Fatigue

Beltline hillside four ways

We're at the point where "pandemic fatigue" has replaced "unprecedented times" as the dominant cliched phrase in media reports about the Coronavirus.

Public health policy hoped in the early days of the pandemic to frighten people into supporting economy-wide lock downs and severe restrictions on meeting in groups.

That worked for a while. Then, as is so frequently the case (see smoking, speeding and needle drugs), the fear wore off. 

"Unprecedented" is a poor way to describe something that has happened to humans over and over again.  And "fatigue" hardly begins to describe where we are now. Rather than being tired of the pandemic, people don't seem to be able to get enough of it. 

The urge to throw weddings and family gatherings is, evidently, irresistible. The growing case numbers - twice and three times what they were when we were in lock down in April, May and June - do not seem to be scaring anyone but the Democratic party in the US, and, as always, the health scientists who wish they could protect us from ourselves.

The worst parts of the pandemic, along with the sorrows of great illness and unnecessary death, are the toll on health care workers and on the health system in general, causing delays in treatment for other ailments.

There's no easy way through this. 

As for me, I'm sitting here with a slight sore throat, a few sniffles and a clear social calendar because I have cancelled everything I was going to do in person next week.

Readers may recall my death-defying meal from my last post. That might be where I picked this bug up. Now that I have it, I resolve not to share it. My symptoms are mild. If they get worse, I'll get tested. 

Thanks for reading!

Happy Hallowe'en!

Karen

Seen on a transit stop community
bulletin board, Sherbourne Street