Think the COVID-19 surge is no big deal? No need to curtail Thanksgiving? Let’s talk

Do we have to talk about the coronavirus again?

Yep, afraid so.

Why? Nothing has changed. I’m so tired of it.

We are, too. But it has changed. More people are getting sick. That’s here, in Tarrant County, as well as in Texas and the rest of the country.

Yeah, but few get truly sick and die.

But the more people who get it, the more serious illnesses we’ll have.

OK. But if most young, healthy people recover well, what’s the big deal?

Well, even they can spread the virus, perhaps to vulnerable people you love. The more people who get sick, the more go to the hospital. And our hospitals are close to running out of intensive-care beds.

Yeah, but isn’t what they’re for?

Sure, but what about people who are seriously hurt in car accidents or have heart attacks or strokes? You want them to be able to get the care they need, don’t you?

There’s also the strain on our doctors and nurses. They’re highly trained for this, but week after week of it is taking a toll — especially when they’re hearing people deny the very pandemic right before their eyes.

C’mon. That’s fake news. It’s just like the flu. We go through that every year.

No. The flu is not this contagious, we have a vaccine and a lot of people have immunity to it.

Look, I’m not sick and no one in my family is. Why shouldn’t we get together for Thanksgiving?

One of you could have the virus and not know it. And at crowded, indoor events, the virus moves from person to person with ruthless efficiency. Even if none of them get sick, they will then take the virus wherever they go. A lot of cases have been traced back that way.

OK, but I just can’t handle wearing a mask. I don’t think they work. They told us at first not to wear them.

Yep, our medical and health officials, like all of us, got some stuff wrong at first.

They did it on purpose! Why should I trust them now?

The initial priority when the virus broke out was to protect health care workers because it wasn’t clear how bad the situation would get. No, they shouldn’t have held back advice on masks, even if the goal was to protect health workers early on. It hurt their credibility. But all that doesn’t change that while masks aren’t perfect, they help.

Everything they tell us not to do, they do themselves. Hypocrites.

No doubt, plenty of political leaders have shown a rules-for-thee-not-for-me attitude. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent dinner party — attended by leaders of the California Medical Association! — is a sickening example. Let’s hope their voters punish them for it.

But the virus situation is precisely why such debacles matter. The pandemic is raging and spreading through gatherings such as these.

But we’ve sacrificed so much. I have friends who lost businesses, relatives who can’t pay rent. My kids are going crazy. And people tell me I’m selfish if I bring it up.

They shouldn’t. The pain is real, and all these choices involve tradeoffs. But if the virus continues to spread as wildly as it has been, the economy will suffer more. Even without a full, formal shutdown — which Gov. Greg Abbott says he wouldn’t allow again — the pandemic will cause people to stay at home out of fear.

The sooner we bring the numbers down, the better it is for the economy. And for our families, too. Schools are starting to shut down because too many teachers are sick. How’s that good for kids?

So, we just wait for a vaccine?

Not exactly. If the spread can be tamed, we can find ways to balance activities better. Some things will still be highly dangerous — such as being in a crowded bar — but it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

And the vaccine is closer than you think. Two companies have announced major progress. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Hmmm. Still stinks for Thanksgiving, though.

Agreed. It’s a sacrifice. But we’ll be better off for it in the end. Have an extra piece of pie during a Zoom call with relatives. It’s not the same, not even close. But it’ll increase the odds you can see them next year.

What’s the best pie for that?

As Texans, we should probably say pecan, but everyone knows that’s the fake news. Pumpkin rules.

This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 5:03 AM.