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Since the pandemic started I've avoided 4 known interactions with people exposed to COVID, by insisting on social distancing and staying at home. 2 later tested positive for the virus, and 1 went on to dose their entire family's thanksgiving. So yeah, minimizing activity helps.
One of them tried to gaslight me in April that I was being paranoid and overly cautious. They came by to pick up PPE I donated to them at the doorstep. Got sick a week later. Brain fog for a month. Don't say taking precautions don't help.
Two of those exposed tested negative. They were at risk seniors. They ate on an indoor/outdoor patio ONCE and a server tested positive. This is community spread, people. Be the person who breaks the chain. Maybe you'll save a life and never know. It's patriotic and our civic duty
Those involved have asked for privacy, butbtheir general stories bear sharing. This involves people very close to me or friends. It's personal. Even a quick hangout without masks is enough to dose you with viral load high enough to establish an infection.
Or maybe you're careful and are young-ish like me and are asymtomatic or mild case. Then you go on to infect someone who gets in the ICU. They live, but take up a bed your dad needs after he has a stroke the week before Christmas. Nurse has 5 patients instead of 2. Ripple effects
To be clear, I get tested almost weekly now (thank you OC for fast free testing) and have been staying at home mostly as cases have risen. No gym, grocery pickup, 1 person in my pod who also gets PCR tested. Even then we isolate if there's any concern.
I'm tired of this. We all are. But it's a small price to pay knowing I'm following science and helping to protect people I may never meet. Essential workers, first responders, your dad's ICU nurse. This third wave has a vaccine en route after, we've just got to hold on.
I care more about empathy for my fellow human beings, but knowing I'm on the right side of history is somewhat of a consolation. Doesn't do much now, but I think of those during other trying times and how they rose to the occasion, or folded. How do you wanna be remembered?
Oh and 4 the "don't live in fear crowd," - spent months on fireline. Luckily my job is naturally isolated. I took precautions, wore PPE, got tested and isolated after each fire. I wrote a book, had a great friend pod over summer in MT, and hike all the time. Care is not fear.
Possible I never was exposed, or met the viral challenge with good PPE, hygiene, minimal indoor exposure, etc.
