I enjoy performing music for people. One of the most difficult parts of the covid pandemic was the drying up of all the venues where I performed and collaborated musically. In spring 2021, opportunities finally opened up at the local retirement community, where I had often performed in the past. I was, however, not adequately informed of the nuances of their masking policy for outside performers, and inadvertently violated it the first time I performed there — I was the only “unvaccinated” performer, although the performance was outside and all were adequately “socially distanced” and at least 6 feet away from all others. I was excoriated by an irate resident of the retirement community for risking the well-being of the community residents in an email that was sent out to nearly a dozen people, all of whom knew me.
Yes, I had not received a covid vaccination. However, I had already survived an infection with covid, classic covid symptoms, positive PCR test at symptom onset, followed up by negative PCR test 11 days later.
Last week, this medical study came out from Israel: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.24.21262415v1
Excerpt:
Results SARS-CoV-2-naïve vaccinees had a 13.06-fold (95% CI, 8.08 to 21.11) increased risk for breakthrough infection with the Delta variant compared to those previously infected, when the first event (infection or vaccination) occurred during January and February of 2021. The increased risk was significant (P<0.001) for symptomatic disease as well.
And I am vindicated — my natural immunity is superior to vaccine-inspired immunity in those who have never been infected with covid.
It wasn’t just that one time. I have performed there several times since, dutifully wearing my mask while all other performers were maskless, vaccinated, and covid-naive. I was obliged to divulge my vaccination status, but not my immunity, publicly, over and over as a price to pay for performing.