Last year at this time, I was waiting for edits for what would be one of the final rounds of writing for my book Spin Doctors. I was hopeful. Cases were very low. Vaccination was going well. Fears about the Delta variant were overblown, until the fall showed up and kicked us into a Delta-fueled wave. By then, it was December and I was trying to have a small, in-person book launch in Quebec City. An ice storm combined with an explosion of cases meant that almost no one came. Fine. FINE i told myself, drinking a bottle of wine that was meant to be split among 20 of my wellest wishers.
Aside from social solidarity, governments have to really accept that the virus is in the air. That means we need clean AND filtered air indoors or in enclosed spaces like buses. If you can share the air with someone outside your household, you can share the virus too. If it’s there, you can inhale it when people talk. sing, shout or cough. Without accepting that basic physics and precaution as a public health purpose, the pandemic will continue. No wonder people are confused and throwing their hands up in the air.
I’m tired, yes, but not just of the long-time precautions and protections. I’m tired of the lack of them now and the government’s (and public health’s) “let it rip, screw the consequences” stance. It goes against everything I learned as an occupational health person about preventing harm — and yet our skills and knowledge have been dismissed, ignored or not used. It’ll take a brave person or organization or government to do the right thing. I’m just afraid it will get so bad they have no choice.
Aside from social solidarity, governments have to really accept that the virus is in the air. That means we need clean AND filtered air indoors or in enclosed spaces like buses. If you can share the air with someone outside your household, you can share the virus too. If it’s there, you can inhale it when people talk. sing, shout or cough. Without accepting that basic physics and precaution as a public health purpose, the pandemic will continue. No wonder people are confused and throwing their hands up in the air.
I’m tired, yes, but not just of the long-time precautions and protections. I’m tired of the lack of them now and the government’s (and public health’s) “let it rip, screw the consequences” stance. It goes against everything I learned as an occupational health person about preventing harm — and yet our skills and knowledge have been dismissed, ignored or not used. It’ll take a brave person or organization or government to do the right thing. I’m just afraid it will get so bad they have no choice.