COVID Isn't Over
Why are you still masking? Why don't you do more live in-person appearances?
COVID isn't over. In July 2026, 1 in 43 people worldwide are infected. I will not be returning to live in-person performance until that number is 1 in 50,000. In good conscience, I cannot be responsible for folks congregating together in close contact, indoors or outdoors, until that number decreases to 1 in 50,000.
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.