To date, nearly 5.5 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic was declared nearly six months ago. In Mississippi, since March, 74,555 people have tested positive, and 15,825 people are still battling the disease.
Montgomery County has reported a total of 379 cases, and 11 people have succumbed to the illness. In Carroll County, 275 cases have been reported, and 11 people have died from the illness.
The Center for Disease Control and the Mississippi Department of Health release new numbers daily, with the number of cases steadily rising in Mississippi and in the United States. We hear the numbers, we are ordered to wear masks and social distance, and we do what we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while trying to live normal lives.
The fact is, regardless of how careful one is in keeping their distance or washing hands or wearing a mask, everyone is at risk of contracting the virus. Because it is passed from person to person through respiratory droplets released when someone coughs, sneezes, or speaks as well as surface contact, the virus is highly contagious. In some cases, even when all precautions are taken, with the exception of total solitude, someone will contract the virus.
In July, my two sisters and I contracted COVID-19. It appears that we caught it from one another because no one else we were in close contact with was diagnosed.
We simply sat around a table outdoors and had a conversation. No one was sick, no one was running a temperature, and no one had knowingly been exposed. Yet, we all three tested positive for the virus a week later.
What surprised me most about having the virus is the ridiculous stigma that accompanies a diagnosis. One person who found out I had the virus treated me like I had committed a crime. He didn’t ask how I was doing or how I felt. He did interrogate me to see if I inadvertently infected him from 30 miles away or possibly through the telephone line.
Let me say this. Those of us who were unfortunate enough to have contracted COVID-19 DID NOT do anything wrong. We are not dirty, immoral, or criminal. While there may be some exceptions, not everyone who contracts the virus was careless with their personal hygiene, ignored government orders to wear a mask, or purposefully infected others after learning we had the virus.
I have been cautious since the pandemic was declared. Being considered an essential employee, I was not able to shelter at home like many people. Instead, I created a safe environment for my staff and me at the newspaper office. We closed the lobby to the public, attended meetings via telephone or internet, and gathered the news as much as possible by telephone.
I wore a mask when I was in a public place. If I was around more than two or three people, it was usually outside with social distancing rules in place. I’ve used enough hand sanitizer to float a cruise ship, and I’ve even had a local cleaning company fog the newspaper building with antiseptic once a week.
Regardless of those precautions, I still contracted the virus. We take precautions because it is the smart and responsible thing to do, but nothing is foolproof. Life continues, virus or not. There are bills to pay, children to educate, milestones to celebrate, and to-do lists to check off.
In Carroll and Montgomery counties, our children are back in school, and regardless of how careful and how much planning is put in place, there will be positive cases in every school. It is just a matter of when. And when students or teachers test positive for COVID-19, we can’t blame the school, teachers, administration, or elected officials. Some things, no matter how diligent you are about prevention, are just beyond human control.
However, we can pray, and we can take the necessary precautions like wearing a mask and washing our hands and keeping clear of large crowds or close contact with those not in our “bubble.”
We also need to remember to be kind to each other. With the stress of the pandemic putting so many of us on edge, it is easy to lash out or be insensitive to other people. Keep in mind that this is a storm every human being is enduring in one way or another.
