[Love2Swim]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

And the endless debate continues...

I forget where in this thread it was mentioned but someone observed that they don't trust ANY news source. I tend to agree. In this vastly overpoliticized and underinformed culture of ours, there is one truth that always seems to stand out. And that is that sensationalism sells. When that sensationalism involves news, which we so naively seem to believe is a dispassionate recital of the facts, it is doubly dangerous. News services are businesses like any other. They're out there to make money. And if sensationalism draws readership and generates hits, you can bet the farm that they'll use as much of that as they can. I tend to gravitate to sources without a dog in the fight, but those are becoming harder and harder to find.

This is what my own experience tells me. My wife and I decided from the getgo (on a cruise ship actually, which was one of the last to make it into port before the door slammed shut) that we were going to live our lives without fear, and as normally as possible. We rarely wore masks, and hung out with people with the same mindset. Handshakes and hugs were the norm, not those ridiculous fist-bumps. Oh--we both had COVID--late fall 2020. My wife had a VERY mild case. For me--well, not a picnic but to be honest I've had far worse cases of the flu. Felt kinda puny for about four days but after that my major gripe was that it interfered with my golf.

As for others in our life...our yard guy died after being hospitalized for COVID. He had had the shot. Died of cardiac arrest; I talked to him a couple of days before and he was looking forward to getting out of the hospital. What are the odds that his death certificate listed "COVID" as cause of death? Others? My wife's daughter, her husband and four kids all had the vaccination. A few months later all of them came down with COVID--my step-granddaughter's case also involved a pneumonia diagnosis. My sister had the shot, and then had COVID--twice. The last time, this past December, damn near killed her. My oldest granddaughter also had COVID--twice--AFTER having the shot.

My conclusions?

1. I know more people who have had COVID AFTER the vaccine than who have gotten it without having the vaccine. Some multiple times. Doesn't seem to help much if at all.

2. The biggest threat is not COVID, but the FEAR of COVID. For my wife and myself, as well as a whole lot of others who decided to LIVE our lives rather than curl up in a fetal position under some bed, that is the case.

3. People who take the government at their word are fools.

I thought the vaccines and boosters were to prevent serious illness and lower the rate of deaths. If so, sounds like the shots did their job.