Another day, another death. There are now over 170,000 deaths in the U.S. from this virus, but you wouldn’t know it by driving around or being on social media. I can’t tell you the amount of people not wearing masks, not social distancing, not giving a f***.
I wish that were me. I wish I could have gone to my friends wedding in March when this was just ramping up. I wish my brother and soon to be sis-in-law, could have gotten married in July. I wish I could have gone to my cousins’ wedding this past weekend. I couldn’t. Some say, I could have just worn a mask, but what would be the point if I’m the only one doing it or if I don’t feel comfortable? I’m not the type of person who just says “just wear a mask and it’ll be fine.” I’m a calculated person. I observe everything around me at all times. If it doesn’t sit right with me, I don’t do it. I also have a compromised immune system, which puts extra pressure on the moves I make. Let’s start with that.
Without getting too in depth, I have an Autoimmune Disease called Autoimmune Hepatitis. Essentially, I have antibodies in my body, like we all do. At 18 or 19, my liver enzymes were detected as being high. I went to a specialist who explained that my antibodies were attacking my liver as if it were a foreign object. Fun Times for a new graduate, right!? So, I have been on prednisone before (awful drug). And I am still currently taking a med named Azathioprine. The latter of the two, weakens my immune system. So, when I hear or see people gathering together like this is just another summer day, I get frustrated. I’m am not able to just get up and go while there is a contagious virus out that is literally killing people.
“Well, you know, you’re young. You would fight it if you caught it.” Yes, probably, but no one knows how they will react to it until they get it. I am also overweight, have high blood pressure, and constantly around people who are in the high risk demographic. Why would I risk their lives as well as mine?
“Well, the masks don’t do anything anyway.” Masks work. Covid is a virus. Viruses are contagious like colds. What do people do to not spread germs when they sneeze or cough so others won’t catch that cold? They COVER THEIR MOUTHS AND NOSES. Covid is a cold and flu on steroids. Wear a mask. Its also important to note that the mask myth of not working should be squashed after reading about the beauticians in Missouri who had Covid but did not give it to their clients. Just stop with that nonsense.
I’ll end this by saying from my personal opinion, if the US had hunkered down, for a few weeks with strict guidelines in place, this virus would not be what it is today. If people had worn a mask and not complained about their “freedoms” or “that they have asthma” which I also have, then we could be almost back to normal. Other countries got a hold of it, and basically got it under control. They had their lockdown, put protocols in place and every one followed suit. There wasn’t some dictatorship. It was people who cared for other humans besides themselves.
Like I said before, I wish I could do all the things others are doing right now. I hope summer is fun, because we’ll be in the house until next summer.
