i’m just going to rant here. in 2009, i had a near-death health crisis that began with pneumonia and turned into full body sepsis and a toxic mega colon. i was in ICU for 2 weeks, followed by another 2 weeks stay on the ward. i was on a ventilator in ICU and my colon was removed during an exploratory surgery that the surgeon and team didn’t expect me to live through. before i was transported by ambulance to ER where medical staff worked on me for 11 hours until i was stable enough to move to ICU, i remember how it felt not to be able to breathe. it was one of the most painful experiences i have ever had. my whole body ached. i was extremely weak. i gasped and it sounded like a death rattle. my husband said i looked like a deer that had been shot and was about to die. i was in acute respiratory failure. i was dying. I also remember feeling extremely depressed and having a sensation of doom. When I was in ICU i experienced nightmarish delusions from the meds and a high fever. I was completely messed up in every way. I lost my colon. It took me two years to recover and even after that I continue to have trauma associated with the experience: extreme claustrophobia that makes me clamp my jaw; i still sometimes wake up screaming in the night; i often sleep tightly curled in the fetal position.
Covid 19 can cause acute respiratory distress and Long Covid can also have impacts on the lungs, causing respiratory failure and distress. People who have been in ICU and survived often have to endure ongoing physical and emotional effects, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety and more.
The pandemic continues to rage on. We are now in a 7th wave. Governments have removed mask and vaccination mandates. In my province of Ontario there is no longer a requirement to isolate while having Covid or after having Covid. Travel to and from international and national destinations is happening, along with indoor gatherings. The Canadian Government is no longer offering financial aid to businesses and individuals affected by Covid.
Meanwhile hospitals are having to close their ERs, surgeries for those with cancer and other issues are having to be cancelled. Those who do travel are experiencing flight cancellations, long line ups for check ins and baggage claims. Medical, airline and other staff are getting sick and causing staff shortages, supply chain issues and more.
I don’t understand why anyone would engage in any kind of recreational travel or group gathering. I can understand why essential workers would need to travel and engage in other risky activities, but I do not understand why they are not being supported by governments as much as possible, and why the general population doesn’t continue to follow Covid-19 safety protocols.
I am frightened and concerned for disabled and immuno-compromised individuals, who are being treated as if they don’t matter.
I am completely perplexed by the politicization of mask wearing and vaccines. I am angry that the far right has exploited people’s fears and concerns in order to radicalize them and increase their fears, creating even more political and economic instability.
I believe this magical thinking that Covid 19 is over will lead to increased breakdowns of critical infrastructure. I just cannot understand why anyone with a choice is taking the risk of catching Covid and spreading it to others. I don’t think you need a crystal ball to see that this pandemic is not going away, and ignoring it will cause dire consequences in every aspect of life. Those who suffer the most will be the impoverished, the marginalized and the oppressed. I feel like I am living in a society that values money over people. This has been the case for my entire life and longer, but it has become even more apparent to me now. I see no leader willing to have the vision to speak out against this magical thinking. It’s probably too late anyway.