COVID Isn't Over
Why are you still masking? Why don't you do more live in-person appearances?
COVID isn't over. As of October 2025, one out of every 52 people in Wisconsin are actively infectious. In a room containing 10 people, there is an 18% chance that someone is infectious; in a room containing 25 people, the probability increases to 39%; with 50 people, it's a 62% chance, and with 100 people in a room together, there is an 88% chance that someone in the room is infectious.
As summarized in a leading scientific publication, called Science, SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne respiratory virus. Contrary to early pandemic awareness, the virus spreads predominantly through the air, rather than via surfaces. The virus can linger in the air like smoke in poorly ventilated indoor spaces. The virus spreads when one person exhales it and another person inhales it.
People I love have compromised immune systems. If they are infected, they will likely die or become much more disabled than they already are. I do everything I can to reduce my risk of becoming infected or transmitting the virus to people I love. I also love my brain, and I do not want to incur the brain damage that results from every infection, including the roughly 50% of infections which are asymptomatic.