As news outlets continue to try to alarm us with daily reports of a record-breaking number of new COVID-19 cases, I’m wondering if I’m not...
As news outlets continue to try to alarm us with daily reports of a record-breaking number of new COVID-19 cases, I’m wondering if I’m not alone in thinking that we should perceive this as good news instead of bad.
I’m neither a scientist nor a physician, and so I advise any reader to take my point of view with a grain of salt. Then again, I think that should apply to any opinion, from President Joe Biden’s to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s. No human being is infallible; anyone can be wrong about anything at any time.
That said, when the omicron variant first surfaced, described as far more contagious but far less lethal, I took it as a major breakthrough — this dreaded virus had finally turned the corner on its way to becoming a common cold.
You remember the common cold, don’t you? We’d all be sick for a few days, but no one would panic. I wonder how many of today’s common colds were deadly viruses a few hundred years ago, before they too turned the corner and mutated into weaker versions.
My family and I recently had a rather mild case, from which, thankfully, we quickly and fully recovered. Although we chose not to get vaccinated, we didn’t just sit by idly and roll the dice. For well over a year, we have followed a daily regimen of ingesting vitamins C and D, quercitin and zinc.
Upon testing positive we began an immediate five-day intake (immediate being the key) of ivermectin followed by five days of a Z-Pak, prescribed to us by our doctors. Monoclonal antibodies have also been proved effective, but our symptoms never rose to a level where it appeared we would need them.
I don’t have absolute views on vaccinating and masking. Regarding vaccines, I think of them less like eating dandelions — which may be effective against COVID-19 but in any case don’t do any harm — and more like blood pressure medication, which can be a lifesaver for some, but dangerous if taken preventatively as opposed to maintaining healthy blood pressure through good nutrition.
Then there’s masking. I don’t see how wearing a glorified do-rag with your favorite sports team’s logo on it is going to prevent a virus from entering or exiting. Granted, properly fitted N95 masks do work, but many if not most people haven’t a clue how to wear and clean them.
I don’t know what kind of mask Biden wears, but he regularly enters a room filled with reporters, takes off his mask, speaks and then puts his mask on again before leaving. That’s like the millions who enter a restaurant masked, walk 20 feet to a table, take off their mask during dinner for two hours, then put it on again to walk 20 feet to the exit.
Pardon me if I sound sarcastic, but is this a respectful virus that during meals and presidential addresses declares a cease-fire from infecting?
I also don’t mean to sound flippant when I say that my family and I were rather happy to contract the mild omicron variant so we could “get it over with” and build natural immunity, which we consider superior to the supposed immunity provided by these vaccines.
In no way am I insensitive to the actual suffering and loss of life so many have experienced over the past couple of years. Moreover, I don’t think getting the virus is the right approach for everyone. Surely, there are folks with known health problems and even those who feel fine but, say, have low Vitamin D levels without realizing it who may be at higher risk.
Nonetheless, considering that omicron for the vast majority of the population — whether vaccinated or not — has been rather mild, I’ve gone from being happy that, up until a couple of months ago, only about 3 percent of the world’s population had COVID-19 to rooting for worldwide natural immunity through contraction of a much weaker variant.
In 1999, comedian Chris Rock joked about a day when AIDS would be no big deal and folks would say, “You know, when the weather gets like this, my AIDS just pops up. But I took some Robitussin. I’m fine now!” Analogously, maybe it’s time that we stop fearing COVID-19 and treat it more like a nuisance.
I’m not alone in this. A few days ago, for instance, a scientist and a physician in a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed encouraged hastening omicron’s spread instead of attempting to slow it down. Surely, we don’t run out and ask people to sneeze on us so we can catch a cold on purpose, but pre-COVID, if we felt the onset of cold symptoms, we’d be annoyed, not petrified.
Omicron is by no means guaranteed to be harmless. And high-risk folks should absolutely continue to undertake the most stringent precautions.
Nonetheless, contracting it may be our best way out of this mess, so that once and for all, people can stop the masking, vaxxing, boosting and paranoia and get back to living life.
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