The Covid Option
It has been exactly two years since the Covid-19 pandemic landed on our doorstep and began to dominate our lives. After spending those last two years dealing with Covid, everyone is finished worrying about it. We are all overly eager to engage in the lives that we had before it all started. Even though the average death toll in the U.S. is still around 1,100 lives a day, no one appears to be concerned anymore. 964,000 people have died since the beginning of 2020 and it is expected that in another two months or so, the official death toll will finally top 1 million. There are a couple of worrying new strains of Covid lurking out there, but again, this is no cause for concern for the masses to want to stop the drive for being able to do whatever they want again.
Despite my own quarantine and very careful preparations whenever I chanced to go out into the world, I contracted Covid in December of 2020, (before there were any vaccines), and got very sick. However, I was lucky and recovered after a couple of months, or did I? I still have not entirely gotten back my former vigor, (if indeed I had it, being of a certain age). Other odd infections have sprung up including a very painful five week-long episode of shingles, (despite having had a vaccination 5 years prior). My diabetes has slowly gotten worse so that I have been driven to a rather strict diet and more exercise to keep it under control. Other minor things have been nibbling at me and giving me new concerns, but again, it could just be just my age. So I will continue to be more proactive on my health in concert with the rest of my family.
Covid will never go away entirely, just like the flu. Although Covid does have a higher rate of death then the flu has for older persons who also have additional health problems. If you are a minority, then the concern is higher for you as well. Which is most likely why the rest of the population, and those who are much younger, have lost their fear of the virus. Every year another strain of the flu virus appears and every year there will be more Covid viruses. I know that sounds rather horrible, but that is the way that mother nature works. With a warming climate, some other viruses may increase their range and severity as well. All in all, not the best news we could have, but the rapid development of vaccines for Covid and other problems give us much hope for the future of such things. Staying healthy is always the best option, it has gotten me this far and I will definitely continue to work on it with a little more vigor.
(The new treadmill in the library, big, ugly and in the way. I have invaded Lynne’s peaceful place of restful quiet. I wish there was another option.)
