Summary

The article discusses the evolution of COVID-19, its impact on society, personal experiences with vaccination, and the changing public health guidelines in response to new virus strains.

Abstract

The author reflects on the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic from its mysterious beginnings in 2020 to the present day, where vaccines and boosters are readily available. They share a personal account of getting a booster shot, remembering the initial fear and uncertainty surrounding the virus, and the loss of their mother. The article highlights the shift in public health strategies, including shorter quarantine periods and the availability of vaccines, which have allowed society to adapt and live with the virus. It also touches on the virus's evolution, citing studies that indicate a shorter incubation period and increased transmissibility. The author expresses gratitude to healthcare workers and acknowledges the role of Dr. Fauci, while also critiquing those who remain unvaccinated.

Opinions

The author believes that getting the booster shot is important for personal and public health, despite the inconvenience of potential downtime.
They express a strong opinion against individuals who choose to remain unvaccinated, referring to them as the 'scourge' of humanity.
The author is grateful for the ease of access to booster shots and the decrease in long queues, which was a significant issue in 2020.
They acknowledge the evolution of COVID-19, noting that it has become more transmissible and virulent, leading to a shorter incubation period.
The author values the importance of mental health alongside physical health, emphasizing the need to move forward and not remain in fear.
They appreciate the efforts of healthcare workers and Dr. Fauci, viewing them as heroes who have helped society navigate the pandemic.
The author continues to wear a mask as a personal choice and to protect others, seeing it as a lesson learned from the pandemic.

health & fitness

COVID Can Make You Sick Quicker than You Can Say, the Quick Brown Fox Jumps over the Lazy Dog

It was a far cry from where we were in 2020

Two weeks ago, I decided to finally get my booster shot. I have been delaying it because I didn’t want to have a downtime. I can still remember the first time I had my shot, I had to rest for a day or two and the days that followed weren’t that great.

But it was important that I get my first shot, I knew too many people who got sick and worse died from COVID.

Mom passed away in 2021. I will be forever grateful to God that she didn’t die from COVID, it was my worry and fear.

I wouldn’t let her be all alone in a hospital room. I had long decided then that if that happened, I would be right there by her, never mind if I get sick or die from it too.

Like most of our worries and fears that didn’t happen. Mom had a beautiful death at home. She had been a dialysis patient for seven years, and it was time for her to rest.

I still miss Mom every day. There are days when I still feel that I failed her, but I also know that before she closed her eyes the last time, all that was left was her love for me and for those who she was leaving behind.

Who, What, When, Where, Why

To be even saying now that all I’m worried about now is the downtime only means we have come a long way from when we hardly know what this virus was all about.

Who, What, When, Where, Why? They were questions that we had no answers to in 2020.

We are past that now.

Yes, there are still people who remain unvaccinated and I have a strong opinion about them. I believe they are the ‘scourge’ of humanity.

I will leave it at that, and may the afterlife be kind to them.

It is easier to get the booster shot now, there were no long queues and no one is trying to get ahead of those who were vulnerable in 2020, the old and the sick.

Not only are there no lines, but booster shots are also sitting in the health centers. A glut in supply is happening everywhere.

We have learned to live with the virus, and many think they don’t need a booster shot anymore. People are back to living their dreams, hustling their way. Some are traveling having the vacation of their lives.

Even the CDC has lowered the number of days one needs to quarantine, from 14 days it is down to 5 days.

In some way, that is also good news, we have moved forward. Because we can no longer afford to be stuck at home, afraid and while we may not get sick from the virus, our mental health was suffering.

A day or two after I got my booster shot, we got the news that my boyfriend’s sister tested positive. My boyfriend saw her a few days before she experienced symptoms, unlike before when it will take anywhere from 5–7 days to manifest, her exposure from work was less than three days and she had all the symptoms.

And it is what the new findings are saying about COVID, the virus has evolved to become more transmissible and virulent.

It’s also shortened its incubation period, according to a study out of two Beijing universities published Monday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

That means those who have been infected will experience symptoms more quickly (if they’re going to experience symptoms at all).

While shorter incubation periods are usually “associated with a more serious disease,” an overall decrease in incubation period means less time for infected individuals to unknowingly transmit the virus. — Excerpt, COVID has evolved to make you sicker quicker, new study finds

Final words

My boyfriend’s sister has fully recovered. I know we were exposed and had to quarantine for two weeks.

I also believe that my booster shots saved me again from being sick with COVID.

I’m glad I work at home, as a full-time writer and I’m one of the lucky few. My boyfriend who is a professor at a university has to go to work five days a week.

Dr. Fauci is retiring after half a century of service.

And while conspiracy theories about him never ended. I still believe he helped save lives. He was a voice of reason, during a time in our collective history when the enemy was invisible.

I can only look back at those years with gratitude and remembrance.

I honor the many heroes who lost their lives — the doctors and nurses, the food delivery guys, and the many unsung heroes who sacrificed so much, so that the world as we knew it would never completely disappear.

Today, I still wear a face mask. I do it for myself but I also do it for the next person beside me. I do it to remind me that something simple as wearing a mask can help stop the spread of a virus.

A lesson that I will never forget until I breathe my last.

Thank you for reading.

Sources:

Incubation Period of COVID-19 Caused by Unique SARS-CoV-2 Strains

COVID has evolved to make you sicker quicker, new study finds

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