Bob has gotten COVID for the third time. The thing is in the old days, say July 2020, I knew exactly what to do. But I am not sure they apply anymore. We both had 4 COVID vaccine shots. We are up-to-date. So Bob is supposed to self-isolate? He is perfectly willing to not see anyone but to stay locked up in his room is a chore and I, frankly, don’t see the point anymore. I don’t want to get sick. On the other hand, we are both fully vaccinated and boosted. We have taken some self-isolating precautions but we are eating together and we are watching TV together. I am not terrified about getting COVID am I fairly confident that I have done everything I can to ensure that I will survive any bout with COVID. Isn’t that what the vaccination was all about? Give us the ability to move on with our lives without fear. Well, it has worked.

Also confusing is I am testing negative for COVID. A year ago, I would have self-isolated as well because I live with someone who tested positive. This doesn’t make sense to me anymore. I live in a highly vaccinated county (75% of the county is vaccinated), in the most vulnerable population of over 65 year olds the vaccination rate is well over 90 percent, and for people over the age of 80 the vaccination rate is close to 99%. So there is a small group of unvaccinated people, and most of them are not in a vulnerable population. I feel comfortable going out if I wear a mask. The unvaccinated know the risks. They have had ample time to get vaccinated. They decided against it. Since people are either vaccinated or have accepted the risks of being non-vaccinated, why should I, as a COVID negative fully vaccinated person, sit at home?

At this point, COVID, at least in my eyes, has moved into a different less deadly status. Yes, it still can be deadly for a very small portion of the population but for anyone who has taken the vaccine, that risk is incredibly low. COVID is an unpleasant disease which we should try to avoid. COVID has also become a more manageable disease, less deadly and better treated. Can we change our behaviors to match our new understanding of the disease?