I'm Tired of Whiners

[flguy]

Every morning when I get up around 4 am I take my coffee out on the lanai and spend and hour or so reading my news feeds on my phone.  For some reason I get a lot of stories from Australia even though I am in Florida.  I'm a bit tired of all the countries that whine about lockdowns and increased death counts from Covid and then the kicker, as they have less than 1000 deaths total for the country since the beginning of the virus.  It's probably more jealousy than anything but with such a poor job done in the US with the virus and death totals around 635,000 here I get tired of the alarms raised when a country gets 20 new Covid cases.  I understand they have obviously done something very right about battling the virus that the US just couldn't handle due mostly to the selfishness of the US citizens to do what is best for the country and their family and neighbors.  I live in a very small county by Florida standards and we had over 1000 new cases last week and Florida had over 1700 deaths last week alone, thanks mostly to Gov DeathSentance.  I have stayed home, cancelled a vacation that was to start next week and mostly lead a secluded life for 18 months even as Florida has been wide open for business since late last year.  No one is forcing this lifestyle on me and it's all my own doing to safeguard my health and that of others.  I got my second shot in early February and plan on getting the booster when it becomes available.  So to those countries that have done STELLER work keeping the virus at bay, you really don't realize how lucky you are and everything you have suffered is worth it and far better than the alternative.  Please, get the shot and wear a mask to protect yourself AND others until we get a better handle on this menace.  

[Ruthrieston]

I agree with you entirely flguy. I have been so fortunate to live in Thailand through this pandemic - I have lived here for almost ten years now. Up to April this year we had less than 100 deaths here, but since then it is over ten thousand deaths. Infections and deaths appear to be slowing down now, but I too have been keeping to myself for the last five months as I am diabetic with other underlying conditions which place me at high risk. The absolute disaster around the vaccination programme in Thailand is outrageous, with barely ten percent of the population vaccinated so far. I was very fortunate to get my first dose of AstraZeneca on 7th August but of course I must wait twelve weeks for the second dose, so 30th October. Restrictions are starting to be lifted from tomorrow but I think I shall give it a couple of weeks yet to see how the figures move before I think about possible meeting with friends again. As you say it is about protecting ourselves and others from infection. The "long covid" damage has yet to be clarified but I think that may become significant for many people who have been infected. 

[TotallyOz]

The life of seclusion is very difficult. I have done it as well. Luckily, I found a great guy to stay with me and take care of me (or vice versa). I had one shot and another next month. I am looking forward to this easing up toward the end of the year and getting back to semi-normal. I don't think the entire thing will be over for many years. But, as time goes on, we learn to live with it better each month.

[lookin]

Thanks for the stories, guys!  👍  Especially nice to hear about leaders who put their citizens' lives first.

I've been really lucky living in a semi-rural area where most of my social and volunteer activities have been outdoors.  My local friends and I are of an age that got us early vaccinations.  Plus wearing a mask isn't a big problem, so I haven't been under all the stress that some folks have.

Most of my city friends have hunkered down, even though they've been vaccinated.  While we'd all like this behind us, nobody I know has been out demonstrating against restrictions, or vaccines, or masks.

I wish I understood better what motivates people to get so worked up about taking precautions that are meant to keep them healthier, along with their friends, families, and colleagues.  Especially when they get so angry, it makes me wonder if someone is winding them up or if it's a regular part of who they are.  If I had to choose between marching around yelling and waving a sign or taking a hike, it would be an easy choice.