Don’t get lazy out there, COVID-19 is far, far from over

C. A. RAY, Editor

Being a newspaper guy, I’m not much into sharing anonymous posts from Facebook. But I have been trying to write an editorial addressing the need to stay vigilant in our social distancing, and this anonymous post says it better than I could.

“You wake up with a terrible cough, a fever, and severe body aches. Immediately, you rush to the doctor. Unfortunately, you’re diagnosed with COVID-19. For the last two weeks, you’ve been unaware that you were infected. For the last two weeks, you’ve ignored “the rules,” gotten together with some close friends for pizza, had a few people over, even visited some parks.  You figured, “I don’t feel sick,” and “I have the right to keep living my normal life!”

With your diagnosis, you spend the next few days at home on the couch, feeling pretty crappy; but then you’re well again because you’re young, healthy and strong. Lucky you.

But your best friend caught it from you during a visit to your house, and because she didn’t know she was contagious, she visited her 82-year-old grandfather, who uses oxygen tanks daily to help him breathe because he has COPD and heart failure.

Now, he’s dead.

Your co-worker, who has asthma, caught it too, during your little pizza get-together. Now, he’s in the ICU, and he’s spread it to a few others in his family, too–but they won’t know that for another couple of weeks yet.

The cashier at the restaurant where you picked up the pizza carried the infection home to his wife, who has MS, which makes her immuno-suppressed. She’s not as lucky as you, so she’s admitted to the hospital because she’s having trouble breathing. She may need to be placed in a medically-induced coma and intubated; she may not get to say goodbye to her loved ones. She may die surrounded by machines, with no family at her bedside.

All because you couldn’t stand the inconvenience of a mask; of staying home; of changing your familiar routines for just a little while.

#SocialDistancing = It’s not about YOU.”

Folks, COVID-19 is not over, it’s not even close to being over. We have to keep up with the social distancing rules and safety procedures, such as washing your hands every time you come in from being in the public, and wearing fabric face covering. This is the only proven way to help protect us from this virus!

Sadly, I don’t see as many people wearing fabric face coverings as I did a couple of weeks ago, and it bothers me… especially grocery and c-store checkouts, and wait staff who bring out the curb side pickup meals The Grant County Emergency Operations Center distributed 579 fabric face coverings recently to grocery stores and other retail stores in Grant County, daycares, assisted living homes, and more. 

Wearing them, however, is voluntary unless the managers of these businesses insist that their employees wear the face coverings… and they should to protect the public.

If you need a face covering contact Tina Lindquist at the Grant County Office of Emergency Management at 218-685-8224. The EOC still has some to give away.

Don’t let summer lull you into a sense of security. You may be young and think you are invulnerable, but… it’s not about you!