and public health. I understand the science. I did undergrad work with coronaviruses in the 90’s. Yes they were known even back then. I work with patients of all ages. None are more important than the others. When we talk about “collective health” - it is the entire population. Not just the elderly and those directly/currently in a covid ward- but people who will be impacted indirectly and throughout their lifetime in ways that are not as obvious. For example -say your kid gains poor health habits such as lack of exercise/eating junk food due to boredom that intensified in the pandemic. These habits will likely cause them to die earlier and cost society in terms of loss of tax revenue /increased health care costs. This is also the effect on the collective.
So, we have two physicians in this thread who say that we should sacrifice the elderly and immune-compromised so younger people don’t have to wear a mask for 45 minutes.
My whole family had covid, but we also got vaccinated, and will be happy to get a booster. I sincerely doubt natural immunity is going to last.
Likely he was doing it as a favor to the department rather than to make money. Too bad the selfishness of one student had to ruin it for the rest of them.
You don’t know this.
Although there are multiple antigenic proteins, and there have been mutations in the spike protein, there’s no great reason to suggest a successful mutation that makes it even more efficient is imminent. It’s very efficient as it is. Plus, if it does, square one is not really square one. The new sequence can be dropped into either mRNA vaccine in a day. We don’t need to scale manufacturing or re-invent the logistics of distribution.
Sterilizing immunity, from either immunization or natural infection is exceedingly rare. It certainly isn’t the case for COVID. I personally know a guy who was unvaccinated and infected. Six months later, he got it again, and died, in his 40s, extremely healthy, without a single condition that we consider an “underlying factor.”
The most durable immunity seems to be natural infection followed by immunization. I think 637,000 dead people would suggest it isn’t a wise proactive strategy.
Bless your Heart
How does covering one’s face change that?
Wearing masks - especially reusing masks can lead to bacterial/pneumonia, sinusitis and bronchitis. It is a warm moist environment that is the perfect breeding ground for these as well as certain yeast and fungal infections. Long term use - especially in hot humid environments is not without risk. There is thought it may actually be riskier for the immune-compromised to constantly be masked due to these issues. Especially if they are on steroids or diabetic.
So have you worked on one for any length of time? Medical lad tells me the doctors who feel Covid isn’t a big deal are those who haven’t.
What does any of this have to do with one selfish Snowflake refusing to wear a mask in a class?
As I said before, one can take Covid out of this situation if they want to. If the prof had wanted students to wear a mask because of any health issue he was dealing with, I think students taking the class should have been willing to do so. It’s part of caring for others.
The vaccine is not 100% protective, especially with the new variant and for people who may not have mounted a full immune response.
It takes anything from 6 weeks to 6 months to adapt to the more restrictive airflow caused by masks or even by nasal breathing. But the adaptation can be unpleasant. Some athletes even train in masks to improve their fitness - it’s similar to altitude training.
Patrick McKeown of Oxygen Advantage is a good source - lots of videos to explain CO2 resilience in the general public and in athletes.
From what I’ve read, there is no evidence that masks can lead to bacterial/pneumonia, sinusitis, and brochitis. Do you have a source?
ETA: Maybe cloth masks do, but not medical masks, and certainly not for 45 minutes while sitting in class.
Sorry but anxious to hear your response…
@Altras As a physician would you advise an elderly diabetic vaccinated male that it is safe to be indoors in close proximity with a sizable group of 18-20 year olds whose vaccine status is unknown that will not wear masks?
This I find interesting: my kid’s public school was remote for a year and-a-half. Last school year was entirely remote with classes on Zoom. Work submitted online. In fact, my student has 4 entirely remote courses this year. Having a remote class could very well have been an option so that this professor could have continued to do what he loved in a way that served this health status.
You would have to look at the rules of the college to know if the professor can just go remote or if there is a remote course he could teach. At a lot of schools (mine included), it’s not always an option.