The Naked Truth/Jamala Rogers
Another Anniversary for COVID-19
This month and two years ago, Wisconsin’s first COVID-19 case was confirmed. The person was from Dane County. Because the identity was never known, we don’t know how that person is faring today. But we do know a lot about the impact this virus has had on us and we’ve learned a lot about one another.
To date, the coronavirus has taken the lives of over 13,000 Wisconsinites and we’re closing in on 950,000 deaths in the U.S. The virus will have a profound long-term impact on its victims aka the long haulers. It will have haunting consequences on our psyche and our economy for years to come.
We know about pandemics; they’ve been circling the globe for centuries. We knew this one was coming. We know how viruses are transmitted. We know that masks and isolation are deterrents to viruses. We know that the longer viruses are not put in check, the more likely mutations will happen.
We know that if there was any other president in the White House at the time the pandemic struck, the cases and deaths would not have ballooned like they did. We know that the virus has been politicized along racial lines and party affiliations. We know that people living in pro-trump counties are three times more likely to die from the virus than those who are in counties that voted for now-President Biden. We know that the dead folks believed the hype and refused to wear masks or get vaccinated.
We know that if there was any other president in the White House at the time the pandemic struck, the cases and deaths would not have ballooned like they did. We know that the virus has been politicized along racial lines and party affiliations. We know that people living in pro-trump counties are three times more likely to die from the virus than those who are in counties that voted for now-President Biden. We know that the dead folks believed the hype and refused to wear masks or get vaccinated.
What we know about unvaccinated people is that they have wreaked havoc on the health care system and put our frontline workers at deadly risk. We know they are overworked and traumatized. We know they have been victims of the virus and many have died.
We know that about 200,000 children have been orphaned by the virus by losing parents or their main guardians. We know that the human and societal cost of this fact is incalculable.
We know that our mental health has suffered because of anxiety, isolation and depression. We know that drug use increased especially opioids and drug overdoses surged. We know that suicides increased for people of color and young adult males.
We know that financial stressors, disparities in household labor and health worries resulted in spikes in break-ups and divorces. We know that family life generally suffered in an all-around way.
We know that that there’s virtually no learning happening in most urban public schools. We know that the achievement gap grew and that an educational crisis is looming in the future.
We know that COVID-19 has decimated the economy, sending tens of millions from the tourism, hospitality and the service industries into the unemployment ranks. We know that many small businesses, particularly restaurants, will shutter permanently.
We know that some people will try to kill someone for wearing a mask or not wearing one, depending on what your political views are.
Yeah, we know a lot about COVID-19 now. How will we take this knowledge and create a more humane, more rational, more loving, more just world. Let’s see what progress we can report on the third anniversary of the pandemic.
