It Ain’t Over

 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Things are not going so well in the COVID department. Cases are going up, up, up. The increased spread within local schools even made the paper.

Worthington Elementary School in Ellicott City reports outbreak of 27 COVID-19 cases, Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun

The County Executive keeps doing his part by informing the public of best practices and current cases reported.

In the meantime we have removed expectations and/or requirements that were helping to prevent the spread: masking and physical distancing, for example. As the removal of those protections leads to an increase in cases, schools no longer have access to backup support from central office because it has been assumed that the crisis part of the pandemic is over. 

It isn’t. 

COVID, on the other hand, is doing quite well, supported by those in the general public who would rather aid and abet an illness than modify their own behavior in order to care for others. You know who I mean. They are the ones who respond to public health posts like this:

They might as well have special frames around their Facebook profile pics:

“Working together to spread COVID”

“Masks? You can’t make me!”

“Vaccines are poison!”

“It’s only a cold.”

“It’s my right to get back to normal!”

Does it make any sense that some people would rather root for a disease that can cause long term damage or even death instead of committing to keep themselves and their neighbors safe? 

No, it doesn’t.

And have we forgotten that children under five still can’t be vaccinated?

Last week, on May 4th, the death toll from COVID in the US reached one million. You would think that number was big enough to inspire some reflection even in affluent Columbia/HoCo. But no one wants to talk about COVID anymore. I wonder if its ongoing presence will even rate an acknowledgement in upcoming political races. Are BOE candidates addressing it? 

“We’re done with that now,” I can hear people saying. 

Wishing won’t make it so. As much as we cover our eyes or our ears to shut out the truth, it’s still there. COVID isn’t done with us.

Are we going to do anything about that?