Ravings of a Long Haired Dude

Covid Scepticism

Covid-19

"It takes no prisoners, it has no heart, and it will come for you... if you deny it, it will come for you."

Joe Anderson

Mayor of the City of Liverpool
England
United Kingdom

https://www.wjhl.com/news/fighting-skepticism-of-pandemics-severity-regional-lea...

The link above is to an article about scepticism about Covid-19 in the Tri-Cities TN/VA region where I live.

We went for the first two or three months here in Carter County Tennessee with daily new confirmed cases under ten. I hoped and prayed that we would stay that way. When I would go grocery shopping, I would see many people without masks in spite of mask mandates. I knew that it was only a matter of time.

Now there are thousands of cases in the three cities and surrounding counties. The positivity rate is over 30%, which is the highest in the state and one of the highest in the country. Johnson City Tennessee is number 7 on a New York Times list of places where new cases are growing the fastest.

A friend who I've known since childhood calls me occasionally. He kept saying "I don't know about this pandemic. I can't see that it's all that bad." He kept that up till his sister, her husband and several of their grandchildren tested positive. He changed his tune quickly after that.

One of our neighbors lost his mother to an overdose recently. He found her in the apartment. I had to go with him to check if she was dead. He's been coming over a good bit. I think he needs somebody to talk to. I was fine with that until he started talking about how he didn't believe that the virus is all that dangerous, and he isn't worried about masks or keeping distance. I went off on him till he left. Now I'm afraid to let him in the house.

My wife has COPD. I have high blood pressure. This thing could kill both of us in a hurry.

I am all for personal freedom to do what you want as long as you don't hurt anybody else. Go right on and drink or smoke or anything else you want. I don't care as long as you don't endanger me or the people I love. This disease is different. If you don't wear a mask or congregate in groups without keeping distance, you are putting my loved ones' lives at risk. It doesn't matter if you aren't doing what you are supposed to in other places. If you act irresponsibly anywhere you help the spread.

I am sick and tired of worrying about people I love just because people do not want to believe the truth and act like decent responsible human beings.