You can't know your odds of getting COVID-19 today

+ why fungi are vital to life and need protecting US Edition - Today's top story: It's impossible to determine your personal COVID-19 risks and frustrating to try – but you can still take action [View in browser]( US Edition | 17 May 2022 [The Conversation]( Ever since COVID-19 hit the scene, epidemiologist Malia Jones has been fielding questions at the website “Dear Pandemic” from people trying to navigate risk when it comes to the coronavirus. “How risky is swim team?” “How risky is it to go to my orthodontist appointment?” “How risky is going to the grocery store with a mask on if no one else is wearing one and my father is an organ transplant recipient?” There’s no end to the specific scenarios people are wondering about. She and I shared a grim virtual laugh this past weekend when a member of my own household saw the dreaded second line on a home COVID-19 test. We joked I’d be her next letter writer: “How risky is it to send my vaccinated kid to a birthday party, which is supposed to be outdoors but might be indoors if it rains, when we’re ‘close contacts’ of someone with COVID-19 but feel OK, so far. …” The problem is that epidemiologists have something very different in mind than the rest of us do when we talk about risk. And there’s never an answer to the question we’re all really asking: “Am I safe?” Luckily, Jones [offers a more productive way]( to think about risk and COVID-19. Also today: - [Why Israeli-Palestinian “clashes” can be misleading]( - [Hydropower’s vital role in America’s energy future]( - [Women on why they got third-trimester abortions]( Maggie Villiger Senior Science + Technology Editor Before the pandemic, an intergenerational tea party wouldn’t have seemed a risky proposition. fotostorm/E+ via Getty Images [It’s impossible to determine your personal COVID-19 risks and frustrating to try – but you can still take action]( Malia Jones, University of Wisconsin-Madison People want a simple answer. Is this action safe? But despite Anthony Fauci bouncing responsibility for COVID-19 risk assessment to individuals, your risk can’t be boiled down to one probability. Environment + Energy - [Hydropower’s future is clouded by droughts, floods and climate change – it’s also essential to the US electric grid]( Caitlin Grady, Penn State; Lauren Dennis, Penn State Climate change is affecting hydropower in different ways across the country. - [Beyond flora and fauna: Why it’s time to include fungi in global conservation goals]( Matt Kasson, West Virginia University; Brian Lovett, West Virginia University; Patricia Kaishian, Bard College Fungi underpin life on Earth, but are far less well catalogued and understood than animals and plants. Three scientists call for including fungi in conservation strategies and environmental laws. Politics + Society - [How media reports of ‘clashes’ mislead Americans about Israeli-Palestinian violence]( Maha Nassar, University of Arizona In trying to present violent events in ‘neutral’ language, media reports may be ignoring power imbalances when it comes to Israeli police or military violence against Palestinian civilians. - [Fewer donors say they’re willing to give to a charity when it supports immigrants – especially if they’re undocumented]( Joannie Tremblay-Boire, University of Maryland; Apolonia Calderon, University of Maryland; Aseem Prakash, University of Washington Researchers created an imaginary nonprofit and told participants in a survey that it served different kinds of people. Their results show how feelings about immigrants may influence generosity. Education - [In Midwestern schools, LGBTQ teachers face discrimination, hate and their own fears]( Ferial Pearson, University of Nebraska Omaha As the national debate over LGBTQ rights continues, teachers in the Midwest are facing challenges similar to those facing their colleagues elsewhere in the US. Ethics + Religion - [What is the Lag BaOmer pilgrimage?]( Joshua Shanes, College of Charleston A scholar of Jewish history explains why the annual Lag BaOmer pilgrimage to Mount Meron in Israel has such power and meaning. Health + Medicine - [Less than 1% of abortions take place in the third trimester – here’s why people get them]( Katrina Kimport, University of California, San Francisco The reasons why people may seek out late-term abortions are complex and are often based on new medical information and delays caused by state policies. From our international editions - [If the polls are right, he may soon be the next Australian prime minister. So who is Anthony Albanese?]( - [‘You can’t even talk English, so don’t talk!’ How linguistic racism impacts immigrants in the UK]( - [LGBTI refugees seeking protection in Kenya struggle to survive in a hostile environment]( Today's graphic [A chart showing the growth in public mass shootings in the US from 1966 to 2021.]( From the story, [More mass shootings are happening at grocery stores – 13% of shooters are motivated by racial hatred, criminologists find]( - More from The Conversation US - Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: [Politics Weekly]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Economy & Business]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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