Post-COVIDing The Wrong Way

As of 8/14/2023, the uptick in COVID positivity pushed passed 21%, while the wastewater load is at 239%. It’s been increasing for over a month.

OK, Houston: What is up with y’all? Are you even trying? We know it’s an airborne disease. We know that if we are in a large group of unmasked people indoors, the chances to get it increase. We also know that while it may feel like a simple cold for some, long COVID exists, and its effects can cause even more problems.

From the looks of my Facebook feed, you are post-COVIDing wrong.

The continual increase in infections is finally cause for a tiny bit of concern from the County’s health department who put out a press release which spoke to the newest variant of the disease and in the increase in positivity but gives no mention about prevention. Like masking.

Well, vaccinations won’t stop you from getting COVID, but it might help you survive. But the effects of long COVID may be forever. So, why even risk getting it?

Masks (N-95 or KN95) are still the best way to avoid infection, especially if you’re throwing yourself into a COVID pit, like a concert, a party, or a get-together with unmasked people. Even at the office where mouth-breathers hang around your desk, a mask is a lot more effective than not wearing one. We know this.

What seems to be the problem that we’re acting like anti-maskers from the early days? And why can’t government officials even make the suggestion to wear a mask?

I speak as a family member of someone who is immunocompromised who continues to battle her medical offices demanding they wear masks when she goes for an appointment. And at the “best medical center in the world!”

Though my weight loss journey continues, I don’t trust my immune system to fight COVID effectively. Certainly not long COVID symptoms. So, it’s a risk to be out during these days when people seem to enjoy getting COVID. So, I mask. It’s no big deal.

One more thought: When the local health officials put out a list of COVID deaths, it is usually folks in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. We can’t be killing our old folks just because a mask cramps our style.

No one is telling you to stop what you’re doing. But you can be safe about it. C’mon, we already know this.

NOTE: The newest COVID shot won’t be out until late September.