Time keeps tricking us into thinking it’s almost over.
We’ve been isolating for over a year, observing CDC guidelines, but we’re stuck in the rut called online for face to face work and talk.
Some have shorter attention spans than others, and you can find them everywhere, up close and personal, often partying. A certain number will end up in the hospital and, though deaths have gone down in the United States, people still die of the coronavirus. This fourth wave of the virus reminds us that we are not in charge, and that many of us ignore or are tired of CDC guidance.
Meanwhile, for those of us who have been vaccinated, we’re told this morning that we can take off our masks outdoors when we are in small groups, or when biking or running. This is certainly a step forward.
For those of us who have been teaching online for four quarters, there is still not enough clear guidance, probably because we can see the possibility of a fifth wave in the fall that would cause us to pivot from classrooms back to online. The University of Washington has not yet made a decision on whether or not it will require faculty, staff and students to all be vaccinated before they return to the campus this fall, though masks will most certainly be required.
Along with the rising numbers of infections in this fourth wave is another piece of data that is troubling about those who have been vaccinated. A significant number do not receive their second dose — the factors here are unclear. Scheduling vaccinations has been a nightmare for most. There have been stories written about the side effects that hit some with the second shot. And some are just too preoccupied to care that only one dose just won’t cut it with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
I recommend that the Ad Council of America get together with the CDC to design some kick ass ads that make the case for being vaccinated, and that they create public service announcements that can be utilized by radio, television, newspapers, and social media platforms. Make the case now, before we slide down into a trough, then right back up into a fifth wave. The messaging is just muddy enough right now to allow some to make excuses for why that will not get vaccinated. If the new messaging is clear enough, then we can use it on friends, relatives and neighbors to move things along.
Let’s take a deep breath, and get to work.