“I have Covid-19.”
That was the text from a good friend. I knew she had been sick. She even suspected it. Still, a text like that gets your attention.
Seconds later, a FaceTime call. There she was. In the hospital. In a mask. Scared to death.
She’s been a friend for years. Part of my family, really. There she was. In a hospital bed. On oxygen.
After President Trump got back to the White House from his weekend at Walter Reed, he said, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.”
Tell that to my friend in the hospital. She’s in there alone and has no idea what’s ahead. “Don’t be afraid of Covid.”
I guess I hoped the president’s Coronavirus diagnosis might change things. That we might finally start the process of taking this seriously as a country.
I was wrong.
Instead, nothing has changed. In fact, it may be worse. A missed opportunity.
My friend is getting the standard treatment in the hospital. The President got the best. “Don’t be afraid of Covid,” he says…
Amanda Kloots is the widow of Nick Cordero. He’s the Broadway actor that died from Covid complications. She posted a video on Instagram telling President Trump to “have some empathy.” Kloots is now raising their baby alone. “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.”
This is a hard sell, Mr. President.
I truly hope President Trump is okay. I don’t want anyone else in his circle to get sick. I don’t won’t anyone else to get sick. Period.
The reality, though, is more people will get sick from Coronavirus. More people will die.
That’s the part of all of this I don’t get.
We had a chance early on to get a handle on it. We didn’t. We chose to not fear it… to not let it dominate our lives. Now, here we are.
For me, the truth about Covid is this: I fear it. It dominates my life.
Mr. Rhodes thank you for posting this. I don’t know if nice is a proper word here, but it is nice to have someone as yourself post this. I am terrified of this disease and I refer to it as #TrumpFlu, as he’s caused this pandemic to be as horrible as it’s become in this country. I am terrified because I am a StageIV Cancer patient and I’ve had to be on “House arrest” since March 25th, 2020. For 9 months the only outings I have had is to Moffitt Cancer Center for appointments and a couple of ER visits to Tampa General. I have been so blessed and lucky I have a job and that job allows for me to work from home until we can safely be around other people again. I’m terrified because people do not take this pandemic seriously, these anti-maskers who look at their right to not wear masks as “live free or die”, yet not realizing that this is a great thought, but in real life if you live free of a mask I and others like me will Die. My doctors have not approved for me to venture out around other people because my doctor says if I get #TrumpFlu it’s not whether I’ll be hospitalized, it’s whether I will be in I.C.U. or a regular hospital room. I have an amazing husband and he’s done anything needed outside the home, but I am terrified that he will get #TrumpFlu and something terrible will happen. He is my rock, my soulmate, who got stuck with a wife who has Cancer. It is disheartening to watch an entire administration of this country ignore a disease that has killed almost 300k of its citizens, and will kill many more before the vaccine finally and very much hopefully kills this disease. So thank you for letting myself and others know we’re not alone in our fears.. I very much hope that you and none of your family will ever come close to having this virus.