COVID regret, guilt, and shame pandemic among the vax lax

[gulliver]

The pandemic isn't just a physical threat to the vax lax. It's also a huge psychological and social threat.

If the vax lax get sick themselves, they may die and leave their families in grief. Or they may have long haul COVID and live decades of diminished life. But even if the vax lax don't get sick themselves, someone they know and love will, or some innocent they infect will. That means that the number of people who will end up feeling chronically "sick with guilt and shame" about their decision not to get vaccinated dwarfs the number of people who actually die or have long haul physical symptoms.

The vax deniers don't know the full extent of their jeopardy. It's not just physical.

[Irish_Dem]

1. The cost of their denial and ignorance is very high to themselves and the rest of society.

Yes, on many levels: physical, psychological, financial, etc.

Some of them will never leave their denial bubble, and always blame something else for their woes.

I am assuming there are Ph.D. students in need of a research topic unpacking this phenomenon as we speak.

[TheBlackAdder]

11. Long-term chronic illness leads to depression, personality disorders and even violent mood swings.

.

A lot will qualify for disability benefits, so there will be massive increases to socialize healthcare expenses.

.

[Irish_Dem]

12. Yes the societal cost is going to be high on many levels.

The rest of us are going to foot the bill for the ignorant ones.

[Merlot]

2. That requires them to have the ability to feel guilt and shame

That means that the number of people who will end up feeling chronically "sick with guilt and shame" about their decision...

With the support of media, politicians, friends, and church, they may never get to the point of taking responsibility.

[yardwork]

4. There are threads here on DU with stories of people feeling grief and regret.

Most people aren't sociopaths. Most anti-vaxers have been misinformed and even brainwashed by diabolically sophisticated propaganda. Whether they admit it publicly or not, I believe that many people are going to have lifelong feelings of grief and regret.

And then there's the large group of people who aren't really against getting the vaccine but fear the side effects, especially losing work if they feel sick. I was fortunate to have two paid vacation days to recover from my second Moderna shot. Many people don't have that luxury.

[yardwork]

3. It's tearing out society apart. The propaganda seems intended to do so.

[Diamond_Dog]

5. My best friend's virus-denying anti-vax cousin always says

“Whatever happens is God’s will.”

[obamanut2012]

6. God helps those who help themselves

[Earth-shine]

8. Therefore, vaccines are God's will. nt

[SWBTATTReg]

7. And a lot of these people make things worse by ignoring when they do get sick, they...

pretend that what they have is just the common cold, and thus ignore their sickness and all of the symptoms, secretly hoping or proclaiming loudly outright that it's just a cold that they're suffering (to their last breath, literally). By ignoring it, they pretty well killed themselves by allowing their disease to get progressively worse and perhaps die in some cases.

These people will go to the grave regardless of what anyone tells them, even thought it's for their own good, that it's for the protection of their loved ones, friends, neighbors, etc.

A shame isn't it, these unneeded deaths/illnesses, but for the rest of us, at least we know far more about our fellow human beings here in America, that there are a lot of Americans that don't give a hoot about the rest of us. Perhaps its time to adjust our thinking accordingly, and be prepared, be always on the lookout, be always on the defensive, when it comes down to dealing w/ these people. I don't trust them. Would you?

[NurseJackie]

9. I have no more fucks to give about them.

It's a crying shame that these WILLING Covid carriers are the cones who are clogging-up our healthcare system and causing the UNWILLING victims of covid to be denied THEIR "right" to healthcare.

They spread the virus. They serve as human incubation chambers for mutated variations that are stronger, more potent, easily spread, more virulent, and MORE DEADLY!!

That means that the number of people who will end up feeling chronically "sick with guilt and shame" about their decision not to get vaccinated dwarfs the number of people who actually die or have long haul physical symptoms.

Ridiculous. They have no shame. This is nothing to them. NOTHING! They care about nobody but themselves. Selfish bastards.

In the end, there will be fewer of them that we started out with. I just hope they don't cause too much damage on their way out.

[Girard442]

10. They have to be triaged.

1. People that will be OK without help.
2. People that will be OK with help.
3. People that won't be OK no matter what you do.

Anti-vaxxers are mostly #3. The crisis in this country is too large and too serious to throw resources at people that can't be helped.