NYC area was flooded with covid before the US even acknowledged there was covid. I have a friend that's a pulmonologist in northern NJ and March-Sept last year was hell working through all the people that flooded the hospital that were infected before any restrictions went into effect. A more valid comparison is NY/NJ vs. FL in 2021. Check the list of conservative radio hosts and preachers that have died. They weren't exactly knocking on heaven's door before covid. Do you know how you protect the vulnerable populations though? You get everybody around them vaccinated. A lot of the vulnerable population are people for whom vaccines don't work. The vaccine gave me a raging fever. I bet I have antibody levels that are ridiculous. My 82 year old Dad with Parkinson's disease felt nothing. Guess what. He is vaccinated but I bet he is still pretty damned vulnerable whereas I probably have almost zero chance of even noticing if I get a "breakthrough" infection. Those are the people we protect by not being selfish twats. Check with Dingpatch. The fight he's put in? I don't think he wants to go out gasping and wheezing because the young bucks keep bringing the vid to him. Back to surfing related any sandbars without a trough around these days?