OK, it's been a bad year, and I expect that we'll have a bad winter to endure before springtime brings the promise of normalcy returning to our lives. Until then, we will need to hunker down as best we can.
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When pandemic first started, the general public didn't know what was happening, nor did any of us know what best to do to stay safe. I can remember one meetup group holding large meetings when the government was trying to limit the size of gatherings just before New York's lock down. For the next 6 weeks or so, most of us rarely ventured out of our houses, socializing only via Zoom meetups. Schools hastily figured out ways to hold classes remotely, with mixed results. Businesses figured out ways to allow employees to work from home. Other businesses were forced to close because they required in person presences. There were so many things that happened at this time, that I don't think any of us will remember all the salient details. During these days, many of us lost loved ones, myself included. And most of us were totally afraid of catching the virus, as if it was a terminal disease. Yet, only 2% of the people contracting the virus in its early days died. The other 98% has mixed results with their recoveries.
Sometime in late spring, we started to develop a new normal, as people started to socialize outdoors. I can still remember when the road leading to Croton Dam Park had people parked on both sides, walking 1/2 mile or so to be able to enjoy the outdoors in the park. As for me, I started to drive further North, so that I could walk rail trails in relative peace. Meetup groups started to get together for outdoor dining (and other activities), allowing people to get together in a reasonably safe environment. New York City streets were invaded by outdoor dining patios, and the public took to the streets in a new and pleasant way. New York State (and its neighbors) took the pandemic seriously, and people were willing to make the sacrifices needed to reduce the infection rate.
Unfortunately, many people in the more rural areas did not act as if the pandemic was their problem. They acted as if the pandemic would never affect them - and it did. We started seeing a second wave of the pandemic affect the country, this time causing previously "safe" areas to suffer as we did in New York months earlier.
Eventually, autumn came, and outdoor activities started to wind down. This is when I started to fear that we would have a winter where the pandemic would replace the flu as our major medical concern. People in urban areas were mostly comfortable wearing masks. However, due to a pig-headed president, mask wearing and the virus itself became a political issue. One could usually tell a person's political tribe by looking at a person's face - Democrats usually wore masks, while Republicans often did not. People gradually became afraid of indoor dining (where it was allowed), and we became more and more isolated.
One of the problems exposed by the pandemic was that people have a strong need to be with others. We have social gatherings to fulfill this need, holiday celebrations, weddings, and funerals. Regularly scheduled religious services also fill this need, and many of the people most serious about their religious activities sued the government to loosen the rules limiting social gatherings. Some of the more orthodox simply ignored the rules meant to protect them by holding clandestine ultra large weddings and funerals, helping to spread the virus among large groups of people. Tradition was more important than public safety. Eventually, holiday season came around, and people made sure that they would not miss more time with their families. So they booked their Thanksgiving and Christmastime flights, and started a third wave of this virus. People's need to be with family was more important than being safe.
Now that winter is here, we are experiencing a nationwide spike in infections which makes what we saw last spring almost look benign. Most of us are "pandemic tired" and feel that need to be with people. One of my close friends was just diagnosed as having the virus. And I'm very glad that her symptoms (and her husband's) have been relatively mild. I'm grateful that we didn't get together when she could have infected me. But how long will any of us be able to stay safe? Vaccinations have finally started, but are going slowly. How many of us will let down our guards when we've been vaccinated? Will the virus have mutated enough that current vaccines lose their effectiveness? It's going to be a ride through the unknown, and I'm hoping we don't get too complacent because we're starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
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