Victory takes each of us doing our part

You, who stayed home sick from work today because you woke up with a fever and a scratchy throat. Thank you for thinking of your coworkers’ health.

You, who wears your mask whenever you are at the grocery store or shop. Thank you for looking out for the health of front line workers.

You, who washes your hands frequently throughout the day and uses sanitizer regularly. Thank you for keeping up those healthy habits.

You, who avoids crowded scenes and who has found a new appreciation for staying in versus going out on a Friday night. Thank you for doing your part to social distance and slow the spread.

You, working on the frontlines of healthcare. Thank you for learning from every case and developing new strategies for treatment.

You, who have gone weeks and months without personal contact with elderly loved ones in nursing homes or those who have compromised immune systems. Thank you for looking out for the health of those most at risk.

Thanks to all of you who are doing your part to gain ground on COVID-19.

This week, the United States passed the milestone of 500,000 Americans that died in the past year while afflicted with the disease. Even discounting those who had severe co-morbidities due to age or poor health, the number is staggering and even more so when you remember that each of those 500,000 was a person who loved and was loved by others.

Despite the headlines raising alarm over possible variations of the virus that cause COVID-19, humanity is winning the war against the pandemic. As with any war, there are times when the frontlines rapidly advance, and other times when you are lucky to hold what you have gained.

The main battles against COVID-19 have been to buy time for new treatments and vaccines to be developed. Vaccines are the weapons that will win this war. The faster vaccines can be deployed and the more people that get vaccinated, the closer to victory humanity comes.

While much has been made in the news media about the milestones of loss and sadness, the tide is turning. The number of new cases has dropped. Here in northern Wisconsin that drop has been dramatic, returning to the pre-spike days of last summer. People are beginning to breathe easier and are looking forward to a return to normal times. Beyond the number of new infections, the rate of hospitalizations and death from the disease is also dropping dramatically.

When it comes to fighting disease, the number of absolute victories can be counted on one hand. At best, there is an uneasy armistice where the nightmare diseases of the past are kept contained and weakened. Some day COVID-19 may join the company of those have-been pandemics. Until the day victory is declared, the war marches on. With the end in sight, now is not a time to get reckless or to forget the lessons learned.

Thanks to all of you, we are winning the war against COVID-19.