The COVID-19 daily positivity rate for the state of Massachusetts ticked up to 0.55% yesterday (Monday, July 12), a steady progression that began two weeks ago from a low of about 0.31% in mid-June. This was, of course, before the new Delta variant began holding sway both here in New England and the rest of America. This variant is stronger and 60% more contagious than the Alpha one and the others we’ve been grappling with.

And although fortunately the major vaccines Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson DO work against it, they’re not as effective as they are against the original Alpha COVID-19, giving serious-illness protection somewhere in the 60-70s percentile instead of the low-90s.

Most importantly, the Delta virus causes more serious, hospital-necessitating illnesses in the unvaccinated than the Alpha version. The Delta percentage of infections alarmingly passed the 30% level nationally in mid-June, and now in mid-July has gone over 50%, varying of course from state to state. And as mentioned above even Massachusetts, with its admirable record of full vaccinations of its population (over 70%) as opposed to the recalcitrant and science-averse red states, is beginning to show a steady increase of Delta cases, even while businesses, sports venues and stores are opening up, now mostly maskless.

The most amazing statistic which calls into even more question the life-threatening decision by the anti-vaxxer geniuses (I know a few, and so do you) is the fact that it is currently over 99% of their number who continue to both test positive and perish for all strains of COVID, including the variants. Less than ONE-PERCENT of new cases and deaths are made up of fully-vaccinated citizens. This is proof-positive of the effectiveness of particularly the Moderna and Pfizer versions, with the jury still out on J&J due to its recently-discovered link to the neurological disease Guillain-Barre Syndrome in a miniscule number of cases.

In retrospect it makes perfect sense that many anti-vaxxers, most being in the Donald Trump camp of willful ignorance about COVID-19 and so many other important real-world facts, would continue to turn their noses up at being vaccinated, being mostly uncaring of the risk they pose to many of the people they come into contact with. It’s the Trumpster Way. But you’d think that just by pondering their own fates and the huge health and life risks they run every day that they’d break down for that reason alone and do the right thing for at least themselves.

And we also have the shameless vaccine-lottery people, many of whom openly admitting that they weren’t planning on getting their shots until they heard about all the local lotteries many states across the country have been running as an enticement.

It’s tough when you have to beg a segment of Americans to do the right thing for themselves and those around them with financial prizes, especially after the nightmarish 2020-2021 we’ve all had facing a pandemic that has killed over 4 million people globally and 607,000 here in the United States. And these people still need a good old-fashioned money inducement to take a free cure and keep themselves and those around them safe.

Doctor Sabrina Assoumou of the Boston Medical Center said last week, “We are just so fortunate to have these vaccines, and they work really, really well. The message should be: ‘If you’re worried about the variants, get vaccinated.'” In Massachusetts, New Hampshire (58% fully vaccinated) and much of New England this simple advice is being taken.

But the positivity rate cited above will continue to slowly rise and herd immunity (more than 70% of America vaccinated) will not be attained until common sense finally descends upon the stubbornly-uncaring, or unless vaccinations become mandatory.

And we just have to look at the per capita numbers in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi among so many other states to know that despite president Joe Biden’s continuous exhortations for “shots in arms”, America unfortunately has a long way to go