Columns

Oliver: Let’s not forget COVID-19 still isn’t over even if we’re over it

Now is not the time to become complacent or to act as if everything’s ‘normal’

As the summer winds down, I find myself wondering where the time went.

When Tony and I were vaccinated in the spring, with those shots came the hope that perhaps we would be able to get out of the house and do things. Perhaps even with other people.

At that time, the number of cases of COVID-19 in this area were dropping to their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. The cases were so low that we saw the demise of all those mask mandates, even for being inside if everyone was vaccinated.

That should have been when I seized the opportunity to do a few more things.

However, it’s probably apparent that I’m a very cautious sort. After all, my better half has early onset Alzheimer’s disease and I am still being treated for breast cancer. Being cautious seems to be the best idea under the circumstances.

Then word came that in addition to some previous mutations of COVID-19, there was a new one, this one with the ability to infect people much more easily and to make them sicker if they weren’t vaccinated. Worse yet, those who had been vaccinated still could pass along the disease if they were infected in what’s known as breakthrough cases.

Those who have been following the news know that I’m talking about the delta variant. When it was first seen in other countries, I had that sinking feeling it was just a matter of time before we’d see it in the U.S. and here in Illinois.

Areas with large numbers of those who have been hesitant to be vaccinated are seeing what’s being called a fourth surge of COVID-19 infections. Check out any map of the U.S. that tracks cases, and it’s hard not to see that some parts of the country are being overrun by infection.

As hard as it might be to hear more stories of hospitals and health care workers that can’t keep up, we must not ignore them. We’re back into crisis mode, folks. If we don’t do what we can here, then the threat is real for us, too.

We can’t keep acting as if we’re done with the pandemic. Clearly, it’s not done with us.

Why, in the past week, I’ve had two unexpected visits at my door. The first time I was so surprised that it took me a second or two to figure out what was going on. By then, I heard my storm door open.

As I opened my door, the storm door was still open and a group of three young boys stood before me. They asked if I had anything I’d like to get rid of. I tried to clarify what they meant, but the little alarm bells were going off. I wasn’t wearing a mask and neither were they. Probably not the best idea.

Then, a few days later, I kept the storm door closed as I was visited by a couple of polite young men who weren’t wearing masks, either. They were selling something for their sports team.

Happily, I didn’t lecture either group about mask wearing or the pandemic because, well, that’s not my style. However, the adults in their lives might want to remind them that there are high-risk people in our neighborhoods and maybe door-to-door visits aren’t the best thing to be doing in the middle of a pandemic.

So, until such time as our case counts drop again and we’re past the danger of yet another variant that’s even worse than the current delta one, I fear I might be continuing my strategy of playing it safe.

With the proper precautions and planning, perhaps I’ll still manage to find something safe for Tony and I to enjoy outside the house.

Good thing I still have a few months to do it before the snow flies.

Joan Oliver is the former Northwest Herald assistant news editor. She has been associated with the Northwest Herald since 1990. She can be reached at jolivercolumn@gmail.com.

Joan Oliver

Joan Oliver

A 30-year newspaper veteran who has been a copy editor, front-page editor, presentation editor, assistant news editor and publication editor, as well as a columnist and host of an online newspaper newscast.