Note that this was written last week but I am now testing negative and back to normal life.
I am once again holed up in my room because I have contracted COVID again. This is my second time getting it. Luckily, it’s been manageable. The chills and headache were worse than the first time but only lasted a day before the virus morphed into a minor sinus issue. Whatever, I’ll deal.
After all, it’s this whatever I’ll deal attitude that’s got me into this scenario. Obviously, I acknowledge that I’m lucky that COVID has been mild for myself and everyone I know who has gotten it over the last few years. And I guess that’s why we as a society, at least where I live, seem to not care anymore.
I’m pretty sure I got COVID at the curling club. Early in the pandemic, the club had strict protocols to follow: limited contact with others, mask mandates, standing on specific parts of the ice, etc. And then everything slowly went back to normal. Masks were not needed, we could sit at any table with anyone, and 100+ people in a room for a bonspiel was perfectly okay. It’s really no surprise that it’s become a bit of a germ hotspot in the past few weeks. I see the posts on Facebook of people looking for spares while they’re at home recovering.
In fairness, this is not a problem specific to my curling club. Where I live, COVID protocols have gone out the window basically everywhere. No one’s masked up anymore. There are no capacity limits anymore. The truth was that protocols were bad for business, and as long as people were willing to take the risk of leaving their house, businesses were ready to do whatever to make money. I guess in my case, a curling club is more conducive to socializing and longer, closer interactions than any workplace or store, which is unfortunate when it comes to illnesses, but exactly what you want in a curling club.
Society in southern Ontario is resting on its laurels when it comes to COVID, so I’m really not surprised that I know of several people who have it currently or had it recently. Maybe governments need to be stepping in again, because I imagine this is likely the case in more areas. I understand that I am part of the problem because no one forced me to stop wearing a mask and no one forced me to go to Disney World (where I got COVID the first time), but at the same time, when no one around you is wearing a mask or caring too much, it’s hard to commit to things. Especially things as sucky as wearing a mask. We all did it, but no one liked it.
I guess I’m just sad that this is our new normal. COVID isn’t going away. It’ll always be a threat, no matter where you go or what you do. We can’t stop living life because of it, but we also can’t get too complacent either, especially if it could put others at risk. I have an elderly grandmother who has avoided COVID thus far (as have my parents), and I don’t want to be the one to pass it on. It’s just unfortunate that eventually we’ll all get it, multiple times probably, and the best we can do is hope that our symptoms are mild and our week in isolation happens at a convenient time and not during vacations or big events or anything.
Stay safe, y’all!
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Coolbeans4 