Vaxxed Nation
It’s nearly a year since I’ve written and I’m still in the same space, but Biden is President and COVID-19 still rages. Sort of the same space. Reluctant to write, feeling like each day is the same, I’ve been minding my own business. Despite the delta variant running wild in the country, my health department job was deemed to be redundant; I’ve been unemployed for 4 months, and am pounding the proverbial pavements again. There’s a void in my life though I spend inordinate amounts of time on the computer. Job searching isn’t as much fun as writing. So, it’s time to blog again. Well, here goes.
Catching up
With COVID-19 raging as of my last post, my head was filled with nothing but information on healthcare, health statistics, and medical opinions. That was hard — and unconscionable — to avoid as I worked for the health department as a COVID-19 Contact Tracer, conducting phone interviews with people who had tested positive for COVID-19, asking about their activities, symptoms, and people they had contact with. Outbreaks required additional effort as our team joined the work of the special group tasked with curbing further spread. However emotionally draining, I reveled in being a part of the “essential” workforce.
At the time of the 2020 election (my last post), there was talk of a vaccine becoming available, but the timeline was fuzzy. Around that time I moved to the Data Entry Team. From direct contact with patients, now I saw the side of the operation that generated the “leads” for the Contact Tracers. Daily the numbers rose ever higher. I entered data continuously, seeing the impossible numbers of lab reports come into the system, knowing that they all could not be processed in a timely manner for the lack of personnel.
I merited to receive a vaccination earlier than most, in January, by virtue of being a health department employee. Though I worked from home and had few forays outside and little contact with others, the vaccination gave me peace of mind and opened a mental door that I thought was locked tight. I could go out again, if needed, and be protected. Some small protection knowing the numbers of infected people were rising daily.
After promotion to the Data Entry Team Coordinator, I had a larger view of the actual numbers and how the health departments were using the statistics. Weekly meetings painted a grim picture. Through the spring numbers continued to increase despite the burgeoning of immunization clinics. A miasma of misinformation about the virus and vaccines stunk up the country. The antivaxxers cast doubt on the scientific process, misdirected innocent, questioning people away from being vaccinated. (Some think they use cult tactics to attract followers on social media.) Social media burst with horror stories and disruptive hype. Happily, however, people began to take the vaccines in the many convenient venues set up around the country.
A lull ensued in the beginning of summer as we observed the number of infections drop. By that time the data team had processed nearly 40,000 COVID-19 laboratory test records for 2020 in our county alone. With the number of vaccinated people increasing, everyone expected the number of infections to dwindle away. Indeed, that was the case through June 2021 and my vital but temporary job ended. Little did they know, the delta variant would send numbers rocketing up again.
But the budget had been spent and I was out of a job. So here I am in October 2021 job hunting and following the COVID-19 news nearly as avidly as before.
What’s Happening Now
I received a booster shot earlier this month. As people decide whether or not to obtain boosters, there are still a significant number of people who are not yet vaccinated and an alarming number who continue to spread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. What a tragedy!
I know individuals who have been fully vaccinated and still became ill with COVID-19 “breakthrough infections.” Indeed, two immunized people previously had COVID-19 last year before the vaccines became available, presumably conferring some kind of immunity as well!! All had contact with young children who, because of their ages, could not be vaccinated. Fortunately the illnesses were not severe for all and did not require hospitalizations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting vaccinated. I concur. It is for these reasons I continue to promote vaccinations and boosters. I also continue to recommend mask wearing, and observance of social distancing, especially for older people and those with other health issues. These activities are not ideal, but protection of vulnerable populations is an ethical imperative and civic duty.
So, wish me luck in my job search!
Just Having Fun 