To travel or not to travel

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After living through this for almost a year, many are still rationalizing their decision to travel. I hesitate to say that this is selfish, but it is clear that many folks are in denial about COVID and its global impact. I suspect that we would be in much better shape now if more governments had imposed a total travel ban.

Stay home, stay safe, be patient.
Have you ever thought about the severe social and economic loss that has occurred during these “lockdowns”? Businesses are dying, never to return while we wait for who knows what. Seems like the government’s keep changing the goalposts. What about socially? I know a few older people who are terrified to leave their home. They are basically living in a depressed state of fear.... their health has suffered as a result. Poor kids getting abused and molested by their meth head parents who... are also home all day. What about them? More lockdowns are not the answer
 
As I see it, the argument against travel based on spreading it (either "importing" or "exporting") is that if we all had the attitude that our one little trip is not going to make a difference in the statistics, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy--we're not going to make a difference. Sure, the likelihood of spreading it is lower with mask-wearing and now with testing at one or both ends of a trip. And if my logic is correct here, travel between two places where Covid is already widespread would take many more trips to budge the statistics than travel to a place that has escaped infection. However, as I understand it, epidemiology is all about statistics. We CAN affect the statistics if every one of us acts as though our actions make a difference. By not traveling even to places where Covid is widespread, I am doing my little bit. It's like recycling, not wasting tap water, and other such endeavors where the contribution of any given individual makes almost zero difference, but collectively it can make a difference.
 
On balance, I think anyone who has had their first injection is probably good to go for travel - and is not being selfish.

In another thread, it was pointed out that the research is still ongoing as to whether a vaccinated person, whose immunity protects him against suffering the disease (Covid-19) may be able to (asymptomatically) spread the virus (SARS CoV-2). I read elsewhere that there is mounting evidence that such spread is unlikely, but it is still being studied. They just don't seem to know yet.
 
Have you ever thought about the severe social and economic loss that has occurred during these “lockdowns”? Businesses are dying, never to return while we wait for who knows what. Seems like the government’s keep changing the goalposts. What about socially? I know a few older people who are terrified to leave their home. They are basically living in a depressed state of fear.... their health has suffered as a result. Poor kids getting abused and molested by their meth head parents who... are also home all day. What about them? More lockdowns are not the answer
You sound like a politician ..no suggestions, just dire of what we already know.
 
Like many of you, I have been baking with a sourdough starter. One of the "weird" things about starter is that you don't have to do anything to grow it. It just kicks off on its own. The sole purpose of the repeated feedings is to provide an opportunity for the fastest growing strains to outcompete the slower ones. After several feedings you have only the zippiest yeast that produce consistent, airy bread.

The SARS-CoV-2 situation is different, because we have many populations with different strains and only a certain amount of mixing between them. I, personally, choose not to help the faster strains propagate. It's perfectly legal to fart in an elevator, but why would you choose to?

No travel for me while the ERs are close to capacity.
 
You are at greater risk going to your local grocery store than flying in an aircraft. Just sayn.
Based on the number of exported cases from the US to, say, the Caribbean... whilst you might be at greater risk at the grocery store than the plane, we're at greater risk when you fly too...

Its a tough balancing act. As much as I would love to have you all come down to the islands and dive, I'm conscious that we have practically no modern medical facilities that can handle an outbreak. We don't have ICU's or ventilators, we don't have steroid treatments or the vaccine either..... so with that in mind, reluctantly, we have to accept that travel is probably not prudent right now... But oh how we miss you all :(
 
You are at greater risk going to your local grocery store than flying in an aircraft. Just sayn.

Any data to support this? I ask this seriously as a person who only rarely goes into grocery stores and hasn't flown in over a year, with multiple international trips cancelled in 2020.
 
I traveled to COZ in December. Negative COVID, Positive IGG antibodies tests prior to leaving. Drove my own car to and from JFK. Wore mask and socially distanced as much as possible. Stayed at AI resort.

voluntarily self quarantined for two weeks on return.

No symptoms personally or by anyone I was in contact with that I know of.

I believe this trip posed little risk to me or anyone else, I got enjoyment out of it and I could contribute modestly to the economy of people who really need it.
 
You sound like a politician ..no suggestions, just dire of what we already know.
Ugh.... pretty sure my last sentence was “more lockdowns are not the answer”. Sounds like a pretty strong suggestion to me.
 
Ugh.... pretty sure my last sentence was “more lockdowns are not the answer”. Sounds like a pretty strong suggestion to me.

The guy you originally replied to mentioned "travel bans," not lockdowns. I think we're focused on travel here.
 
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