Tag Archives: vaccine

January 4, 2023 · 6:36 am

A Brief Message To All Those Who Exploited The Damar Hamlin Injury On Monday Night Football

Firstly, and most importantly, fuck everyone who would exploit a situation like what happened on Monday Night Football between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Seriously, fuck you to the ends of the multiverse.

I apologize for my crude choice of words, but that’s just something I just had to get out. I knew as soon as it happened on live TV that there were going to be assholes who used this grim situation to push a bullshit agenda. I could even surmise the main details of that agenda and accurately predict how they probably voted in the last Presidential Election. I won’t name names, but it doesn’t take much to surmise who I’m talking about.

Here’s a clue. Most of these same assholes still won’t admit who won that last Presidential Election I just mentioned.

Since this situation is still ongoing, I’ll just relay what is known at the moment I’m writing this. In the first quarter of the Bills/Bengals game, Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a major blow to the chest. After getting up initially, he fell back to the ground and suffered what appeared to be a serious cardiac episode. It was so bad and so serious that the medical staff had to perform CPR and AED before sending him off to a nearby hospital for further treatment.

As a result, the NFL opted to suspend the game. As someone who has been watching football all his life, I cannot overstate just how serious a situation has to be for the league to stop a game in the first quarter. Absent a serious weather event, this is quite unprecedented. There have been serious injuries during games in the past. In fact, one Lions player famously died on the field in the middle of a game due to an undiagnosed heart condition.

For now, we don’t know how serious Hamlin’s injury is or what his prognosis is. At the very least, please keep the man and his family in your thoughts. Also, consider donating to Hamlin’s charity. That’s the most anyone can do right now. It’s entirely up to Hamlin and the doctors treating him now.

But not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for those assholes I mentioned earlier to derail this terrible situation for their own benefit. They basically used Hamlin as an excuse to push their insane, bullshit anti-vaccine conspiracies. Their terrible logic is that Hamlin was likely vaccinated. As a result, it is the likely culprit of is condition and the “mainstream media,” also known as media that says things they don’t like, is hiding the truth.

Again, that’s total bullshit.

And again, fuck every person pushing that agenda.

Damar Hamlin is a human being in a life-threatening situation. He’s not a prop for your political agenda or your bullshit anti-vaccine agenda. And if you in any way use what happened to him to propagate your own bullshit, then you are beyond despicable. Just calling you an asshole is the nicest label I can use. There are plenty of other words I would love to use, but I’d rather not draw the ire of the FCC.

Right now, the most likely cause of Hamlin’s condition is something called Commotio Cordis. It’s not common, but it’s not unknown either. It’s basically a perfect storm of events that happens when someone, such as an athlete playing a contact sport, suffers just the right kind of trauma to the chest area while the heart is in a certain part of its rhythm. It’s akin to two bullets hitting one another in mid-air. It’s extremely rare, but it does happen.

That diagnosis could change as more information emerges over the course of the next few days. Hopefully, Hamlin makes a full recovery. At that point, I don’t doubt the same assholes who used his experience for their own end will move onto their next bullshit grift regarding vaccines, elections, or anything the media says that they don’t like.

To those same people, I have one final message.

Fuck you.

Fuck you and fuck all the way off.

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, NFL

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 28, 2021 · 6:41 am

Why You Should Get A Yearly Flu Shot (And My Worst Experience With The Flu)

Should you get a flu shot this year? | India News,The Indian Express

For the past year, I’ve gone out of my way to urge people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 while also pointing out why anti-vaxx arguments are ridiculously stupid. Honestly, I’m sick of doing that and I’m sick of talking about this. I wish getting a vaccine didn’t have to be a point of contention, but that’s just the state of the world we live in.

Again, get vaccinated people. You’ll end this pandemic and save lives in the process.

That being said, I’d like to add another layer to this effort. It’s not quite as dire as the current situation with COVID-19, but it’s still relevant, given that it involves our health and ways we can improve it. It has to do flu shots.

Now, let me start by making clear that the flu is not as serious as COVID-19. Despite the claims of certain misinformed pundits, the typical flu is less likely to kill you than COVID-19. You still don’t want to get either because even if it doesn’t kill you, having the flu is an awful experience.

You feel like crap for almost an entire week.

You can barely eat anything and even when you do, it’s hard to keep down.

Your face is flushed all the time, your nose is stuffy, your throat is sore, and your head won’t stop pounding from the inside.

It’s just an all-around bad time for you and your body. If you’re older or happen to be in poor health, it can be even more serious. People do die because of the flu and it’s not a trivial figure, either.

That’s why I encourage everyone to get a yearly flu shot, especially this year. Last year was bad enough, but this year is even more critical. Now that lockdowns are over and people are trying to live life as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, the flu is likely to make a comeback.

As such, if you can get a flu shot, do what you have to do in order to get it. Do it for yourself and your family. I certainly plan on doing so. If you need information on doing so, the CDC has an entire section of their website dedicated to it.

It’s not a conspiracy.

It’s not an agenda.

It’s just a shot that’ll protect you from another disease you don’t want to get.

To further reinforce that point, I’d like to share a quick story about the worst flu I ever got and how it affected my attitudes towards flu shots. It’s not a very pleasant story, but I hope it gets the point across as to why flu shots are critical.

To set the stage and context, this occurred back when I was in the seventh grade. At this point in my life, I wasn’t in great shape overall. However, aside from bad allergies and acne, I was in generally good health. I hadn’t been seriously sick beyond a common cold in years. As a result, I saw little need for flu shots.

Then, one evening, I started feeling a little ill. I can remember exactly when it happened. It was around 7:00 p.m. one evening. I’d finished dinner and my folks were watching TV. It started with a sore throat and a cough, but it was nothing I hadn’t dealt with before. I thought I’d feel fine after I slept it off.

I was very wrong.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt terrible. My joints hurt, my head hurt, my sinuses were stuffed up, and I was so weak you could knock me over with a feather. I don’t remember looking in the mirror that morning, but I’m pretty sure I looked like hell.

Despite all that, I still thought I could make it to school that day. I thought it was just something that would wear off after I got going. I made an effort to get dressed, get some breakfast, and walk to school. My mother kept encouraging me not to, but I didn’t listen.

In hindsight, this was a terrible decision.

I managed to make it to school. But just as my first class began, my body just gave out. I couldn’t keep my head up and I couldn’t focus. My teacher naturally sent me to the school clinic. Once there, the nurse said I had a 101-degree fever. That’s pretty bad, even for a seventh grader.

My mom had to come and pick me up. To her credit, she didn’t say, “I told you so.” She just took me home, laid me down on the couch, gave me some medicine, and let me sleep.

The next few days sucked, but they weren’t nearly s bad as the first. I was so weak, tired, and sickly that I couldn’t do much aside from watch TV. At one point, I ran out of favorite movies to watch. I tried playing video games, but my head was in such a fog that I didn’t have much fun.

It was just such a terrible experience overall. Even after I got better, I made it a point to take the flu serious from that day forward. I always got a flu shot when it was available. I also took my health a bit more seriously, even though I wouldn’t get in shape until years later. I think that experience helped inform future health habits that have stuck with me to this day.

I still wish I didn’t have to go through that to learn the value of good health and flu shots. I certainly don’t want anyone to have to learn those hard lessons like I did. Even if the flu is not life-threatening, it’s just not an experience you want to have.

So please, if you can, get a flu shot this year.

Get one every year if you can. Take it from someone who learned the hard way. Having the flu sucks. A vaccine can help protect you from it and after living through a pandemic, we should all make the effort.

Leave a comment

Filed under health, real stories

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

November 18, 2021 · 5:47 am

I Got My COVID-19 Booster Shot (And Why You Should Get One Too)

COVID Booster Shot: Do I Need It?

I know it’s been a while since I talked about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In general, I’ve avoided it, but not because I think it’s over or that it isn’t a problem. It definitely is. If anyone out there claims the pandemic is over, they’re lying to you. It’s still happening. It’s still killing people and it’ll likely kill a lot more people in the coming years, thanks largely to idiots who refuse to follow basic medical science.

Now, I’m as sick of this plague as everyone else. I’m sick of having to wear masks in public places and freaking out every time someone starts coughing near me. However, I understand that we’re not going to get out of this by fuming about it. We actually have to make an effort.

To that end, I recently got myself a COVID-19 booster shot.

This is something I encourage everyone else to do if they’re eligible. You may not think you need it. If you’re young and relatively healthy, chances are you don’t need it as much as someone who has other health issues. They should definitely get it first. However, if you get a chance to get one, as I did, I encourage you to take it.

In a sense, I’m very lucky. One of the vaccination sites near my home really ramped up their operations after the vaccines were authorized for children. That same site was already doing boosters, but they didn’t have enough supply for anyone outside individuals who fit a certain criteria, namely health care workers and the elderly.

Once they got a fresh supply in, they opened up appointments for a lot more people. I decided to make one, largely at the advice of my parents and my doctor. It was a bit tricky, but I managed to get one and it went as smoothly as I could’ve hoped.

Since I got the two-shot vaccine from Pfizer earlier this year, that’s the same shot I got this time. Just like last time, the side-effects were mild. My arm hurt for a while. I had a bit of a headache, as well. It was nothing I couldn’t handle. I even went to the gym the same day I got the shot.

It was also refreshing to see so many kids getting their shots, as well. Most were really brave about it. I even saw a couple of kids playing catch with a tennis ball after they got their shots. They’re tougher than any anti-vaxx conspiracy theorist will ever be.

I know vaccines are still a politically charged issue and for all the wrong reasons. I could spend hours on end talking about the sheer absurdity of those politics, but I’ll save that for another time.

For now, I just want to encourage everyone out there to get their booster shot if they can. If you’re as sick of this pandemic as I am, then this is what you have to do to help end it. Get out there, get your shot, and help end this stubborn disease. I got it and I feel great. Please do your part and the world, as we know it, can keep healing.

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, health

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 31, 2021 · 5:42 am

To Those Taking Horse De-Wormer To Treat COVID-19: Expect Little Sympathy

Ivermectin, a livestock medication that can be used to treat lice and other conditions in humans, has exploded in popularity as people have tried to self-medicate against COVID-19.

There comes a point during a crisis where something that should be horrifying just becomes funny. You’re so numb to all the awfulness you’ve seen over an extended period that you just don’t have the strength to be horrified anymore. Instead, you can’t help but see the complete and utter absurdity that’s causing real suffering and laugh at it.

With that context established, I’d like to talk about the people taking horse de-wormer, Ivermectin, to treat COVID-19.

I know that just by mentioning that, I’m inviting a great deal of jokes, anger, frustration, and whining. I’ll take that risk. After almost two years of a pandemic that didn’t have to be this bad, I just can’t bring myself to care at this point. Every time I think this pandemic cannot possibly bring out the worst of the worst in people, some world class idiots find a way.

Now, the idiots and assholes of this world are really upping their game by resorting to horse de-wormer. It was bad enough when these same people were pushing anti-malaria medications as a treatment. At least those were actually made for human consumption. This time, they’re pushing their stupidity and gullibility even further by pushing a treatment intended for horses.

If this weren’t real life, I’d swear this was a failed sub-plot of “Bojack Horseman.” Sadly, it’s very real.

To most sane and informed people of this world, I hope I don’t need to explain why you shouldn’t ingest things intended for farm animals. If the package the medicine comes in includes an animal of any kind, it’s probably not intended for human consumption.

To anyone else who genuinely believes that this drug, Ivermectin, is somehow a game-changing treatment for COVID-19, I only ask that you see the following tweet from the FDA.

That’s a government agency, by the way. They’re not a comedy channel. Sometimes, though, you have to be blunt to get the point across. I honestly don’t know how much clearer they can make it.

Despite this clear warning, people are still going out of their way to obtain horse de-wormer from animal feed stores. It’s happening so often that some animal feed stores are running low on supplies. Never mind the fact that the side-effects of this drug include nasty things like skin rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, facial or limb swelling, dizziness, seizures, confusion, and sudden drop in blood pressure. People are still taking it.

How Ivermectin became the latest miracle cure for a pandemic that has multiple vaccines is quite a story, albeit one that’ll further dampen your faith in humanity. At this point though, it doesn’t matter how it ended up being the treatment of choice for those who espouse vaccines. It’s clear that people have already made up their minds.

Like it or not, some people just don’t trust the government, doctors, or anyone who knows more than a typical high school graduate. They genuinely believe that the government, big pharma, and the media are conspiring against them to censor the truth about COVID-19, Ivermectin, and shape-shifting lizard people.

To those people, I just have one simple message.

Expect little to no sympathy at this point.

Seriously, this pandemic has dragged on for over a year now and most reasonable people just don’t have patience for this shit anymore. We have not one, but three vaccines that prevent this disease. On top of that, even if you do get infected, the vaccines significantly reduce your chance of severe illness. It basically reduces COVID-19 to that of a bad cold.

Also, the vaccine is completely free. You don’t need to go some animal feed store out in the country, try to convince the clerk behind the desk that you’re buying it for an animal, and pay a marked up price for some brand name Ivermectin. You just have to walk into any corner drug store, ask for an appointment, and they’ll give you the vaccine.

Again, it’s completely free.

I feel like that part needs to be emphasized.

I did got mine and I went to the gym the same day.

This is a proven treatment that’s free for anyone, but you’re still choosing to go with the drug intended for horses. There’s being misinformed and misguided. Then, there’s just being willfully ignorant. One warrants some level of sympathy. The other doesn’t.

At this point in the pandemic, I just can’t have any sympathy for someone who refuses a free and proven vaccine in lieu of a drug intended for horses. I know I’m not alone. It’s already fodder for late night comedy. It’ll only get funnier and more pathetic as more people try to justify taking horse de-wormer.

In general, I try to be compassionate and understanding of those who have different beliefs than me. I really try to be decent to those same people. However, that only goes so far in cases like this. People who turn down a free, proven treatment and choose to take horse de-wormer should not expect a sliver of sympathy, let alone understanding.

Again, you’re not a goddamn farm animal.

1 Comment

Filed under Current Events, health, real stories

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 5, 2021 · 5:40 am

A Perfect Cartoon To Highlight The Frustrating Absurdity Of Anti-Vaxxers

I know I’ve been giving those who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine a hard time in recent months. I won’t apologize for that because I don’t regret that in the slightest.

I’ll say it again. These people are being assholes. They’re the reason why this pandemic is still raging. They’re also the reason there’s a new variant that’s causing cases to spike in various parts of the country. I’m sorry, but I can only be so understanding when people are being assholes to a point that gets other people killed.

However, rather than bemoan these people for their dumb decisions and dumber politics, I thought I’d share something I found on Reddit that perfectly illustrates why the anti-vaxx crowd are so infuriating. It’s funny and it’s dumb, but it’s also painfully relevant.

Again, get vaccinated people. Quit being assholes.

3 Comments

Filed under Current Events, health

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 2, 2021 · 5:48 am

How Much Sympathy Should We Have For Anti-Vaxxers Who Get COVID-19?

Vietnam companies agree COVID-19 vaccine tech transfer with Japan's Shionogi - media | Reuters

In general, I try to be a compassionate, understanding person. That’s how my parents raised me. That’s how most decent human beings are brought up in this world. It’s how we, as a species, learn to cooperate, co-exist, and work together to survive and thrive. It’s a beautiful thing, indeed.

However, it has limits.

Lately, the anti-vaxx crowd who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine are really testing it.

I’ve gone on my share of rants about the anti-vaxx crowd whose idiocy is bound to get people killed. With each passing day, those who resist or protest the vaccines become less and less sympathetic. We’re getting to a point where there’s no real excuse for concern or hesitation.

Not getting this vaccine to end this deadly plague is no longer a product of politics or protest. It’s just people being assholes.

With all that in mind, I’m honestly not sure how to feel about vocal anti-vaxx people who get seriously sick with COVID-19. These stories are becoming increasingly common. A few have even died because they refused to get the vaccine. Reckless behavior aside, they’re human beings. Their lives mattered and their death will be felt by family and loved ones.

At the same time, these people were fucking idiots. This is not a mild case of Chicken Pox. COVID-19 is a deadly pandemic. Before the vaccines came along, it was killing people by the thousands. It didn’t care about borders, ethnicity, political affiliation, or religion. People were suffering and dying. We all had to drastically change our lives just to contain it.

Then, a vaccine comes along and it works. It works incredibly well and promises to end this pandemic once and for all. We can have our lives back and save countless more.

Somehow, that’s not enough for these people. They still refuse to subject themselves to a simple shot, which could save their lives and the lives of those around them. We have the cure, but they refuse to take it.

How can we have sympathy for that?

Moreover, how can we be compassionate when these same people get horribly sick?

I honestly don’t have an answer. It’s an open question that I find myself struggling with each passing day. I tend to have a lot of faith in humanity. Even for people I despise, I try to be understanding and compassionate.

This time, however, I have a hard time mustering much sympathy. These people lived through the same horrors we all did. They saw all the death and suffering that this virus was causing. Then, when a vaccine comes along to stop all that, they choose not to take it.

At that point, they’re not victims anymore. They’re responsible for this state. They willingly jumped off a cliff without a parachute because they didn’t trust the parachute. I can sympathize with a lot of things, but I can’t sympathize with this.

Maybe I’ll feel differently as things play out. For now, I just don’t know.

I’ll pose this question to anyone who reads this. How much sympathy should we have for these people at this stage of the pandemic? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Also, and I know this might be a futile effort, please get vaccinated.

2 Comments

Filed under Current Events, health, politics, rants, real stories

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 21, 2021 · 9:19 am

Dear Vaccine Conspiracy Theorists: You’re Killing People (And Making A Fool Of Yourself)

Wednesday, March 17th 2021: JJ McCartney LIVE on St. Patrick's Day 3-5pmET – JJMcCartney 24/7 – The Re-Union Station

In general, I try to respect the sincerely held beliefs of others. It’s something I hope most decent human beings can agree upon. Mocking, belittling, or denigrating someone else’s beliefs isn’t just bound to cause conflict. It’s just a dick move.

I say that as someone who has criticized organized religion many times before. Within those criticism, though, I make it a point to say that I try to respect those who are sincere in their beliefs. I’ve no desire to mock them or make them feel lesser for believing what they belief.

All that being said, I draw a clear line when those beliefs get people killed.

This brings me to vaccines and the conspiracy theorists who love whining about them. These are people whose beliefs are hard to respect in any context. They’re not just skeptical about the efficacy of vaccines. They go out of their way to protest their use, even during a global pandemic that has killed millions.

I’m sorry, but I just can’t respect that. I don’t care if it’s for religious or non-religious reasons. This sort of thing is killing people. That’s objectively bad.

Now, I predicted last year that religious zealots would be among those who refuse to take vaccines and go out of their way to denigrate scientists. Unfortunately, that prediction proved distressingly accurate.

However, what I didn’t predict was how many self-professed “skeptics” would protest vaccines for non-religious reasons. I knew it was going to get absurd. I just didn’t know it was going to get “vaccines are making people magnets” absurd.

Seriously, I wish I were making that up. That’s a real testimony from a registered nurse, of all people, during an Ohio public hearing. Here’s the story from the Huffington Post. Be warned, though. Your faith in humanity will be shaken.

Huff Post: Nurse’s Attempt To Prove Vaccines Make People Magnetic Hilariously Backfires

An anti-vaccine Ohio nurse attempted on Tuesday to prove that COVID-19 vaccines make people magnetic, but ― to use a gymnastics term ― she failed to stick the landing.

Registered nurse Joanna Overholt, testifying before the Ohio House health committee about what she said were potential coronavirus vaccine dangers, tried to use her own body as proof.

Overholt said she heard during lunch that vaccines cause magnetism in humans, so she decided to prove her point on herself by attempting to show how a bobby pin and a key would stick to her exposed skin.

Spoiler alert: It didn’t go well.

Now, I don’t know this woman’s full story. I have no idea what’s going on in her life or what led her to belief something this absurd. I’m fairly certain she didn’t just wake up one day and decide to believe bullshit conspiracy theories about vaccines.

Whatever her story, it doesn’t change the implications or the consequences. What she’s promoting isn’t just wrong or absurd. It’s legitimately harmful. On top of that, we’re still dealing with a pandemic and rhetoric like this is going to get people killed.

That’s the main takeaway I glean every time I see stories like this. That’s what sets them apart from other absurd conspiracy theories. Believing there are alien bodies in Area 51 or that the moon is made of cheese doesn’t directly harm anyone. Just being ignorant of certain facts is also forgivable. The internet is full of dumb falsehoods these days.

However, there are some facts that just aren’t in dispute. Chief among them is the demonstrable fact that vaccines save lives. The fact that nobody has died from smallpox in five decades is proof enough of that. In fact, few advances have ever saved as many lives as vaccines. The vaccines for COVID-19 are only adding to that total.

Unfortunately, these anti-vaxx conspiracy theorists are only fueling a sense of vaccine hesitancy that was always going to be an issue. Even before the age of the internet or modern religion, there has always been a skepticism about scientific advancements. This is just making it worse and getting people killed.

It’s one thing to make yourself look foolish in public in a manner that’s recorded and spread throughout the internet. That usually doesn’t have major consequences beyond making certain people internet celebrities for all the wrong reasons. It’s quite another to be foolish in a manner that undermines public health and leads to undue suffering.

There’s just no getting around it. Lower vaccination rates mean more disease. More disease means more suffering. In this case, it’s not a minor inconvenience. It’s potentially fatal. I feel like that last detail is worth emphasizing.

The problem is that those pushing anti-vaccine conspiracies don’t see that detail, either by ignorance or by choice. They may, in their heart of hearts, believe they’re saving lives by preventing people from getting vaccines. However, basic biology and math say otherwise. The data is not in dispute.

These beliefs are killing people.

The people who push these beliefs are responsible for propagating that suffering.

These beliefs do not deserve respect.

Consider this both a plea and an angry rant of sorts. If you are pushing these conspiracy theories, you’re not just a misguided fool. You’re going to get people killed. After last year, we dealt with enough death. Please don’t add to it.

5 Comments

Filed under Current Events, health, human nature, Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 1, 2021 · 8:53 am

COVID-19 Restrictions Lifted: Thoughts, Feelings, And (Unexpected) Implications

Mayo Expert: Fla. Will Suffer 'Unnecessary Deaths' As COVID-19 Restrictions Are Lifted | WJCT NEWS

This past week marked a huge milestone for my home state. Like so many others, the COVID-19 restrictions that have pretty much defined our lives since late March of 2020 were finally lifted. At this very moment, we are no longer in a State of Emergency.

There are no more capacity restrictions on restaurants, bars, gyms, and movie theaters.

There are no more mask requirements that are enforced by the state.

There are no more social distancing requirements for outdoor or indoor events.

Just typing that out put a smile on my face. It also fills me with this strange array of emotions that I don’t quite know how to articulate. Like so many other fellow Americans, I watched this year-long horror show that was the COVID-19 pandemic unfold before my eyes.

I felt it affect me, my friends, my community, and my family in profound ways. I know people who got the disease. Some of them still don’t have their sense of taste and smell back entirely. I know people who have died from this disease. I also was unable to attend major family events, including a wedding, because of this damned disease.

I could go on, but I won’t. It’s just impossible to overstate how big an impact this disease had on our world. It’s going to leave scars that will last years. It’s going to define an entire generation and beyond. If I ever have kids, I’m going to struggle to explain to them what it was like, navigating this pandemic.

For a time, it felt truly apocalyptic. There was a long stretch last year where my dad and I were constantly making up dates for when things would get back to “normal.” At one point, it was May 15th, 2020. At another, we thought the 4th of July would be the end of it. Then, we started looking towards Labor Day.

At some point, we just came to realize that there was no use hoping anymore. We had no idea when this would end. For all we knew, this pandemic would draw out for years. Even after news about a vaccine emerged, we were still skeptical. A life without COVID-19 restrictions still seemed so far away.

Now, that day has come.

However, the effects are still there.

Recently, I went out to have breakfast with my parents at one of our favorite diners. There were no capacity restrictions. There were no mask requirements either. However, a number of people were still wearing masks, including most of the staff. My parents even wore masks when they first entered, even though they’re both fully vaccinated. I didn’t wear one, but I had one with me, just in case.

To some extent, it was downright jarring, not having to wear a mask. Yes, it was liberating in some ways, but it still felt so unusual after having spent over a year under these restrictions. You almost feel more vulnerable not wearing one, especially in an enclosed space like a crowded diner. I’m sure that’s a feeling we’ll have to get used to again, but it doesn’t change one inescapable truth.

This “normal” that we’ve been waiting for doesn’t feel “normal” to us anymore.

I don’t know if that’s temporary or if that’s something that will linger on for years to come. I know people who have stated outright that they’re going to keep wearing masks, even if the number of COVID-19 cases drops to zero. To them, the mask has become just another part of their lives. The see it like a seatbelt or hand soap. It’s not about avoiding a disease anymore. It’s about staying healthy.

That’s an implication that I don’t know that we’ve collectively processed. I certainly haven’t. I’ve no inclination to throw away my masks. I also have no plans to stop the frequent handwashing that I’ve come to embrace since last March. That does lead me to wonder whether this is truly our new “normal.”

I put that in quotes because, now that the state mandated restrictions are lifted, it’s on us to determine what form that normal takes. Will that mean always wearing a mask in certain settings? Just the other day, I went to the grocery store and I still wore a mask. The signs on the front doors saying they were required were still there. Until they come down, I’ll keep doing so.

At the same time, a part of me feels like I’m still adjusting. I’m almost reluctant to embrace a post-pandemic world because I saw how bad it got last year. Maybe that feeling will fade with time. Maybe within a few months, mask wearing will become a rarity and everyone will be eager to put the memories of the pandemic behind them.

I don’t claim to know what will happen. I just know that it’s going to take a while to get out of this mindset that a year of pandemic restrictions has wrought.

That’s just my experience, though. How do you feel? Have the restrictions in your state been lifted? If so, how have you and your family reacted? Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

1 Comment

Filed under Current Events, health, Jack Fisher's Insights

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 17, 2021 · 5:53 am

Why I’m Still Going To Wear A Mask (For Now)

Australia's about-face on masks and Covid-19: why our health advice was late to the party | Health | The Guardian

The past few months have been full of objectively great news in terms of ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Given how, at this time last year, the entire world was shutting down and the news kept getting worse with each passing day, I welcome that news. Hell, I’m willing to celebrate it.

It’s now safe to say with a straight face that we’re almost through this once-in-a-century pandemic. The trend line, both in terms of new cases and deaths, is going down. It’s still terrible in some parts of the world, but unlike last year, we have multiple vaccines with which to fight it.

Again, this is a good thing. I got my vaccination and I cannot overstate the relief I felt when it was all said and done. I still take precautions when I go out in public, mostly because there are still some restrictions in place and I understand that not everyone has gotten their vaccine. That includes wearing a mask.

Then, last week, a big announcement from the Centers for Disease Control brought more good news to those who have been vaccinated. Apparently, if we get the vaccine, then there’s no reason to keep wearing a mask. Here’s the story from NPR.

NPR: Fully Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Masks Indoors And Outdoors, CDC Says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that fully vaccinated adults can safely resume activities indoors or outdoors without masks or distancing, in gatherings large or small. The announcement marks a major milestone in the effort to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced the new guidance Thursday.

“You can do things you stopped doing because of the pandemic,” Walensky said.

The new policy is based on recent real-world studies from Israel and the U.S. on people who’ve been vaccinated, she said.

Once again, I welcome this news. Like everyone else, I’m sick of having to wear a mask, just to go and get groceries. I also don’t like wearing a mask when I work out. That’s just one other piece of cloth that gets all sweaty and stinky. I’m as eager as everyone else to discard them.

However, despite this welcome news, I’ve already made a choice. I will continue wearing a mask in public, at least for now.

My reason for doing so has nothing to do with my trust in the science. I believe it’s legitimate. This is the Center for Disease Control. They’re not some wannabe guru trying to sell vitamins as a cure all. These brave men and women have been on the front lines since this crisis began. They’ve earned that credibility.

For that same reason, I choose to wear a mask because I understand that not everyone trusts the news and policies that public officials have given. That includes those who refuse to get the vaccine and refuse to wear masks. As a result, these people, who are a sizable chunk of the population, are still vulnerable. They’ll remain vulnerable until the infection rate is at a point where it’s easy to track, treat, and contain.

We’re not quite at that place yet. As of this writing, only about half the population has been vaccinated by at least one of the available vaccines. Just this past week, most clinics and pharmacies in my area started offering walk-in vaccinations without an appointment. That’s a great thing and people now have no excuse not to get one.

However, until that vaccination rate gets to a point where the virus can’t easily spread, I’m still wearing a mask. Even though the vaccine does prevent me from getting ill or showing symptoms, there’s still the possibility of breakthrough infections. While those vaccinated may never feel ill at all, they may still spread it and they could spread it to someone who is not vaccinated.

I do not want to be one of those people.

I do not want to be someone who spreads this terrible disease to someone, even if I never feel sick.

Yes, wearing a mask is uncomfortable and I look forward to discarding them.

No, I’m not willing to risk hurting other people for my own personal comfort.

That’s not just an informed choice. It’s the right thing to do and it’ll get us out of this crisis that much sooner.

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, health, rants

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 6, 2021 · 5:45 am

Got My Second Shot Of The COVID-19 Vaccine!

Countries in the Americas notified of first COVID-19 vaccine allocations through COVAX - PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization

It’s official. I got my second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine! As of now, I can count myself among those who are fully vaccinated against this terrible disease that has so ravaged the world. To say it’s a great feeling doesn’t do justice to all those who have endured hardship over the past year.

Once again, I cannot praise the brave nurses and doctors behind this effort enough. They are true heroes and, coming from a lifelong fan of superhero comics and movies, that’s saying something. This pandemic has been harder on you than most. Your efforts, your bravery, and your commitment to healing the sick is truly astonishing.

Like my first shot, this one was just as smooth. I showed up a few minutes early, stood in line for a bit, showed the nurse my vaccine card, and they did the rest. It was no worse than a flu shot. My arm was sore for a while, but other than that, I felt fine.

Now, I feel even better. I cannot overstate how big a relief it is that I’ve gotten this vaccine. It’s not just more peace of mind than I’ve had since early last year. Having been vaccinated, along with other friends and family, I can actually start planning things beyond this pandemic.

Last year, I couldn’t travel. In fact, I have not left my home county since October last year. I’m ready to get out again. I’m ready to visit friends, family, and beaches. I am so ready.

I missed out on a lot of great moments last year.

I don’t intend on missing out this year.

Once again, to the doctors, nurses, researchers, and scientists who helped develop this vaccine in record time, I sincerely thank you. On behalf of everyone who has lived through this once-in-a-generation pandemic, thank you from the bottom of our collective hearts.

2 Comments

Filed under health, Jack Fisher's Insights, Uplifting Stories

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,