SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?

COVID is kicking our big fat American asses. Delta is filling the hospitals above and beyond their capacity. And Omicron is knocking at the door. We are now into the fifth or sixth wave — I’ve lost track — and we still have proud murderers who refuse to get vaccinated and do so with impunity.

According to experts, the cause for this sudden rise in hospitalizations and death is the colder weather as people start spending more time inside. But then how does one explain that Florida is leading the nation on the COVID Hit Parade?

The real culprit seems pretty obvious. It’s the super spreader events taking place EVERYWHERE. Wherever there’s a college, there has been a football game every Saturday; thousands of people jammed in tightly, screaming and spitting, hugging and kissing, tailgating and celebrating for hours on end. And then on Sundays in almost every large city we have the same infectious spirit spreading with pro football. And they’re outside at least. But now we’re taking the shows inside. We have college and pro sports taking place inside packed arenas. We have sold out concerts and plays. The bars are filled with holiday revelers. The churches are crammed with the faithful. And it’s just like the good old days. But let’s not kid ourselves: in virus times, crowded events equal COVID spikes.

I got all three vaccines, never stopped wearing a mask inside, and maintained social distancing. I only go out to lunch with an old friend once a week. I am a poster child for being careful. And my lunch buddy, who also follows the CDC guidelines, just emailed me last night to say his wife had lunch with a dear friend who tested positive for COVID.

What’s a motha to do? Well, go get tested.

Turns out that is no longer as easy as it used to be. CVS is all booked up. The Anne Arundel County Health Department drive-in testing sites are few and far between — I mean, I don’t want to go to my doctor or anyplace inside and take the chance of infecting others. Right?

So, I have to wait two days until I can get an appointment thirty minutes from Annapolis in some parking lot god knows where. And then I will have to wait two or three days until I get the results. And if I don’t quarantine until I find out if I’m infected, just imagine how many people I might harm or even kill. With this lengthy scenario, contract tracing becomes an exercise in chasing our collective tails.

This is scary stuff and we don’t seem to have a handle on prevention, starting with the basics. And if Maryland, where the government and medical facilities are a cut above, can’t get its act together, try and imagine how screwed up it is in West Virginia or Alabama.

I’m kicking myself in the ass because I knew I should have taken that free ticket to Sunday’s Ravens/Packers game.