Sherry, I am with you and I am worn out. Although what has now become a lengthy comment/rant might imply otherwise…

I have heard so many excuses for not practicing all the scientific Covid prevention procedures. All made up purely to serve selfish needs related to thinking that goes like this: “ Wha, wha, wha,I don’t want some silly virus interrupting my regular daily and nighttime routine!”

I hear things from gym members complaining that their gym closed saying: “I don’t understand, we sanitize our hands and enter the gym wearing a mask.” When asked if they keep the mask on during exercise the reply is something like: “ Of course not, silly, I huff and puff way too much to keep a mask on while I’m on the treadmill.”

Umm…aerosols anyone?

I hear some insist in a first sentence that they do it all, all the correct behaviours. Then their next statement includes recent frivolous shopping expeditions and dinner parties for friends in their homes.

Others think outside is universally safe and no precautions are needed even when busy city streets are packed chock-a-block with pedestrians and shoppers.

Some have reported large, crowded outdoor dinner parties with no social distancing, no masks and lots of drinking, eating, hugging, singing, roaring with laughter.

Apparently brains do not trump selfishness.( whoops, excuse the trump word :-)

Larger non household group size gets conveniently defined as groups of anyone from anywhere as long as the number is 10 or 20…whatever the regional limit for non-household groups. No one in an external group of say, 10, considers the numerous other contacts made at work or socially by the other 9 members.

Blind eyes are intentionally turned. Guidelines are interpreted for greedy desires only. Take and do what suits you, rather than do all that is needed.

Then there is the worst of the worst. People who deny that science knows anything. Those who insist even at their dying breath that Covid is a hoax. Those arguing it is simply a flu. Those insisting that money is more important than life and at the end of the day who cares if a bunch of people die. (Yup, sadly I have heard horrible, selfish people say that last one. They use the survival of the fittest argument while considering themselves invincible)

Un-fucking-believable and cruel.

I could go on and on with examples. I will end with 3 questions:

1. Why don’t people get that adhering to all necessary actions would severely limit the spread of this disease and deal with the overwhelmed ICU capacity? Plus…plus…we manage the disease rigidly and then, guess what, the economy can recover and get stronger!
2. If one does not practice all components of Covid hygiene (rather than just one or two of the personally convenient behaviours) how can a negligent person expect vulnerable and exhausted health care workers to treat them when inevitably they contract the illness? (Yet they do expect to be treated exactly as those who were vigilant in their duties to self and society.)
3. Attention non-Covid-safety practising individuals( NCSPI): Don’t you understand that winning this battle requires a combination of all the necessary behaviours? Staying home as much as possible (including do not travel) AND keeping celebrations confined to those people you live with daily in the same house AND (excluding your home)wearing masks in the proper manner, inside always and outside when you cannot stay MORE than 6 feet away from everyone AND social distancing always outside your home knowing that more than six feet is better because six is not a magic number nor a negotiated deal with the virus AND washing/sanitizing hands diligently, longer and constantly AND isolating for the required number of weeks when feeling ill or finding out you might have been exposed AND anything I forgot at just this moment…

So NCSPI, is this a long and exhausting list? You bet your sweet ass it is. But see, COVID-19 is deadly so like it or lump it, this is what we got

RANT…