As COVID Goes…

Nearly 8 months ago I helped a friend with his health problems only to see him fall in the hospital on his way to a blood test. His fall resulted in a broken hip. He was admitted to hospital for surgery to repair the hip. Too late, his condition continued to plummet. We didn’t know why. At 81 he was already in frail health and in trouble. We didn’t know what or why at the time, but shortly after hip surgery he died.

Prior to his hospitalization, he asked for my help because he was unable to fully manage his wife's care. She suffers from dementia. The hospital placed her in respite care at a nearby nursing home. After his unexpected death, she remains there in limbo. She doesn’t accept having dementia, in full denial. I’m not sure she knows that her life partner has died. As I said, she is in limbo.

All of this happened just as the world was dealing with COVID-19. It had not reached Illinois at the time, but we went into lockdown on March 21. He could not receive visitors at that point and died on March 25^th.

We do not know if he had COVID. I doubt we will ever know that. The family, however, is treating it as an early COVID death.

My daughter, son-in-law and one granddaughter have had COVID and recently are leaving the virus behind. One granddaughter was unaffected and still living in the home and going to high school. Seems the family has weathered the storm well and moving on.

Others in our family continue to protect themselves from infection. So far, a Thanksgiving gathering has been proposed but now we are pulling back from that. All the elders in the family have compromised health conditions and opting to stay home.

The next question will be Christmas gatherings. This is an open question precisely because COVID is vigorously ramping up in Illinois. The state is pondering shutting down once again. It most likely will. The evidence is overwhelming that another crisis point is happening.

Whether Christmas will come off or not for the family, we do not know but will remain hopeful.

Meanwhile restaurants, bars and small retail shops are struggling for existence. I feel for them. I understand their terror. I just hope Congress gets its act together and creates a stimulus package to help them.

Any anger focused on public officials who make these life saving decisions is misplaced. The virus is the culprit, not the officials. Businesses can be reformed; lives cannot. And those lives are their customers.

COVID is in charge at this point. To survive it, wear a mask, stay socially distanced, wash your hands and stay home as much as possible. The life you save may be your own or a loved one.

November 12, 2020