Thought some you, like I, would find this *very* interesting. It mirrored some of the conversations my wife (the nurse) and I have had.
For those who don't like long reads, the major medical journal JAMA issued an important report yesterday that essentially said:
“The “new normal” requires recognizing that SARS-CoV-2 is but one of several circulating respiratory viruses that include influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and more… Policy makers should retire previous public health categorizations, including deaths from pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19, and focus on a new category: the aggregate risk of all respiratory virus infections.”
This Viewpoint discusses how US policy makers should address how the nation can move forward as the pandemic persists.
jamanetwork.com
All of our lives we have lived in community with others knowing that we might eventually catch a respiratory virus like cold or flu. It was a routine fact of life, and no one really thought much about it. When we had symptoms, we stayed home until it passed. Covid now joins cold and flu as perpetual respiratory health risk. Fortunately, we now have excellent anti-Covid vaccines and anti-viral treatments available.
For those vaccinated and boosted, catching Covid appears to range from no symptoms (asymptomatic) to a mild case of cold or flu. Rarely in the vaccinated does Covid involve hospitalization. You might remember from before Covid that flu also carried a risk of serious infection, hospitalization, even death – but we lived with that risk. There will always a risk of respiratory illness. If we cannot eradicate Covid, then hopefully it will be only a minor inconvenience to the vaccinated, but we should not live in perpetual fear and isolation.
CONCLUSIONS. If everyone takes precautions, we should feel reasonably comfortable rehearsing and performing. Here are my thoughts on reasonable precautions:
- ALL MUSICIANS should be fully vaccinated (and boosted). This is just common sense.
- DO NOT COME to rehearsal if you have any symptoms of cold or flu. Same protocol as before Covid.
- RHYTHM SECTION should WEAR MASKs if it gives you additional comfort. Not practical for horns & vocals. Recent studies have shown that cloth masks provide very little protection. N-95 masks are far more protective but even they are not 100%.
- For those who are uncomfortable in a larger group, consider playing in smaller ensemble that allows more room for social distancing. Unfortunately, social distancing is not foolproof either. A recent study in China despite its severe lockdowns reported that two families who lived across the street from each other caught Covid even though they had zero personal interaction. Apparently, the virus was able to survive in the open air between the houses.
- If after all this you remain uncomfortable rehearsing with others, then performing in a group may no longer be an option for you. Covid is not going away. Cold, Flu, Covid, this is our new normal, and we need to find a way to live with it.