Covid is “Hitchin a ride” for Thanksgiving
Those of us who are a certain age remember this song well. What better way to describe what COVID 19 is doing right this very minute? COVID is hitchin a ride in bus stations, airports, train stations and personal vehicles all across the country. Just a few weeks ago it was hitchin a ride on Air Force One….accompanying the President of the USA and his entourage to numerous campaign rallies all over the US.
COVID is a tough nasty little virus. It is extremely contagious, it is all around us looking for a host, and it is spreading like wildfire. Hospitals are filling up in some states. Healthcare workers are getting sick and exhausted. And as Thanksgiving approaches, millions of stupid people insist on traveling and gathering for the holiday to have a turkey. I hate to put the STUPID label on folks but there it is.
The Federal CDC has warned all of us to “just stay home for Thanksgiving”. Surrounding ourselves with only the people within our personal bubbles/households is recommended, because of the huge spike in numbers of COVID cases, nationally and especially in specific States. A small family that I know has done their homework so they can get together. Only one of them has not been quarantining, and he has tested several days prior to their small family TG. Then he did quarantine with his family to avoid exposure. There are smart ways to do this safely.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/thanksgiving.html
A lot of things have led up to this huge Thanksgiving rebellion in our country. Just under half of the citizens of this country support Donald Trump and they voted for him. Responsibility for presidential leadership/guidance apparently escapes his grasp. He has failed to be a good example on how to avoid this virus, even after he contracted it himself. He got immediate and full throttle care for his case, which is atypical for the average citizen. So, he was lucky enough to bounce back quickly. His very effective treatment and unusually rapid recovery made him even more cocky and arrogant than he was before he got sick. Maybe a few days on a ventilator in ICU would have humbled him and helped the country in the long run. Because he has this huge pulpit and visibility, he has become even more dangerous and ineffective during this pandemic. He doesn’t wear a mask himself and he doesn’t advise others to wear one, so his cult-like followers do not wear masks either. He rallies and parties, and holds mask free crowded events in the White House. During his hospitalization and when he was most infectious, he decided the Secret Service guys could take him for a spin around Walter Reid Hospital. Following DJT’s lead, his doe eyed followers intend to throw caution to the wind for their Thanksgiving holiday. They don’t seem to recognize that the White House has become a super spreader hub. Many of his own staff, family, colleagues and Secret Service officers have all become victims of this virus. But, like their leader, these folks are science deniers and rule breakers and none of them seem to be tuned into the reality that over 250,000 Americans have died and millions have become infected. Some still call the pandemic a hoax!
All of this is happening as the pandemic is getting worse…alarmingly worse as we speak. It is like a giant rolling pin flattening our country.
So, now the weekend before the Thanksgiving Holiday and only weeks before we can all start getting the very effective vaccine, stupid people are crowding into American airports. We can see these images on any news channel or newspaper, A lot of folks are wearing masks…which is good. But, masks are only one part of necessary precautions to avoid the little hitchhikers we cannot see….COVID19 viruses. The other precautions are distancing, hand washing, avoiding crowds and other practical steps. If those media images of crowds also showed the microscopic virus hitchhikers on the travelers, most normal intelligent people would be horrified.
I am extremely concerned about our future after Thanksgiving.
The Pandemic is growing at a wicked pace right now because so many people are stupid, impatient and selfish. Stupidity is killing us, one victim at a time. Most of us who observe and believe in science are going to be the survivors of this pandemic. We will show up as soon as we can to get our vaccination. We will continue to use the precautions that are recommended. We will come out on the other side of this to enjoy our lives. Far too many of those folks who insist on crowding, celebrating and giving rides to those dastardly virus hitchhikers, will not fare as well. And sadly a huge number of their innocent vulnerable relatives may die, or suffer needlessly. They will become the hosts to more than family…they will be hosting those miserable little hitchhikers.
My son had a cold last week. A simple cold with a stuffy nose and feeling icky. He works in a business that makes masks and he wears one faithfully. He immediately went home from work. He stayed inside for a few days and tested for COVID on the third day. His test was negative, but he still wears a mask and stays 6 feet away from others, and he will take away his Thanksgiving dinner from my home. I will cook for my family, and we will all celebrate separately. I can handle it, and so can my family. I am an intelligent grown up and so are my husband and sons. My life, and especially the lives of my loved ones mean a whole lot more to me than a holiday meal and gathering. I am sorry for all of us to miss this, but it is ONE YEAR, and it will be better next year. I feel like Thanksgiving this year should be reserved for loving our families at a distance and being thankful for their continued health. We should also thankful for the scientists who are working feverishly to move forward so we can end this pandemic.
If you don’t want to spend Christmas in ICU on a ventilator, you should abide by the advice of the scientists and the CDC.
I wish the stupid ones a lot of luck, but it takes precautions, not luck, to keep ourselves safe during a pandemic. Don’t pick up hitchhikers.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Credit to Brian M Day for the COVID images.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-11-19/cdc-holiday-travel-thanksgiving-warning
https://www.azfamily.com/news/continuing_coverage/coronavirus_coverage/passengers-crowd-sky-harbor-as-cdc-calls-for-canceling-thanksgiving-travel-plans/article_301628ec-2b8c-11eb-8d6b-97f51f23ef2c.html
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/crowds-seen-at-ohare-as-travelers-depart-chicago-ahead-of-thanksgiving-holiday/2376658/
