THE RETURN OF THE COMMON COLD

Happy days are here again in Indiana. New Covid cases have plummeted in the past few weeks, Hospital ICUs are back to normal, and the governor said we don’t have to wear masks in public, unless we want to. That being said, I no longer felt the necessity to wear a mask when shopping at the local supermarket. I also noticed that people had begun to buy less, perhaps due to inflated food prices. Wait lines at the checkout were shorter and everyone seemed more relaxed. And then, on March 25, Biden made another one of his self-fulfilling prophecies, and announced that we would have war related food shortages. The following Tuesday, I went to grocery store on a usually quiet afternoon, and walked into a mob scene. Shoppers were scurrying around the store, filling their food carts to the brim. The man in front of me at the checkout had a bill of $229. I waited patiently, while the line behind me deepened. The hoarders were out in full force. The next morning, I woke up sneezing. I didn’t have a fever or cough. But I knew what it was: the return of the common cold.

Return of the common cold. We've stopped wearing masks and started spreading germs. — RETURN OF THE COMMON COLD. We’ve stopped wearing masks and started getting more colds.

I haven’t had a cold since February of 2020, before the start of the covid-19 pandemic. After that, most everyone started wearing masks, using hand sanitizers, and social distancing.. Whether or not that helped prevent the spread of Covid has yet to be determined. But all of a sudden, hardly any flu cases were reported, and most of us stopped getting colds.

If you google information about the common cold on the internet, you’ll see that the average person gets two or three colds per year. Mostly between September and May. I was certainly no exception. When the temperature dropped in the fall, I usually came down with a cold. Around the holidays, my immunity would wear off, and I’d have another one. And of course, the cold rainy days, and up and down temperatures in the spring always triggered another miserable cold. I’d actually forgotten about all of that. Until this week.

When I left the supermarket that day, it had begun to rain and the wind was around 15 miles per hour. The temperature was near freezing. I shivered as I loaded my cart, while the viruses I had inhaled while shopping happily invaded my nasal passages.

I’ve learned my lesson. No more shopping without a mask, regardless of what the Covid dashboard says about new cases. We’re back to normal now, and seeing the return of the common cold.

May 24, 2021May 24, 2021

FINALLY, AFTER SIXTY SUNDAYS

Before the pandemic hit, my husband took me out every Sunday for brunch. It didn’t seem like anything that spectacular—just a way to make the day a bit more special, and relieve me of having to cook a meal. And then the covid-19 pandemic gripped the nation. At first, we weren’t too worried here in the Heartland. Only one or two new cases a day. And then it began to skyrocket. Hundreds of cases, numerous deaths in what we had considered our safe little city. The Sunday brunches we had taken for granted came to a grinding halt. And now, finally, after sixty Sundays of frying bacon & eggs, fixing toast, peeling oranges, making hot chocolate– my days of fixing Sunday brunch at home had ended. Hallelujah!

And yet, as I was preparing to get dressed, I was surprised to feel a bit of social anxiety. What should I wear? There were clothes hanging in my closet from two summers ago, that I hadn’t worn since. During that last, lost summer, I wore nothing but old jeans and shorts and t shirts. After all, I was wearing a mask. No one would recognize me at the supermarket. . There was no point in wearing makeup, or caring about my appearance at all. Now, I was going out in public, barefaced. . It gave me a bit a stage fright.

Surprisingly, my old pants and tops still fit. I’ve gained a pound or two, but not enough to bump me up a size. That was a big relief. But was my summer apparel outdated? Were people still wearing culottes? I finally decided on an outfit that hadn’t been worn since the summer of 2019. Consequently, looking at myself in the mirror surprised me. I looked okay. When we were ready to leave, my husband and I eyed one another with approval. It had been a very long time since we had been that “dressed up.”

Finally, after sixty Sundays, we were able to eat at a restaurant without wearing a mak — Finally, after sixty Sundays, we seniors could go to a restaurant without wearing a mask.

The restaurant was nearly full, and few customer’s wore masks. The wait staff was still masked, and I felt sorry for them, knowing how hot and sweaty they feel after an hour or so. Otherwise, things seemed pretty normal. There were no surprising new fashions to make me feel out of date. People were dressed much the same as they had sixty Sundays ago. Men in shirts and shorts, women in slacks and sundresses. Little kids so excited that they could barely finish their meals. As we walked out the door, a wave of contentment washed over me. Finally, after sixty Sundays, things were getting back to normal.

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021

WEARING YOUR MASK AT HALF MAST

Things are looking up in our city. Covid-19 cases keep going down, and vaccination rate is very high. About 50% of people over 65 have received 2 shots. So naturally, we’re feeling more relaxed when out in public. What I’ve noticed the past couple of weeks is that while most everyone is still wearing their masks, they’re letting them slip down below their nose. Is wearing your mask at half mast OK?

Wearing your mask at half mask feels better but it's not okay. — Now that you’ve been vaccinated, it’s tempting to wear your mask at half mask. But it’s not okay.

I can definitely see the point. Wearing a mask that covers all your breathing apparatus is a sweaty experience. By the time you’ve spent some time at a supermarket, your face is wet when you finally get back to your car. But scientists warn us that it’s no use wearing a mask that doesn’t cover your nose, because you’re still breathing in all the polluted air around you. Also, contrary to common belief, you can still blow polluted air out your nose and infect others if you’re carrying the virus.

Unfortunately, there have been several cases of people coming down with the virus, even though they’re fully vaccinated. I read that a psychologist caught it from one of his patients and died. I suppose that’s possible in a crowded room where you can actually smell the other person’s breath. Same thing if you’re on an airplane where you’ll be in close contact for a long time.

I would feel more comfortable wearing no mask at all as opposed to one under my nose. It wouldn’t look half as silly. But I have the feeling masks are going to be in style long after we’ve reached herd immunity. Especially in the winter months, it would make sense to protect yourself from all the cold and flu viruses floating in the air. But it won’t do any good to wear your mask at half mast.

September 9, 2020September 10, 2020

RISK TAKING IS IN AMERICA’S DNA

Yes, we know. All those European countries have lower Covid-19 positivity rates than we do, here in the USA. But guess what? Europeans are the ones who stayed home over the past four centuries. They put up with dictators and monarchies. Our ancestors who emigrated to America in hope of independence and a better life were risk takers, and they still are. Risk taking is in America’s DNA

Consider these facts:

More than 38,000 people die every year in crashes on U.S. roadways. The U.S. traffic fatality rate is 12.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. An additional 4.4 million are injured seriously enough to require medical attention. Does that stop people from driving? Most of us own at least one motor vehicle, and don’t worry when taking trips and running errands in our cars.

57% of all motorcycle fatalities are due to drivers without helmets. — Risk Taking is in America’s DNA. 57% of motorcycle fatalities are because the driver didn’t wear a helmet.

Because motorcycles lack the protection of cars, accidents tend to be more severe for motorcyclists when a collision does occur. In fact, bikers are 27 times more likely to experience a fatal accident than car drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Some states require motorcyclists wear helmets. But many don’t. And yet, 57% of motorcyclists killed in 2017 weren’t wearing helmets, according to NHTSA,.

All grocery stores, pharmacies and dollar stores sell cigarettes. Smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers.

Ever count the number of liquor stores in your city? They were considered an essential business during the pandemic. Few people stop to consider that 1 million people died from alcohol-related causes between 1999 and 2017. The number of death certificates mentioning alcohol more than doubled from 35,914 in 1999 to 72,558 in 2017. That year, alcohol played a role in 2.6% of all deaths in the United States.

Snack foods take up an entire aisle in most grocery stores, pharmacies, and dollar stores. Most of these chips and snacks are alarmingly high in salt. But they’re big sellers. Unfortunately, according to the American Heart Association a high salt diet may may lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, and strokes. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

On Labor Day, I walked past a house full of people having an indoor-outdoor barbeque . It looked like a family get together, and I didn’t see any masks.

Politicians and the CDC are desperately trying to regulate the behavior of Americans during this Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, people continue to congregate, travel, and go without masks. Is it any wonder? If you consider the above statistics, it’s clear that risk taking is in America’s DNA.

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020

PANDEMIC SENSE AND NONSENSE

Things are settling down and reopening up. Although the coronavirus is still with us, we can sit back and wonder about the pandemic sense and nonsense that occurred. A lot of decisions were made by different elected officials all over the country, that didn’t seem well thought through. Here in the heartland, ordinary people don’t always agree with what has gone down.

Congress hurried up and passed a massive stimulus bill that benefited some people far more than others. The strangest thing was the stimulus checks. Anyone who filed a tax return for less than $75,000 received tax free money that wasn’t based on need or cost of living. $1200 won’t go very far in San Francisco, but it could pay for a lot of rent and groceries in small town, America. Same thing with the unemployment benefits. $600 a week plus state unemployment will go a long way in some parts of the country. In fact, it’s proven to be a disincentive for restaurant employees’ returning to work. Consequently, a lot of tax payer money has gone to people who really don’t need it at all.

.Restaurants and bars have been allowed to open for a couple of weeks in our city. They must follow certain social distancing guidelines but at least you can be served a meal that you didn’t have to cook or send for. This coming week, our library will finally be allowed to open their doors. Does this seem a little strange? Why are libraries so far down the totem pole? They should have opened before bars and hair salons.

Libraries are at the heart of any city. Books feed the soul, and will get you through tough times. I can remember growing up in the post depression years during World War II. Everything good was rationed. You couldn’t’ even buy ice cream—it had to be sherbet, unless you made it yourself. But the highlight of my week—starting at age six—was my weekly trip to the library. A good book will take you to far away places, and show you how people in other times or in different countries think and feel. Nothing can replace books. Certainly not a bottle of beer or a plate of spaghetti eaten at a restaurant.

Mask wearing was another thing. First, we were told it didn’t help to wear a mask. Then, about a month later, all the scientists were telling us we should wear masks, after all. It’s no wonder so many people refuse to wear one.

When things settle down, we’re going to look back at some of the decisions that were made and scratch our heads. Mayors are criticizing governors, and governors are criticizing the president. The politicians are all busy pointing fingers and placing blame. But the truth is, everyone has been floundering in a sea of the unknown. Common sense went out the window