While in the hospital last winter, I was fortunate enough to be close to the nurse’s station. It gave me something to listen to while I waited for my day surgery (better than any podcast).
Along with the regular chit chat, the nurses discussed whether they planned to get their covid boosters. To my surprise, a few said they would not. Without any judgment or heated arguments, they moved on to the next topic.
At the time, covid was still full-on. Believe it or not, masks were mandatory in hospitals eight months ago and covid tests were required before surgery. But it didn't seem to matter to these health professionals. Some of them, at least, were choosing not to boost their chances against a still deadly virus.
Now more than ever, the covid booster appears to be moving in the direction of the flu shot. Get it if you feel like you might need it. If not, meh.
I freely admit, I’ve never gotten the flu shot. I honestly thought it was only for seniors until my co-workers started to guilt me into getting one (like a true anti-vaxxer, I held out).
Perhaps it’s because I haven’t gotten a bad case of the flu in a long time. It’s true that the flu kills a lot of people every year, but nothing compared to covid.
Yet like the flu, we're becoming immune to the fear of the coronavirus. There are many reasons for this. The new variants are (apparently) not as deadly anymore. This could be a result of the virus’s mutation and of greater population immunity, thanks to vaccinations and repeated exposure. Another reason is less scientific: As humans, we cannot continually live in fear. We must live our lives as social creatures. We could always take more precautions, but they all come at a cost.
Ceasing extra-curricular activities during the pandemic took a big toll on our lives. Losing a year of regular music lessons has almost halved the number of students normally in my daughter’s high school band. Many kids lost interest. Even I had to force myself to play badminton when our league opened again last year. I thought I would have been raring to go, but there was something deeper at work – I had developed a case of chronic apathy.
Many schools remained closed for far too long, thereby setting kids behind. These were well-intentioned policies that could have long-lasting effects on learning outcomes.
Then there’s the uneasy recognition that masking didn’t have the impact that many thought it would. Studies show that regions that made masking mandatory didn’t have a statistical lower rate of coronavirus spread than those where it was voluntary. That’s not to say that masking at an individual level doesn’t help, as Anthony Fauci has emphasized. But you must be religious about it. That N95 mask must stay tightly above your nose all day! If you’re hanging it from your chin, it’s a fashion accessory, not medical protection.
The one preventative measure that holds up is vaccinations. They work. They reduce the severity of covid symptoms and reduce risk of hospitalization and death. With that proven, you’d think we’d all be lining up for more boosters.
But where’s the sense of urgency? Not even my friendly nurses (they were very nice people) were getting on board. We have our own personal story to tell about the last booster my daughter received, but we can never be sure if the booster was the cause. It was enough correlation for us to say no more for her. She's young and at low risk of complications. Her bout with covid last March involved a slightly runny nose.
I, on the other hand, spent five days in bed. And I’m a healthy 45-year-old.
I suppose the fear of covid is still in me.
Heck, I might even get a flu shot this year.
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