A few months ago, in the wake of the last big Covid surge, my wife got a job at the local hospital. Sheās in charge of the āhard casesā floor. That includes drug addicts, people who are uncooperative with the medics due to mental issues, and the ICU cases.
Local mask mandates were lifted when cases were dropping. I kept wearing mine for awhile, but no one else was, and so for a few weeks I stopped too. Iām still living pandemic-style, with only occasional quick trips to the store, not spending much time in the presence of outsiders. If Iām only going to be in a store for 5 minutes, it doesnāt really matter, right? Wellā¦
A couple weeks ago, my wife mentioned that weāre a āred zoneā again. Now she spends most of her time at work calling other hospitals in the region (anywhere within about 6 hours transit time), trying to find any place that has open rooms/beds to take the Covid patients that our local hospital doesnāt have room for. Theyāre almost all full up, all the hospitals in the nearest 5 states.
Day before yesterday she spent all day calling around and finally found a place, two states away, that could take a patient. But it was too late. Heād been switched to ācomfort careā, and likely wouldnāt have survived the transport.
Yesterday, she had to spend an entire shift sitting just across from where four kids were pressed up against the glass, crying, coming to terms with the reality that their dad is not coming home. One of the veteran nurses told her āJust look the other way and donāt listen, tune it out. This is how it was all the time when it was really bad.ā
Iāve been wearing my mask again now ever since my wife said āred zoneā. Very few other people are. They donāt see what the medics see and have to deal with all day every day. But itās still a real thing. People my age, with no other health problems, are still dying from it, every day.
Journal of the Corona Year ā Unmasked
5/14
I started my return journey on Friday the 6th. Almost no one were wearing masks in the stations or on the trains. Perhaps this was because we were now traveling from the west and heading east.
I have no way of gauging the activity of Chicago because Amtrak was 6 hours late. We arrived at 9:00 pm. I had just enough time to get off the Empire Builder and get on the Lakeshore Limited.
From what I could see, there was only one person on the Lake Shore Limited who consistently work a mask other than myself. He was was, very fortunately, sitting next to me. He got off at Croton on Hudson. So he was returning east same as myself.
I arrived back in New York on the 7th. During my week away it seems the city has lost its passion for wearing masks. I feel like Iām seeing significantly fewer of them. Perhaps itās my imagination.
There is a curious piece of positive news this week. The Broad Street Pret a Manger has at last reopened. I have no idea why it has stayed closed so long considering all the foot traffic that fills the sidewalks of Broad Street.
I went in there on Friday the 13th to get a cup of coffee. Their coffee used to be pretty good. The counter had the same crumbs and greasy fingerprints, preserved and waiting, for the past two years.
The self-serve coffee urns that were removed early in the pandemic are still gone. There was only one person working behind the counter, and he was busy doing all kinds of custom brewing so I went a few doors down to Gregoryās. Gregoryās coffee and his service are both OK. Not impressive but consistently OK.
On my way home a man sat down beside me on the subway. He started sneezing. I donāt know the cause, but Iām glad I was wearing a KN-95 mask.
5/21
The wearing of masks in NY continues to decline. Even on the subway I would estimate only 1/3rd of the riders are wearing them.
This is despite the fact that the NYC Health Commissioner has set the city-wide alert level to āHigh.ā This recommends wearing masks in any public indoor setting or crowded outdoor setting.
But it seems like no one cares anymore. Itās as if we have all arrived at the place Dan Patrick was back in March of 2020.
I was glad that I still wear a mask, as I had paint on my face yesterday which I didnāt notice until after Iād come back from the store and removed the mask.
Despite her best efforts, Lisa did finally get Covid a couple of months ago, courtesy of her continuously-infected students. That was before she came down to visit me in Tassie.
On her FB this week:
As has been completely fucking obvious from the beginning, the āstrategyā of deliberate mass infection is not sustainable. Because repeated infection causes lasting damage.
Serious efforts to suppress transmission or eternally repeating mass disabling events. At present, those are the only two options, and China is almost alone in choosing the first option.
Just got off the phone with my Mum.
Sheās preparing for her husband Jimās birthday party tomorrow. Theyāll have about twenty or so guests over, and because the weather is poor theyāll all be packed into the house instead of out in the garden. All of the windows will be shut tight against the cold, and none of 'em will be wearing masks.
Jim is eighty, Mum is in her seventies, all of the guests will be of similar vintage. And although theyāll all be vaxxed, that does not prevent transmission; Jim was infected a month ago.
Aaargh.
I hope everyone comes out of it okay, with nothing worse than slight ndigestion brought on by too much food and drink.
ā¦and just heard that my brother in Darwin now has the plague. Concurrent with a new flare up of his spinal injuries, which are certainly not going to play nicely with severe coughing.
Okay, this time for sure I am going to get my 2d booster shot! I forgot the last time because I was waiting for a buyer to show up.
I just got my second booster. I had a fairly typical response for me --fever of 101Ā°, chills/hot flashes, lethargy, lack of appetite-- but unfortunately it coincided with a bad sinus headache, so it really kicked my butt this time.
Iām still glad itās done and over with, as my grandmotherās birthday is coming up, and that means a family get-together. My immunity should be fully on-line just in time for it, so Iām protecting her (and me) as much as I can. (Weāre always careful when we do get together, we keep it to smaller, vaxxed groups and we stay outside as much as possibleā¦ but Grandmaās 94 this year, and we want to spend time with her while we can.)
My brother texted me about fifteen minutes ago to let me know that yesterday he was in contact with someone whoād tested positive for the virus.
My first instinct was to find that person and burn them, as my brother is immunocompromised (no spleen, due to Hodgkinsā from which heās been in remission over thirty years).
And now Iām concerned about my cousinās wedding next Saturday. I mean, one of my other 2d cousins bought my aunt a My Pillow for her birthday last year! I donāt want to attend a superspreader event. Iāve been through childhood diseases, one when I was adult; attempted suicide twice; had near-death food-poisoning and appendicitis; I am NOT about to let some damned virus take me out if I can possibly prevent that from happening!
I contacted my bride-to-be 2d cousin & asked if preventative measures will be taken.
If she doesnāt plan on doing so, Iād suggest skipping it, and sending the couple a gift instead, maybe promise to meet up with them later to celebrate their wedding. People keep acting like this is over, and itās most certainly not.
It sucks that those of us trying to be responsible keep having to make these choices to keep ourselves and others safe, and keep being told weāre being unreasonable.