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Tired of hearing, "The only thing certain is uncertainty"? Or how about talk of a "new normal"? And who isn't tired of wearing a mask or social distancing? I think we all are. But we certainly do need to keep masking and distancing, and honestly, we will probably need to keep doing it long after the vaccines are released.
The vaccines are not a panacea. Yes, they may be 95% effective, but to be truly effective, we need for most of the population to become vaccinated in order to eliminate hosts for the virus. That will take time. Most vaccines require at least two years to eliminate the disease. And at 95% effectiveness, that means that 1 in 20 people may become sick.
Do you want to be the 1 in 20? So whether you like it or not, wear a mask. Follow directions from your state and the CDC. Continue to social distance. Avoid groups. Wash your hands. We know these things work. They will save lives if we will only do them.
If we give in to the fatigue and become lax in what we're doing, more of us will die. At the current death rate, another 20,000 of us will be dead in three weeks. Don't be one of them and don't facilitate the death of others in your family or circle of friends. Stay home. Spend the holidays with those in your family who live in your house. Remember when you take a risk, you are taking it not just for yourself, but for those around you. This may be hard. But if we want to see our families at holidays in the future, we need to do these things, otherwise, we may not be there or they may not be there to enjoy the holidays next year.
Remember the pandemic will pass. Things may move back to normal by next summer or fall. This is only temporary; this is not permanent. Look to the future. Be optimistic. The pandemic has affected many things in our lives but not everything. However, it can have a pervasive effect on you and your family if it kills one of you. We will be able to go out to dinner again at some point and there will be jobs and the economy will recover. Focus on the future. Don't allow the pandemic to make you and your family a victim.
