David J. Danto

 

Business travel thoughts in my own, personal opinion

 

             

 

eMail: ddanto@IMCCA.org      Follow Industry News: @NJDavidD

 

Good Riddance 2021 – What Have We Learned

 

 2021 has certainly been a year like no other. 2020 had the pandemic as well, but at least that year started with a couple of normal months for most people before the pandemic realities took-over.  2021 began with the optimism of vaccines, seemed to be improving, then – just as we had lowered our guard – threw Delta and Omicron at us.  In other words, it was a double dumpster fire.  Keeping in line with what my parents taught me – that nothing is a waste of time when it can be used as a learning experience – let’s go over what we should have learned from this awful year.  

 

Lesson One – Masks:  Wearing a face covering to prevent the spread of germs is now a just-about permanent part of all our lives going forward.  It serves multiple purposes.  If you wear a mask it shows you care about not infecting others in your community.  If you wear an N95 or KN95 mask it also provides you with strong protection from COVID19 and other viruses.  The masks serve other purposes as well.  If you run into someone wearing one over only their mouth with their nose fully Coronavirus face coverings under the nose equivalent to 'not wearing a mask':  experts - National | Globalnews.caexposed, or even worse – not wearing one at all – then you have an ideal, instant visual indicator that the person is an idiot.  In the history of mankind there has never been so sure an instant sign of stupidity as this one.  There is definitely a social advantage of being able to steer clear of people exhibiting these ‘I’m an idiot’ indicators.

 

Lesson Two – Cruises: If there has ever been a face-palm moment in the history of mankind, it is surely brought-on by people who have seen everything that has happened to cruise ships over the last few years and yet still decided to take a cruise now.  The nature of cruises – that people are trapped into a small space with thousands of others for weeks at a time – is the exact perfect breeding ground for viruses.  It was predominantly noroviruses before the dawn of COVID-19, but then the coronavirus settled-in to call the cruise industry its home.  People clearly saw stories of ships that were denied ports around the world, of people trapped for indefinite periods and forced to share the The Royal Caribbean cruise ship the Odyssey of the Seas at port in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in June.same public and ventilation facilities as those that are ill, all with little chance of avoiding infection on what is in essence a floating petri-dish.  Yet many somehow still decided that taking a cruise now was a good idea.  (I guess this kind of explains some of the outcomes of past elections.)  In the last couple of weeks multiple ships leaving Florida had COVID outbreaks and were denied entry at planned stops.  The cruise companies have reported only a small number of infections, but passengers have claimed the numbers are much higher than being reported.  Whenever I read stories of disease outbreaks on cruise ships it always makes me think about the parable of the Scorpion and the Frog.  Cruise passengers knew full well they were signing-onto (and amazingly paying for) being trapped on a floating disease factory, yet are shocked when they get sick and are trapped onboard.  I mean, what will it take for some people to learn to protect themselves?   

    

Lesson Three – Scientific Research: Scientists usually spend nearly ten years in formal higher education in their field, including and followed by years I made a fun little game you can play with the “I did my own research”  crowd… see if they can spot the difference. (Take 2) : r/CoronavirusMemesof practical experience working with the tools and technologies they focus on.  They have a strictly detailed process called the Scientific Method that requires them to hypothesize based upon observation then fully test each hypothesis using strict regiments.  If something new is discovered there is also a strict peer-review process and then typically the requirement of publication of the discovery with all supporting data.  It is always a rigorous process that ensures the quality and validity of the discovery.  The development of the mRNA vaccines we’ve been using to stave-off or reduce the severity of COVID-19 infections are based on years of research that just happened to be ready to help us in this current crisis.  Now, faced with all those facts, there are still stupid people that believe that their Google and Facebook searches are valid ‘research’ that can counter the rigorously obtained science.  The lesson here is that the principle of the Dunning-Kruger effect is 100% true.  Essentially, a person needs to be smart enough to realize how stupid they actually are.  People with low IQs do not have the cognitive ability to realize they are idiots. (See above regarding exposed noses and cruise ships.)  No, the article that you found on Facebook that tells you animal dewormer can prevent COVID-19 isn’t something to base your vaccine decisions upon – it’s BS.  If you believe it then it says much more about you than about real science.

 

 

 

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As many have eerily pointed-out, this next year twenty-twenty-two can also be read as twenty-twenty-too.  This is an ominous semi-prediction that twenty-twenty is here again and we’re not done with this merry-go-round-from-hell quite yet. 

Please, please, please learn from our experiences to date:

·    Wear N95 or KN95 masks when outside of your home and going indoors or being around a lot of people. Cover your mouth AND nose.

·    Don’t eat in indoor restaurants unless they have fresh air / great ventilation.

·    Get vaccinated and boosted ASAP!  Ignore false research based on internet searches.

·    Don’t take cruises – unless you’re trying to do your own research on what it’s like having COVID-19.

 

 

 

 

 

This article was written by David Danto and contains solely his own, personal opinions.

All image and links provided above as reference under prevailing fair use statutes.

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As always, feel free to write and comment, question or disagree.  Hearing from the traveling community is always a highlight for me.  Thanks!