The Pandemic

February 9, 2021 William A. Gralnick

A sign covered with ice advertises a COVID-19 vaccination site in New York. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

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I don’t understand why the polio epidemic scared the pants off everyone, while the Covid pandemic is missing the minds and hearts of large swaths of the country. I remember well when Polio stalked us. I remember the terror on my parents’ faces when a country doctor mistakenly diagnosed me with it. You too must remember the pictures in the paper of children and adults in the medieval-like torture chamber called, “The Iron Lung.” Living life in that thing seemed to be more terrifying a prospect as my mind could come up with on its own.

When Jonas Salk’s vaccine hit the market, he was hailed a hero. Lines formed everywhere to get a poke in the arm, a poke that knocked out the nightmares caused by the polio virus. Then came Dr. Sabine, he of the sweet tooth, who figured out a vaccine that could be infused in a sugar cube and served up that way. Lots of people are afraid of needles. Unless you’re diabetic, most of us scarf up a sugar cube with the same relish as do horses. I had both.

Maybe it was the iron lung. Maybe it was FDR. Maybe it was the sight of crippled children on crutches, as well as adults and the deaths of those whose lungs were attacked. Maybe it was the difference in media. News wasn’t 24-7 so while you knew the virus was lurking, it was a lot more of a mystery than COVID’s presence. Doctors weren’t on the air all the time and probably fewer doctors and people had the ability to understand the technicalities of what they were being told. And while masks were certainly nothing new since the so-called Spanish Flu, I don’t remember knowing anyone in my family, most of whom were doctors, their wives and children wearing masks for polio. What I remember is the flight from the cities in the country-side to find places with fresh air and lower population density.

I don’t believe it, but have we not seen enough pictures of people on ventilators, skeletons coming out of the hospital after months of battling for their lives, stories about possible long-term, maybe forever post-Covid reactions, posting the death count often enough, which will shortly exceed a half million? One famous epidemiologist is predicting the loss of part of a generation in the African America community because middle-aged blacks seem to be targeted by the virus. And for Latinos, even younger. Anyone care? A lot of people are doing the Rip Van Winkle and seem to be sleeping through this. I don’t get it.

All of this is prompted by my wife and I and our adult children having just gotten our second shots. I won’t regale you with the insultingly bad process of spending four and a half hours moving at the pace of a snail to get injected. I will share with you that as Dr. Faucci warned, the second shot can really mess you up. My daughter in law spent 24 hours feeling like someone was using her bones for a piano keyboard. My son had an immediate reaction of overwhelming fatigue but within 24 hours he was back in the gym. My wife had a sore arm. I am dealing with my second day of general fatigue and some aches and pains. Also my arm feel like a mule kicked it. Two friends we know got so sick from the vaccine they thought they’d end up in the hospital. But as our national Covid Guru tells us, the reaction usually lasts only 24-48 hours and is a good thing because it is proof positive that the vaccine is working, that the body’s war against COVID-19 has begun. So what’s bad? I’ve felt worse with a bad cold.

It is different from state to state. Florida has politicized the distribution because our Governor was Donald Trump’s court jester so he naturally just announced that the most right wing, Trump supporting grocery chain that also has pharmacists, would be the first to receive and administer the vaccine. In NY there doesn’t seem to be enough to go around and you have a raging argument about hospital distribution centers and who gets it first. As I wended through Thursday’s line, I saw cars from Maryland, New York and a few other states. ‘made me upset thinking someone from those states are getting a vaccine that a lower income, homeless, black, Latino, or Native American could be getting. A friend’s daughter flew from Miami to Dallas and drove two hours to a small community that had more vaccine than people. “Go know,” as my grandma used to say.

I won’t go on much longer because I’m tired. Just a few closing thoughts:

Since the polio epidemic it seems science has progressed, and people have regressed.
If you wear a mask, it’s time to double up to protect yourself from the variants.
If you won’t wear a mask you are a selfish, callous individual who cares for your own comfort and though I chock on it what you perceive to be your principles more than your fellow citizens.
Finally, since I haven’t heard much said about this, once you’ve had the second shot, no alcohol consumption for two weeks. The RN who I asked said there isn’t enough data to show what alcohol does to the effectiveness of the vaccine. And because of the variants you still need to wear masks and social distance.

“Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.” The irony is we’ve had plenty of history: Bubonic Plague, Spanish Flu, Ebola, AIDS and more. According to recent polls at least 25% of Americans are planning to have large Super Bowl parties. Dumb.