PAWPAW'S MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 5 - COVID19 Pandemic

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 5

 

Connor, Pawpaw loves you!

Bryson, Pawpaw loves you!

Archer, Pawpaw loves you!

 

 

The Pandemic

 

The year 2020 was a year that will be documented in history books around the world because of the COVID19 Pandemic. It all began with news of a strange virus strain in China. By February 2021, the whole world had been infected and over 500,000 American citizens were dead. I lived through a historic pandemic.

 

COVID19 was a rapidly evolving virus that was spread through contact and breathing the virus from an infected person’s exhale. Tom and I had booked and paid in advance for a Caribbean cruise in March. International news began sharing horrific stories of entire European cities falling prey to the virus. Hospitals did not have enough rooms or equipment to care for the sick. Morgues and funeral homes did not have enough room for all the dead. Soon, refrigerated trucks were being used to house dead bodies.

 

The virus was deadly for people with asthma and diabetes and the elderly. We received notice that our cruise was canceled. Thousands of people were stranded on cruise ships with infected passengers because no countries would allow them to dock.

 

Doctors, scientists and virus specialists warned everyone to isolate, stay away from crowds of people, wear masks to protect our breathing and use antibacterial hand wash every time we go out. Tom and I were faithful and changed our lifestyle immediately. My own doctors advised me to isolate myself from my daughter, son in law and grandkids because of their school exposure and work exposure. (Most people did not see their own grandchildren for a year or more.)

 

It was unsafe to grocery shop. We began to order our groceries online and have them delivered. After bringing our groceries into the house, we were advised to wash our hands because we had touched bags a stranger had touched.

 

The insanity that was the Donald J Trump presidency continued as he tried to hide the severity of the pandemic. He called it a hoax. He berated and mocked scientists. He offered insane ideas like injecting bleach into citizens and that sunlight would kill the virus. He said the virus would just disappear and that it was being blown out of proportion. 500,000 Americans had died. How many of them might have lived if our President hadn’t been an arrogant, uneducated jackass?

 

As the Governors of the United States begged the Federal Government for ventilators to keep COVID19 victims breathing, Trump went on air and said that the Governors needed to “be nicer” to him if they wanted breathing machines for their citizens. New York began storing bodies in freezer trucks and burying them in mass graves as the President withheld lifesaving medical equipment. Calling him insane would be an understatement.

 

As millions of people around the world were being killed by the virus, scientists from around the world began to work together. Pharmaceutical companies began to focus solely on the worldwide pandemic. Unfortunately, President Trump’s words fooled thousands of people into believing the virus was a hoax. He traveled around the country hosting large gatherings where thousands were infected. His followers, acting like a cult, began threatening the lives of the scientists that were trying to help humanity by finding a cure. The world’s leading Virologist Anthony Fauci needed bodyguards for his entire family because of death threats from Trump cultists and insults by the mentally unstable President.

 

Many businesses had to close. Others were able to adjust their employees to work from home. Professional sports were canceled. Many schools had to be closed for safety reasons. Educators rushed to educate their students online from home. Our whole life was upended and threatened for over a year.

 

Finally, in December 2020, Pfizer announced they had a vaccine that protected against the deadly effects of the virus. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson soon released their vaccines. President Trump was totally unprepared and clueless about how to distribute the vaccines.

 

Thank God, Trump had been defeated in the 2020 Presidential election. In January 2021, President Joe Biden took office and promised 100 million vaccinated Americans in his first 100 days. He accomplished 100 million in less than 60 days!

 

As I write this, it is August 2021. I have had my two necessary vaccine injections. Tom has had both. We are protected 100% from death due to the COVID19 virus. Over 600,000 American people have died.

 

One of the most difficult challenges was not seeing my daughter and grandchildren. I’m not sure you kids understand that my doctors isolated me due to my health disabilities. I don’t know if you understand why I was away from you because my doctor's said the virus could kill me. Your Mom and Day, who I loved with all my heart, mocked people who believed in the pandemic and protected themselves.

In any earlier era, the COVID19 pandemic would have threatened the survival of humanity. We were fortunate to have the science, technology and knowledge to battle it.

By the time I was allowed to travel after being vaccinated against the virus I came to visit you but everything had changed.