Large Fierce Mammal

Remember kid, do like the pro’s do — know the answer you want going in, and NEVER show your work! Source: Chatelaine

“I will posit that after two years, anything Truly worthwhile to society should by now be sufficiently self-evident as to not require daily doses of contradictory news coverage, blatant falsehoods, shameless fear mongering, dutiful repetition of a narrative long since grown unsupported by observed evidence, and creation of a two-tier society to sell it, but yet here we are.” ~ The Illusion of Truth — Introduction

Welcome back Weary Traveller to this second treatment of symptoms afflicting us all, and where Quaere Verum is now, more than ever, the mantra of our times. If you haven’t previously read our Introduction as quoted above, or feel the need for a refresher, I urge you to tarry there as long as needs must before continuing with today’s observations.

Arguments could go on all day about the evolution of understanding surrounding vaccine efficacy and and how dangerous infections by SARS-CoV-2 may be to vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, but that would be counterproductive when there is a more predictive method. After all, stated intentions turned to actions yielding outcomes give us a convenient yardstick, or this being Canada we’re talking about, a meter stick, to measure hit or miss.

Again, what follows will focus on figures coming out of Nova Scotia because that is where I live, raise my children, work, and accumulate firsthand knowledge.

As of 4 October 2021, the Province of Nova Scotia declared  “… proof of full vaccination will be required for Nova Scotians who are 12 or older to participate (in) activities such as dining out, going to a fitness facility, or going to a movie, theatre performance, concert or sporting event ….”

The full slate of places and events where attendance is restricted to fully vaccinated people, as well as those requiring no such proof, appears on the Provincial website, and you can read both by clicking on these links:

• Where proof of full vaccination is required
• Where proof of full vaccination isn’t required

Provincial Public Health officials have made it abundantly clear that requirements for individual adherence to its guidance with respect to the wearing of masks, the practice of physical distancing, and gathering limits are still very much in force, and evidence does support that this along with public awareness of what appears to have been the lost art of hand washing has actually demonstrably paid off. An article published by Yale Medicine on 26 August 2021 titled Are Colds and Flu Coming Back? states:

“A remarkable side effect of the pandemic has been the near vanishing of colds, flu, and other viruses. All of these can lead to general misery and, in some cases, serious illness and death. Fortunately, mask-wearing and other measures to prevent COVID-19 pushed those viruses to the background, if only temporarily.

“But now we’re about to enter a new cold and flu season—what will happen? We missed a year of building immunity against those illnesses. Meanwhile, guidance on COVID-19 prevention measures has been changing, and will likely continue to change as more people are vaccinated.”

This was echoed by CBC News on 11 September 2021 under the title Easing pandemic restrictions likely to mean the return of seasonal flu which quotes Nova Scotia pharmacists:

“Measures put in place last year to contain COVID-19 had the added benefit of preventing a customary flu outbreak.

“This year, with restrictions easing and Nova Scotia poised to enter the last phase of its reopening plan on Sept. 15, pharmacists are expecting the flu to make its return.”

I would draw your attention to the portion of that last excerpt that I have highlighted in bold type because the underlined 15 September 2021 date is significant.

The fact that this development of nearly complete disappearance of colds and flu occurred across populations consisting of both vaccinated and unvaccinated people supports the efficacy of physical measures intended to contain infection by viruses known to be spread by particulates and aerosols, notwithstanding the involvement of a COVID-19 vaccine or lack thereof.

Now, the argument can be made that this in no way stands as evidence of the same level of protection against spread of particulates shed by people infected with COVID-19, and that would be quite correct. What flies in the face of that however are the statistics documenting COVID-19 infections and exposures occurring at Nova Scotia venues and events to which full vaccination is a prerequisite, and that began opening up after that critical 15 September 2021 grand reopening date.

On 8 September 2021, the Province confirmed the 15 September date to be a go, “… contingent upon 75 per cent of Nova Scotians being double vaccinated. As of Wednesday (8 September 2021), 71.7 per cent of the population has received two doses of the vaccine ….” (Source: N.S. to remove mask mandate, enter Phase 5 on Sept. 15).

Reading the article that excerpt was taken from will fill you in on just how unrestricted Nova Scotia was about to become for people who were “fully vaccinated”, and for clarity from the same article, “Fully vaccinated means having two doses of AstraZeneca, Moderna or Pfizer ….”

Two final points from that article that I would like to bring to your attention, Goode Reader, are that it states:

“The province reported 14 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the number of active cases to 61 ….
“There is one person in hospital with COVID-19 and that person is not in intensive care ….  four of the cases are children under 12 ….”

And

“Vaccinated people can still carry and spread the virus … so there are lots of people walking around with COVID-19 who don’t know it and can pass it on to any unvaccinated person — most often children.”

When last we convened under this banner of The Illusion of Truth, I promised you ” … manageable bites … as part of a highly digestible meal …”, and I am nothing if not a Man of my Word. I will leave you here with the table set for the next course, and a province of 1 million souls eagerly awaiting delivery of The Promise.