The next phase of the pandemic

Woman receives vaccination shot
Photo credit Getty Images

So here we are in July 2021. I don't know about you, but I was hoping by now COVID and the vaccine would no longer dominate the headlines.

A year ago, we were divided… "to mask or not."  Then it was to vaccinate or not.  It seems by now most have decided how they feel about getting the vaccine.  Those who have made a conscious decision not to, seem comfortable in that zone, and those who decided to get the vaccine seem to feel liberated.

But the divide among us rages on.    If you're not vaccinated, medical experts say you should continue to wear a mask.  Seems simple.  But how many times have you been somewhere and wondered: "Has everyone in here REALLY been vaccinated?  Because no one is wearing a mask."

I find that I tell people, almost like I feel like there needs to be full disclosure.  When I am greeting a long lost friend, or acquaintance, I quickly offer, "I'm vaccinated!"  I wait to hear a similar response.  But I see a growing divide among friends.

A distant cousin of mine died last week of COVID.  She was not vaccinated, and I didn’t know her well at all.  When I heard about her death, in what other family members described as COVID relapse, I thought this is another layer to this journey for me.  I wasn’t really aware of the “relapse” possibility and had to google it to learn more.  I also learned that this particular branch of my family had ALL decided not to get the vaccine.  Two developed the virus, and a third was then convinced to get the vaccine.

You see, it's no longer me, or my immediate family that I worry about because we have all been vaccinated.  I know, it doesn't mean we are GUARANTEED not to get the virus, but it does mean IF we do, we have a better chance of fighting it off.  My worry now is for the people that I care about that aren't "protected;" those who can't really explain to me why they aren't getting it and those who simply say "I don’t know what’s in it."

I worry that even though I have been vaccinated, I could "carry" it to you, my unvaccinated friend or cousin.   I worry about family reunions and gatherings where we rub elbows together and someone in the group could unknowingly spread the virus to those who haven't been vaccinated.

I guess for me sometimes, it feels like I care about YOUR health more than you. I know that's silly. We both think we have made the best decision for ourselves. But this virus is smart. It re-invents itself. Right now, everyone is talking about the Delta variant. But now there's word the Lambda variant is already taking hold. As of today, it's been detected in Canada, but you know its only a matter of time before we're talking about U.S. cases.

And just today, the Olympic committee announced spectators will be banned from the games because of the latest "coronavirus emergency" in Tokyo.

All this while the President wants people to start knocking on your door to see if you have been vaccinated.  I'm not going to debate whether that is a good idea or not.  You decide that, just like you decide whether you want to get the vaccine.  But what I do believe is this:  for as much progress that has been made in fighting this virus, we still have a long way to go.

We got to see family, fireworks, laugh and talk on the 4th of July.

The airports and highways were bursting at the seams as people began resume their "old" lives.

But while we were doing all those things, I have a cousin, who was making funeral arrangements for her mother.  Her brother, still recovering from COVID unable to assist.  They decided not to get the vaccine, and I can only wonder if the outcome would have been different if they had.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Getty Images