Calm Down and Wear Your Mask
Be responsible for yourself, as well as for those around you
I know many of you have been keeping up with the recent Covid-19 case surges caused by the Omicron variant. When we thought we were out of the woods, we find ourselves in the thick of this pandemic with double-masked and triple-vaccinated. There’s now an abundance of information around this Variant of Concern (VOC). I, myself, have been keeping tabs on it as public health officials are learning more about the SARS-CoV-2 variant.
I’m not alarmed by what’s happening, and I’m choosing to be cautious over fearful. Omicron has proven to cause milder Covid-19 cases in infected individuals, especially if they’re fully vaccinated. San Francisco is the most well-protected major city in the United States regarding Covid-19, with 80% vaccinated residents. Among them, the majority are also boosted.
According to the San Francisco Public Health Department, our seven-day rolling average of new cases per day is 132 new infections. At least 77% of those Covid-19 cases are believed to be from the Omicron variant. It’s a nearly double figure from earlier this month and is likely a combination of two things: the Omicron variant’s presence in SF and more people requesting Covid-19 testing.
Covid-19 hospitalizations — the figure many public health officials suggest we now reference when describing the severity of a Covid-19 surge — are still low. For example, there are 36 Covid-19 hospitalizations recorded in San Francisco, which has been steady since December 3. Last year, SF had almost 200 hospitalizations. I asked one of our urgent care nurses how the emergency room has been, and they replied, “there have only been a handful of cases, and all of them have been unvaccinated morons.”
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I’m not trying to tell you not to be concerned about what’s happening with Omicron. But what I am suggesting is that you understand the facts and figures around this time in the pandemic and do your best to safeguard yourself from symptomatic Covid-19. This means getting your booster shot, double-masking inside public places, avoiding sharing physical space with unvaccinated people, and getting tested if you’re feeling unwell.
It’s perfectly fine these days to ask someone if they’re vaccinated against Covid-19 or not. The pandemic isn’t a political statement; it’s a public health emergency.
I’m very fortunate that I love just living with Jackson and Macho — sans people. Sadly, though, I understand it’s not easy for many community members to do that: Enjoy time alone. Unfortunately, isolation has proven to cause an increase in depression and suicidal cases, especially in the LGBTQ+ community.
I will not freak out about it because we have all been through this before. Instead, be respectful, kind, and courteous to our friends in the service industry who are most vulnerable to contracting the virus. Be responsible for yourself, as well as those around you.
I’m staying home this Christmas weekend — It feels like the first time I’ve had an actual break this year. Growing up, I especially loved Christmas Eve. We would pile into the family car (pre-seatbelts) and drive off into the cold winter night — making a couple of stops to visit cousins, aunts, and uncles. When we went to my Aunt Anita’s, I saw the gift of sharing food. Everyone wound up there. I’m blessed to have had the opportunity to spend time with my tia and learn how to prepare tamales. It wasn’t about the obligation of gift-giving, as consumerism has it now. Instead, it was about family gathering together. I still carry that with me.
So we shall see each other soon — even if that means that we must wear a mask.
