The Arlington Triangle Loop hike – Factors in determining the refusal to take vaccines –Denial is not just a river in Egypt – New Year’s celebrations – Evening statistics
The Vigorous Hikers went on the Arlington Triangle Loop hike today, as we do every year on the occasion of the last Tuesday before New Year’s. There were surprisingly few participants this time: only seven in all, including TK (the hike leader), and usually we get about twice that number. The small size of the group meant that we could go faster than we ordinarily do. The hike is over 18 miles; we started a little after 8:30 and ended at 2:00, with a break of about 30 minutes for lunch; thus we took about 5 hours for the entire hike and therefore must have averaged above 3.5 MPH. One jogger along the way, seeing our steady determined pace, asked with curiosity whether we were training for an event. It was cool and rather overcast, but not cold, with occasional patches of sun, and all in all was quite invigorating. It is a hike best done in the company of others, for it consists mainly of walking on pavement and parts of it, such as the section of the trail that bypasses a waste treatment plant, are not especially scenic. But it provides expansive views of the Potomac and of the little valleys of Arlington concealed in the folds of the numerous county trails.
During one part of the hike TK and I conversed about those who refuse to accept the vaccines. He is somewhat to the right of me politically, but he had no hesitation in getting vaccinated and the same is true for many of his friends whose political stance is similar to his. He believes that the chief factor that influences people about their choice in this matter is less a matter of politics than whether they are living in urban or rural areas, since the unvaccinated tend to be residents of less densely populated regions. There is something in this – as my friends and I noted when we were visiting Idaho, it was easy to understand why people there felt less urgency to observe COVID-related mandates when they lived in small, sparsely populated towns with miles of open country between and thus did not have many encounters with potentially infected strangers. There seems little doubt, however, that the majority of governors who have declined to enforce vaccine mandates are overwhelming Republican.
Frederic Sinistra, a worldwide kickboxing champion whose nickname in sporting circles was “The Undertaker,” was among those who didn’t believe that the virus is dangerous and that vaccination is unnecessary. He stated that anyone who contracts the virus can beat it easily. In November, Sinistra contracted COVID and his condition worsened in a matter of days. He refused to be hospitalized but the united efforts of his wife, coach, and close friends forced him to check in anyway. He was in intensive care for several days, using breathing tubes, but at one point he insisted upon leaving, saying that he decided to treat the “little virus” by himself at home. He announced that he was recovering and on December 13th claimed that he felt well and that his struggle with the virus had made him stronger than ever. Two days later, his wife announced that Sinistra died as a result of the disease.
Dr. Fauci has recommended against participating in New Year’s festivities on account of the burgeoning omicron variant. I doubt if many will follow that advice. I myself plan to attend a gathering on January 1st, although I will say in my defense that the event is relatively small (between 20 and 30 people) and that all of the participants are vaccinated. Our hosts have requested, in addition, that guests get tested before the party as well. In general the populace of the DC metro area is willing to do what is necessary to contain the virus. Two-thirds of the entire population (including those under 18) are fully vaccinated and masks are worn indoors everywhere. But that does not mean that we are prepared to allow our entire social life to grind to a halt.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 283,153,861; # of deaths worldwide: 5,430,287; # of cases U.S.: 54,141,366; # of deaths; U.S.: 841,977.