When it gets cold outside, people turn in, and unless something changes before winter, that could be a problem, locally speaking.

With 1.9 billion people or 10.69 percent of the world population have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, pursuant to data at ourworldindata.org as of Monday May 31, just 360.15 million of those vaccinations pertain to North America. Of those in North America, 294.93 million pertain to the U.S, while Mexico stands at 30.29 million vaccinated and Canada comes in at 23.47 million, or 23.7 percent and 62.4 percent for the latter countries. So what’s the four county equation in Chippewa, Clark, Taylor, and Eau Claire?

Not quite what it could be, and the next potential spike based on historical data is just three to four months from starting. The way to get those face coverings off children come late August, is to ramp

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up vaccination numbers NOW-looking at the past as potential prologue to the future. But back to those numbers. What are they?

Not quite ideal, if by this you mean herd immunity, or enough of the population vaccinated to close off openings to COVID-19, similar to the way that adult male water buffalo on the African Savanna face their horns out toward lions and hyenas to protect the young and infirm in the circle's middle.

As to the lion that is COVID-19, then, Eau Claire currently stands the best chance of deflecting a second wave this winter, with 44.9 percent of its population fully vaccinated, per the State health website. Following Eau Claire is Chippewa County, with 40.2 percent of its population registered as receiving a dose of the vaccine. Lagging behind, perhaps fatally, are Taylor and Clark counties, both tied as of May 30, 2021 with just 24.4 percent of their populations vaccinated, or not enough to close the gaps in the circle against wintertime 'lion and hyena attacks' from the virus.

The good news, is that there are still three months or twelve weeks until school starts. The bad news, is that children might still have to wear those face coverings again if the adults able to don't set an example or appointments to help protect those like the old, infirm, and sometimes the very young, who are least able to take the brunt of COVID-19, for which 'mild symptoms,' are not, and will not, be the reality come winter-unless things change.