Hacker News Reader

Let's remind ourselves that many, many people are not at risk of covid[0]. It's just like asking everyone to wear hip airbags because falls can cause death when you're 90+.

[0]: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/investi...

View on HN

If I may use your metaphor, falls aren't infectious. And because they aren't infectious, they don't overwhelm the medical system.

Yes, it's true that many people who get covid will have a mild case. Broadly speaking, the younger someone is, the better their chances.

And it is just as true that hospital systems in hotspot areas are overwhelmed, causing emergency standards of care, burnout among medical staff, long waits, and the postponement of things like surgery for cancer patients.

I understand that covid is infectious, however, for the people at risk for whom the risk-benefit balance is clearly in favor of benefit, then they can get vaccinated, right?

Yes they can. But that's an individual approach to a public health crisis: people not at risk can pass the virus on to those who are at risk. If you were in a high risk group, wouldn't you appreciate your neighbor -- who might not be in a high risk category -- getting vaccinated?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com