Look, I know a lot of you guys think I am too paranoid or living in some kind of encapsulated bubble because I think we should pay attention to the science, but not the advice of most of our government officials. Again, I’ll point out it was Delta’s CEO (article here) who argued for shorter isolation times because they were worried about staffing, never considering that just meant people were coming to work sick. The utter stupidity of the American public and its inability to think for itself has given us this reality. What the fuck do I mean by that?
Well, I’ll tell you. Many of you were on the list to get those free COVID tests we all got sent a few weeks ago. Many of you tested positive there and with tests you bought on your own. I would bet almost all of you never reported your results to any health department at all, hence the numbers themselves have been undercounted for the better part of really all the months home tests have been available if you think about it. I don’t know how people didn’t tie that together in their own minds, probably so eager to feel some sense of normalcy, they were totally willing to ignore the nagging voice in the back of their heads that probably realized the numbers of course were VERY undercounted from people who did test positive at home and yes, EVERYONE was out, even the people who were infected who were supposed to be wearing masks because they, too, are desperate to feel normal. Then, there are the people who don’t want to know and have spread it, who are gonna treat it like a cold, hey maybe they have some of the better genetic traits to handle the virus a lot better than parts of the public who seem unable to genetically handle it as well–maybe their case appears mild but their insides are just throwing microclots around here and there and they die of a stroke or heart attack a few months later. It’s hard to say. I’m not even being a smartass about that, it’s just the facts.
The entire point is, of course, that if you have been able to avoid COVID infection for over 2 years now, then you can continue to do that with consistent effort. Again-I’ll explain a few of the rules I have when considering any action outside of my own home. Again, for inside your home: it might do well with some medical grade air filtration. There are several companies that do it, but I have had the same set for 2.5 years now. They send me replacement air filters every 3 months, get 99.9% out, and have really been a godsend for the fine dust from highways, pollen & other allergy creators, fire smoke, & Covid. I found them because of the fires in Colorado and my own heart disease-smoke of course being terrible, I bought 3 off the site for maybe $500 total–we had 1000 sq feet then so I got this one for the living room, this one for the bedroom, and this one for the office (it’s bigger than the bedroom). I do see they might have more economical options for you, I don’t know, but Go here medifyair.com & a code for $15 off is CORONABALONA15 I will add that I found them. They didn’t find me, my needs weren’t even this virus I’ll be honest, initially but certainly considered into the purchase itself (I just checked- the first order was-August of 2020). There were terrible fires outside affecting Denver air then so I had originally bought them for that, but we had to move a month later, and ended up literally unboxing one of these suckers to move across the country in September of 2020 because I didn’t trust the hotel rooms air.
Ok, for outside the house stuff. Again:
*First appointment of the day available. I use this for dentist appointments, doctor’s appointments, even procedure appointments (I had an ECHO yesterday, for example). I use it for hair appointments, I use it for any esthetician’s services, it’s an all service kind of rule. I do wear goggles in medical office settings too because it can be transmissible via eyes. Why the first appointment? Because generally speaking, the air has been filtered through the evening before, leaving your with better air quality to start the day. Later in the day the mere presence of other people seeking those services obviously increases in number, and I have been in enough places the past few months to understand how little some people consider the masking requests in even doctor’s offices-pulling it down is not an infrequent affair and a basic understanding of math would obviously correctly imply the more people who have been in the air space before you, the greater the possibility you might catch that virus because they pulled their mask down to sneeze or cough or took it off period for a myriad of reasons people use. Through the eyes or through your own mask negligence really doesn’t matter, the point is, for me, to give myself the best chance possible to avoid air that has been compromised in greater saturations throughout the day. It is a common sense thing that has served me well.
Go out, but pay attention: Now, I did go out a few weeks ago now to a restaurant in DC to see my BFF from Denver and her fiancé who had flown out for some comfort after her 16 year old dog died suddenly for 3 days. I told her my hesitations in going out given certain conditions, but I picked the first place (margaritas at Los Tios in Alexandria, outside, windy). She picked the second (Cafe Riggs). Now Riggs was inside, away from other people, away from the banquets, pushed to a back area, but so gorgeous oh my god, really. The ceilings were I have no idea 30+feet tall, just a gorgeous place all around. I am going to go back one day in one of my 20’s getups, because I have a dozen at least. There was enough air space in there to make me feel less paranoid, but of course the bathroom, mask went on in and on the way in and out until I was back at the table, the server fully masked, just a safer environment than most. The next day she asked me to a rooftop patio bar overlooking the Capitol building, and after I saw a photo of how crowded it was, declined.
There are clearly common sense measures to take where you can enjoy a night out–we wandered to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial after that Riggs dinner–fully outside, so windy oh my god, seriously so windy that night, but my menopause was rocking, so I was fiiiiine. The point is, I am still trying to enjoy life in the little spaces I can (the last time I went out was when she flew to see me the first month we moved here-yes that is over 18 months ago, ugh). Would I go out again? Uh, not now. I have some medical issues needing some resolving soon & exposure is stupid and that was a fun spin back in time. If I had her living closer, I’m sure I would go out more often, but would probably pay attention to density, air space & movement, & really just air period. At this point, we are about to enter what might be the final phase of virus evolution, ready to get anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated, and maybe even some of us who have–the point is it is hopefully starting to lose virus hosts to replicate in for the first time, hopefully getting weaker to the point where a vaccine will just keep that weaker variant at bay. I know, wishful thinking, but still thinking nonetheless!
Beyond masking– get your damn boosters, people. I am going to ask for an antibody test from my doctors before I consider my 4th booster before I might have this upcoming heart surgery-but most of you can do with just the 3rd to catch up to the rest of us.