96 Years Old and Healthy During a Pandemic

My dad keeps asking about the thing that’s on TV, the thing he can’t pronounce until I write it phonetically. He has a hard time remembering, so I have numerous notes lying about that I’ll grab for repeat questions (he does have some memory and cognition issues). One of these notes reads Ko-Ro-No virus. He forgets after a while and I repeat as necessary.

His last doctor’s appointment was a month ago, and I was told he’s the healthiest 95 (soon to be 96 then) year old he’s ever seen. That is with a bad back, some replacement parts, and a pacemaker, and a few miscellaneous problems. A World War II D-Day survivor. He’s on minimum prescriptions, the one biggest for Alzheimer’s treatment. So every day I find him up and moving about is a good one and I don’t see any issue that’s gonna stop him until he hits 100 (yes I do live in a fantasy world at times, I guess).

We live in Florida. We’re between two hotspots for the ‘rona distribution. I have made all reasonable precautions. I limit trips outside of the house. When I forage for supplies at the grocery store I wear a protective mask but not gloves. When I return I go through a sanitizing procedure on myself and things coming into the house.

It is sad to see the number of people not wearing a mask. I’d say the locals have about 20–30% adoption rate. The so-called reopening of the state (for the economy, right?) went swimmingly and now Florida is spiking with new virus cases like never before.

I know plenty of people who care for the elderly. I know several who work in long term care facilities. Most if not all are universally stunned by the failure of other Americans to understand the necessity to do something to halt the spread of this disease. Wearing a mask in public is so simple, so basic, and so easy, many can’t understand the type of person who would refuse. But they exist. Their reasons are many, and sadly many of them are playing identity politics with masks, but the results are the same. The economy of Florida will likely shut down again and thousands more will die. Casualties that could have been avoided by 100% mask-wearing in public until the spread of COVID-19 can be curbed in a meaningful way.

I wear my mask. I will continue to wear my mask and perform my sanitizing rituals on a thorough and regular basis. But I know failure is always possible and I could still bring in enough of the bug to get my father sick. This is the existence the non-mask wearing public forces upon me, and thousands of others like me across our nation. We try, hard, dependably, but sooner or later, with enough of the ‘rona roaming around, it’s going to creep everywhere.

In a country where members of the Republican party have repeatedly called for the deaths of older Americans as a sacrifice necessary for the economy, where our leaders don’t seem to care, where my fellow American citizens don’t seem to care, I find my options limited.

All we can do in this little household is what millions of other Americans are doing. Preparing for the worst. A D-Day veteran has a good chance of being killed by a disease that someone put on me and I accidentally bring into the home, because a segment of society believes they have the right to ignore medical precautions during a pandemic. Is that not a form of murder?

Our leaders see no point in trying to curb the spread of disease. It’s too inconvenient to wear a temporary face covering in public, even if it could save a stranger’s life. Maybe that’s it, the people who suffer are only strangers to the anti-mask people. How Trumpian. Is THAT not a form of murder?

This is life now in Florida.

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