Regina's Reflections

An Irreverent View:
Living in the post covid world…
with no end in sight

On October 2, 2019, my husband Tom’s surprise birthday party was attended by 30 + family members, including the most special guests our grandchildren, Ryan 5 and Nora 3, who traveled from Canada with their parents Scott and Marissa to celebrate with us. Never did we imagine that we would not see them again until June of 2021, at the beach in Avalon NJ.

That joyful reunion, involving air and car travel, Covid testing, social distancing and careful planning was well worth the reward of having our favorite kids run to us with excited hugs, causing all of us to collapse with delight. Nearly two years absence is an eternity in the lives of young children. And the grandparents who adore them.

As 2019 ended, 2020 opened with an unprecedented worldwide infection, soon declared a pandemic. The main stream media stars and politicians hungry for press coverage competed for screen time, often spreading inaccurate information to a wary TV audience. A now confused, frightened population became compliant, not questioning the use of masks, gloves, distancing, closed schools and embracing isolation as a defense against disease.

Since the disease affected elderly at a far higher rate than those under 65, we rapidly responded with (massively overpriced ) PPE to protect staff and clients. Our caregivers were coping with children in need of day care, closed schools, empty workplaces, and uncertainty everywhere.

The “fortunate” worked from home in safety and comfort without the hassle of commuting. Far Less lucky were the service workers, health care providers and first responders. The front-line heroes, as our staff were so frequently called, were protected in the community, serving elderly people at home. Those of us who care for seniors and advocate for them predicted the worst: There would of course be sickness and death but also severe loneliness, isolation, depression and even suicide among this cohort.

Sadly, our fears materialized. The exclusion of family visitors in senior facilities was a severe blow to an already vulnerable population and ultimately compromised their care, increasing their morbidity by Covid as well as other diseases coded as Covid to increase revenue.

The country awaited a vaccine miracle. And in late 2020 it arrived. A blend of public/private partnerships and a dedicated group of brilliant scientists brought it to market. Distribution and administration by volunteers and professionals dispersed the vaccines throughout the country.

Infection rates began to decline. Yet bad news continued. Vaccine related side effects sometimes severe, plagued those who had well established immunity due to previous Covid disease. Reactions ranging from GI upsets to cardiac symptoms, blood clots, neuromuscular issues, and deaths were occurring. And to add another challenge, nearly two million migrants crossed the southern border unvaccinated.

Yet the spin remains. Covid is still a hot topic. “Follow the science” does not resonate with everyday Americans when these very scientists disagree. A bright colleague of mine said recently. “I cannot wait till it’s over”. I replied “It will never be over”. Why not ? Simple: There is far too much money to be made. Four new IPOs launched specifically for highly priced commercial instant Covid tests. PPE companies are churning out more expensive masks, required in all air and train travel and many workplaces to name a few. And the “elite” will happily work remotely forever. It is far from over. ■