Popular social media arguments, and social circle arguments. I don’t want to get in unnecessary debates, but here’s a deconstruction of the flawed logic behind each of these.
Coronavirus is a hoax.
- We all wish it was, but the number of people who have died due to this makes for the most heartbreaking evidence.
The media is lying.
- The governments around the world would be happy to say that the Media is lying and this is not a big deal; because all politicians’ careers are at stake on trying to recover from the pandemic. Except for a few, none are doing so. Even if a politician is successful, they are at great risk of not surviving in their career.
Only 0.1% of the people die.
- 0.1% of approximately 7.5 Billion (total world population) people is 7.5 Million people. That’s 3 to 6 times the number of deaths due to diseases like TB, Pneumonia (communicable diseases) and Cancer (non-communicable). While it is harder to get the communicable deadly diseases, it is because of general public acceptance that they are deadly. Seldom does one say: “It’s only TB, I’m gonna be fine.”
- Death is a finality. What you don’t hear about the other 99.9% is as to how many of them suffer long term effects. Permanent loss of smell, chronic headaches, chronic fatigue, depression and insomnia. These life long effects can be just as devastating to one as mortality.
I don’t care, I’ll take my chances.
- It isn’t you taking a chance. You are giving more chances to the virus to mutate. Mutation is rapid evolution of viruses to evolve into strains that can be more transmissible, more fatal or both. Every new person that gets the virus, gives a chance for it to evolve into something else. Your strength to the virus is irrelevant, it’s about not giving the virus a chance to become stronger.
Ivermectin or Remdesivir is a cure.
- Yes, this may be so. This is no reason to don immortality shields though. While Tinidazole is a fair cure for dysentry, we don’t go about drinking sewage water just because we can defeat our ancestors. This is common sense because so much time has passed with us living with these things.
Masks are irrelevant.
- So are clothes in warm tropical climates. Logically, there is no point to wear anything there. We still do it because we care about social norms. Social norms can be broken, and the worst thing to happen will be ridicule for us. Masks, even though you may think are irrelevant, give a sense of protection to a large percentage of population. There is some evidence that they work, and it is OK to disagree with it. In any case, do it for everyone else.
Vaccination is irrelevant or dangerous.
- Your caution or suspicion is appreciated. If you are in this camp, it is unlikely you are reading this. If you are, remember that nobody has gotten Polio in the US in the last 25+ years. India had been polio free for last 6+ years. There were people back in the 1950s advising against getting the Polio vaccination.
- Polio vaccine was an inactivated virus, and for the 6-10 cases where it caused Polio, this was a risk being taken. Coronavirus vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna on the other hand CANNOT cause you to get COVID-19, since these don’t have the virus. Hence, the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are way safer. So are others, with the benefits far far outweighing the risk.
- Third argument; if we don’t have enough people vaccinated, the virus mutates and spreads in ways that we cannot defeat it. This argument only holds if you believe that vaccines work. If you don’t believe so, read the first bullet above again.
I need to travel.
I am tired of being stuck.
I will be careful.
- The only reason that new virus strains are traveling around the world is because people need to go on a vacation. Your need to travel pleases you but ends up hurting everyone else and their chances to do even the most basic and urgent things in life (like travel for a loved one’s passing away).
We are a closed group of people, we can meet indoors every weekend.
- No arguments here, for a tightly closed group. All it takes is one person to lose caution and come in contact with someone outside, and out goes the undying trust you had. Bottom line, the virus now gets a chance to mutate. Thank you for contributing your part in the possible destruction of humanity.
All of this said, I empathize with the mental trauma of people who have been socially isolated and cannot live without seeing other people. Just take the vaccine, or if you get infected, stay home.
To the 80%+ of the rest of the world who have observed strict guidelines, you have restored my faith in humanity. Thank you.