We're losing 87% more people PER DAY than we were a month ago. And because deaths are a lagging metric (by a month or more,) that increase in deaths doesn't yet reflect the massive surge in recent caset. The additional surge of deaths from THOSE cases wont hit until into December https://twitter.com/COVID19Tracking/status/1331035308150833154

Like however overly extreme you *thought* I've been on my Covid takes? Please understand that now I am saying "wow, this will be so much worse than even *I* was preparing for."

Yes, it really is THAT bad right now. Take it THAT seriously. Please.

To be painfully clear:

"I ALWAYS wear a mask" should no longer be considered synonymous with "I'm taking this thing seriously."

That's not enough anymore. You can't continue your life mostly as normal as long as you wear a mask and avoid 100 person events. We're past that.

If your life has not been SIGNIFICANTLY altered outside the mask you're wearing? Then no, you are not currently taking it seriously.

The only way to be taking this seriously right now means you do not go to places where any other humans are UNLESS you don't have a choice. (ie you are not allowed to work from home, or you cant reasonably access or afford deliveries, or you need medical care, etc.)

"I'm taking this seriously, but we also need to find a healthy balance. We need to be reasonable."

Nothing has caused me greater stress and frustration this past two weeks than THIS particular point of view.

Here's the thing...

Covid does not care about your intent.
Covid does not care if you are one of those "selfish" people who is taking the "bad" risks, or if you are someone who is "being reasonable" and always wears their mask and *mostly* stays home except for this very special thing.

Covid does not care that you've "already sacrificed so much and this is the ONLY thing I'm making an exception for."
Covid doesn't care about "how much harder it is for me than most people to be alone this holiday because of *insert extenuating circumstance here.*"

Covid does not have any sense of fairness.
It's a contagious virus - one thats alarming good at its job.

It doesn't *only* infect the outright reckless who ignore all the mandates and recommendations.

It regularly infects people who "tried to do everything right."

So any calls to "be reasonable" may FEEL right emotionally, and I understand why they do - truly.

But Covid does not care about your feelings and it doesnt care about your intent.

"Geeze, I've been wearing a mask, I've been going to church online - and just because I do ONE holiday gathering you just ignore all that other stuff and act like I'm just taking big risks!"

Do you know what I hear everytime someone says something like this to me now?

I hear, "Geeze, I sold you this biohazard suit that was MOSTLY safe but just because it had this ONE little hole you ignore all the parts that DON'T have holes and act like the whole suit is useless!"

Because that's how viruses work. There is no "mostly" safe. That's meaningless

There is safe, and there is unsafe. There is no "mostly" safe with viruses.

"Don't worry, we wore our masks the whole time, we ONLY took them off to eat."

That's like poking a hole in the biohazard suit and calling it "mostly" safe.

Anyone who's followed my work for long will likely be unsurprised to hear me say I think the underlying problem here in all of this is....

... prosperity gospel thinking.

No really. Here's why.

When you're accustomed to a system that's trained you to believe that your good choices entitle you to your justly earned rewards? The underlying belief you've internalized is that there's a system of "fairness" at play here. Good people get good things b/c they EARNED them.

And in this context the word "earned" is entirely interchangeable with the word DESERVE.

If you're a person of privilege, the added layer here is you've been taught your INTENT matters more than your impact.

"Well Johnny didn't *mean* to hurt your son, it was an accident. It's not fair to punish him for an honest mistake!"

We're taught that our INTENTIONS should always be a factor in determining what we do and don't deserve.

Now people are unconsciously carrying these same internalized ideas of "fairness" and "but what if she was TRYING to be good" and "but I wasn't like those bad people that meant to hurt someone, i had all the good intentions" over into their view of Covid.

But again, Covid has no sense of fairness.

And surviving a pandemic isn’t like outrunning a T-Rex: you’re not safe just as long as there’s people who aren’t running as fast as you/are taking more risks than you. Covid doesn’t stop killing b/c it can get to someone else easier

So when you tell me that I’m not being “loving” because I’m not considering all the “extenuated circumstances” someone feels they have and why they “deserve” a Thanksgiving gathering?

Im trying to tell you I love them enough to prioritize their LIFE above their hurt feelings.

When you tell me I’m being “mean” because I’m “only focusing on this one thing we did and ignoring alllll those other good choices we’ve made?”

I want to tell you the meanest thing I could do is decide the risk of you dying is more acceptable than the risk of you not liking me.

And when you tell me I’m being unreasonable because you’ve “mostly” been safe and that has to count for something?

I want to you that folks who *mostly* use birth control get just as pregnant as the people who never used it.