It’s Thursday morning and here I am on my third quarantine due to exposure to the Coronavirus. I am taking it for what it is. We are all a part of a worldwide pandemic. I do wear a mask regularly, except when around my family, or if I am outside. It was the outside part that came back to bite me in the butt this time (the other times I had a mask on but was still quarantined).

When you have been around someone who tests positive, you must be quarantined for 14 days to see if symptoms present. The Wisconsin Health Department is simply doing their job to try and contain things. While in quarantine, you must report to the Health Department twice each day with your temperature, as well as answer a list of questions regarding your current state of health. Also, keep in mind, if you do test positive, you are only considered safe from the virus for an estimated 90 days. All bets are off if the virus has mutated.

My frustrations with this particular situation have more to do with other people who think this is some sort of political scheme that will simply vanish after the elections. If this were a political scheme, then why is it everywhere? Even President Trump has admitted that he downplayed the severity of this situation because he did not want the public to panic (see link at bottom of page for further information).

Whether or not the numbers are legit in the United States or exaggerated does not change the fact that we are still dealing with a virus that has killed many people. The wearing of a face mask is a simple gesture of kindness to others when you go out, because this virus spreads via breathing in airborne particles. Many people say it is their right to not wear one, but the point of a mask is not to protect yourself from germs, but to protect others. The mask, providing it is a proper cloth mask, stops your airborne particles from spraying out when you breathe, sneeze, or speak to people. If you are a person who does not show symptoms and you are still out not wearing a mask, you are likely spreading the virus and possibly killing people. If we were all to wear masks, this could potentially harness the virus and allow it to die off, thus removing us from being in a state of pandemic.

I know a lot of people who have been infected and who have become very ill. Some of them were in an outdoor setting without masks. Several of them have been considered healthy adults in their prime. Some of them appeared to be out of the woods and then suddenly died. This is not a joke. It is not a game. This is what your modern-day plague looks like. It was only a matter of time until we were in such a state again. This is the ebb and flow of nature.

Wear your mask and go outside. See your family and friends, but take precautions. It’s not as if the CDC is asking you to give up living, but if you do get sick, you may very well give up living. Think about the people you love. Think about how they will miss you if you become a victim. Also, take your vitamin D (providing your Dr. approves). Many articles say Vitamin D helps ward off the Coronavirus.

Other countries have done much better at containing the virus than the US because they have followed orders to help contain the situation. Sometimes the rules we make have good purpose. Do not touch the stove when it is on. Do not smoke when you are fueling your car. Stop at red lights. Why is this situation any different?

For more information on the above, please refer to the following sites and articles:

CDC on Coronavirus facts: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html

CDC on cloth face coverings: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html

WebMD on Coronavirus: https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus

Vitamin D and the Coronavirus: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/vitamin-d-can-help-reduce-covid19-risks

This is an article with graphs showing how the US compares to all of Europe in new cases: https://www.newsweek.com/graphs-show-how-coronavirus-cases-us-compare-other-countries-1513490

NBC News article on why other similar countries are experiencing the pandemic differently than the US: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/why-are-similar-countries-experiencing-covid-19-so-differently-n1232358