Back in April – the far left-end of the graph – we all waited in lines outside of the one store we might deign to go into that week and then, once home, furiously wiped down whatever we bought. Now it’s December, the right side of the graph has gone crazy, and there’s no wait for anything. Local malls are open. Unlike the spring, when people steered clear of each other on the sidewalk, these days there are two distinct groups of dog walkers in my neighborhood: the few who mask up every time and the majority who are pretty sure that if their dog doesn’t need a mask, neither do they.
No doubt, the arrival of coronavirus vaccine represents a bright light, but how much longer are we stuck in the tunnel? The honest answer is that nobody knows… and the painful second half of that sentence is that before we emerge, things will get very dark. That’s because unless you work in a hospital or skilled nursing facility, you aren’t getting vaccinated in the next several weeks. There’s already no more room at the inn for people who need medical care, and we’re just beginning to see the fire hose of patients who will require it.
This past week, LA County’s COVID case number increased by 656%. Pitch black tunnel.
Our curve doesn’t have to look like this in LA or anywhere. This story goes just like the dozens of parables we read as kids, where if everyone pulled together, they could defeat the monster. I hope we will. If you are missing that holiday party or toying with the idea of still taking that trip you know you probably shouldn’t be taking, just conjure the image of the graph. Or if you want to put your sacrifice into perspective, watch this:
