“WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER”
(OR ARE WE?)
“I’m SO PISSED OFF by the friggin’ anti-vaxxers. I just got my booster shot, but I’m still worried about the asshole unvaccinated people who will be allowed in to see the game. I feel like I’m still at risk. WTF is wrong with these people?”
My friend Bob (not his real name) was recently on his way to see an NBA basketball game in his hometown in the southern region of the United States and displayed his angst and anger in the course of an email he sent to me.
Not surprisingly, and as is true in most arenas and stadiums in the United States, the rules of this particular venue he wanted to attend were very clear: Either a vaccine or a recent Covid test would be required for entrance to the event.
In other words, being vaccinated was not required.
So I’m not sure why Bob was complaining about people who aren’t vaccinated. If he wanted to be angry, perhaps he should be focusing his ire towards the governmental and/or business entities who made and enforce the policy?
Perhaps he should not be attending the event if he didn’t feel safe?
Or just maybe….he should have looked at his own contributions to the health crisis we are in?
*****
We’re all in this together, right?
Apparently not.
The last almost two years in this country has been a shit-show. Deaths, illnesses, and lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Economic calamity, with loss of businesses and jobs. This country taking on tremendous debt to compensate some (but not all, or even some fully) for their job and business losses, because there isn’t the will to raise taxes to pay for the social upheaval created during the pandemic.
A political divide that is only getting deeper, with (according to polls) a majority of Americans thinking that we are headed to a Civil War.
An attempted insurrection on January 6 to try and overthrow a legitimate election.
A poor health care system that caters to the haves, and not the have-nots, much like a lot of things in this country. And a health care system that doesn’t focus on wellness or prevention, but instead is targeted towards treating symptoms.
Finally, the lack of will by our politicians, media, and even our leading public health experts to talk about what being truly healthy really means. As I wrote in the summer of 2020 in my book “Life is a Ride: My Unconventional Journey of Cancer Recovery”:
“I long for the day when I hear an American politician, epidemiologist or a member of the media say to the public: “Hey, while you’re waiting for a pill or a vaccine over the next one to two years, you might want to do what you can to eat healthier, move your body more and adopt better living habits.” Our society can debate various strategies to lessen the effects of the pandemic like wearing masks, social distancing, shutting down the economy, etc., but there is no debate when it comes to getting healthier. We know that getting healthier and building our immune system work to help us from catching viruses and fighting them off if we do catch them. And there are no side effects from getting healthier.”
*****
We’re all in this together, right?
I get vaccinated for you, and you get vaccinated for me.
I wear a mask for you, and you wear a mask for me.
Those have been the mantras. And for those who might disagree, there is finger-pointing and shaming. And outrage.
But if we believe in the adage “we are all in this together”, are we really looking at the entire picture?
Let me get to the point.
My friend Bob, above, who is finger-pointing and pissed off at anti-vaxxers smokes two to three packs of cigarettes a day and has done so has for decades.
Let that sink in for a minute.
He’s a chain smoker. He’s also in poor shape, moderately overweight, and from the looks of things does not appear to be healthy. I think he’s about my age (mid-60’s), but probably looks about ten years older than me.
In other words, at the very least and by his own lifestyle choices he is unhealthy. Someone who is a decades-long chain smoker simply cannot claim otherwise.
Further, he’s more susceptible to a very bad outcome if he gets Covid.
Don’t believe me? There are plenty of studies out there. Here’s but one:
“In a meta-analysis of studies that included 11,590 COVID patients, researchers found that among people with the virus, the risk of disease progression in those who currently smoke or previously smoked was nearly double that of non-smokers. They also found that when the disease worsens, current or former smokers had more acute or critical conditions or death. Overall, smoking was associated with almost a doubling of the risk of disease progressing.” https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/05/417411/smoking-nearly-doubles-rate-covid-19-progression
Bob’s lifestyle choices – in this case, smoking cigarettes for decades –puts himself at a greater risk if he gets Covid. But, you say: he’s fully vaccinated! Won’t that help protect him?
Maybe a little. But early studies (and frankly, when you are in the middle of a pandemic, all the studies are early) are showing that smoking cigarettes can decrease the efficacy of the covid vaccine.
“Central obesity, hypertension, and smoking are associated with lower Ab titres following COVID-19 vaccination.”https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dmrr.3465
*****
Let me see if I can connect some dots here.
Bob feels angry towards others (the unvaccinated), and clearly does not feel safe in crowded situations.
But by his own choices, Bob is more at risk of getting covid, and of having a bad outcome (hospitalization, long-term Covid and/or death) if he does contract it.
What if Bob gets covid and is hospitalized? Aren’t his own choices contributing to the overcrowded hospital conditions that have led to shutdowns, restrictions, masking, etc.? Weren’t we locked down for primarily that reason---the fear (and sometimes reality) of hospital overcrowding?
Aren’t we ALL responsible for being as healthy as we can be? Not just wearing a mask or getting vaccinated?
I’m vaccinated. But I also hate hate hate the vilification that is going on in our society. On social media. The anger, the finger-pointing, the tribalization. It’s truly horrible.
Bob doesn’t see that he’s part of the problem. He’s pissed off about others’ choices but doesn’t realize that his own actions are negatively contributing to the pandemic.
If we are truly all in this together, let’s ALL do what we can to be healthier. Exercise more. Eat less. Eat healthier. Maybe drink less. Perhaps cut down on the smoking.
We owe it to each other, regardless of how we feel about being vaccinated, wearing masks, and social distancing.
*****
I’m reminded of the saying: "When you point one finger, there are three fingers pointing back to you." Apparently (and I’m by no means anywhere close to being a religious scholar), Jesus allegedly said this another way: “Don't focus on the speck in your brother's eye while ignoring the log in your own eye."
Bob, if you’re reading this: Stop pointing fingers at others. Let’s truly all be in this together.
I am a vaxer. I have always gotten the flu vaccine because my job and life is to be near people from all walks of life. I work to be healthy as well. I don't smoke, I drink in moderation, and am careful about what I eat, etc. (All of this is easy for me because I am a small person and I learned early in life through the culture of my family to be "responsible" for myself and on behalf of others.) I have encouraged vaccinations: flu and COVID. I am also one who respects people with whom I disagree even toward those who don't embrace mandates to be vaxed. (Many I know are vaxed for their own well being and the well being of others, but they hate being forced to do something by "authorities"). For me all of us are "we." There is no "us vs. them." I know I love to debate, so let me debate myself.... what if some believed that STOP signs are "voluntary" even though they are NOT. I believe they are mandatory. Unfortunately, many people roll through stop signs. I don't. In this specific case I am a rule follower. I think anyone who rolls through a stop sign should get a ticket. But I don't think they would lose their job because honestly most (if not all of us at one time or another) have rolled through stop signs. But I do honestly think it is ultimately dangerous to roll through. I am pretty rigid when it comes to using turn signals too... running stop signs is likely to be fatal for someone, but rolling through them is not necessarily fatal. How does this apply? Most people I know already have immunity because they contracted COVID and have antibodies. I would encourage them to also get vaccinated, but I also recognize they have immunity and that the "authorities" are unwilling to recognize the value of natural immunity. Also, mandates can in themselves be misused by "authorities." We have many examples throughout human history of elected or non-elected rulers abusing their authority. So I prefer to do my best to influence rather than force. COVID is not dangerous solely because of my neighbor. It is dangerous because IT is the enemy, not my neighbor. So, I agree with Chris here, I'm not pointing fingers. I am encouraging and respecting. I got COVID at the beginning to 2021. I don't blame anyone else other than COVID itself. I am grateful that I am fairly healthy and probably because of it my case was mild. I know there are exceptions, but they are exceptions. Ultimately I following the philosophy of "love one another.... love your neighbor..... and love you enemy." I will express love for others in a variety of ways: respect, showing kindness, and for me, vaxing." I do not judge others though, by my example, because I am not, by far, the only measure of goodness.
Chris, I agree with everything in your article…except reducing my drinking…🍻