Where Have All The Flowers Gone?

As with every other person on the planet, the last eight weeks or so, (at least by my count anyway) we have been faced with a rather unprecedented event in our lifetimes. Sure a similar occurrence took place in the early 20th century also of a worldwide nature, yet really to equate the two as the same thing would be ridiculous. The situations were very different indeed.

We must remember that back in 1918 medical science was a mere fraction of the knowledge it possesses today. Even the word 'pandemic' was very foreign to most people. The 'Spanish Flu' for all intents and purposes spread like wildfire and indeed lasted 2+ years as a matter of record. Who's to say this damn Covid thing will not last as long, as a matter of another point of contention, there are some experts claiming this strain will indeed last this long and longer in one form or another.

It has the presence of mind, if you will, to mutate- to take on other forms, to become another strain of the same virus. My fear, is if a vaccine is found and the virus mutates to such an extent, will that vaccine no longer be viable? Who in hell knows at this point? Yet I would think if a vaccine was present and a mutation occurred, much the same could be done to alter that vaccine in the same fashion? I could very well be grasping at straws here though...

I don't know. I am not a scientist, a virologist, a biologist...or any kind of 'ist' for that matter. The amount of people that perished from the Spanish Flu was huge. Those numbers range from 20 to 50 million people and there are some researchers that say that 50 million is a rather low estimate of the actual dead. We all know why if we just think about it for a few minutes. At the time we had no idea as to why such a virus would spread in the fashion it did. We did not know what 'social distancing' was or how it could possibly help. (I personally still have some serious doubts on the effectiveness of this, but that's me.)

If one looks at pictures from 1918-1920 ish, sure people are wearing masks en masse, yet still gathered in large groups. The large group part I fully understand and agree with, but this staying 6 feet apart to me is ludicrous. The virus does not jump from one person to another. We are aware how it spreads and last I heard it is not airborne. It is spread through droplets, unlike the Spanish Flu which was indeed airborne as well. Only a part of the reason it spread as quickly as it did.

Other factors of course were poor hygiene, no realisation that close contact, ie- on ships especially post World War 1 soldiers returning home. The reasoning behind 40% of the American Military becoming infected with that flu. Lack of proper medical care in comparison to today, plus the simple fact that all of these things combined made for an especially virulent strain of normal influenza.

Having said that, unless you are openly coughing and sneezing and blowing your nose or spitting in each others mouths, you're gonna be fairly safe. Wearing a mask when walking down the street does not do a damn thing to protect you! In a group of people though, it does protect those around you, but it gives little to no protection to you, the person wearing the mask. The only mask that does is the N95, and it's counterparts (the names of those elude me yet they all have N95 in their respective names).

So my question is, 'What are you doing?' Same as wearing your gloves from the time you get up in the morning till the time you go to bed. (I exaggerate to make a subtle point). Think about what you are doing. I wear a mask at work, not because I want to but because I have been instructed too. I, we as a whole, the entire staff wear these masks to protect the residents of the care facility and nothing more. WE ARE NOT WEARING THEM TO PROTECT OURSELVES. I cannot make that any clearer.

If you are going to break your quarantine, than god damn it, make sure you have your facts straight before you go spouting off at the mouth towards the behavior of others! Stop it with the 'stink eye' when you deem others are too close to you...got a problem with that- then stay the fuck home!

One of my biggest worries right now is that we will never return to a society of trusting individuals ever again. We will constantly be judging those around us for what they are doing wrong rather than checking our own behaviour. Remember, that like it or not, you are not always right. We may tell ourselves this, yet we as a people do indeed make mistakes.

'People in glass houses', right?

The other thing most people are not considering when complaining about how long they have 'been in lockdown', or 'quarantined is, to begin with, be thankful you are not in Italy, or Spain, or even the UK right now. That my friends is 'Lockdown!' What we here in the northern hemisphere are experiencing is far from it. Also, and here's the dilly, this is only the first wave of this damn thing, the second, if history repeats itself, (and it damn near always does), the second wave will be the deadliest and most brutal. The Spanish Flu taught us that.

If we are lucky enough to have a vaccine before that happens, and that first strain we are experiencing now has not mutated to a point where the vaccine we may or may not have come up with yet works, it may not be as effective on the second and perhaps even a third strain... or may not work at all.

At this point no one knows for sure. I implore you, stop your complaining and stay the fuck home a little longer and it may just save a whole hell of a lot of lives. Regardless of your feelings towards Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government, they are indeed doing a damn fine job of something none of them, like us, have ever been faced with before. His public speaking aside, (he still sounds like a sissy) he did tell Mr. 'I want to open the borders now' Trump, to go and fuck himself, in his own democratic way.

Personally I have gained much respect for the man over this last while. Doesn't mean I would ever vote for him, but still, who could have done a better job in our cast of political characters on offer?

Things are going to start to open up in the very near future, but it is going to be a very slow and gradual process that I do not believe is going to make anyone very happy. It needs to take time, otherwise everything we have sacrificed to this point will become null and void. It would have all been for nothing my friends. Another point I CANNOT state clearly enough.

Do we really want to return to that total and complete overwhelming sense of helplessness when this damn thing first started. When no one had a clue what to do?

Personally, I could use a hug from a friend. Maybe a lunch date at a restaurant for a change instead of my own cooking. I don't want to be scared of getting on a bus, or going into a store, or even walking down the street as I have been. My anxiety some days has the better of me and it's not for lack of knowledge on my part. You know what, it's not from the threat of the virus either. It's simply the way we are treating each other like, (please excuse the pun) we all have the plague or something...

I got news for you- WE DON'T!

With basic common sense and get this- 'common courtesy' there is no reason we cannot come through the other side of this better people.

Right now though, I have my doubts that anyone is learning a damn thing.

That needs to change, and change dramatically before this is over. Otherwise the opportunity for growth as a country, as nations, as a global entity will have been lost for good.