Virus (noun)
an ultramicroscopic (20 to 300 nanometers in diameter), metabolically inert, infectious agent that replicates only within the cells of living hosts, mainly bacteria, plants, and animals: composed of an RNA or DNA core, a protein coat, and, in more complex types, a surrounding envelope.
The table above is from the incomparable Your Local Epidemiologist. Normally she is an epidemiologist researching public health outcomes in people exposed to violence. Not only does she do her day job, but also all things (24/7) COVID-19. Along with Dear Pandemic, these scientists have been bastions of truth, up-to-date data, and science about the pandemic. See more resources at the bottom of this post.
It’s been nearly nine months to the day that I’ve done a post. The last 18 months I’ve found the creative sucked right out of me. When people were painting, baking bread, going viral on TikTok, it was everything I could do to push through work and keep up with the roller coaster of the pandemic.
Last year at this time I couldn’t have imagined when a vaccine became available that everyone wouldn’t be clamoring to get it or that it would become political. When I ask people if they could get a vaccine to keep from getting cancer, the response is a resounding yes! Though, I do see people push back against teens be vaccinated against HPV, which studies have shown to drastically reduce head, neck, and ovarian cancers.
In 1947, NYC vaccinated 6m people against smallpox in less than six months. People were lined up around the boroughs to make sure they wouldn’t die. This is what I envisioned would be the same outcome for COVID-19. I also expected there to be a national public health initiative to help people understand the need for wearing a mask and getting vaccinated, but owing to who was president last year, that was literally tossed out the window. I also thought the new administration would take this on, creating a national vaccine database, etc. Alas, this is not happening. And contact tracing was a joke from day one.
As someone who has worked in health and science communications for over 25 years, I’m so disappointed in the lack of viable information from the leaders in our country. Disappointed that people continue to be willfully ignorant. The time for not believing or thinking it’s all a conspiracy theory is long since over, and beyond ridiculous.
Think about it, how could countries that don’t get along under normal times be in a conspiracy together? Like hey country we really don’t like, let’s try to pull the wool over the eyes of these non-believers, go into cahoots to say there’s this new virus, but it’s really they’re dying of something else. And the irony is, the people perpetuating these conspiracy theories at the highest levels are vaccinated.
COVID-19 isn’t the only virus we’re dealing with. There is a full on assault on women, minorities, poor people, voting rights, right to being housed, right to healthcare, right to have food and it goes on and on. Why do people always have to keep someone else down to feel good about their lot in life? Why can’t we make housing, food, healthcare, jobs, a right of birth?
I believe in the collective. Do you?
#GetVaccinated #WearAMask
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People you can count on for truth re: COVID-19
Dr. Dara Kass
Rob Swanda
KizzyPhD
Dr. Lindsey Leininger
Dr. Alison Buttenheim
Dr. Kimberly Manning
Dr. Uche Blackstock
Dr. Craig Spencer
Two Faces of MS 