Home for the holidays

"Bottom line is this. This holiday season is going to suck. Thanksgiving with be sparse with people, and most likely, Christmas will be also. Until we get that vaccine out in the public, and get folks inoculated, this virus is going to continue to raise havoc."

The timing of this latest shutdown could not have been worse for families and some small businesses. I mean, Black Friday is called Black Friday (historically), as it helped many businesses get back into the "black" (profitable), by having once a year sales. And the period of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve is a big time for buying presents. This year, with Covid playing the part of the Grinch, maybe not so much.

So why are bars, eateries, and gyms shut down again? And why are many schools back to distance learning, when it has been proven many kids don't learn well this way? Plus, why restrict the number of people who can gather? Why? As was told to us, to slow down the spread of this nasty virus. This Covid - 19, which at our national party, remains being the turd in the punch bowl. But what if a good part of the spreading of this virus happens someplace other than those which have been targeted for shut down? Like our own homes.

Everyday, family members leave home to go to work, go to school, go shopping, our just plain go out. In the evening, they are back home, having dinner together, maybe watching TV together, and then going to bed and breathing the same air until the next morning when everyone leaves again. Sounds harmless, right?

Now, putting the discussion of face masks aside, most doctors I have heard on various media have said the same thing to watch out for - time and distance. Stay at least six feet away from others, and limit the time you spend with them (if possible) to under fifteen minutes. Works well when you have to run into Menard's and pick up a packed of screws or some light bulbs. But how does that work at home? Try staying six feet away from your spouse or kids while you eat supper. Try staying six feet away from your spouse when you go to bed. See how that works!

Here are the facts as I understand them. This virus is everywhere. The trick is to not breathe in too much of it at one time. Do non-N95 masks help us? That is a questions which is up for debate. But what is not up for debate is the time and distance thing. The less time and less proximity you have with people, the better your odds are of not becoming infected.

But here is the rub. Holidays. College kids, grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles, whomever - all want to gather as family on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They will be warmly welcomed. But what they might bring with them, will not be. Some are starting to suspect that homes may be a primary source of infection. If that is true, then what? What is the remedy for that? The Governor can't order the shut down of our homes.

Bottom line is this. This holiday season is going to suck. Thanksgiving with be sparse with people, and most likely, Christmas will be also. Until we get that vaccine out in the public, and get folks inoculated, this virus is going to continue to raise havoc.

Someone said on the news this morning, President Trump's crowning achievement during his first term were the Middle East peace accords. And yes, they were huge. However, how he handled this virus in the early days, by stopping travel to and from China, and then kicking off Project Warp Speed - could be the best of his best. Having these vaccines available years before the normal development and approval cycle, will save countless of American lives.

Home for the holidays. If you do have folks over, have a care. Keep some fresh air coming into the house (if possible). Other than that, all you can do is hope that nobody in your crowd has been infected, and is asymptomatic.