Time Out for COVID Fatigue
Keedra M. Sales, MD, 5th Episcopal District
Brothers and Sisters, we are in the midst of unprecedented times. Regardless of what country you live in, whether your setting is rural or urban, whether you live on an island or the mainland, COVID-19 is the unexpected reality which has altered your way of life. Though some countries, states, cities or towns are less restrictive than others, there is always the underlying threat of encountering this invisible foe. I highlight the fact that COVID-19 is invisible because we surely would take pause before running into a burning building, a busy highway, or an open field of wild animals. Even if you live in an area where officials are downplaying the virus or mandates are fairly loose or nonexistent, I implore you to proceed with an abundance of caution out of regard for your own life and the lives of those around you. This cautious attitude should be especially prominent in the US, where African-Americans are 3 times more likely to contract COVID-19 and 2 times more likely to die from the virus compared to our white counterparts. The reasons behind this are multifactorial though inequities in our healthcare system, higher rates of chronic disease, treatment sought at later stages of illness, and less aggressive treatment rendered by biased health care providers all comprise a potentially lethal cocktail. Knowing that simply being Black in the US may mean the difference between surviving or becoming one of over 1 million lives claimed by this disease should spur us to action.
We must be especially diligent within our church community to ensure we are being responsible for ourselves and holding each other accountable. We cannot solely rely on the rules and regulation of our local governing bodies which have failed us thus far. In my home state of California, African-Americans make up only 6% of the population but we are 7.2% of COVID deaths. Though it may be difficult to do after 8 months of feeling shut in, we need to continue following the basic safety guidelines which we know are effective: Wearing a mask, washing your hands, social distancing, and avoiding gatherings with those outside of your household. These simple steps may seem tedious and we all earnestly miss worshiping in person, hugging our family members and friends, singing hymns together, eating big Sunday dinners after church, and planning big holiday get togethers. However I challenge each of us to look towards the future and tolerate a temporary inconvenience now in favor of emerging into a world where the spread of the virus has slowed, a safe vaccine and treatment have been discovered, and we can safely gather without worry of unintentionally infecting others or becoming infected with the invisible foe. When we do reach this point, oh how much sweeter will be the blending of our voices in song, raised in praise and thanksgiving for how the grace of God once again allowed our people to truly overcome.
