COVID-19 Reality Check: It’s Still Not Over

Posted on by Astrid

So like I said earlier today, I had a low-grade fever yesterday. I didn’t think much of it. I guess the reality that COVID-19 is far from over yet, hasn’t hit home yet. My husband was immediately worried. I may’ve worried him too much by my wording. I mean, there’s a word for a low-grade fever that I should have used, but I said I had a slight fever instead.

I asked my husband whether he could come tomorrow, now that I no longer have a fever. He said no way and got a little annoyed with me for even raising the issue again. He said if I do have COVID-19 and infect him and then his father, my father-in-law could die. Or if I do develop symptoms again when at my husband’s and my house in Lobith, I won’t be allowed to come back to the care facility. I understand, but it’s hard.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic having hit the Netherlands, I was somewhat optimistic about its progress. I mean, I predicted that, by September 2020, vacations would still be discouraged but the virus would pretty much have left anyway. It hasn’t.

Then in mid-May, life more or less went back to normal within the care facility for me. At the end of June, the restrictions on visitors were practically lifted altogether. I mean, I’m supposed to call the facility after having been in Lobith to make sure I’m still symptom-free and so is the care home, but I don’t.

In early August, my mother-in-law came by and we went to sit outside of a restaurant for a cup of coffee. No-one asked for our contact details or checked that we met the 1.5m distance requirement. I later heard the rules were made stricter again at the end of that week, but I still am not seeing much of a difference.

My care facility went mostly back to normal over the summer. I mean, the home a floor below me got infected with COVID-19 in late March. After that, staff were not allowed to work on multiple units and the night staff were to keep their distance as much as possible. After all other homes stayed clear, staff are now allowed to work on multiple units again, even in the same day. Staff, except for the night staff, never stopped hugging clients or holding their hand. Some staff wear face masks some of the time. Most don’t.

My husband commented earlier this evening on terraces being packed full of people in Elten, Lobith’s neighboring town across the German border. He sarcasttically wondered whether they had the vaccine already. They don’t.

My husband is scared. He may be more cautious than most, or at least than me. That’s a good thing though. He wants to protect himself and his loved ones. I understand.

Meanwhile, I want to go back to normal – the old normal. I saw a writing prompts book on coronavirus today in Apple books and decided to get it, even though in my mind, COVID-19 was in March, not September. Yet it is.

Mama’s Losin’ It

PoCoLo

24 thoughts on “COVID-19 Reality Check: It’s Still Not Over”

  1. Everyone acts like it’s gone but the fact we wear masks everywhere is a stark reminder that it’s still brewing.
    I could stand a dose of the old normal. This new normal feels icky.

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    1. Yeah, can relate, except for the mask-wearing. It’s not mandatory here in shops or on the street, so I so far haven’t worn a mask, as I’ve avoided traveling by public transportation.

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    1. Thanks. Yes, it’s easy to live life as if nothing happened when you’re not sick yourself and don’t know anyone who is. They’re so weird, these times.

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  3. I study the numbers in the UK still, but not there. We are actually seeing cases increase since July, presumably as there is more and more interaction. However, we are seeing death rates remain very low. Well, there were 10 deaths here yesterday. Back in April, we had one day where there were about 1,000 deaths, so that is what I mean by “low”.

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  4. I think this sums up thoughts that a lot of us are having. It seems crazy that we’re in September now and the virus is still going strong – I think a lot of people back in March thought we would have a vaccine ready by Christmas! Sadly, I think this “new normal” will be with us for a while yet though

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  5. Back in March, I cautiously figured we’d be pretty much done with covid-19 by now. Well, clearly we’re not. I think the not-knowing is what’s stressful for a lot of people.

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  6. I long for the old normal, too.
    However I’ve read news on medical studies that prove people who’ve had covid show immunity memory in their t-cells that fight that sort of thing, which = immunity to Covid. Also people who had SARS 17 years ago, still had t-cell immunity memory about that. (meaning the t-cells still recognize the virus and won’t let it back in.) Also, perhaps most importantly, testing showed many people who haven’t even had Covid show a high t-cell immunity resistance to getting it and this last means, people who’ve never had it are unlikely to get it at all. I’m 64. I had Covid in April—and it was that tiny bit of fever plus cold symptoms like a mild sore throat and stuffiness, but just overnight. The fever was gone within a few hours, but that is fairly typical for any healthy person. Just being over 60 does NOT imply a terrible reaction. (I’m actually highly resistant to getting sick with anything in general.) If that tiny fever means you just had covid, you may consider yourself now immune henceforth. Reinfection can actually only re-occur it the Covid evolves into a different strain, but if it were to do so, all the vaccine research would have to start over afresh and no one is saying that is happening. A well known US heart doctor also reported back in July that, in fact, the covid virus has become a milder form, but current vaccine research would still work on it. Here’s the link on immunity studies https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/people-have-lasting-immunity-to-covid-19-new-studies/ Send it to your husband. It might help him be less fearful.

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    1. Thanks so much for your insightful comment. I have heard indeed that COVID may be milder now than it was back in the spring. I really hope the situation is as relatively positive as you suggest it may be.

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  7. I hope you’re feeling better now! I want things to go back to normal too, but at the same time I don’t feel very comfortable taking a vaccine when it’s ready. It might be different here in America, but I don’t really trust that our government has our best interests in mind so I’m skeptical of any vaccine they push at this point.

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