The Viral War on the Vaccinated

The civil war in America is now also raging on the Covid front. With the delta variant flaring throughout the country, everyone is now again at risk — even the fully immunized. And who is to blame for this new surge? The unvaccinated, many of them politically motivated and medically ignorant, who account for over 90 percent of new coronavirus infections — and virtually all of the recent hospitalizations.

Today’s San Francisco Chronicle reflects the growing rage and confusion about the plague’s comeback. “Should restaurants become vaccine cops?” asks the headline of one front-page story. At the same time, another lead story insists, “Affixing blame won’t fix the surge.” But people forced to work with the public on the frontlines, like restaurant workers, know that the unvaccinated are threatening reopenings of their businesses — and their livelihoods. Whom exactly are they to blame, if not the selfish men and women who are putting us all at risk, especially children, the aged and immunocompromised?

Some Bay Area restaurant owners quoted in the Chronicle are seriously considering vaccination proof before they seat customers. But others worry about losing business — or even about explosive reactions from the unvaccinated. Oakland restaurateur Matt Reagan compared the ominous vibe to March 2020: “You can see the storm is coming and no one has the courage to sound the alarm.”

I feel the fear and isolation returning — but this time there is also anger and bitterness. And it’s not just among restaurant workers. The owner of a bookstore and I recently agreed to cancel a party for my new book because of the variant breakthrough. Like all small retail businesses, independent bookstores were just getting back on their feet when the delta strain exploded.

Then there are the fatigued healthcare workers who are again being forced to work round the clock to save lives — this time of the willfully stupid.

California Governor Gavin Newsom is right to let his temper flare about the new coronavirus resurgence — and those who are responsible for it, like the safely vaccinated Donald Trump and cynical right-wing pundits like Tucker Carlson. “With all due respect,” stated Governor Newsom yesterday, “you don’t have a choice to go out and drink and drive and put everyone else’s lives at risk. That’s the equivalent of this moment with the deadliness and efficiency of the delta virus. You’re putting other people’s, innocent people’s, lives at risk.”

There is no other way to put it. If you’re an adult who has decided not to get immunized, you’re a public enemy.