A little more than two years ago, when the pandemic began killing off Americans, I had a strange thought.
I remember hearing how lethal COVID-19 was, particularly for older people with compromised health, and I remember what went through my mind.
“I know how I’m going to die.”
I was 70 years old, extremely overweight and suffering from Diabetes Type 2 and Sleep Apnea. Right in the wheelhouse for COVID fatality.
Well, two years later I’ve lost 75 pounds, my diabetes is under control and apnea is less of a problem. And I’m vaccinated, boosted and alive. I have been wearing masks 90 percent of the time when I go out in public.
Of course, people are still dying, and if the rate is lower than it was, the total is still claiming to appalling levels. As of today, there have been 83,551,304 cases in the U.S. A total of 1,024,424 Americans have died of the Coronavirus.
That’s an appalling number, and it’s certainly true that one of the reasons for it is that the pandemic became politicized as part of Donald Trump’s re-election campaign in 2020. Look at how many on the far right have refused to wear masks when they go out, and how they have whined about their loss of “freedom” because of the pandemic.
Who’s the greatest villain to Trumpanzees? Aside from the usual suspects (Hillary, Hunter, George Soros), there seems to be more unwarranted anger aimed at Dr. Anthony Fauci than there is for anyone who isn’t on a ballot somewhere.
It’s amazing to me that we haven’t started seeing the Trump distortion on the death toll yet. When Trump left office on January 20, 2021, the death toll from COVID-19 stood at 396,837. Of course most of the subsequent deaths were because of actions taken and not taken during his administration, but I guarantee this is what you’ll be hearing as 2024 approaches.
“When I left office, fewer than 400,000 people had died. Hundreds of thousands more than that have died since then.”
It isn’t just Trump, of course. Republicans from coast to coast and border to border have battled against vaccine mandates, masking requirements and any other reasonable steps to limit the spread of the virus and its variants.
Want a mixed message? Remember that Trump said it would be a good idea if people wore masks, but he didn’t want them forced to do so. He saw it as a freedom issue.
Freedom ought to be more than the freedom to infect someone else with a virus that can kill them.
But as long as it’s out there, and as long as there are people listening to Trump, I will continue to avoid crowded situations and will keep on taking a mask with me.
Maybe I don’t know how or when I’m going to die.
That’s all right with me.