The unmentioned electoral factor

[genxlib]

4. Unfortunately, I think this is true

Last year for the election, I think we lost a lot of people that we assumed would be happy about our being serious about COVID.

People like low-income service workers and people with kids at home. I think we overestimated how much they appreciated doing what was best for their health. Sometimes the logistical and economic realities outweigh the need to be safe.

I have long ago accepted that wanting to be serious about covid comes from a place of privilege because I did not have kids at home, have a yard, plenty of space and could work at home. I think if I lived in a two room apartment with young children I would be wary of people trying to keep things shut down too. Even if it was more dangerous to me. Sucks to realize that people have to make those kinds of tradeoffs but it isn't realistic to believe they will thank you for keeping the schools closed when they are barely holding things together in that situation.