SPRING RAMBLES: June 2021

Back in February of 2020 there were rumors of a virus creating some suspicious behavior in China locking people up, but nothing, I thought, created substance for concern. Then satellite images of Iran digging trenches for dead bodies was revealed. Yet still I had memories of SARS in 2009 never materializing. Then abruptly an epidemic was hitting a Seattle, Washington retirement home while simultaneously invading Italy. This finally grabbed my attention. I was reading every article I could find on the biology of SARS-COV-19. Fortunately, many medical journals were allowing free viewership as the pandemic ramped up.

I had followed the Ebola epidemic that spread rapidly through western Africa. Though it did make ground in the United States it quickly lost momentum. I was hoping for the same conclusion with Covid-19. On March 16 when the lockdown was declared, and all our birthday plans were cancelled, and my grocery shopping required strategy I knew this was different.

For the first few weeks my kids went nowhere. I woke up early to be the first in line for grocery shopping. While my husband watched the children, I carried our homemade hand-sanitizer and mask along with gloves. Being a surgical nurse prior to becoming a mom I was once again able to exercise sterile technique for fear of catching the infamous coronavirus. Later, when I did venture into the outdoors with my children, they were strictly forbidden to touch anything. I would lose my temper when my demands were not obeyed. Soon I got bored and braver, so we explored a used bookstore since the libraries were closed. We were all masked (hand-made by yours truly) and gloved. Well… the girls were in mittens.

Now though I had a fear for this virus I continued reading scientific studies for any explanation on how this virus operated. Like, it was known early on the spike protein that gave the virus its shape attaches to our ACE-2 enzyme located on certain cell membranes. But what was the mode of transmission? Why were the elderly affected worse than younger people? What medication were being experimented? What common denominator did heart disease, diabetes, and obesity have for Covid patients? There were so many questions I had, and I was frustrated the entire scientific community was not resolving any of my questions in a matter of months.

I would talk with my mom who was an Intensive Care nurse whose unit was reserved for Covid patients. Usually, her patients had pre-existing morbidities, but then she would lose younger healthier people as well. The majority of patients in my state, according to the state’s stats on the website, who died of Civid-19 were over the age of 70. I also started reviewing my nursing textbooks covering infections, transmission, immunity, and proper technique for patient care of infectious diseases. All the while I was anxious because how could a society function/exist in lockdown? What would keep the wheels turning so the system would not collapse? Turns out UPS and Zoom kept people content.

However, something did not seem right. The science was not explaining many holes for the rationale of fear. Thousands of lives would be destroyed losing their livelihood. Hope would be crushed for the extrovert.

If you remember through media coverage and reporting, there was intense focus on saving the elderly. Using phrases like, “Don’t kill Grandma,” established a sense of guilt. Then the concept of “asymptomatic spread” became popular to declare, even though the January prior to lockdown Dr. Anthony Fauci said he had seen little evidence to suggest asymptomatic spread occurs via respiratory diseases. Nevertheless, the virus was spreading like wildfire throughout communities. Some type of control must be obtained. The Asians used masks for SARS and high levels of pollution. Maybe they could be the saving grace.

Now as a nurse in a surgical setting I understand wearing masks is to protect patients. No one wants to be responsible for coughing a germ into an open surgical incision. They also come in handy for blocking splatter such as in dental care. Highly infectious diseases affecting patients like MRSA are in strict containment isolation applying several layers of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as disposable gowns, masks, and gloves. The nurse or healthcare worker’s goal is to prevent the risk of cross-contamination to other patients. Now, if someone is dealing with a highly infectious disease, particularly airborne types, as the CDC do and other scientific labs, like you see in the movie Outbreak. However, the drawback to all these methods is time consuming and cost. There are also tons of waste. For a MRSA patient every paper gown, every glove, and mask placed on by a healthcare worker entering an isolated room is charged. Then say an individual enters an isolated room 10-15x daily the amount of waste is racks up quickly.

My point being if we really wanted to protect ourselves from the reckless contagious Covid-19 we would need to perform our daily lives like the hospital. The cost and supply demands would be unobtainable for a country of 332 million people. Then the piles and piles of trash each household and business create would boggle the mind. The self-righteous indignation condemning people to follow the science should really be promoting inflatable hamster balls for public use to derail viral containment.

“But we made cloth mask.” Okay. Firs,t we should discuss the practical aspects. As an observer go to a grocery store to watch human behavior. We have been told practice social distance of six feet, wash your hands frequently, and wear a mask. Everyone seems obliging to wearing a mask, but are they wearing it properly? I watch people all day adjusting their mask at the nose, chin, and ear loops. People who wear eyeglasses, as myself, are even worse constantly adjusting the sliding glasses and fogging up. People are brushing their hair aside their face, rubbing their eyes, scratching their nose. My favorite is pulling the mask down to expose the nose. WRONG! The mostly likely port of entry of Covid-19 into your body will be the nose. Never once do I see people washing or sanitizing their hands after touching their face.

At the beginning of the mask craze, I heard it promoted to wear in order to become more aware not to touch your face, but after over a year of constant use human nature has grown complacent to mask wearing completely overlooking how often we contaminate our cloth barrier. The country of Sweden outlawed mask wearing for children simply because they do not know how to use them properly. I think the same should be applied to adults. A survey by the DCD back in October 2020 showed 70% of faithful mask wearers contracted Covid-19. I am guessing improper use or…..

To my second point the more scientific reason. It seemed for all of 2020 researchers went back and forth about the type of transmission Covid-19 was, droplet or aerosol. The droplet theory led to surface contamination and asymptomatic spread. However, at this current time SARS-COV-19 is recognized as being aerosol which means it is light and suspends in the air longer. It is airborne. This also means its size is measured in nanometers. We are talking tinsy. The N95 and surgical mask pores are measured in micrometers leaving plenty of room for Covid-19 viral shed to slip through the material. A favorite image to demonstrate effectiveness of mask wearing shows how a mask buffers the spraying droplets released by a cough into open air. When is the last time you saw or heard a person coughing or sneezing in public? They would be publicly flogged in today’s atmosphere. Furthermore, what about the aerosol particles too small to be seen not riding on droplets. Where are they traveling?

Some may want to reference the 2009 JAMA research that showed surgical masks were just as effective as N95 at preventing influenza infections by about 75% among medical staff. The only problem was there was no controlled group studied. Meaning they did not follow healthcare workers who did not wear masks for a better comparison of usefulness. Therefore, essentially 1 in 4 got the flu wearing a mask. Additionally, there have been countless studies prior to 2019 resounding the fact masks are not beneficial otherwise they would be worn during the flu season. The studies done this last year showing benefits of mask wearing repeated the same mistake of no controlled non-mask wearers. There was a Denmark research who studied Covid-19 mask use releasing their data in December of 2020. They found little beneficial difference between mask wearers and the unmasked, but that research was quickly swept under the rug by news outlets as un-valuable.

What I am trying to suggest is this SARS-COV-19 virus is so small and so novel it is going to infect who it chooses. Chances are with a novel virus without any previous exposure and subpar habits of human nature the virus will be introduced into your system.

My main frustration with the mask worship is the rules created proclaiming necessary in the name of science. If you examine the rationale little science exists. Wear a mask entering a restaurant only to remove it once you are seated. Never mind what it is happening while the person is eating or drinking. Children wearing masks while playing outside. The Covid-19 virus has been proven to be compromised under UV rays. Breakdown occurs almost immediately to exposure. Double mask? Sure, but why not wear a full face motorcycle helmet while you are at it? The issue is the mask not making a complete seal to your skin. Again, it is also harder to breathe. And you can still contract the virus through your eyes. Is the full face helmet looking better? Walking outside alone with a mask on. You are alone surrounded by UV rays. Covid-19 is not that potent. Basketball players play basketball on the court without a mask bumping into other sweaty players then sit on the bench while wearing a mask. Teachers pulling down their mask to scream at kids for not wearing their mask. Until recently, even though you have been vaccinated you still need to wear a mask. You may have contracted SARS-COV-19 or acquired natural immunity you still need to be vaccinated or otherwise mask-up.

Back in December my family was exposed to a super spreader event. Three days later my husband came down with the signature headache and body aches of SARS-COV-19. My husband recovered quickly. Thankfully, no one died in that contingent everyone recovering back to normal. However, it was very strange who was infected and who was spared. It was then I realized there is no failsafe plan to prevent the spread. The virus moves through and hits whom it pleases. You can simply pray for the best.

Please understand I am not making light of this pandemic. I know it can be deadly. I have my theories how the virus reacts anatomically resulting in death. My sister was forced from a distance to watch her mother-in-law decline towards death. It was heartbreaking as hundreds prayed over her for three weeks only to fade to meet her maker.

I can ask what did she do wrong. I could condemn her for being careless. I could be enraged by the individual responsible for exposing her. But what does that resolve? No matter what I know she is with Jesus experiencing perfect glory. Yet I am also reminded life is a gift and it can seem to end unfairly.

Why am I writing on this subject? It will surely add to the contention of mask on or off. Mask off must mean I am a republican. What this pandemic has revealed to me is people are terrified of dying. In our medical advances where dying is no longer a normal daily occurrence people are trying their best to ward off death by hiding. The mask has been turned into a god of salvation, but it is a piece of cloth. A bunch of fibers woven together. Science has been turned into a god, but it is as subjective as what we are capable of discovering. It was not that long ago bleeding was thought to pour out diseases. (Do not get me started on whether or not the egg is beneficial. They have been going back and forth on that since I was born.)

What is the general purpose of any type of mask? To conceal. With this panic over invisible organisms could human nature be trying to conceal. Its apprehension, its acknowledge of the unknown, its frailty of life. I am concerned what new tragedies will be invented in the future to herd people into fear. We coward so quickly for this last pandemic. Will we be easily scared to submit again?

As masks are slowly coming off it is lovely to see a smile from a stranger or clearly hearing someone without muffling. I do not have anything to conceal. I do not want to see the concealment of other people. I want the truth to shine bright. I want my hope and my faith to be found in God. Not in the things of this world. I know now more than ever because of my beliefs I will be hated and probably condemned. I also know that my life in this world is short and incomplete. Choosing Christ is when my life begins. I am incredibly grateful I have like-minded people around me who agree. Our community is finally opening up to normal and our hope in Jesus is what rallies us forward to live our lives to its fullest by the grace of Jesus Christ.

Roman 8:9-11

“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give you life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

This past year has shown me is there is a lot of anger, forceful control, and a belief we need to be saved from dooms day. I do not have these feelings. Spending concentrated time with my family without all the extracurricular distractions has helped us grow closer and more appreciative of one another. I have heard the government mandates and declarations, but I know what is best for me and my family health wise. I was living well in the public last year. I got sick, but I also got better. I interacted with people because I need the community. We need each other and if getting sick is the cost it is worth having human connection. I wish I could say as a Believer in Christ I am going to experience a blissful God ordained day every day to make me have feel good experiences. That is not realistic, and it is not holy. For growth as well as maturity I will experience challenges along with discomfort. This mentality does not discourage me. It makes me hopeful and eager for new days to come. Like being in the dreary cold of winter yearning for the warmth of spring.

Lastly, I know people will think my faith in Jesus is silly, but I would respond with “As silly as thinking interlocking strings will protect from the invisible?” I did well last year because I have hope. I believe my kids are awesome and they will be world changers. I believe Christ saves offering total fulfillment whether my body feels good or not. I believe Christ loves me no matter what hardballs are thrown at me now because it will be paradise when I am with him in heaven. Sure, I hate being out of control or the idea of not seeing my children grow up. I also realize as I watch the world spinning around me there is little I have domain. I can either help encourage the people around me or bury my head in the sand. I would rather be an encourager.

I made a mistake in the beginning of the pandemic. I let my children experience my fear. They felt that fear and started to grow anxious themselves. Then I educated myself. We lived through a Covid infected house. We kept doing our thing, time has passed, and we realize there is no need for fear. Fear has no control on us. For some people I recognize preexisting conditions does not offer that luxury, so I am glad the vaccine is available. All I ask is you keep living your life like my 92 year old granny and when Jesus calls you home it will be the best day ever. Above all else place your hope and gratitude in something higher than what is made in this world by human hands. This year has been good for me drawing me to a closer appreciation of my family. I try my best to live in the moment with my children full of grins and laughter. I would not mask that for the world.

Ephesians 2:4-10

“But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us so much that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved.) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realm because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can not take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do good things he planned long ago.”

Not thing sounds more assuring to me than this.

Doctors who offer sound wisdom: Dr. Peter McCollough, Dr. Reynolds Delgado, Dr. Ryan Cole, Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, Dr. Baruch Vainshelboim, Dr. Robert W. Malone, Dr. Pierre Kory.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/unmasking-vaccines/

https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/infectioncontrol/16278

https://first10em.com/aerosols-droplets-and-airborne-spread/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/04/stanford-study-results-facemasks-ineffective-block-transmission-covid-19-actually-can-cause-health-deterioration-premature-death/

SPRING RAMBLES

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