A Little Covid
Like so many of you, I am tired of hearing about Covid-19. As I look back to 2020 and the intervening years since then, I can't help but think that our government, along with many others throughout the world, may have overreacted, insisting on too many, perhaps unnecessary, restrictions. However, the fact remains that I am currently quarantined at home because, for the first time, I officially have Covid.
I would never have known I have Covid except that it morphed into a sinus infection. So, I dutifully made my way to Urgent Care because I knew I would need an antibiotic to get over it. And, of course, I had to have a test to rule out Covid and Influenza A. Except, even though my vaccinations are up-to-date, the test was positive for Covid.
My Covid symptoms have been minimal, probably because I’ve been vaccinated: some fatigue, some sneezing, and a headache that won't quit. Initially, I passed off those symptoms as my normal allergy symptoms, aggravated by the windy conditions we've been having here lately. And that asthma attack I had could easily have been triggered by the cold wind, too, or perhaps a food sensitivity.
I've heard so many people say, in effect, "Who cares? Go about your business as usual because it's just a cold!" And that ugly laughing emoji shows up way too often on social media when anyone even mentions Covid or its potential effects.
For me, Covid is "just a cold" that has turned into a sinus infection and, this time, the prescribed antibiotic seems to be doing its job. That's not a given, because I am allergic to many antibiotics, and resistant to many more. This time, except for one scary asthma attack, Covid has left my lungs alone, but that's not a given, either, because my asthma leaves me vulnerable to bronchitis, pneumonia, and resulting hospitalization.
And then, there's Levi, who is showing signs of having Covid, too. So, he is off work for several days, even though he is not visibly very sick. His employer will err on the side of caution, insisting he stay home just because someone else in his household has Covid, so he doesn't unknowingly expose any customers or staff. Except for his boredom, this is not a hardship for Levi. But it might be a huge problem for his fellow employees who would not be able to provide for their families if they have to take off work for a week or two without paid sick leave. And it could be life-threatening for those customers who are fighting cancer or some autoimmune disease.
Unfortunately, Levi and I will both have to miss Bill's dad's memorial service tomorrow. That is more than annoying, because we would like to be there to say our final goodbyes, and to support Bill and his sister, and the rest of our extended family.
Underneath it all, there is that niggling little feeling that someone may think that I'm simply making excuses so I don't have to attend this funeral, that I am making a mountain out of a molehill, that I just need to suck it up, wear a mask, and go. But, I can't do that.
I have no doubt that my mom would have lived longer if she had not contracted Covid a month before her death. As soon as the mandatory mask rule was lifted at her nursing home, Covid swept through again, and her weakened immune system couldn't overcome it. It wasn't anyone's fault. She was as glad as anyone to be done wearing masks every day, and to visit with her family face-to-face. Sometimes, quality of life trumps an abundance of caution.
Even so, I don't want to be the reason someone else suffers undue hardship just because I'm too selfish to take appropriate measures to prevent them from catching the Covid that I currently have. So, tomorrow, I will stay home.
I was curious about the statistics of the Pandemic, so I checked to see if the data has been blown out of proportion, as so many people have been suggesting. Here's what I discovered: Worldwide, 6,866,733 people are known to have died from Covid from 2019 through May 2, 2023. Over one million of those were from the US. In comparison, the Centers for Disease Control estimate that anywhere from 4,900-52,000 deaths occur in the US each year as a result of Influenza. So, according to these statistics, Covid has killed somewhere between 20 and 200 times as many people as Influenza!
That's nothing to sneeze at.
So, stay home when you are sick. Wear a mask in public if you've been exposed to Covid or Influenza, or even just a "little cold." Get vaccinated if you are medically able to do so. And don't make fun of the people who take more caution than you feel is necessary! It's the least we can do. Someone's life may depend on it.
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| Sigh! |
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