Quarantine Diary #507 YES #507!

Didn’t I announce back in March that my Quarantine Diary was done?

Argh. Never say never.

I assumed after two vaccines it was okay to meander the world as long as we are mindful of kids and people with fragile immune systems. So put on the mask in public places and don’t be overtly stupid.

Sigh. ‘Don’t be overtly stupid’ was apparently too high a bar. The illogic boggles my mind. People who wear seatbelts and take statins and buy a state license to go fishing and will only go to an accredited medical care provider for medical care – suddenly think THEY know the backstory on vaccines and who to trust? Like, the whole medical world was conspiring against them on this one thing?

We are in a culture war and so we are right back in the quarantine soup. Damn.

Thought One:

If scientific advice stays the same now and forever - it isn’t science. Science is observing and asking questions. When advice changes, that’s science working. My mom put mercurochrome on my cuts when I was a kid. Then they started asking if it made sense to put mercury on open wounds and next thing you know, science says “Try soap and water and antibacterial cream.” Like that.

About half the adults in our nation have been vaccinated for six months or less. Science was confident it would be safe, and it would protect us from the ravages of Covid. But how long will the vaccine remain effective in any one individual? How will it affect our ability to spread Covid to others?

Scientists watched and recorded what happened to and around mostly vaccinated people who were in the same crowds in Provincetown, Rhode Island over July 4th weekend. Their observations strongly indicate that vaccinated people CAN receive and pass along Covid-19. In that process SOME vaccinated people will show symptoms of the disease. They THINK this is less than 1% of vaccinated people, but they are studying now to figure out that particular piece of the ongoing coronavirus puzzle.

Science is advising all of us to now assume we can contract the disease. In some this will be somewhat serious and people might feel awful, but those individuals will not end up in a hospital on a ventilator.

We who are vaccinated CAN pass Covid to others although I just read this morning that statistics are showing that we have LESS covid virus to shed and we are LESS likely to spread it than unvaccinated people. This emerging science behooves us to wear masks again 1. in public places and 2. when in the presence of kids and people with compromised immune systems.

Okay. We can do this.

Thought Two:

Last week I was an Empress of Sociability. Over the past few weeks, I’d reached out to friends I’d not seen since quarantine hit. Plans were made for last week. Then a few other opportunities happened – and I’d not been this sociable since 2019. It was weird. We put over 500 miles on the car. I saw people every day. I got a bit tired of just sitting and talking.

We spent Saturday in Chicago with our kids. First, we went to our granddaughter’s T-ball game. Yes, I who avowed I would never watch another kid sports game was in there cheering when she ran from base to base with her little arms pumping. After the ball game we went to their house for lunch and to draw pictures of princess cats with ball gowns and tiaras, and also to chase after the hell-for-leather 2-year-old on his balance bike.

So. Len and I wore masks the whole time we were with them, inside and outside, because if you love a youngster you don’t breathe on them.

I was surprised that most of the tiny kids on the T-ball team and their parents were wearing masks. It was 80 degrees, humid, the park was sunny and hot. I commented on it to my daughter.

“Yep, this is new today. Last week barely any of us wore masks. Today, most of us are.”

So yes. This is Quarantine Diary # 507.

How are you doing in Covid-arama? Are you back to precautions? Are you worried sick about people you know who are dragging their heels? Are you angry? Worried? Scared? Nonchalant?