Read the local obits in the paper yesterday. A man died after contracting covid 19 according to his obit. He was a hospice patient too so they didn't count him in the numbers, at least not from the current total of 1 death from way back in March or April. Our state reviews the deaths on a case by case basis to determine if they should be counted in the numbers, I don't know what the time frame is on adding them but the governor says they have a bunch of deaths yesterday waiting for review . Yesterday was one of the highest total of new cases in the state and I'm pretty sure the highest deaths in one day, 18. It's been almost two weeks since the festival downtown that I mentioned when I started this post. Our cases locally haven't gone up that much yet. They're having another festival this weekend.

Yes, however I read an article long ago that elderly patients often do not have fever or cough to start, their symptoms are sometimes atypical. My Dad is so sickly anyway, with intestinal problems, low energy and copd coughing, it would be difficult to know. But I'm sure it would take him down fast. It's like being on a death watch . . . considering his aide is out and about the community, has a daughter in health care, and a husband who is a truck driver. She will be the one most likely to spread it to him asymptomatically. Dad refuses to ask her to wear a mask, even though she would do so if asked. Maddening. His neighbors hang out with him unmasked, and with their grandkids in school and daughter who cleans houses, all unmasked. Then he has another elderly friend with extended family who also visits with him unmasked. It's a badge of honor around here, for what purpose I'm not sure. Even with covid deaths of many that these people know . . . This summer my cousin refused to visit with my Dad because we asked her to wear a mask when invited to attend a picnic while he was visiting her home area at a park our family used to have reunions at. Made it pretty clear to my Dad how much he meant to her . . .Meanwhile I had a lovely reunion visit with one of my best friends this summer, as we spent the day at a little park halfway between our two states. We both wore masks the whole time. No biggie at all. She is a retired nurse, motivated to stay well so her husband with asthma and destroyed lungs, won't be at risk. Edited to add that none of these people including my Dad acknowledge or realize that with my lungs weakened from many previous virus battles, i would very likely suffer serious complications, not even sure I would make it out. And yet I'm expected to play along with the denial so their egos can be assuaged. My Dad likes to portray me as his ditsy fuss budget daughter, no consideration for the risks he's exposing me to at all, he knows better, I'm making a big deal of of nothing. As a result, I have to live with constant anxiety and depression and frustration. But am expected to be jolly and uncomplaining lest I trample someone feelings . . . add to that my anxiety for my friends and family out in the midst of the pandemic as nurses, teachers and retail workers in stores where they are constantly berated for asking people to wear masks around them . . .

Even though masks are required everywhere and compliance is now like 100%, during the holidays you could see evidence of private parties by the number of cars parked on streets and crowds viewed through windows. I also see no more "protests" face shields of paper towns and small 2"x2" squares of plastic draped from a nose. This really slowed down after a lockdown and possibly as a result the numbers have started to come down. But I also think that when people started to see multiple people that they know get sick that behaviors truly started to change. I always view my mask as protecting the people who must work in contact with people and to reduce transmission for the most vulnerable. Hopefully these latest variants will still be controllable by the vaccines being deployed.

It's frustrating to me as a teacher that we are not doing more to make schools safe and prepared to meet this challenge and the next one that comes along. People need socialization, which is why we should have right from the get-go jumped on this like General Marshall did on the reconstruction of Europe after WWII. They knew if they didn't act at a massive scale, the misery of the war would undermine democracy and we'd just be back where it all started in another 30 years. I think its the same with this virus, infectious diseases are going to make a comeback, it has been predicted for decades by scientists aware of how the conditions present in the world would inevitably lead to that. I'm sure you all have concerns about your local schools, but mine were in tough shape even before this. In some cases, we teachers just make do no matter what, but now that our lives are at risk, it's sort of at the breaking point. So many teachers I knew were getting out of the profession even before this, due to lack of community support. Some schools will manage this better than others, and the weakest schools will of course have the most trouble, just as some people will have a lot of trouble surviving the virus while others not so much . . . Edited to add that I wish I could get my husband involved in the "pretend" or even real shopping for a truck to pull a camper. He keeps talking about it but is hesitant to do it due to the financial uncertainty . . .