Being married to a physician, I have a unique perspective on this pandemic.
I have to say I am just gobsmacked at people's reaction to this disease and the politicizing of it. People who don't think it's real, need to google "Covid Lungs" and see just what the damage it does looks like. Some people may NEVER get over all the damage and will only manage to return to a semblance of their former pre-covid lives.
I own an antique store in central Florida and the reactions I get in regards to having a mask mandate on my door just stun me. I have had people tell me, "Once the election is over, the "virus" will be gone." - I have had them yell at me saying they won't ever return (OK that's fine, you do you.) and others read my sign and turn away. Or they come inside (thinking my sign is not serious) and when told they have to put a mask on, they leave.
I know people who were on a vent for 3 weeks, then physical therapy for weeks and then still weren't "right" for many moons after that. While they were in an induced coma, three others in their family died from it. I also know people, one whom I dated years ago and was younger than I (she was 53 years old.) who are now dead. I have also seen long married couples die within days of each other, leaving young children behind.
We had a daily record of 53K new cases in one day Wednesday, yet people give me crap about having to put a mask on their face for 10 minutes while they shop in my store. Many of them spend far less time than that with an average lap around my store of 120 seconds. (It's a huge thrift store town and when they find out I am not a thrift store, they can't get out fast enough). The testing lines are hundreds of yards long. Maybe get a shot instead of being tested every two days?
With my wife having serious past medical issues (think meningitis), and respiratory issues, coupled with her risk as a Dr., and my owning a store and having to do all the other "out and about" social interactions around town to keep our household running, and in addition to having elderly parents living in town, I don't need any more risk factors that that. Hence the mask mandate in my store. When the local hospital puts a mask requirement on entry, so do I. If it's good enough for them, well, you get the idea. The CDC has now said, "Don't get on a cruise ship" Period.
I am afraid that if my wife contracts covid, I will lose her (or me if I get it). These people aren't going to protect her of their own volition, so I must & I will be militant about it if needed.
I have an uncle whom I worry about as he is a "Long Hauler" with covid and has been fighting it for nearly 2 years now. So yea, I get a bit pissed at people who have the gall to tell me they don't need to wear a mask around me or in my store. I haven't stopped wearing a mask since this started and even when I relaxed my mask mandate in my store, I wore my mask & I wear it into every store I go into. No exceptions.
I have a pastor friend who had a mild case and he tells me I am wrong and I shouldn't be in favor of vaccination mandates and such because it wasn't that bad and I should just "get it and get it over with". The point I tell him and that he won't or can't understand is not everyone gets over it. He might be ready to meet Jesus, but I still have some stuff to do. His is truly in the this is "Murica" camp and if I don't want a shot you can't make me. He got his, but he is in the gov't can't tell me what to do frame of mind. Irritating because it defies logic in what is otherwise a very intelligent man and a good friend.
It will be quite some time until this is over. We are ripe for more strains and variants, and the longer people keep mucking about not wearing masks and getting vaccinations, the longer it will take to get rid of it. No one knows the long term effects, or what it does to the human body and what it does with, and how it complicates other long term illnesses. It's amazing that we were able to come up with a vaccination so quickly & that works so well, yet people won't get it.
I wish you well on your recovery. Stay safe, have a good New Year's knowing that you are still fighting.
I know what that's like, I had stage IV cancer in my neck nearly 17 years ago.
Best wishes.
Ed
If you read this and haven't been vaccinated, or haven't gotten your boosters, I implore you to get your shots and wear a mask. Don't let yourself contract this deadly disease.
