Welcome to the new normal

December 31, 2021

In the waning hours of 2021, a fox appeared on our patio. It was a kit, curious of us, who lingered a moment before continuing it’s journey.

In a few hours, the year will end, as will day three of my COVID-19 isolation. The county health department told me today that I’ll be clear to go out in public on Monday, though I’ll need to wear a mask.

Welcome to the new normal. Omicron is infecting people who have been vaccinated and boosted. For me, this was like a mild case of flu. If this is what the latest variant causes in people who are vaccinated, I think we’ll all be OK. I realize it may not be that simple, but the virus has mutated to a form that is more virulent but causes less severe symptoms so far. Having reliable therapeutics to combat a virus that causes mild symptoms may be the best we can hope for in the future.

I think we can suspend the novelty of requiring proof of vaccination or a recent negative test to enter a public venue. We ate a deli in LA that required proof of vaccination. We then ordered a variety of meats, lox, and cheese. It was Christmas Eve and the place was packed. We waited for 30 minutes, which is where I suspect I had the best opportunity of being infected. The next night I felt fine and went to a Lakers game. I proved my vaccine status and carried a case of coronavirus into the arena. I had no notion of being ill, but I was likely infectious, as were countless others.

We rarely see foxes, though we know a family of them lives in our neighborhood. Seeing it cross our path brought us joy to end this year.