It's been a while since I've been so happy to see January end. Even if it is groundhog day.
As I'm writing, that is.
Who knows what day you're reading this. But if it's groundhog day where you are, let me know. That's proof I've been stuck here going on twenty two months and Bill Murray I ain't.
Anybody feeling me?
Twenty two months ago was the first time I wrote about Covid. I don't want to count the number of times. I know the words have changed, but it seems like I've said the same thing every time.
Here we go again. Two months ago on the first of December, I wrote about a new variant, Omicron. No one knew how virulent or how contagious or how deadly it might be.
We found out pretty quickly.
On December 1, there had been 11,298 Covid-19 cases in Pike County. That's in roughly 20 months. We averaged around 565 cases in the county per month over that time.
On February 1, there had been 15,417 total cases. That's 4119 new cases in two months for an average of 2059 per month. Safe to say Omicron is pretty contagious.
On December 1, there had been 206 Covid deaths in Pike county, roughly 10.3 per month. On February 1, there had been 235 Covid deaths, increasing 29 deaths at a 14.5 per month rate.
ICU space at PMC is 90% full at last report. The good news is new cases have decreased over the last week. Unfortunately, death spikes lag several weeks after case load spikes. Hospitalizations and death rate continue to rise.
These statistics are shocking and overwhelming to absorb for anyone paying attention. But there's something else that I can't get past. It's the pebble in my shoe that I can't shake out.
This pandemic has stricken local counties this heavily these last two months even though vaccines are widely and readily available, for free, and we know mask wearing and distancing can prevent spread.
We know the things to do, but people just can't be bothered. Politicians and demagogues have turned public health into a battle ground no matter the carnage.
At this writing, still barely 53% of Pike countians are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Over 90% of deaths and ICU cases are from unvaccinated people.
It's as if it's below zero outside and 47% of the population choose to leave their house naked. They'd argue only a few would actually freeze to death so why not?
So why not?
Because nobody catches naked or frostbite from a hypothermic idiot. But you sure could catch Covid from one.
This pandemic will lumber on. Groundhog day will never end. The clouds that fill the sky will start raining any time.
Wait just a minute! It was cloudy this morning. Our groundhog had no shadow. Doesn't that mean winter's almost done? Maybe...could be.
But it's a sad day when you can rustle more faith in a groundhog than your neighbor.