Pen-demic

This evening’s newscast had another story about the latest developments in the battle against Covid and the citizens of the United States have become divided between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. The disease of my childhood was infantile paralysis or as it is more commonly known, polio. All over the United States, the summer months were considered the most dangerous time of year when people were most likely to sicken with this devastating illness. The photographs of polio patients in an iron lung were frightening to all. The most famous person who suffered from the aftereffects of polio was the New York Governor, Franklin Roosevelt. The most well-known treatment for polio victims was the Sister Kinney method. One summer when I was in middle school was a particularly bad year for the disease. Among the many resulting restrictions was the summer closure of the public swimming pool where my family lived. My younger sister, Kathy, needed to have her tonsils removed, but the surgery ...

    It’s the start of a “new normal”. While I keep my mask handy on a lanyard around my neck, the majority of people I encounter aren’t wearing one and show no indication that they have one with them . Those I see  still wearing masks appear to be those who will wear them regardless , those who are working in a service industry (most businesses like restaurants and stores are still requiring their employees to wear masks ), or those in a medical field.  If I go to the local hospital or one of it s  medical buildings, I not  on l y  have to wear a mask, but it has to be the  paper surgical  mask that they provide to me at the door.   The Covid Pandemic Task Force made up of senior medical professionals representing the main hospital/medical entities in the region have announced that they will no longer gi v e regular briefings  on the covid situation , but they will continue to meet and coordinate Covid and now “other” medical concer...