No one is safe from Covid-19 in Daydreaming on the Porch

…Worst of all, too many Americans seem not to understand that the novel coronavirus is still very much with the U.S. - and people are dying every day because too many people are ignoring the simple steps we can all take to help protect one another. It begs the question, if the pandemic is so serious and deadly, why are people still crowding beaches, bars, and parties during it

From Psych Central

We all know the cliche. The young think they’re invincible. They think the coronavirus only kills old people. And, very dangerously and stupidly, they think it’s ok to go to bars and restaurants or indoor parties and gatherings with more than 5-10 people. It’s not. Crowded bars are about the highest risk places you can be in.

I recently read about the family of five who contracted the virus when the 21-year-old son made a costly mistake by getting together with friends and dropping precautions, as it’s so easy to do. After a while, with the mood lightening over food and drinks, he let his guard down and took off his mask and wasn’t keeping a safe distance from others. Two weeks later he developed flu-like symptoms, but he didn’t tell his mother or dad because he didn’t feel that bad. He had the virus. Shorty afterward the entire family tested positive. The 42-year-old father developed the severest case, and is now on a ventilator fighting for his life. His wife and the mother of the 21-year was on CNN imploring other young people, in particular, to practice the basic safety protocols for preventing or reducing the spread of this deadly virus.

Now we’re learning, as if it wasn’t obvious before, that the virus can spread by transmission in the air from small particles in aerosol form. Breathing these aerosols can result in getting infected. So face coverings are essential, but it’s really scary knowing that only the N-95 masks are the most highly protective against aerosol transmission. Those are still in short supply and its difficult to breathe when wearing one. But if everyone wore any kind of face covering when in public spaces or not able to keep at least six feet away from others, the spread of the disease would be greatly reduced.

Also we’re rapidly discovering that the reason 20-year-olds and anyone of any age can have heart attacks from clots is that the disease is only initially a respiratory infection, but later spreads to the epithelial cells which are in the blood vessels. The virus can then attach to these and destabilize plaque and be transported to other organs, including the kidney and liver. Even in supposedly “mild” cases this can lead to serious health consequences for months and years after the initial infection.

140,000 are dead in the U S and millions more face a lifetime of health problems from this horrible and devastating disease. People around the world are dumbfounded that the US has had such a tragic and unprepared response to this pandemic. Any sane person here or abroad is shocked and stunned that there are many still in this country who think Covid is a hoax or “fake news.” America — Land of Imbeciles. We are now barred from visiting other countries.

I’ve been gathering quotes from and about young people and college students about the pandemic. Here is some of what I’ve found:

Geoff Beere, a student at the University of Miami and a club promoter, said that when bars in Florida reopened in June, they were quickly packed — even those that tried to enforce social distancing. He said students were tired of being cooped up during the statewide stay-at-home order.

“What I’m seeing is that they’re pretty sick — the younger ones are pretty sick,” she said. “They’re struggling a lot with respiratory issues. They’re having a hard time breathing,” she added, “just feeling like death.”

And this from a 30-year-old:

…He said he feared that people his age were not taking the illness seriously enough, as he himself had not. “I thought younger folks are not going to get symptoms; if I do get it, it’s not going to be a big deal,” he said.

That was not true in his case. “It hit me like a truck,” he said. “Even if you are young and not at risk, it’s pretty scary.”

Two recommended articles:

https://theconversation.com/your-coping-and-resilience-strategies-might-need-to-shift-as-the-covid-19-crisis-continues-140507

https://psychcentral.com/blog/why-people-are-crowding-beaches-bars-parties-during-a-pandemic/

Last updated July 15, 2020