You know the part in the movie where you realize that the hero is going to die? Well, that's how I feel after 2 years of fighting this war against coronavirus. Ok, maybe I'm not gonna die, but...I definitely feel defeated! Movies like Braveheart, Looper, and Ghost give us hope that if we read the signs, do what we think is right, and follow the advice of the experts, we might get a second chance at a new life. Unfortunately, like the main characters in these films, we've tried everything that we could and, now - all we can do is wait for our inevitable ailment...
"Canadians are being urged to ditch certain types of masks in favour of ones experts say will provide more protection against the new, rapidly spreading Omicron variant." - Global News
"Omicron COVID variant 105% more transmissible than Delta, French scientists find", as of Jan 7, 2022. So, here we go again...on March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was delcared a global pandemic. As of January 7, 2022 a total of 2,437,823 confirmed cases caused by the novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) and 30,584 deaths were reported in Canada. Worldwide, 5.48 million have died. Today, there are almost 14k new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario and there is no evidence that the round of vaccines we received last year is working against this new variant.
So, what we do know is that completing a primary series of two-dose vaccine is preventing death and hopsitalizations. And, let's be honest, the government doesn't really care about our personal health or well-being. They just want to make sure that we keep the hospitals from becoming overcrowded. I guess that means, we all need to get vaccinated, ages 5 and older.
According to the Government of Ontario website, SARS-COV-2 epidemiology in children aged 5–11 years showed that children are at least as likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 as adults
– Over 1.9 million reported cases
– Infections in children less likely to be reported as cases than infections in adults
Also, children 5-11 years of age are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19
– >8,300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations as of mid-October
– Cumulative hospitalization rate is similar to pre-pandemic influenza seasons
– Severity comparable among children hospitalized with influenza and COVID-19, with approximately 1/3 of children 5–11 years requiring ICU admission
– Post-COVID conditions have been reported in children
And finally, secondary transmission from young school-aged children occurs in household and school settings.
There we go. The writing is on the wall. I guess I'd better call my local doctor to book a shot for my son. I just wish I could look 20 years into his future and know if my decision for his life was going to cause him long-term side effects. There is a side-effect reporting website provided by the US government (VAERS), but it just too hard to navigate! Once these vaccines started to roll out, everyone either jumped onto the vaxxing or antivaxxing side of the tracks. It seems to all be going too fast and decisions are being made haphazardly. When we see statements from government officials changing by the day, who are we to trust? What are we to do to keep ourselves safe? How can I trust mother's intuition when doctors are telling me to do the opposite?
Can we just make domes to keep ourselves quarantined for the next 4 months? Patent-pending copyrighted idea!! I came up with this during final exams in my first year at Waterloo...but, back to the isolation in progress: what happened to the waves, where we just had to "ride it out" to see the other side of the rainbow? Last week, the premier told us to expect a tsunami of new cases. Who survives a tsunami?!
Side note: I just came across this OACAS website: Max The Vax. Perhaps this will be the answer to all my questions!
To my readers...stay safe in 2022 and let me know if you would vaccinate your kid without knowing what was in the mix. I'm hoping to stay in the house now until 2025...
