Must Illness Knock On Our Door Before We Know COVID-19 Is Real?
By James B. Ewers Jr., Ed.D.
I can remember my dad saying to me that discretion is the greater part of valor. Sir John Falstaff speaks the line in Shakespeare’s play, Henry IV Part 1, Act V Scene 4. Simply put, it is better to avoid a dangerous situation than to confront it.
All of us have been in situations that could have gone wrong had we made the wrong decision. Are we making the right or wrong decision about COVID-19?
As far back as grade school, I can recall peer pressure before the term was coined. A few of my friends wanted to do the wrong thing, and I decided not to follow them. I thought it wise not to experiment with danger. Are we experimenting with COVID-19?
There are many crossroads in life where our decisions might literally mean life or death. At the beginning of the Coronavirus, we received information about it which most of us took seriously. We followed the protocols because that was the right decision. Now, of course, some in America did not trust the health experts. They adhered to their own advice and the advice of non-medical experts. Do you remember someone saying to take disinfectant as a cure for COVID-19?
Prior to the vaccines becoming available, wearing masks, washing hands, and practicing social distancing were a big part of preventing COVID-19 from spreading. Now, vaccines have been instrumental for us as we try to keep a safe environment. As a result, the number of people contracting the virus has dramatically decreased over time; however, over the past five months, COVID-19 numbers have been on the rise. According to reports, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Massachusetts had counties with medium to high levels of increased COVID-19 cases. Conversely, Hawaii and Maine were states with low numbers of new cases.
As we enter this new year, we should remain vigilant and aware of the COVID-19 surge. This health scare has made us both apprehensive and careful. We think it has disappeared, but it is still around and lurking. Knowing this, we must continue our safe practices; however, some think we are totally out of the woods and are COVID-19-free. Unfortunately, that is wrong and is wishful thinking.
Going about your business without any regard for a virus that has taken millions of lives is shortsighted. Reports say there are over 32,000 new cases of COVID-19, and that number is growing. The major vaccine manufacturers have produced new vaccines to combat the new variants. It is up to us to take them.
Like many of you, I have taken my booster, and my family members have as well. It is in our rational self-interest to do so. Unfortunately, while many of us do not need to be warned, many do not heed the warnings. Do not let it reach your doorstep before you act.
Since its beginning, there has been a reluctance by too many people to protect themselves. It was and still is in many circles a political football that people just want to ignore, thinking it will not harm them. We see commercials on television daily about folks that have lost loved ones because they ignored the information. We have a role to play, and that role is to be a vaccine advocate. That can happen when we speak up and say something about it in a non-threatening way.
Be proactive and protect yourself and your family. We cannot stop doing so because our lives are on the line.
