If you still think the coronavirus is a hoax or perhaps not as devastating as 190,000 American fatalities might imply this is the weekend you can let your freak flag fly.

Holidays are made for COVID, so have at it. Just stay away from the people you actually like. And everyone else, for that matter.

That was the lesson gained from the two previous summer celebrations: Both Memorial Day and the Fourth of July triggered infection surges across the country, and as Dr. Anthony Fauci put it last week, If were careless about it, then we could wind up with a surge following Labor Day it really depends on how we behave as a country.

So before you make plans for Mondays holiday, the experts would like to remind you of this immutable truth:

It is only after we pay the price of vigilance, self-restraint, and empathy can we reap the benefits of normalcy.

That is true in New Jersey. The national numbers are steady but daunting, with 40,000 new cases a day, but transmission has actually increased in our state in the past week, says Dr. Perry Halkitis, the Dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health.

So from a local perspective, its a time of concern right now especially on a holiday weekend, which we know is followed by spikes, Halkitis said.

Consider the factors: You have the last holiday of the summer, so people will feel like theyre facing a lockup the rest of the year human behavior, as we know, doesnt change. Second, some schools and campuses are reopening. Third, the opening of restaurants and other businesses. These things dont additively increase (a viral spread). They exponentially increase it. They work together, and its more multiplicative. And thats a problem.

Every day, there are cautionary tales that support that scenario.

Consider that wedding on August 7, in the idyllic community of Millinocket, Maine, which had had zero COVID cases. The reception violated the state law on indoor gatherings social distancing was not observed, servers were not masked, etc. and what followed was an outbreak that the states CDC director called a powder keg.

Through Saturday, the wedding has been traced to 147 coronavirus cases. Only 56 of the cases involved people who attended the event. But the outbreak reached a nursing home 100 miles away, and infected 16 people; and it reached a county jail 220 miles away, infecting 72 more. Three are dead.

Then there are the campus outbreaks: There have been more than 1,000 cases at the University of Alabama since school opened on August 19th, there have been 880 cases at the University of Kentucky, and surges at the University of North Carolina and Notre Dame forced suspension of in-person classes.

We will someday emerge from this pandemic smarter, hopefully but only if we listen to scientists. And heres the message of a scientist as we celebrate the last holiday of this beastly summer:

Its time for some genuine altruism. Where people are altruistic and show genuine concern for each other, you get results, Halkitis says.

Remember, the masks you wear dont only protect you, they protect the weakest and most vulnerable in society. I wear a mask because of my commitment to my brother, who has MS I dont need my baby brother to get sick and die. Just think of the one person in your life who is most vulnerable to this disease, wear a mask, wash your hands, and follow all appropriate behaviors for that person to stay safe.

Amen.

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Originally posted here:
Dont regret this Labor Day. Help prevent another COVID spike | Editorial - NJ.com