The Paradoxical Continued Spread of a Pandemic
If you’re a current Cornell student, you’re painfully aware of the ongoing and continuously prevalent COVID-19 variant. All students, vaccinated or not, must continue to wear masks indoors, get tested weekly, and of course, quarantine if tested positive for the deadly virus. Yet, thinking of this period of time 6 months ago, the general consensus was that many restrictions would be lightened, if not lifted entirely, and that the pandemic would cease to have such a large effect on the daily lives of many. So why is this?
An easy answer to this question, says CNBC, would be to attribute COVID-19’s continued spread to its newer Delta variant, a strain that is so much more contagious and deadly. Another easy answer to this question would be to blame those unwilling to get vaccinated and wear a mask where it is necessary. However, there is a third possible reason for the continued spread of the pandemic that goes largely unrecognized. This being, the vaccinated population’s taste of mask-less, “free” life over the summer and an unwillingness to return to the former way of life.
The COVID-19 vaccine is a scientific wonder, preventing those with it from experiencing life-threatening symptoms when contracting the virus. Yet, its existence within a significant portion of the population creates a sense of complacency. I cannot describe how many students I’ve seen maskless in dorms, not caring about the spread because they and all their friends are vaccinated.
This is an example of Braess’s paradox: while the conditions surrounding the “game,” in this case, the pandemic, have gotten much better in one regard, the expected betterment of the payoff has not followed — that is to say, the vaccine, while aiding against the effect of the virus significantly, has not completely stopped the virus like many thought it would. Many take the excuse of having the vaccine as reason to not follow COVID-19 protocol, and the virus continues to spread because of this.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/10/why-are-covid-cases-so-high-when-vaccination-is-widespread.html