Why did anyone ever listen to these people? Why does anyone now?
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Grampa killer
It was never dangerous — even the CDC (finally) admitted that back in October. A hug is not “15 minutes of close exposure to an infected person”, which is what’s required to spread the disease, according to our ever-cautious bosses.
And of all the “experts” no one should listen to, epidemiologists top the list: that’s not because they know too much about this disease, but rather they know too little about life, risk, and actual science.
Robie Suave, Reason Magazine: Epidemiologists Still Urge Dubious Levels of Caution, Even for the Vaccinated ‘Most would still refuse a hug, according to a New York Times survey”.
If you meet an epidemiologist on the street, don't try to hug them. Most are still unwilling to engage in normal pre-pandemic activities like eating at a restaurant, traveling by plane, or going back to the office, according to a survey in The New York Times.
While the framing of the article is cheery—"Epidemiologists are starting to hug again," it begins—the survey results actually suggest that supposed health experts continue to recommend a level of caution that is not supported by the science.
"Assuming nearly all [epidemiologists] are vaccinated by this point—which I assume is a fairly safe assumption (the survey is limited to the U.S.)—my takeaway is that epidemiologists are extremely risk-averse, much more so than public health guidelines say they need to be," wrote Nate Silver, a statistician and the editor in chief of FiveThirtyEight.
People who are fully vaccinated are extremely unlikely to get sick and die from COVID-19, or transmit the disease to someone else. Yet a majority of the surveyed epidemiologists said they would not attend small indoor dinner parties, ride the subway, or take a vacation (even by car).
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[T]hese responses reveal that many of the experts whose judgments guide official government policy are living in a fantasy land. Most people, for instance, have still been going to work for the entire pandemic; unlike many epidemiologists, they cannot and do not work from home.
Different people can practice different levels of caution. But at present, the most overly cautious people are the ones setting the rules for everybody else. People who are vaccinated should not wait for permission from epidemiologists to go for maskless walks with their friends. It's okay to hug again.
