Paraphrasing one famous science commenter, we're playing Pandemic Trolley Problem and running over hundreds of people because we're not sure if the other path has one or two persons.
It may be ridiculous, but it seems necessary if you're managing populations of people:
Build a dam, which if it broke would kill hundreds-of-thousands, or let millions die for lack of water? Oh, we'll just over-engineer it, now we can't afford to buy food to keep the people alive long enough to need the dam; or the lead engineering firm embezzles the money and installs dodgy iron.
We can't wait around for long term studies, whatever point we decide to start vaccines - where they can still be effective for the current population - it's always possible we should have waited a bit longer.
Deaths by COVID implies that those at risk will forego all other options to decrease risk of infection, such as masks, distancing, etc. Those options are opt in the same as a vaccine, though the vaccine is 2x and done.
Nonetheless, just because version 1/2 COVID vaccines are good enough for you does not others should just jump on board when other options exist that can vastly reduce risk of infectionand/or death.
In short, blowing the death problem our of proportion unless the options are only nothing vs vaccine.
> Deaths by COVID implies that those at risk will forego all other options to decrease risk of infection, such as masks, distancing, etc.
Masks are supposed to protect others from you. Wearing a mask is not meant to help a person who may be at risk decrease his/her own risk of infection.
In any event, now that spring weather is here in the northern hemisphere and the vaccination campaign has given people hope, social-distancing rules are being flaunted in many countries and at-risk populations may find it hard to properly distance when they leave their homes for e.g. basic shopping. So, since the "other options" don’t always work, keeping up the vaccination campaign is very important to reducing infections.
While mask effectiveness may be skewed the direction you state, you can't tell me that wearing one along with other precautions has no positive impact on your own infection risk.
For those willing to receive vaccination right now under informed consent, I'm all for it. I agree people are over the pandemic and making the situation worse. I disagree with many commenters here that are shaming and/or implying that people like myself are anti-vax vs simply being willing to wait for much more evidence before jumping on board with incredibly widespread usage of an incredibly not well understood treatment.
> shaming and/or implying that people like myself are anti-vax.
I'm in a low risk bracket. My country saw an uptick in people canceling vaccination appointments. 40% of 60+ people here are now 'unsure' of taking the vaccine.
I've done nothing but work and follow the rules since this whole thing began. Young people without partners, or young people in general, that are active, have a social life did a complete 180* in their "allowed lifestyles".
I've paid with money, time, a year of my otherwise busy life, for people in risky age brackets, at _little_ benefit to myself. *
But I'm so done, don't tell me you're asking people like me to be stuck in our anti-social and unhealthy living arrangements, while there's a solution that's _safer_ than going to a covid shower?
People like me are done paying, I'm not going to wait around another year, you take the vaccine or you take covid for all I care.
Also: losing weight, getting more exercise, improving your diet, getting proper amounts of vitamins. All things that will greatly reduce your risk of death from many causes, not just COVID. But requires some effort compared to taking a pill or a shot.
It's ridiculous.
Or as per someone that actually knows statistics: https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1381925025964515330