Laying Siege on COVID, COVID laying in wait...

Headlines: October 26, 2020: Australia, following no new recent COVID cases, announces it would be opening up. Italy, due to a surge in COVID cases, announces an additional lockdown.                                                    October 27,2020: The Czech Republic, after a successful early campaign against COVID, are experiencing some of the highest daily rates -- what happened?                                                                                     October 27, 2020: Antibodies and associated immunities with COVID diminishes in time for a sizeable group of people.                                                                                                                                               October 1 forward:...Most areas experiencing second surges, hospitals preparing with stockpiling PPE and COVID designated sections, even floors.

Putting a Face on the Enemy: Fairly early in the life of this blog I offered a lighthearted attempt to personify COVID ("Back off You Varmint", June 28th), followed by another characterization of our attempts to 'counterpunch' with this virus, fight back after being knocked down, but not out (September 16th, "Counterpunching with COVID"). Both to provoke not only some welcome humor in an otherwise somber period, but also an attempt to personify this COVID character, to put a face on an otherwise faceless enemy. In this space I will attempt no such humor, acknowledging things are no less deadly serious; this is to provoke an enduring collective resolve to better sustain our efforts in ridding ourselves of this disease from our shores.

Sizing up the Enemy: Which we attempted to do in a hurry before it reached our shores by whatever transport. One might argue that 'siege' here is a mischaracterization, that we were actually the ones that tried to stave off, repel, and otherwise defend an assault by this inanimate enemy; COVID was technically laying siege on us, as we initially tried to keep the wolf away from our doors by distancing from each other and locking ourselves indoors for what we felt was a siege like period. Which, of course, pales in comparison with the historical sieges we learned about, which go back as far as 1780 B.C. (The Siege of Qabra) through the ones we all learned about from WW II (Sieges of Leningrad/Stalingrad) and, most recently, not yet part of history books, one that took place in the Second Yemen Civil War (The Siege of Jabara Valley, August 26th-29th, 2019). By now we have learned a considerable amount regarding how to recognize this virus (i.e., rapid testing), rates and methods of transmission, as well as what effective mitigating factors are. We  have also learned how to creatively sustain a semblance of social/family interactions and not sacrifice personal freedoms while 'distancing'.  On the other hand, we admittedly still have a lot to learn regarding its ability to mutate and many mysteries regarding fluid/droplet behavior (i.e., its true 'character'). Finally, we are also learning some tough lessons in the toll this virus takes with many individuals even after it leaves ('aftereffects').  

Laying in Wait: "We might be done with COVID, but COVID's not done with us" one government spokesperson said emphatically last week, as a commentary on the publicized noncompliance with basic pandemic hygiene and the concurrent rise in diagnosed cases (i.e., 'second surge'). While we can't live and be paralyzed by fear, what happened to the vigilance that served us well earlier in the pandemic and the attendant behaviors that kept us safe? What happened to all the acts of benevolence on behalf of health care workers, first responders, and others on the COVID front lines loyally serving us? Did our early resolve 'dissolve'? It's as if we are all suffering from STM deficit. It's as if COVID is a tiger lying in wait for a potential victim which, in our case, could be an individual, school system, or larger community which becomes weary, complacent, impatient, and/or careless.

The Ongoing Mission: When exactly an effective virus and/or other therapeutics will arrive is still a focus of great speculation, even by experts in the field. The balance between personal freedoms and responsibility also continues to be hotly debated in the context of COVID (including post election, no doubt). What we can all agree on as a focus of continued mission is to give our health care providers a chance through our own daily health choices, to get reinforcements and a breather, and in order to continue their steadfast service on behalf of all of us, during and after this pandemic. To that we can  and should pledge our collective allegiance.

 

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