Hello Paw Prints,
I appreciate your clearly written explanation of the benefits and limitations of the vaccines. Face masks are also not 100% going to stop the virus from being exhaled and inhaled either. Together, along with maintaining at least 1.5m apart, in outdoor settings, and 2m or 4m (depending on size) when indoors.
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I'm frustrated with the frequent changing of what is allowed and what is not, and then yes, we do have some people who need things spelled out to them, because I think it is natural to want to NOT have your own freedom restricted, and to think what you are doing is REALLY essential, & I'm not sure I disagree all the time.
I think of it this way. One person gets infected, is out and about, and infects a few people, who then, each of them, infect more, and then they infect more again, Like a family tree, a few generations and you have a hundred plus infected people. Only our COVID family tree might grow to that size in a week or two.
I just think how quickly this virus can & has spread, & how it has overwhelmed medical services.
Long term effects on people, of all ages, are going to require more mental health services too. Where will that come from?
One thing I think which worked well last year was when there seemed to be an understanding that no one was excluded. To coin a phrase, "we're all in this together"
I think, alongside that, we consistently saw more positive results from 'doing our bit'.
This year, I feel our Australian community is not holding together so well.
For myself, isolating as much as I am because I cannot wear a mask, I am feeling rather defeated. When things aren't working, like, I know Coles is not going to deliver one item :my cheese (poor mmMekitty, first the milk, now the cheese),and other things. I want to go get my own food shopping, find some clothes, speakers for my PC, new 'Fitovers' sunnys, like the pretty frame which broke. I want to feel comfortable about going out without a mask.
I feel I am anxious for us all. The daily announcement of numbers are part of that. Sad and tragic stories, lives of real people, in pain and anger, frustrated wanting greater reassurance than they can be offered. It does get to be too much. I feel uneasy, perhaps even guilty, if I turn off the news stories.
I'm losing the sense I had that I could cope. Is waiting now the only thing I can do?
MMMekitty