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The reality of COVID and football (and the rest of life)
Aug 10, 2020, 8:24 AM
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COVID-19 is here to stay, folks. Wearing a mask won't make it go away. Time and the passing of seasons won't make it go away. If we delay football until spring, it'll still be out there. If we cease all large gatherings, it will still be out there. If everyone wears a mask - you got it - it will still be out there. With very few exceptions, all of the past pandemics we've dealt with are still with us. They're not so pronounced because we develop herd immunity, we develop vaccines, and = most of all - we accept them as part of life.
Now before any of you think that I'm insensitive, I know personally of four people who have tested positive. Three of them died. One was a 92yo woman who had myriad of other health issues and was rapidly declining anyway. One was a 70-something year-old man who was overweight, had diabetes, and other health issues as well. He lingered a long time and died a very painful death, and died alone due to hospital restrictions. Another was a 47yo friend who, to my knowledge, had no pre-existing health issues. He wore a mask every day. He was a nurse at a nursing home. The last, I didn't even know he had it until he told me last week. He had some appetite issues and that was it. His wife had it, too, and she had some taste issues and a cough, but otherwise was fine.
Point is, this is a virus. Viruses are a part of life. Most - including this one - don't just magically disappear just because they can't find a host. They're always out there. At some point, masks will no longer be required or suggested, and guess what - people will be testing positive again. We can hide all day long, but eventually, we have to come out. And when we do, people will catch it.
Remember when all of this started and the world shut down so that we could flatten the curve and lessen the impact on the health care industry? We did that. And with few exceptions in the US, it worked as planned. In fact, many hospitals ended up laying off employees because they had no patients! That passed. There is no curve to flatten. Hospitals are prepared and equipped. So why are we still in hiding?
For the vast majority of people who test positive, there is little to no impact. For those who do experience an impact, it is relatively minor. But for those who get it bad, it's very bad. That's what separates this from the flu and other viruses. When it's bad, it's really, really bad. Oh, and the media is reporting on it every hour of every day stoking fear that if you catch it you will die, which is simply not the case.
The world needs to go on. Vaccines are nowhere near ready, and when they are, we don't know how effective they will be and not everyone will get them (be ready for an attempt to mandate, however, and show proof of vaccination to do certain things). This thing is part of life now. So let us get back to our lives.
Oh, and about football - this has nothing to do with football or player safety. More players would end up losing playing time to injuries than to symptoms from COVID. Guaranteed. This is about liability. None of these conferences want to deal with the backlash of players testing positive, even if they're completely asymptomatic. And none of them want to deal with the chances, however unlikely, of one getting hospitalized. That's what this potential decision to cancel or delay the season is all about. Liability. Nothing more. So the big boys protect their billfolds while the economic impact of this costs billions of dollars and thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of jobs.
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