If you had told me in February of 2020 that in January of 2022 we would still be soldiering through the COVID pandemic I would have laughed at you. Well, not laughing now, are you? It seems totally crazy to me that we are fighting an invisible threat that is similar to the video games my grandsons play. When we identify the threat, they change what they look like, how they move about, and who they infect!

Sadly, early on, the Sars-CoV-2 virus attacked our seniors. We lost so many loved ones over the age of 65 in rapid order that it left everyone stunned. Nursing homes, assisted living centers, sub-acute rehab centers, none were spared! Testing was new to us and supplies were at an all-time high both in need and cost. We soldiered on. Then a vaccine was introduced to the general public and although we encouraged everyone eligible to get vaccinated, we didn’t get the responses we hoped for.

Now we have a new variant, and we continue to soldier on. This new variant is affecting younger people and children who are too young to be vaccinated. Antigen testing supplies are scarce, there is some concern about their accuracy, and guidance indicates that if you have a negative result with an antigen test and are symptomatic you still need to have a PCR test to confirm you are negative. Scheduling a PCR test is almost as difficult as obtaining a rapid screen test kit, elusive at best and results can take up to a week depending on where you live. At the end of the day, we will survive, experts are predicting a peak in this variant by the end of January. Hunker down, mask up, and stay well!