Every since the Covid-19 pandemic began, I didn’t have a single cold or bout with the flu. Thanks to all the masking, social isolation, and hand sanitizer, my body was shielded from those nasty cold viruses for a year and a half. In fact, the last cold I experienced was in February of 2020—right before we found out we were facing a pandemic. It was a really bad cold that went on for a month (might have even been the virus). But then the world got turned upside down, and I forgot what it was like to be sick. Now, the common cold makes a comeback.
In case you’ve forgotten, a cold creeps up on you gradually. You’re unusually tired for a couple of days. Then you feel a sneeze coming on. Next day, you’re feeling achy and just plain awful. It’s scary. Are you coming down with the virus? No temperature yet, or other symptoms like a cough, fever, diarrhea, etc. However, you make up your mind if it gets any worse, you’ll get tested. Lose a good night’s sleep with worry.. And then, you wake up, sit out in the sun, (yes it’s back to 80 degrees) and start feeling better. And that’s when realize you just had a plain, ordinary cold. On top of allergic rhinitis, maybe., because this is ragweed season. It all feels the same.
They say a change in weather makes you more susceptible to sinus problems. Last week, the weather went from 90 degrees, to an overnight 46. Cold rain thrown in to the mix. Being a fresh air nut, I’d left the windows open. Apparently, abrupt changes in temperature lower the immune system. It didn’t help the next day when I went grocery shopping during a cold, windy downpour. Only half the people at the supermarket were wearing masks. No one was social distancing in the long lines at the checkout.
Our defenses have gone down this past month, even though Covid cases have increased. People have stopped using hand sanitizer and started going to restaurants and shops. Most have quit wearing masks. The weather is often cold and rainy. And even though we’ve been vaccinated, we’re being exposed to germs that cause the common cold and the flu. The scary return of the common cold is a reality. Be careful. Mask up. Use hand sanitizer. Don’t catch a cold if you can help it. .