Four years ago, we were facing our first pandemic winter. The vaccines were not yet available and the death rate was climbing. It was a fearful time. Schools, offices, stores and restaurants were closed. People were working at home, often while helping their kids navigate online schooling. Essential workers were hit hard. Nursing homes became incubators and elderly people died in isolated misery.
A trip to the grocery store felt dangerous, as we stood six feet apart at the check-out and wiped down the food when we got home.
We washed our hands a lot and collected masks. We avoided other people. It was a tough and lonely time for many, relieved somewhat by Zoom, social media, books, podcasts and streaming.
The covid pandemic was declared over in spring 2023 and by now, most people seem to have moved on, forgetting the worst of it.
But Is it really time to relax? It is not. Bird flu is lurking in plain sight, afflicting an estimated one-third of the cattle in California. Farmworkers have been infected and person to person transmission, the step that can lead to a pandemic, is a clear and present danger.
Robert Kennedy Jr., slated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in the next administration, has said that he will not prioritize research or vaccine distribution were we to face another pandemic.
So it’s premature to forget what we’ve just been through and definitely a good idea to save your masks.
I’m Deborah Booth and that’s my perspective.
