One Year Later

Covid 19, one year later. It's hard to believe it has been a year since the first case of Covid-19 was found in the U.S. Since then we've lost over half a million people to the disease. 

I have two friends who have had Covid, with symptoms that were barely noticeable. I also know two people who have lost family members to the disease. Thankfully, all of my family has been healthy and safe and Covid free.

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Looking back to last year, I remember when my library shut down for the epidemic; my last shift was on Friday, March 13, 2020. New York City was the epicenter of the virus in the U.S. at that time; the talk then was about shutting down restaurants in NYC. The next day, I went to my favorite pizza place and ordered an extra-large 16 inch pizza. I knew that if it could happen in NYC, it could happen in my city, which it eventually did.

We remained in lock down for nine weeks, through March, April, and most of May. We began offering curbside service in June. We then opened our doors to the public in July. In December 2020, we scaled back our services, going completely to curbside service. We had limited service for seven weeks, and are now open again.

It has been a scary time, opening back up to our "normal" model of service. While it is true that numbers of new cases and deaths are currently on the decline, there are rising numbers of Covid variants. There are now five variants, all of which have a higher level of contagion and death rates.

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I have been thinking a great deal about the last year, and how virtually every aspect of our lives has been affected. For millions of Americans, they have been working from home this entire year. Yet others were in lock down for weeks as I was, and returned to the workplace in the summer. Millions more were never in lock down, and have been working outside the home during the entire pandemic.

Pandemic fatigue is real, and is but one of the challenges facing us a year into the crisis. Millions of businesses have closed their doors forever. Countless Americans have been out of work. Many Americans have not been able to pay their rent. Many cannot pay back their student loan debt. Many Americans cannot afford to feed their family.

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I recently overheard someone say, "I can't wait until we can all get back to normal."  What is normal? Life as we knew it, pre-pandemic, doesn't exist anymore. We have created a new normal, one full of face masks, hand sanitizer, and groceries we still can’t find on the shelves a year later. It will take months, perhaps another year, before we can create a new normal, something remotely similar to our old definition of normal.

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When Joe Biden was elected President, he pledged to have 100 million Covid vaccines administered in his first 100 days. Almost two months into his presidency, over 60 million vaccines have already been given.  President Biden also recently announced that there will be enough vaccines produced for every adult in America by May 2021, two months earlier than originally expected. In several states, teachers are being given the first vaccines; however, that is not the case in my state. The U.S. government has just started a federal vaccination program for teachers, so they can get vaccinated and begin in classroom learning.

In prioritizing who gets a vaccine, I am one of the last people who should get one. I'm not an essential worker. I am not a doctor, a grocery clerk, a pharmacist, a teacher, or a delivery driver. Countless thousands should have access to a vaccine before I do. Still, the vaccines offer a critical component in our survival of this pandemic-hope.

In thinking about when I might be able to get the vaccine, I hypothesized a date of July, or perhaps October. Now I might be able to get one sooner. Still, I believe that every essential worker should get their vaccine before I do.

I saw a news report recently about Covid vaccinations being shipped to countries in need. This year we've been thinking about how this pandemic our country, and the challenges that we face. However, I never thought about countries without the infrastructure to vaccinate or feed their citizens. We are not alone in this; the entire world needs help.

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When I look to the past, and see images of life pre-pandemic, they are startling to me. It’s as if I don’t recognize that life. For example, I watched a comedy special on Netflix this weekend. The special was recorded in an ornate theater. The audience was full capacity, standing room only. That's the perfect example of pre-pandemic life. I can’t imagine going to a concert now, or going to see a movie, without face masks and social distancing measures in place. To me that’s as foolhardy as skydiving without a parachute. Or at all.

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Looking to the future, post pandemic, I wonder what that will look like. Will face masks continue to be used in times of sickness? When will travel be safe again? Will we have to carry proof that we've had the vaccination? How will the time of the pandemic be conveyed in movies and TV shows? How will interactions with one another change in the future? Are handshakes and hugs a thing of the past? How will we move through the collective trauma of living through this time? How damaged are we by this experience? How have we benefited from this time? How can we heal this collective trauma and move forward together?

I read something the other day which brought me hope. The Spanish flu was in 1918. The time after that epidemic is known as “the Roaring Twenties.” Life got back to normal. People celebrated surviving the epidemic, and the very fact that they were alive. They ate, they drank, they partied, and savored life. I pray that a similar time of celebration lies in our future. 

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We are not out of the woods yet. We have months to go before we can say this is officially over. For now, we have to carry on wearing our masks, washing our hands, and maintaining a social distance.

My mind goes back to England in World War II. They created the slogan, "Keep Calm and Carry On”, to raise the morale of the English public. That is what we all must do in the here and now.

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One year later. 523,000 dead in the United States. 2.58 million dead worldwide. Our lives are forever changed.

Think about how much you’ve overcome in the last year. Celebrate having survived thus far. Celebrate your health, and simply being alive.

Wear a face mask. Wash your hands. Practice social distancing. Get vaccinated. Help those in need however you can.

I wish you love, health, happiness, peace, survival, and celebration.