Agreed, we need vaccines that address the conserved regions of viruses/bacteria, otherwise you’re always chasing the last generation and the effectiveness is drastically diminished - look at the farce of flu vaccines, always a day late and a dollar short. Universal vaccine against all strains, universal flu, universal covid, universal cold and so on!
In fact, I felt a bit silly yesterday getting a covid vaccine that focused on the previous, almost irrelevant strain of the virus, while FLiRT is raging here in SoCal at levels close to the height of the pandemic; it does seem somewhat milder in the symptoms, FWIW.
But personally, the immediate symptoms of covid were always irrelevant. So what, you have two or five bad days, meh. No, my worry has always been the long term effect of the virus in the body, the penetration of various tissues, the heart, brain, lungs etc., with long term persistense and resultant pathologies; there appear to be quite a few reports of neurodegeneration, even Alzheimer’s like effects. And this has nothing to do with how severe the initial symptoms are. The mere fact of exposure is what allows the virus to attack your body long term. You may have zero symptoms, but have the virus long term.
Which is why I do try to stay as safe as I know how to, mask up in higher exposure areas (how are laws against masking constitutional?!), and get vaccinated regularly, even if the vaccines are somewhat subpar - I figure every little bit helps.
However as always, to each their own. I don’t think there should be mandates for or against. Everyone is responsible for their own choices, and should be free to do so. I report and explain my choices, and am interested in your choices, especially if they are different - that’s how we learn. What I am DEFINITELT NOT interested in is haranguing people, or condemning someone for their choices, whatever they may be. Tell me what you’re doing and why, and I’ll do the same, that’s the purpose here, seems to me, an exchange of information.
