I woke up this morning and felt like myself for the first time in 2 and a half years. I realized that moments of feeling contented, grateful and hopeful have become rare. I felt one of those moments last night. It's not even a moment really, more like a brief ray of passing light. It's funny, these brief moments. They remind me of how I used to be and how I used to feel most of the time and they come during the most mundane activities: brushing my teeth, cutting a tomato, making my morning coffee. And this one most frequently brings me that fleeting of joy; pulling out a fresh pair of pyjamas.
Yeah sure, let's talk about pyjamas in a facebook post. That should stir things up. I keep my PJ's in two neat stacks. One stack of bottoms and one stack of tops. My closets and drawers are in a state of mayhem but not the shelf my PJ's are on. When I see that shelf, that sense of peace washes over me ever so briefly as I pull from both piles. It is so bizarre. I have thought about this a lot because, frankly, I'd like this feeling to be present more often, as it used to be. It's the end of the day. I have PJ's to get into. I have a nice comfortable bed in a comfortable home in a safe place. The day's stress is over and now I can allow my burned out brain and body to rest.
Yes. PJ's and all the evening trappings.... gifts that many people in the world do not have.
I am grateful.
So, where did COVID- 19 go and where are all the updates? It would seem that it is not politically correct to update you about this pandemic anymore. It also seems politically incorrect to make efforts to restore your health care system and support your healthcare staff; thus the burn out. Google seventh wave of COVID and you won't find much. But here it is. We are at the start of a seventh wave driven by two Omicron variants: BA-4 and BA- 5. In the middle of June BA-5, the variant that is causing the most concern of the two, made up 14.8 % of all cases in Ontario with a weekly growth rate of 3.1 %. It now makes up 70 % of new cases in Ontario.
https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/nCoV/voc/2022/06/evidence-brief-ba4-ba5-risk-assessment-jul-8.pdf?sc_lang=en
It is more transmissible than the original Omicron variant but it seems to cause the same amount of morbidity and mortality with most people suffering mild to moderate illness and a small percentage requiring hospital admissions.
Test positivity is up to over 13 % and waste water signals are climbing. There are about 1100 new cases/day and the number of people requiring hospitalization due to COVID is up to 741 with a weekly increase of about 136.
https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/ontario-dashboard/
The number of people in the ICU is also increasing. Welcome to the 7th wave. So, what are we doing about this? Pretty much nothing as far as I can see. What should we do about this? Update your vaccines and wear a mask in indoor crowded settings. That includes stores, restaurants ( before you are seated) churches and indoor recreational events and gatherings. You don't have to wear a mask if you are not inclined but let me tell you my own story. The first week of May my husband brought Omicron home from his hockey team's change room. He passed it on to me. I still love him. At that point in time, we were likely infected with the original Omicron variant. He was quite unwell. I missed a day of work, suffered through a four day weekend with very mild symptoms and was fully recovered. Then, I went to San Francisco to visit my son and his partner. This was the last week of May. I took off my mask to eat and drink on the plane home and that was a mistake. BA-5 is most likely what hit me and it hit me hard and fast. I was out of commission for 5 days, away from work for 10 and to this day, I have not fully recovered. I feel 10 years older. My energy wanes by mid-day. My brain is not functioning as it used to with new cognitive limits I have never known before. Two weeks ago my office was under-staffed due to illness. I saw 110 patients in four days and it set me back by at least a couple of weeks. If I push too hard, mild symptoms come back. I am only now starting to read again. My garden is not bringing me as much joy and it is a chore to finish 25 km on my bike.
Does it sound like I am complaining? I am not, actually. I am giving a factual account of the hazards of COVID-19 in healthy people over 40. You can definitely get it twice. You can definitely become more ill than you remember ever being before and fatigue, cognitive and mood issues 1 month later happen and they are no joke. I have not posted since mother's day. That's a consequence of COVID.-19 My office is so far behind. Pre-booked appointments are months away. That's a consequence of COVID-19. The emergency rooms and hospitals are filled beyond any reasonable capacity. That's an extremely dangerous consequence of COVID-19. Every aspect of your health care system is struggling. That is decreasing your access to care. That is causing timely treatment to be way beyond any developed country's standard of care. I believe that the average life expectancy will decline as a result And further disintegration in health care is inevitable.
Politically incorrect to update you about COVID? It would seem so. Politically incorrect to put a plan in place to address the annihilation of your health care system? It appears that way to me. Strong words? Maybe. Watch the mass exodus of family and emergency room physicians in the next year and you will think my words were not strong enough.
Here is the name of a new campaign that I hope you will hear more about. " Imagine a world without family physicians (primary care) ". I have worked in countries with no primary care. We should be marching in the streets. Everyone should be protesting in every way possible. We are not because we are totally exhausted.
I am putting myself back in the saddle but it is taking a huge effort to hoist myself up. I will post again. For now, please get a booster dose of a vaccine if you have not yet had one, if only to protect you and your family form having to exist without an intact healthcare system.
If you are over 60 you are eligible for a fourth dose. That list needs to be expanded. I am waiting to see what the fall brings in terms of 4th doses and boosters but no word yet. Here is a link that comprehensively covers third and fourth dose eligibility.
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/getting-covid-19-vaccine
COVID-19 may not be increasing your risk of dying if you are young and healthy but, the extra strain on our beloved health care system is definitely increasing all-cause mortality rates for all of us. Masks back on. Boosters in!
Anne-Marie
Please share.
PS. I am doing just fine. Better everyday.
As we continue to work to help vaccinate the beautiful people of Lesotho, consider donating on behalf of your mom. You can click to donate here:
https://www.braceletofhope.ca/ways-to-give/
For non-Facebook users, you can find this post here:
https://braceletofhope.blogspot.com/
For mental health support here:
https://familyserviceguelph.on.ca/
For local assistance with anxiety and depression:
www.here4help.ca
CMHA WW Website: www.cmhaww.ca
Here 24/7 at 1-844-HERE-247 or www.here247.ca.
And for post-secondary students, Good2Talk
https://good2talk.ca/
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