Wednesday, September 14, 2022

The Road goes ever on and on ... Day 412 (912)

Let's hear it for testing negative this morning! That does not mean I'm running back to whatever life I was living pre-covid. I did some paperwork this morning for one of my volunteer gigs which led to a post-lunch nap followed by some couch-time with a book. I'd say that assuming I test negative again on Friday (the CDC's two tests 48 hours apart), I'll do absolutely nothing in response to it for the weekend. I may see about some sewing or knitting, but anything physical other than walking The Family Dog can wait.

I did take notes on two coronavirus articles this morning. Zero covid is alive and well, and a city in Western China has been locked down now for over 40 days. Food and medicine supplies are dwindling along with supplies of other daily necessities. Local police have been arresting people for "spreading rumors" about lockdown, rumors that have "incited opposition" and "disrupted social order." 

The last scheduled installment of the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index was just conducted. Americans' concern about covid is at the lowest level since the pandemic began. Only 57 percent of people are concerned. Some 65 percent say that there is small or no risk in returning to normal, pre-covid life. In fact, 46 percent of respondents say that they already have returned to pre-covid life. Interestingly, while 65 percent of respondents support ending covid restrictions, 83 percent think that the program of federally funded at-home testing should continue and 87 percent want free access to vaccines and treatments to continue. Both of those programs no longer get federal funding. As for wearing masks, 63 percent of respondents say they never or only occasionally wear masks outside their homes, and only 33 percent report wearing masks at all times or sometimes in grocery stores. Finally, 88 percent say that covid has changed lives forever, while 85 percent say they will never be rid of the virus in their lifetimes. If we can't live without it, we need to learn how to live with it no matter how much that might suck.

1 comment:

Caroline M said...

This was the first week of care home visiting where I could turn up at the door rather than having to book a time slot. No testing needed for visitors, twice weekly testing of staff stopped at the beginning of September. The cruise line P&O sent me an email to say that they had changed the requirement for pre-holiday testing from mandatory to recommended. It wasn't that mandatory before, it was a tick box asking if you'd done the test they'd asked for.

I don't know anyone with covid or anyone talking about someone with covid for what feels like the first time ever. I wouldn't rely on the testing data here now because there are no free tests and what you don't test for, you don't see. The death data is another matter and that's nearly down to the suicide rate. It could all change wit a seasonal surge or maybe that was the last surge? Time will tell