Sunday was a SIX Green Arrow Day.

Tip of the Hat to the NFL

Good Morning,

We have seen a spike in new cases over the last two weeks. What portion of these cases are Covid 19, Delta, or Omicron? We don’t know. We are looking at other resource sources to see if more detail is available.

Tip of the hat to the NFL. It is a big entertainment business that requires active participation between its athletes and fans sitting in seats. There is a clear motive for them to be safe but not over-precautious. Their most profitable part of their revenue season is upon them, and Omicron has put a challenge to those in charge. Before the season began, the players (NFLPA) and owners agreed to a set of rules, protocols, and processes to best ensure that player (labor) and public safety concerns were mitigated and brought entertainment to their audiences.

Much of that agreement involved vaccinations, and although not mandatory, there were significant incentives to participate. We heard that as many as 90% of the players are fully vaccinated, much higher than the general population. Almost overnight, the NFL has many players, even fully vaccinated ones, test positive yet asymptomatic. Omicron put the NFL into a conundrum of following their previously negotiated practices or change. They did change. The players and owners put forth a new approach to quantify the risk of spreading the viruses.

Why tip our hat to the NFL? Treating the risk with a universal “one size shoe fits all” may not be the best way. This letter has shown that risk can be better qualified through information. In doing so, resources can be better deployed for protection and care while not impairing other activities with little or no risk.

Thus far, 203 million Americans have received their complete regimen of vaccinations, or 61%, with another 39 million in the queue to finish their requirement. 2.8 million were added to the fully vaccinated category; it was over 5.0 million this week. We don’t know the composition of the vaccinated; was it those completing their second dose, heretofore considered “fully vaccinated” or those getting a booster shot.

One of our more astute readers posed the question, “…has Omicron affected your analysis and/or herd immunity projection?” For sure, this has us viewing this matter, and next week we will address it. Perhaps we have reached the HIF on Covid 19, but not yet the variants.