On The Fundamental Lack of Understanding of How The Virus Spreads

[Towlie]

There's an outdoor event coming up in Indiana at the end of July where hundreds of people from across the USA and Canada who share my hobby will congregate and compete against each other for about a week. A question was asked on its primary online discussion forum:

What type of Covid-19 protocol is in use for the [event]? Where can I find more information?

This response was offered:

Masks are recommended but not required, per the state of Indiana. The [event sponsor] isn't adding any requirements for [the event]. [Do the activity]. Have fun. Wash your hands.

I had composed a response that would have stressed how horribly, tragically, devoid of logic and rationality that advice was, but I felt forced to think better of actually posting it and alienating friends I've made over the years from around the country, many of whom live in red states.

Along with the total irrelevance of what a Republican governor like Eric Holcomb has mandated, I wanted to point out that such state restrictions as masks and social distancing are targeted mainly toward residents of the respective states, intended to apply when they interact with each other. But this is a case where people will come from distant places, congregate with each other, and then return home, so it really wouldn't make much difference if the event were held at the South Pole. The virus is likely to spread among the participants, each of whom may bring it back home to share with their families and neighbors.

This sort of thing is what my fellow hobbyists, and we Americans in general, don't seem to understand, and it's why the USA leads the world in total cases, with Brazil in second place with only half the cases we have. Hopefully someone else on that forum will raise the issue, or more likely, Indiana will cave in and at least require masks some time during the coming month.