Post pandemic? We never left…

This evening I watched the news (by the way, my heart and prayers go to the people in the horrible tornadoes…be positive. Help in on the way.), and they mentioned post-pandemic. People, we never left or finished the pandemic. We are still in the pandemic and might remain so for several years. We still do not understand the DNA structure of the COVID, but we have come a long way to better understanding it. Each time a new variance comes out, we seem to learn something new and possibly provide more clues of the bugger.

We must accept that we are still fighting and combatting the virus. I work in higher education, and there is so much mixture of emotion among students, faculty, and staff. Many schools attempted to go back this past fall and had put those wishes on pause with the delta variance. Spring semester is ahead of us, and again, many schools want to go back 73-100%. IMO, it is not going to happen. In fact, I believe, and we should remain the way we are for the moment until we know (A) understand the Omicron variant and compare this with the Delta variant. (B) the results of the Holiday surge.

According to the CDC site, we know (1) cases are going up each week and rapidly, (2) omicron seems to be spreading faster than the delta, yet we do not know the severity and all of the effects, (3) the best defense is the vaccination and most importantly, the booster shot. Today, 76.5% of the USA population has at least 1 vaccination. We still need to be sure to follow through the second for some of us, and the booster is a must. According to the CDC folks, the booster might help protect us from the omicron.

Vaccination is the best defense! Vaccination is already required to attend schools; it is confusing and frustrating why this is not different. For those concerned about the side effects, the numbers are very, very small. I personally got under the weather after my second dose. But I would rather be down for a couple days than to get COVID! ROI!!!! Most importantly, it is not a choice…it is a responsibility. If we get COVID, we also spread it and share it with others, not knowing we have it for the first few days. Finally, I do not understand why religion should even be on the exception list. (Please do not write me about me being against religion….not even close). My point is God gave us the gift of science, medicine, and medical to help attend and take care of all of His children. The vaccinations are, in reality, gifts from God so we can stay healthy, last longer, and enjoy life and the company of families and friends.

I am someone who believes in science and data. We may agree or disagree, or even like or dislike them, but the reality is science and data tell us where we are going. I used to hate shots. I remember getting my shots when I was a kid and re-using needles. They were painful. I get it. Today, because of the new medical ethics, safety, and laws, we get new needles, and since I have been getting the flu shots, they do not even hurt for more than a split second. Thank God for nurses who give us those painless inoculations!

We need to take one day at a time. We need to take care of ourselves. We need to be responsible. We will win this battle. We need to be realistic and not kid ourselves. We need to listen to the data and medicine. We have much better technology and research. We can do it….even if it means getting vaccines and boosters and wearing masks.