Thursday, April 28, 2022

A Lifestyle Update: The Era of BA.2

Right now, Covid-19 rates are surging. Wastewater—the only reliable testing—reveals the rise. The celebrity test shows it too. More and more “important people” are popping up in the news with positive tests. Kamala Harris just got it. Zach LaVine missed the last playoff game for the Bulls because he entered health and safety protocols. The friends and family test is also coming on strong. Many are getting either “the stomach flu” or the three-week cold with fever. My hunch is that most of these mysterious illnesses are Covid, even though most folks are coming up negative with at-home tests. I am not going indoors with people right now. Because I do not want to get Covid. Despite what most folks think, this disease does serious long-term damage. 
 
The virus is kicking ass right now because the BA.2 variant is super contagious and the immunity of most people is waning. It’s been more than four months since I got boosted. It’s been more than four months since most of our friends and family members got Omicron. I am locking it down for the next three weeks. Because I can. I will read works by Black and Indigenous authors. I will write and revise my book manuscript. I will explore my family tree and study what it means to connect with Ancestors like Ruth Ritter and George Riese at a deeper level. I will make frequent trips to the Detroit River and the Huron River. I will pay attention to birds, bees and trees. I will tap into tenderness, reverence and awe on this Anishinaabe land. 

I am getting boosted at the beginning of May so that I will get the full immunization for our trip to Southern California two weeks later. Lindsay and I are driving. I will only go inside with my mom, and I will be socially distancing with her in the house. From May through August, we plan on being indoors only with our mothers and nephews. We are prioritizing being present in the flesh with them. From May through August, the weather will warrant outside gatherings and meals. Hell, we want to be outside. It’s been a long winter.

No comments:

Post a Comment