Brady Fam Covid Protocol :-)
Hey Everybody, If you’ve read our most recent update, you know that this year has been very difficult for us on a variety of levels. We’ve faced loss and grief in ways we could have never expected. Though not all of this hardship has been a result of COVID-19, the virus has permeated our lives and affected us greatly.
We are well aware that as we re-enter the US, we come back to a very divided country, and we are also aware that we have friends and family on all sides of the Covid conversation. And to every one of you - vaccinated and unvaccinated - masked and unmasked - we want to first say, “We love you!” Your position on the vaccine or masks does not qualify or disqualify you from our circle, but it may very well change the way in which we can comfortably hang out with you on this trip home.
Over the next 6-7 weeks, we have planned to travel around visiting friends and family in efforts to continue raising support for Zack’s work with Young Life in Malawi and for the joy/refreshment of being with people who know us deeply and love us well.
Here are some of the numbers / facts that we are aware of. After prayer and slow consideration these facts have informed our decisions:
We are traveling from a country where the positive test rate has been between 25-30% for the last month.
As vaccinated people, we can still carry and shed the virus. The vaccines help prevent the risk of infection but are most effective at preventing severe illness. This is particularly true for the Astrazeneca vaccine, which is the only one that was available to us in Malawi.
The most vulnerable people are those with preexisting conditions (ie our parents)
The percentage of hospitalized people who are unvaccinated is as high as 97%
Though it is rare, children can still become seriously ill from COVID. Currently both of our daughters are still unvaccinated. Protecting them will always be our number one priority.
There are a lot of sources out there but here are a few we thought might be helpful in reference to the facts above:
This is a journal article about the efficacy of the Astrazeneca vaccine we both received
This is an article by SCDHEC regarding the percentage of COVID patients who are unvaccinated.
This is a link to the CDC’s information about MISC-C (the serious condition that can result in children from COVID infections)
We don’t share these realities to cause fear or anxiety but to hopefully help you understand our position. So to that end, we wanted to post this letter/memo and share the guidelines that we will be adhering to during this visit to the US. Here are the variety of scenarios we see ourselves in:
In a large group (church) gatherings with vaccinated and unvaccinated people, we as a family will be masked up to protect you.
In small group (two families) meetings/hangouts with unvaccinated people, we will ask to meet outside with everyone wearing masks
In small group setting with vaccinated we would still prefer to meet outside if possible but won’t insist on masks
Here is a quick article from the CDC demonstrating the rationale behind these decisions.
We are excited to be back in the US. We are REALLY excited to see you guys, but these weeks need to be restful for us, and your understanding of our requests will go a long way in helping us relax.
Please reach out to us directly with any questions you may have. We love you, respect you, and hope we can safely see you soon!
-Zack and Carly :-)
