Neverending Threat of Covid

Within the last week we have heard that three people we know had Covid. Two are friends that live here and the third is my cousin who lives in New England. All three of them said it lasted for two weeks and was simply dreadful. All three of them have been vaccinated.  All three of them have been quite careful - except for the one time they remember not having their mask on in a crowded place. One was in an elevator; the other was in a very crowded grocery store right before Christmas. One caught it from the other one who got it in the grocery store. My husband and I have been extraordinarily careful - especially since he will be 84 in a couple of months. A few months ago we were feeling a bit more confident about how things were. We went to central Virginia for thanksgiving to visit family and even went to the Waffle House for breakfast one day. We went to the condo Christmas party and another going away party for a staff member. We went to a restaurant with our daughter in law and grandson when they stopped to visit on the way home from Baltimore. We even went to a restaurant for a sibling lunch two times. But every time we went to these places we came home feeling like we may catch it. So far we haven’t. But with the news as it is this lousy virus just is not going away. We still have our masks hanging on the coat rack and wear it to the car and anytime we go in to a building and grocery store. We are both health care professionals and really believe health care has taken a big hit with this constant threat. No wonder there are so many incidents occurring in health care facilities. I suppose the elderly are bearing the brunt of this horrible thing. We are just plain getting tired of it. We haven’t gone anywhere outside of visiting family for over three years. But catching it just doesn’t sound like a very fun option. 

Vida KN95 Recycle Masks

Every day we keep hearing that everyone should wear a face mask. We have been wearing them since last March starting with some three layer material from a place in Wisconsin, then Caraa two layer material with filter, Vida two layer material with filter, some surgical masks, and a few KN95’s. As time goes on more and more recommendations are surfacing to double mask, or wear KN95’s. Since most of our masks are already two layers with a “5 layer” filter inside the pocket, one wonders if that is more than enough. Since we have behaved according to recommendations, we don’t want to get the virus NOW. My husband was lucky enough to get his first vaccine with the second dose coming next week. I am still on the wait list. Thanks Virginia. Most of my high school classmates who live in Florida already got theirs too. Something just isn’t fair - especially since I am a retired RN. Anyway, since mask wearing is not going away any time soon, and eventual doctor visits will happen, I just ordered a ten pack of KN95’s from Vida. They tout a recycle program. You use the envelope the masks come in, put in the used masks, and send back to Vida with the enclosed paid sticker. It’s that simple but I sure wish it wasn’t necessary. So we have a variety of masks and wear the appropriate one based on the activity. I know I’m probably going overboard. But in this instance I would rather be safe than sorry. 

Caraa Tailored and Sport Face Masks

Ever since we have been wearing masks, Caraa and Vida have been our go to companies. As this pandemic drags on, so do the styles and wearability of non disposable face wear. Since we are in the “at risk” age group, we always wear a mask whenever we go outside - which us primarily for morning walks. Caraa’s first masks looked like disposable surgical masks - only made of cloth, had a nose wire, a pocket for a filter, and lately ear adjustments. Now, there are tailored masks and sport masks. One is a thicker material with a vertical wire that keeps the mask away from your face, also has a filter, and a wire nose piece. The sport mask has a different sort of material and is supposed to reduce the sweat element. When they arrived last week they were sorted based on color - my husband is picky about being completely neutral. Caraa does have a great color selection. They also have the little plastic pieces that can be put on the string to adjust the ear fit - in case you have masks that don’t have that feature. But, they didn’t provide an adapter to get it on the strings. Anyway, we have tried both masks and they do fit very well - almost too well when the filter is used. We now have enough masks to last about two weeks. When we come home they go in to the mesh bags by the washer and dryer and the filters are removed on wash day to be used about eight times each. Hopefully these new masks will wash well and we have enough now to last for awhile. I know this isn’t going to go away any time soon. 

Back to Daily Walks - With Masks

We used to walk at least two miles every day - except Saturday - since I retired four years ago. On Saturday we would drive in to northern Virginia from Capitol Hill, have breakfast at McLean Family Restaurant, and go grocery shopping. How things have changed. When we moved to northern Virginia last year, we resumed our same walking pattern. But rather than walk along the Mall, Navy Yard, Yards Park, and Capitol Hill, we found a great little park across the street. If the weather was too hot, too cold, or rainy, we would drive to Tyson’s Mall or galleria to get the walk in. Since March 13, we have stayed in doors. I would try to do a bit of sit ups and leg lifts, etc - but it’s not the same as a good walk. On May 1, we began to venture outside little by little. The big distinction is we now wear face masks because we are in the “at risk” age group and care about everyone we come in contact with. Since the park is typically busier with foot traffic, our walking course has changed to immediately around the neighborhood where it is easy to cross the street to avoid oncoming pedestrians. At first it was really hard getting back to our usual pace and time outside. I would get rather short of breath. But as the days passed, it’s getting much easier. Now it’s starting to get warm - or should I say HOT. It’s tough wearing a face mask in 90+ degrees. We are not in any hurry to go to the mall for walks yet, so that means I will need to wake up earlier to walk earlier since my husband won’t walk at dusk - my favorite time of the day. Unfortunately we haven’t yet reached the 2 mile target. We are only getting in 1.2 or 1.3 miles. At least it’s a start. Just getting out of the house is a good idea. Thank goodness we have a balcony we can sit on - without masks - and enjoy whatever happens to pass by, tend to the “garden” and play games on the iPad in the evening if the weather permits. All in all our life really hasn’t changed that much since this darn pandemic, but it can still be claustrophobic and you can’t really plan anything. We just need to take each day as it comes. What else can you do?