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COVID-19 vaccines have been readily available for most of 2021. They've been so available, for so long, that we've moved into an era of "booster" shots. For at least 3 months, an additional third "booster" shot of the COVID vaccine has been readily available.

Not only that, but vaccines are available for small children now. They're even working on COVID vaccine for babies right now.

Essentially, ANYONE in the United States who wants a COVID vaccine has had PLENTY of time to get one. Not just one, you could get 3 or 4 by now. In fact, States like Louisiana have been PAYING people to get COVID vaccines for months.

In addition to these vaccines, monoclonal antibody treatments have been showing success in treating COVID for most of 2021. Especially in Florida, where they were able to take pressure off their hospitals during the Delta variant surge by using widespread access to the treatment.

Recently, Pfizer announced they have developed a COVID oral therapeutic pill that is 90% effective against severe COVID outcomes. The drug company Merck also has a COVID pill that has shown success against COVID.

So, with everyone having access to multiple tools to fight COVID, why are we still using overbearing COVID restrictions?

Right now, there is a lot of talk surrounding the NFL and NHL about COVID case numbers rising among players and coaches. Which is a very interesting scenario, because the majority of those leagues are fully vaccinated against COVID. Meaning most of those testing positive are breakthrough cases.

For example, in the NFL Cleveland Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski has tested positive for COVID-19, and is being quarantined. He will be placed into the NFL COVID protocol, even though he doesn't have any symptoms.

This is particularly interesting, because Stefanski tested positive for COVID earlier in 2021 and had to miss a game. Not only that, but the Browns have announced that Stefanski is fully vaccinated, and boosted. Three shots, and a previous diagnosis...essentially quad-protection.

In the NHL, all players except for one (Tyler Bertuzzi, who already tested positive) are fully vaccinated against COVID. However, the league is still punishing players who test positive, and canceling games because of positive tests.

The NBA is also dealing with the same thing. They have a massive amount of players in the league who are vaccinated, and a few high-profile players who aren't vaccinated. However they are also canceling games because of positive COVID tests. Even with just a few positive tests.

Three leagues, with more than 95% of their populations all being fully vaccinated, are still using severe COVID punishments for positive cases. But not just any positive test...these are positive tests from fully vaccinated, fully protected, individuals. Which has a lot of people questioning the purpose, or effectiveness, of the COVID vaccines if these people are still going through levels of punishment.

If the community, whether its a sports league or society in general, has had massive access to protective measures, why the severe punishments? Who is being protected from someone like Kevin Stefanski, who is quad-protected against COVID, when he's asymptomatic and tests positive? His entire staff and team are vaccinated, and would have ample access to COVID pills and monoclonal antibodies if they did have a symptomatic case. So who is it that is being protected?

Often you hear some anecdotal story of some family member, or friend, or someone that is being protected by punishing these fully vaccinated positive tests. But all of those anecdotal characters have also had months to get vaccines, boosters, and would have access to COVID pills and monoclonal antibodies. We have achieved a place in society where someone who wants to take all of the medical precautions against COVID available can do so. If a person has actively decided they don't want any COVID protections, why are we punishing vaccinated people because of that?

So what is the COVID endgame? At what point do we decide that its time to move forward? Because COVID never drops to zero. COVID will be a human disease forever now. It will basically become a secondary flu, where every year we might have a bad COVID season, and COVID is always circulating. Which does unfortunately mean COVID will always kill people too...but do does the flu. The difference is that we have treatments for the flu. If you have a serious flu case, you can get treatments at the hospital. Which is where we are now at today with COVID. We have multiple treatments available if you're diagnosed with COVID.

We cannot continue in a world where the threat of shutting everything down is circulating over everyone's head. The pandemic restrictions have created a new medical issue when it comes to the rise in childhood depression, and has led the nation's highest number of drug overdose deaths ever. There are serious consequences to continuing to treat the pandemic the same way we did BEFORE vaccines and treatment, now that they're all available.

Others have offered solutions. Including Outkick's Clay Travis, who posted this video about the three sports leagues:

It's not clear how the leagues will deal with this issue. But what is clear is that how they do will impact the national dialog on COVID punishments.

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