Pandemic Ironies

Even though yesterday Maine counted five more deaths and 403 new cases of coronavirus, the governor decreed that visitors from all over can come here without needing to quarantine for 14 days and without proof of a negative Covid test. I wonder what's changed? Governor Mills has also lifted the requirement of wearing masks outdoors, unless you are in a crowded venue like a ball game or concert, which of course there aren't any of because of Covid restrictions.

Personally I like masks, although I think they have little bearing on whether or not you will contract the virus. Instead masks allow me to hide my true feelings about people and situations, mutter obscenities under my breath without detection, save on lipstick, and most importantly, pick out the idiots among the general public. The first and most obvious group is solo masked drivers, followed closely by solo walkers on an empty street. These are people with serious problems.

It's ironic that in 1957, at the age of 11, I contracted the Asian Flu, a pandemic also originating in that part of the globe (Hong Kong), that had roughly the same impact on the world regarding deaths. It sickened mainly children and teens. I was incredibly ill for days, and my mother had it at the same time which greatly lessened the care I received. I remember wishing to die so I wouldn't have to throw up again. 

Dwight Eisenhower was president and he did not shut down schools or businesses, or require people to stay home in order to save lives. Restaurants were not forced to close. Nobody wore masks. This might be because Anthony Fauci was only 17 at the time and not yet wielding any power. Who knows how things would be today if Anthony had succumbed to the Asian Flu back then.