Shock and amazement

By Nancy Black

My doctor died. He died of COVID-19. And I’m in shock. Doctors and health care workers are not supposed to die while helping others to live. I am also amazed by the people in this city, state and nation who still think the coronavirus is a “hoax.”

It’s been almost a year to the date since we all started expanding our vocabularies to include “face masks,” “social distancing” and “pandemic.” Yet there are still some (including a family member of mine) who think COVID-19 is “just as bad as the flu.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, “Preliminary estimates for the 2019-2020 influenza season indicate that, as of April 4, 2020, between 24,000 and 62,000 lost their lives to the flu.”

The COVID deaths are more than six times higher than your average flu deaths. As of this week, more than 427,000 of our fellow Americans and human beings died of this horrible disease within the past year (It’s strange and awful to think my physician is in that terrible and relentless count). 

I know we’re all getting beyond stir crazy being restricted in our movements and activities. We’re ready to cast our masks aside, hug our friends and go to a real-live rock and roll concert. But we have to be even more patient than we all — collectively — have been so far. Please don’t give up on the safety precautions now, do register to get vaccinated as soon as you can, and do stay home as much as possible. 

I don’t want anyone else to die.