COVID... Again!
My first go round was not a pleasant one. I was two doses strong before my first exposure. I
do believe that made all the difference in the world with my recovery. My
symptoms of shortness of breath and fever were intense, and it could have been
much worse (because of a preexisting condition, it was imperative I get
vaccinated immediately, and I did).
When the COVID outbreak
first occurred, as much as everyone was trying their best to avoid getting it,
we all knew, at one time or another, we were going to get it, but when?! (Living
with the "when" for many was painful.)
Fast-forward to my second
round, and I feel like I have a "Scarlett C" on my back with people pointing at
me saying, "He has it… Again!" Yes, that sounds a bit dramatic, but when you
work in a retirement community, it’s easy to feel that way. (Retirees have much
time on their hands and they turn into sleuths when there are negative forces at
work there. Some in a benevolent way, others carelessly – not all, but some.
Add to that, the employees that like to gossip.)
When I first started this
job, which by the way is not so new anymore (next week will be six months), we
had a small outbreak. I remember hearing one resident say, "I think we
have a super-spreader amongst us." Residents were trying to figure out who it
was, even pointing the finger on occasion. There was another incident, which
had to do with one of our offsite activities.
We typically encourage residents to wear masks on our trips, at least while
they are on the bus. We had one resident who did not always wear one. One week
later, several residents from this trip reported a positive COVID test. Everyone
blamed the "improper wearing masked rebel," but the resident in question never
got it. So how did everyone get it? I have my suspicions.
When it comes to COVID, I
am all about understanding, predicting and controlling the outcomes, the best I
can. What I am not about is the shaming. There are too many shaming stories in
our community, and elsewhere. Feeling guilty for contracting it is illogical.
We shame people who have
it. We shame people who choose to get vaccinated. The polarization and
politicization of the pandemic continues and will last for years to come.
Shaming someone for what
they cannot change places them in an impossible situation. It easily becomes
pervasive, leading to depression. As a result, I know many who suffer from
social anxiety disorder.
We must stop shaming people into submission. Why
should I feel bad for something you don’t understand? Why should you? – paerki
