Covid Diaries

 Many people all over the world started a Covid Diary, early in the pandemic, to tell their stories about their personal experiences with the virus. I didn't start a diary but I have taken notes; yet recently I've been writing more about how Covid has affected my immediate and extended family both financially, physically, and emotionally. 

Lately, I hear similar stories that match my own from locals. A few stories don't have good endings, unfortunately. I can say that I have not experienced any Covid deaths in my circle of family and friends, but the virus, as you know, is far from gone; and like everyone else, I hope that it never takes anyone in my family, or anyone else's. 

100 years from now, everyone reading this will be long gone. They'll be a new crowd in Marianna. A few people may eventually ask, "I wonder what life was like in Marianna during the Covid pandemic?" If the diaries aren't written, then the pandemic stories in our little town may never be known. Who cares, some might say when all is said and done we will all may have similar stories. Regardless, everyone's story, to some of us, is worth documenting and as much as they might be the same they are also different. Future generations should know what happened during the pandemic here. And even if those stories are never made public, maybe they will at least be documented somewhere, for someone.

The timing that I write this, the day after Christmas, is for a reason. Based on my personal experience and observations, I feel we are about to enter into a new year with a lot of sadness for many people, because of Covid. Of course, I hope I am wrong. But why I think this is, the numbers of Covid are increasing locally; rapid tests are sold out in local stores; local testing sites are filled with scheduled appointments, which means a several day wait for others just to be tested, then waiting a couple more days for the results. If you need a test in a hurry, it seems you are out of luck. Online rapid tests are also few and far between as of today, December 26th. It was not this bad a few months ago. And so ending the year, many of us have had a different kind of holiday again, than what we normally would have experienced. If you were one who woke up Christmas Day, sick, you later found out that only a few local stores were open and none of them had rapid tests. Pharmacy's and other places that test regularly were also closed.

I think I can speak for many by saying, we are all tired of the virus. 

If you are traveling from another country for the holiday, from my own experience, you fear not being able to return to your homeland. In the U.K the virus continues to spike, just as it is here in the U.S. A traveler, like anyone else, can get the virus at any time and if he or she is scheduled to fly out of the area they must test negative within 24 hours of flying. If not, they are stuck. This causes a lot of problems/stress, especially because of what I mentioned above about getting tested at a facility or buying a rapid Covid home test kit. Only now have I seen things change to where Covid is more on my families doorsteps than ever before. 

I remember early on, when Covid first entered the U.S, I heard the words "At some point, everyone will know someone who gets Covid". I could hardly believe this (surely the United States was prepared for a pandemic?) Now I ask myself, "At some point, will everyone have a loved one who died from Covid?" 

According to the Pennsylvania Covid-19 Dashboard on the Department of Health's website, as of today, the total Covid cases in Marianna are 133. This does not include people who never got tested who had it; or those who have had it and did a home rapid test, which is not documented in the Pennsylvania data system.

For what it's worth, it's never too late to start a Covid diary. It's also never to late to get a vaccine.