After the shock of COVID-19’s arrival in Minnesota last spring, and the virus’ ebb over the summer, the pace of new cases of the disease picked up during the fall.
Unlike the early days of the pandemic, when all but the most essential aspects of public life were closed, things were open. You could go to a restaurant or a movie theater. And after months and months of exercising outside, many Minnesotans were anxious to get back to their gyms. Gyms, many of which took a financial hit as they weathered shut downs and as patrons canceled their memberships, were anxious to bring them back.
The question was how to navigate these spaces: how safe were they in the midst of a pandemic transmitted mostly through shared air?
After noticing clusters of cases at a couple of Twin Cities Life Time fitness clubs, researchers at the Minnesota Department of Health decided to investigate further to try to determine, to a greater extent, how many cases of COVID-19 might be tied to the facilities. According to an MDH report their findings underscored the risk inherent in going to gyms. But the study, whose findings Life Time disputes, also shows the difficulty of tracing the origins of the vast majority of the state’s COVID-19 cases.
Life Time investigation
MDH investigators have been asking people who test positive for COVID-19 whether they went to gyms and fitness centers since late August, after gyms came up frequently in case interviews.
Between September and February, MDH notified 83 gyms and fitness centers of COVID-19 outbreaks in their facilities, totaling approximately 1,330 individual cases. (For gyms and fitness centers, an outbreak is defined as seven positive cases from seven different households where someone attended the same gym within a 28-day period.)
Among the 83 gym outbreaks, 24 were at Life Time locations, 13 were at LA Fitness locations and 10 were at Planet Fitness locations (a full list of gym outbreaks can be found here).
MDH epidemiologists took a deeper dive into two of the Life Time outbreaks. The report looked at an outbreak at a Woodbury Life Time, the third MDH had identified in the facility, that occurred with onset dates between November 7 and 30. It included 13 cases identified through contact tracing. The report also looked at an outbreak at a Lakeville Life Time, also its third (there was later a fourth), with onset dates between Nov. 15 and Dec. 7 and with 14 cases.
Unlike other settings, where reservation lists are rarely complete enough to do in-depth follow-up investigations, gyms present an opportunity to match much more detailed membership data to the state’s case information. In order to determine whether there were more cases among people who had attended these locations, MDH used data on birthdays, names, emails and phone numbers to compare positive tests in the state’s system to patrons who attended those locations between November 14 and 20 and employees on site from November 1 through 30 in an effort to find cases that weren’t identified in interviews.
“Life Time was quite vocal and willing to share data. And so we took them up on it,” said Carlota Medus, a senior epidemiologist supervisor at the MDH’s foodborne diseases unit.
Through this process, MDH identified 168 additional people, including employees and patrons, who tested positive for COVID-19 and had been at the gym during the time period in which they were likely exposed or already infected; 98 at Lakeville and 70 at Woodbury.
Of 47 in that group asked about gym exposures in the case interview process, 20 said they had gone to the gym, and 25 denied going to the gym. Two reported “unknown.” Among 10 employees who were interviewed, six reported Life Time as their employer, and four did not.
That wasn’t particularly surprising to MDH. People often imperfectly recount their activities to case interviewers. Also, as Minnesotans become increasingly weary of the pandemic, MDH has said people seem more reluctant to name a specific setting for fear of the consequences, for example, for their friends, their sports team, or their gym.
More surprising, Medus said, was how many people went to the gym when they shouldn’t have. Of the 168 cases identified through the study, 88 attended the gym during the period they were likely to have been infectious, 57 visited after they reported symptoms of COVID-19 and 49 visited after they were tested for COVID-19.
In the report on the Life Time investigation, MDH concluded that the data affirm gyms pose a “substantial risk” of COVID-19 transmission, especially because people often go frequently and exert themselves, giving COVID-19 an opportunity to spread between households.
They also concluded the Life Time data show case investigations only turn up a small number of the total cases tied to a setting. Since the cases identified only include people who were tested, and not people who didn’t get tested because they were asymptomatic or for other reasons, MDH said the cases it turned up in its analysis are likely an undercount. The department acknowledged it likely missed some cases where MDH and Life Time’s data didn’t match but referred to the same person.
“The iceberg was a lot larger than I personally expected. I expected to find more cases, but not that many,” Medus said.
Medus said MDH has communicated those numbers to Life Time. But between the limitations of the outbreak data and questions about things like market share and ventilation across gyms, MDH can’t draw conclusions about whether those facilities are less safe than others.
“There’s a lot of things that we don’t know, and how they play into these numbers,” she said. “It’s hard to say if we should be very concerned or just concerned.”
Limitations of case investigations
Life Time takes issue with the conclusions in MDH’s report. Natalie Bushaw, Life Time’s senior director of public relations and internal communications, said MDH’s definition of an outbreak does not adequately link the time of the visits within the outbreak period or confirm transmission within the clubs by showing when people may have been within close enough contact to transmit the virus.
MDH-identified outbreaks in both Life Time locations date back to September, but the outbreaks the MDH report looked at happened in November, when COVID-19 cases in Minnesota were at some of their highest levels. That means the disease could have been picked up elsewhere in the community and not at the gym, Bushaw suggested.
She also said the number of cases identified represent a very small number of members who visited the facilities within the investigation’s timeframe.
Jason Thunstrom, vice president of corporate communications and public relations, said statistically, Life Time’s large clubs are more likely to see more people with positive COVID-19 cases than smaller clubs simply because they have more members. As of November, Life Time said it had 23 clubs in Minnesota with 120,000 members.
“Number one, you’ve got probably the equivalent of 50 or a hundred or 150 average-sized clubs or gyms. And number two, given the size of our facilities and [the] just massive number of members we have,” he said, using an analogy, “is somebody more likely to come into a Home Depot and stub their toe on an aisle end cap than an ACE Hardware?”
He said Life Time is an industry leader in taking precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including symptom screening temperature checks, requiring masks except in pools and showers since they’ve been required while working out and cleaning equipment.
The safety of gyms
Life Time has been vocal in asserting that gyms like Life Time can be safe amid the pandemic.
As COVID-19 cases in Minnesota were rising and threatening to overwhelm hospitals in the lead-up to Thanksgiving, Gov. Tim Walz ordered a four-week closure on gyms, indoor dining and other settings.
In response, Life Time CEO Bahram Akradi sent a letter to members that challenged the state’s rationale for closing gyms, including its evidence of spread in health clubs.
In it, he argued that gyms posed a smaller transmission risk than other settings, using data on outbreaks from the Minnesota Department of Health to support his case: At the time, the state had found 48 outbreaks in fitness centers, totaling 747 cases, at that time, 0.003 percent of the state’s cases. (MDH has said that cases detected in outbreaks represent a significant undercount because of the limitations of finding them through case interviews.)
“[Health] clubs are NOT the problem, THEY ARE THE SOLUTION to maintaining public health. They are, in fact, the safest environments people may visit as compared with other forms of retail, entertainment, or any other place, at this time,” he wrote, asking members to contact Walz to express their desire to keep fitness clubs open.
Akradi also hosted a press conference outside one of the company’s clubs.
“If the facts supported that closing our healthy way of life places would be beneficial to the public, we would be doing it voluntarily, immediately,” he said.
Life Time is not alone. A gym trade group, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association has compiled its own evidence and is arguing gyms can be safe.
But there’s also scientific evidence beyond Minnesota that gyms can present a risk of transmission, particularly if people are careless about masks (currently required in Minnesota gyms) or about coming to the gym when they might be sick.
A March Centers for Disease Control report found that all 10 people who attended a stationary cycling class in Honolulu last summer with an instructor who had COVID-19 became infected afterward, and also identified secondary infections.
[cms_ad:x104]The instructor was pre-symptomatic at the time of the class. The room’s doors and windows were closed, and three fans were running to cool the participants. None of the participants wore masks, and all of their bikes were at least 6 feet apart from each other and the instructor.
Another CDC study found 55 out of 81 people who attended a high-intensity workout class in Chicago at some time within a period of about a week tested positive for COVID-19. Classes were held at 25 percent or less capacity, participants were six feet or more apart and brought their own equipment. Twenty-two of the 55 people who tested positive attended the class on the day their symptoms began or after. Of 58 people who reported information on their conduct during class, 84 percent who tested positive for COVID-19 reported infrequent mask use during class, compared to 60 percent of people who did not test positive.
In Minnesota, gyms were allowed to increase their capacity from 25 percent to 50 percent mid-March. Public health officials say people should take precautions if they go, and not attend if they’re at high risk for severe COVID-19 complications.
“Gyms are risky environments just by the nature of working out,” Medus said. “You’re working out, you’re breathing hard. If you are infectious … your virus is shared very efficiently. If you’re not infected and the person relatively near you is, you’re breathing harder so you’re that much more efficient in taking it in.”
The link only goes to the study of the outbreaks at the Lakeville and Woodbury LifeTime Fitness locations – not a full list of gym outbreaks as stated.
Hi Pat, the link is fixed. Thanks for letting us know. Greta
A lot of people have commented about how all the precautions people have taken during the pandemic have really blunted this winter’s cold and flu season. Health clubs should never be places people come to work out to get healthier but get seriously ill instead.
The issue is whether in the future denial prevents us from learning the lessons from the pandemic. Will we start forcing people who work around lots of people to work sick, or will personnel policies not once again punishing them for staying home or at least give them the option of working sick from home? Will health clubs and other facilities with crowds deny use of facilities to those exhibiting signs of illness? Will people be allowed to mask up without being harassed by others? Will people be continue to be packed into small, crowded, poorly ventilated indoor spaces? Will employers allow unvaccinated people to fly, work in hospitals and other public facilities and go without masks with the places that require masks be worn?
None of us has responded perfectly to the pandemic, but none can refuse to heed its lessons.
Unfortunately, Joel, a lot of people are refusing to heed the lessons of the pandemic. My family and I have taken the suggestions of the MDH very seriously, at great personal and emotional cost. It is not because of our efforts that we are still so deep in this pandemic; it is in spite of our efforts, because a lot of people think this is a “personal choice” issue. Yet their personal choice has prolonged this mess and even now threatens to invite it to come roaring back.
I am so tired of this. Can’t we be done now?
After a year hiatus from the gym and being fully vaccinated I recently started up again with a major fitness chain and was told that masking was seriously enforced. Despite that I’m quite surprised at the number of people, primarily young, that either have the mask only partially on or pull it down altogether. If masking compliance was this lax throughout the winter, I’m not surprised at the outbreaks.
I’m not surprised. A number of years ago after I was done using a piece of equipment and wiped it down with the provided sanitizer, the guy waiting to use it next yelled at me for “getting it all wet”.
Excuse me for trying to protect you! (He was one of those big macho types, so I suppose he was in no need of protection.)
One of our neighbors (not a gym user as far as i know) was unlucky to be one of the breakout cases, getting covid serious enough to be hospitalized on a ventilator even after getting two shots. It happens – so now is still not the time to be risking it in a place where patrons are working out and breathing hard. It’s probably okay to go to a retail store at a time of day when it isn’t crowded and while masked. Besides, the weather is now mostly mild enough to walk, run, and bike outdoors. Why take a chance?
This for real? I thought fully vaccinated people that get sick enough with Covid to be hospitalized are nearly non-existent.
There’s been something like 87 identified cases ( in MN) of break-through COVID 19 among people who were fully vaccinated and supposedly immune. Some of them got quite sick. So it’s rare but happens, this is why masking and other precautions are still recommended even after being fully vaccinated.
However this doesn’t have a lot to do with the article at hand here since vaccine status isn’t a factor.
Speculating here, but motivation and socializing seem like big reasons people go to the gym, even if they don’t take a class. Gyms have weights and some pretty useful machines, but people have always had the option to walk, run, bike, and pushups, lunges, and squats on their own — yet they still have gym memberships. It’s a routine people enjoy.
My wife spent three days in the St. Cloud Hospital near the end of February and currently has home health care assisting with her recovery now at home. I was shocked and saddened to learn of so many health care workers I spoke with who have refused to get vaccinated when it was available to them.
I feel it is the responsibility of every American citizen to help fight the COVID-19 virus and get vaccinated in an attempt at ending the war on this pandemic and getting back to normal. Not taking the vaccination when it is available to you is unacceptable and irresponsible.
I understand that some have concerns with side effects after receiving the vaccine. While some experience side effects they normally go away in a few days and many people don’t experience any side effects at all after the shots. Many of our veterans that actively took part in various wars and conflicts, especially those that saw combat, had serious concerns about dying, being wounded or becoming disabled. However, so many stood up bravely and faced our enemy even with those concerns. Today our enemy is a virus and I ask all Americans to standup bravely and do your part in fighting this virus by getting vaccinated.
It’s worth noting, carefully, the titles and credentials of the Life Time Fitness people quoted in Greta’s piece. Natalie Bushaw is Life Time’s senior director of public relations and internal communications. Jason Thunstrom is Life Time’s vice president of corporate communications and public relations. Bahram Akradi is Life Time’s CEO. Please note that M.D., or even better, some infectious disease specialty, does not appear after the names of any of these people. They have no medical training that qualifies them to pass judgment on the “healthiness” of Life Time’s (or any other corporate fitness chain’s) operations or facilities. I don’t doubt that the factors they’ve cited play a role, but it also seems likely that, true to their trade, they’re exercising a “selection of facts” that favors Life Time’s side of the story. We should not be surprised. Having already taken a financial hit during the pandemic, Life Time officials are eager to avoid taking any more.
I only got my 2nd Pfizer shot over the weekend, and the first 3 weeks before that, but have been able to walk 40 to 60 minutes a day, outdoors, since the pandemic began a year ago. Outdoors, and especially if other people are rarely encountered, or only encountered at the prescribed 6-foot distance or greater, appears to be safer than indoors as a general rule, especially if you’re engaged in any sort of exercise at all. It appears to me – I, too, lack medical qualifications – that Dr. Medus’ observation is closer to the truth than the corporate spin Greta was able to get from Life Time officials: “Gyms are risky environments just by the nature of working out,” Medus said. “You’re working out, you’re breathing hard. If you are infectious … your virus is shared very efficiently. If you’re not infected and the person relatively near you is, you’re breathing harder so you’re that much more efficient in taking it in.”
Ray, I’m so delighted you’ve finally gotten your vaccines. I’ve been worried about you! (And it took long enough!)
Yes, don’t get your epi from people who wouldn’t know an odds ratio or a p value if you dropped it on their heads. Basic spread sheet proficiency doesn’t make you an expert in infectious disease epidemiology.
Scientifit fact: Exercise improves the immune system. We will never know how many people who exercised at gyms did not contract COVID-19 because their immune systems were able to neutralize a small number of the coronavirus that entered their bodies. Scientists have yet to approximate the amount of exposure that will result in COVID-19 and probably the amount differs among individuals due to many factors but the status of the immune system has to be a major one.
Quite incidentally, I am 72 years old. I tried and failed to exercise sufficiently at home. When the Fridley LifeTime facility opened, which from the report had two occurrences, I attended and do attend routinely. I accept the data that indicates I placed myself at greater risk until just days ago when I received my second vaccination. In the world of tradeoffs, I chose to sustain my immune system.
The only problem with your theory is you have NO immunity to COVID, no matter how much you exercise. Meanwhile over-all levels of all kinds of seasonal infections and illness are dramatically lower this year because of the restrictions, regardless of exercise levels. This means the trade-off you think you’re making isn’t so much a real thing. If exercise makes you feel better, that’s fine, and no one is saying that exercise is “bad”. But you may not be so much trading anything as you are simply accepting more risk in order to do something you enjoy doing.
Actually ‘NO Immunity’ is not necessarily a true statement. Some people just plain don’t get it. Maybe they already have had a Coronavirus in the past that is protecting them. Who knows? I don’t know, you don’t know, the immunologists don’t know (even those playing the part on TV).
“Actually ‘NO Immunity’ is not necessarily a true statement. Some people just plain don’t get it. ”
I’m sorry Mr. Weir but your simply mistaken. Those who don’t “get” it, don’t get it because they aren’t exposed to a sufficient dose of virus, not because they are “immune”. Obviously the fact that you have no immunity doesn’t mean you’ll get infected… hence the precautions and shut downs etc. etc. It’s critical to understand that absent vaccines or recovery, if you ARE exposed to a sufficient dose of virus, you WILL get COVID 19, and you will become contagious to others even you have mild illness yourself.
I think there may have been a handful of individuals with apparent natural immunity, but that is so rare as to be statistically irrelevant.
I don’t know that anyone knows all of the factors that play into whether someone “gets” it or not. To claim authority on that is premature, at best. To the extent that it’s relevant to the conversation, a healthy immune system may play a mixed role in COVID-19 illness. At least some people who get very sick do so because their immune system works just fine…but there’s an immune chain reaction that goes awry. It turns out that COVID-19 might not be a respiratory disease at all, but rather an endothelial cell disease, and a healthy immune reaction to the resulting endothelial cell death can be catastrophic. https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/32/3038/5901158
https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3563
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/people-immune-covid-19/story?id=71969896
Actually here are two studies. Lot of T Cell response to Covid-19 (aka natural immunity).
There are no experts, only opinions.
That particular type of T cell response still requires exposure to something that resembles the COVID-19 virus (which is technically called SARS-CoV-2). It’s not clear if it’s a protective response, or if protective, how much, either. It’s probably that type of T cell response that could turn annual resurgence of deadly coronavirus (because the vaccine route is going to be too leaky because “freedom”) to a seasonal cold. But that’s not a guarantee. Another possibility is that it could remain deadly, but on a less regular basis, like the flu. Or a more deadly variant (a la SARS and MERS) could come out. Or it could disappear–but that’s unlikely given the type of virus it is and how easy it mutates and spreads.
By the way, I remember very clearly when SARS (caused by SARS-CoV) came out. I was in graduate school in the U of M’s Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology program. As you can imagine, viral outbreaks might be of interest to myself and my colleagues at the time. It was scarier than most people realized. But fortunately, as deadly as it was (probably around 14-15%), it was less transmissible than the COVID19 virus and anyone who was infected and contagious was obvious, unlike the very sneaky COVID19 virus. But the viruses are VERY similar, hence the same name with only a -2 to differentiate. When MERS came out in 2012, I found it concerning that 2 new deadly coronaviruses emerged within 10 years, since coronaviruses were considered pretty tame in humans. But, MERS, while deadly (over 30%), didn’t transmit easily, in part because it was super obvious who was infected, but also because it simply wasn’t that good at passing from human to human. Now, we have a coronavirus that is more deadly than its typical common cold relatives, but way more transmissible than its more deadly SARS and MERS relatives. It’s certainly hopeful that, as it mutates and spreads, it tempers its virulence rather than improves it.
But would there really be an evolutionary advantage for it to do so? Its seems to be replicating just fine at its present virulence.
You are partially wrong, some studies, at least earlier, suggested some earlier cornavirus may stimulate recognition of Covid 19 virus. Not prevent, but may give the immune system a little head start, along with dose, May be a factor in variable disease in thos infected. Time may tell. This pandemic will keep a whole generation of Epis virologists and immunologists employed for some time, and likely will produce a Nobel or two
Covid and its several variants was not a virus that anyone showed immunity for due to robust immune systems, at least not to my reading
If you know of links to such research i would love to follow up on them
Of the 89 (?) infections after 2 doses found in Mn, haven’t heard any ended in the hospital other than from the post on this discussion thread.
both doses of vaccine, and a couple of weeks later peak immunity seems to result. Some of those infected after vax got it before the 2 week post-vax person elapsed
We are both vaxxed in my home. We still wear masks, distance socially, avoid those who are not vaxxed and are not staying isolated.
We have seen people repeatedly insist commerce open before enough people are vaccinated. Thanks to the Biden Administration we’ll be able to vax everyone sane enough to accept it, before Summer is in full bloom. Let’s not rush to open up – whether schools, bars, gyms or concerts – until the vaccinated are the great majority. We have to get more doses in arms still, in a state of 5 million, with about 20% vaccinated now
I may have said this before elsewhere, but it bears repeating: No one ever said that gyms are “the” problem. I think one of the most unfortunate features of this crises has been the adversarial and non-cooperative nature of our response.
I would suggest that our game show host POTUS set the tone and Libertarian, Conservative, debate-game competitiveness ran with it. It’s clear from the statement by Lifetime marketing representative that they STILL don’t understand that the COVID pandemic IS the problem… not any particular business or activity. This idea that gyms aren’t the problem reflects a completely incoherent read on the scenario. Gyms were never restricted or shut because anyone thought they were “THE” problem, they were restricted simply because their nature and activity is a riskier environment. Sure, restriction inflicted some economic hardships, but no one was being punished, no one ever thought that gyms or restaurants started the pandemic.
Conversely, the idea that gyms could be a “solution” of some kind, or an oasis from COVID, is/was simply daft. Likewise playing with numbers and demanding MORE infection, illness, and death as evidence of outbreaks is not only moral incompetence, but scientifically incoherent.
If we had been able to pull together, get organized, and deal with this crises cooperatively rather than splinter into opposing camps as if these was some kind of game show instead of a universal crises, we could’ve saved hundreds of thousands of lives.
So much this.
Part of the problem at Lakeville is that shields are allowed in place of masks, they do not protect as well as masks despite what shield wearers say, especially when the people wearing them talk alot which seems to be the case. Interestingly very few people wear shields at Eagan and the data shows there isn’t the problem there was at Lakeville where shield use is much higher.
Then again, there wasn’t a bar in Eagan that defied mask wearing orders for weeks like there was in Lakeville.
Robert,
“There are no experts, only opinions.”
I’m afraid this shows us that you have no coherent concept of knowledge. I suppose when your car breaks down you call a dentist because all a mechanic has to offer is a different opinion? Did you even read the articles you linked to? Neither of them is actually a “study” of any kind and while they discuss the question of natural immunity they don’t demonstrate it or prove it.
You’re just repeating part of my comment as if your challenging or refuting it.
Racheal, Greg,
I don’t know anyone who claims to know everything about the SARS-CoV-2 or any other virus for that matter, but are you telling us that millions of people have not been killed by this virus and it variants? Are you telling us that millions of people all over the world have not gotten sick, and pushed our hospitals to the breaking point? You must be saying that because if there were any significant degree of natural immunity THIS COULD NOT HAVE BECOME A PANDEMIC. Duh? If there were significant natural immunity we would have long ago reached herd immunity… are you telling us the pandemic is over? Pray tell when did THAT happen? Seriously?
Again, if you haven’t been infected, it’s because you haven’t been exposed, not because you’re naturally immune. If THAT weren’t the case, we wouldn’t have a pandemic because viruses we have immunity to don’t become pandemics. This is basic parsimony, this is a horse, not a zebra.
This isn’t a debate game or an academic exercise, this is deadly pandemic. Over the last year hundreds of studies have been done, and thousands of observations have been documented… are you guys claiming to have a done complete and competent lit review? You find a few references to some stuff about T cell reactivity and you want to dabble in virology and immunology?
Well it’s a free country but here’s what you should know: The difference between you guys (and almost everyone else) and the epidemiologists fighting COVID is that they have been reading, studying, writing, and sharing hundreds of papers, and tens of thousands of observations you can’t even know exist. Every Friday throughout the pandemic at MDH they have a virtual meeting wherein they discuss all of the newest observations, data, and studies from all over the world in addition to the DAILY communications they receive from colleagues all over the world. But hey, if you guys want to “google” it and tell people that based on YOUR research they don’t have to worry so much about transmission and infection because they might have natural immunity… go ahead.
Getting back to the gyms, if fitness and exercise conferred some immunity or inoculation, why is there so much transmission and infection happening in gyms? Read the report… no one was actually monitoring these gyms on an ongoing basis, they just had so much transmission and infections that it rose above the din of routine surveillance. When the epi’s looked they found MORE transmission and infection they expected to find… if gyms are an oasis immunity why would THAT happen?
Wow Paul, you obviously got up on the wrong side of the bed. No experts, only opinions. Yes, since this whole pandemic has started, the experts have played politics with this. Again and Again. Masks, no masks, wash your hands, wait its spread through the air now. Lock down for 2 weeks to lower the curve. Look at the models Minnesota did? Wow, talk about doom and gloom. Nobody has been right with anything. Now we have people who are vaccinated, being told to still wear masks?? Why?? We have a vaccinated so called expert wearing 2 masks?? The same so called expert, who can’t make up his mind about anything. We need a consistently clear public health message. What we have gotten is a hodge podge mess. No wonder why people’s opinions on this are all over the place?
Dr Fauci Normal Time Line.
Dec 2020; End of 2021, Fall 2021, Summer 2021
Jan 2021; Fall 2021
Feb 2021; 2022, Christmas 2021, End of 2021
Mar 2021; Fall 2021, July 4th, Sept 2021
April 2021, Early Summer 2021
Dr. Osterholm
He is saying we will never return to normal. Variants will get up and keep getting us.
This guy hasn’t been right about anything.
HIs Minnesota model was terrible, so bad it hasn’t even been updated.
The predictions have been so notoriously doom and gloom and notoriously bad. No wonder why nobody believes anything.
Mr. Weir,
I won’t deny I get a little cranky on occasion but I’m afraid your just expanding the scope of your ignorance. Public health experts aren’t the one’s playing politics with the pandemic… I notice that among your dubious predictions you forgot the one about how the virus was just going to disappear like magic one day and that this was all supposed to be over by May or June of last year. Whatever.
I will take a moment to respond to the idea that once vaccinated a person can stop wearing masks and following other precautions however. We can’t expect those who refuse to process the information we try to give them regarding immunity to ever understand this, but our failure to contain transmission has resulted in a scenario wherein multiple new variants of viruses (for which we have no immunity) are emerging and spreading. We’ve had at least 8 cases of fully vaccinated theoretically immune people getting infected and sick with new COVID variants in MN to date, That number would likely grown substantially if people stop wearing masks and fail to take the precautions that reduce transmission. We could talk about the monoclonal nature of the antibodies our vaccines promote and why that can allow breakthrough infection with new variants… but frankly it that would just be a repeat of information that people like Mr. Weir have refused to process for over a year, I don’t see any reason to waste our time.
Rachel and Greg (Minnpost), I’d like to apologize for the tone of my previous comment, I was unnecessarily harsh. I’ll try to be more respectful in future.
I hope that eventually (maybe around August) when every adult has the opportunity to have been vaccinated that the State issues some type of vaccine ID, and that private businesses could choose (voluntarily) to require that you show it before you can enter. Those who can’t receive a vaccine for medical reasons (autoimmune diseases, etc.) would get a card stating that and would have to be allowed to enter.
I would go only to businesses that adopted this policy, on principle but also to be doubly safe (I’m vaccinated, but I know that isn’t 100% protection), but others might choose to visit only businesses that did NOT require vaccine cards.
Both types of businesses would have to post their policy. Customers could choose to accept the risk of a do-not-require business, but most of us would choose a show-your-card business. Democrats will like it because it enables safety; Republicans will love it because it uses transparency to enable customers to make their own market choices.