I know everyone is incredibly fatigued by the COVID-19 pandemic, but think about it this way, COVID is not tired. In fact, it’s increasing rapidly, and it’s disheartening that so many people refuse to do even some of the minimum tasks, such as wearing a mask, that can minimize the spread. And for someone like us with a family member at higher risk of complications, it’s just cruel.

The coronavirus, known as COVID-19, has taken so much from all of us, especially in our everyday lives. But there’s a sneaky way COVID will continue to impact us for a long time after a vaccine goes out. With so many scientists researching, testing, and working to distribute a vaccine, it means that a lot of other research has been delayed or disrupted. 

The Truth About COVID

As we have all learned, coronavirus is spread through respiration. That means every time we breathe, speak, yell, sing, or cough. We are projecting little drops that may be breathed by someone else. And with people not showing symptoms for up to 14 days, a person could have COVID and not even know that they’re dangerous to others. That’s why wearing a mask is so important. 

In fact, the simple act of wearing a mask isn’t about you; it’s about those that you come into contact with and who they may be in touch with as well. While I’ve written about this prior, I understand the argument that we need to reopen our society and economy, as well as the opinion that high-risk individuals should just “stay home.”  

But that’s not a reality for many people or for us. We need to go out to stores and get the necessary medications. Even though we get food delivery and pick-up, we are increasing our risk any time we step out of the house. 

That doesn’t even discuss all the people who work in food and other necessary services that are always at risk. And any interactions we may have with them increases our risk. That’s why mask-wearing is so essential. It’s to protect others and who we come into contact with and some protection level for ourselves. 

We Are ALL Interconnected

Everyone we come into contact with, and we can infect everyone we interact with, or we can become infected from, and that’s why doing the little things like wearing a mask, washing hands, avoiding crowds is crucial. 

Look, we all want to return to normal, whatever that was. But in order to return to any sense of normal is that we first must tackle the spread of the virus. Wearing a mask is one of the simplest ways we can slow the spread, and once we slow the spread, we’ll get back to some sense of what normal looked like in our everyday lives. Until then, we must be smart and wear a mask around others. It’s that simple.

What You Need To Know About COVID

Until the spread is slowed down, we have to pay attention to our health and look for symptoms without freaking out on every sniffle or sneeze. Some common symptoms are similar to the common cold or flu, but knowing what to look for is important. 

Understand that many different symptoms that are similar to COVID are also symptoms of other diseases, even allergies, but the Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines common symptoms of COVID as:
Fevers and chills

Aches and Pains

Cough

Shortness of Breath

Congestion or Runny Nose

Sore Throat

Diarrhea 

Nausea 

Loss of Smell or Taste

If you feel that you may have some of these symptoms, discussing them with your doctor for guidance is critical if your symptoms develop in intensity, then getting a coronavirus test, whether an at-home covid test kit or county test, is important for your health and peace of mind. 

The longer people refuse to treat this disease as something serious, the longer it will be with us. Taking little actions that protect ourselves and seeing how our activities are related to other people’s wellbeing and health will go a long way toward limiting the spread of this virus. If we could all do the bare minimum and just wear a mask, we’ll get through this and protect those, like my daughter Lily, who need our help.