One of the biggest mistakes from the pandemic was the change in guidance from the CDC around mask use on May 13, 2021. This has been addressed in an earlier post.
I’ve added data for each state (except Nevada and New Mexico – accidental oversight in a data table that will be updated) on mask use compared to cases over time. Look under Graphs at the top of the page or on the menu button for a list of states. Each state has a number of graphs of data. As of this writing, that graph is at the bottom.
It’s clear that mask use dropped precipitously in every state as a result of that change and in many, never recovered to the prior downward curve, likely due to pandemic fatigue, that it has previously been following. It’s also pretty apparent how beneficial that they have been in suppressing case numbers.
The next few months are looking to be much worse than last year. It’s not too late to protect yourselves and those around you.
If you haven’t been vaccinated, get started. If you are due for a booster, get one.
If you haven’t been wearing a mask, ALWAYS wear them in indoor public spaces. If you are going to be in a crowd outside, wear one as well.
Don’t travel unless absolutely necessary. People want to see their families. I get that. The bigger question though might be “Do you want this holiday to be for the last time?”
You might be done with the pandemic, but the pandemic isn’t done with us. Think of the virus as the IRA during the Troubles. After the attempt on assassinating Margaret Thatcher in 1984, they said “‘Today we were unlucky, but remember, we only have to be lucky once. You have to be lucky always.” That is exactly how we should responding to the virus.
Thanks for the posting Michael Olsesn. I appreciate your insight!