We are entering our 8th month into the pandemic we know as COVID-19. In the begging I had faith, we all would come together in this uncertain time.
It is not a big ask, all of us to have compassion and empathy for those who fight war’s within their own bodies. Even as I live in this community I often find that what someone else is going through is not what I am. The least I can do is let them know that I care.
I shouldn’t be surprised in a “self-me” world. We are seeing post, video’s, comment’s through out social media, the news’s, and in political debates. That anyone that has a pre-existing condition is disposable.
When someone state’s that a pre-existing condition or age is the death factor, not Covid-19. It show’s exactly how little this person truly understands chronic illness and the life expecting of someone with a chronic disease.
People with pre-existing illness that are considered high risk can live as long as their piers! If you are considered to live one day less, one hour less because of Covid-19 – COVID-19 took your life.
The reason we alert the high risk community, is to allow them precautionary step’s. Like deciding to go on a rollercoaster with heart disease. A warring sign posted at the entrance place’s you in charge of the outcome. If you go, it is at your own risk. Going to the store is essential to live, it is not a joy ride on a coaster.
According to Everydayhealth.com today’s life expectancy is 78.6.
Let’s take a look at some high risk disease’s.
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – someone with M.S. will experience a relatively normal life span. On average most will live about seven years less than general population. (they die from the same things general population die from such as cancer or heart disease.) – sited from healthline.com
- Diabetes –
- Type 1 – Webmd.com sited that men with type 1 had a average life expectancy of about 66 compared with men without is 77 years old. Women with type 1 have a average life expectancy of about 68 compared with women without is of 81.
- Type 2 – a 2010 report by the Diabetes UK claims that type 2 diabetes reduces the lifespan by 10 years a Canadian study claim’s that women over 55 years lost on average of 6 years, while men lost 5. – sited from dlife.com
- Heart Disease – according to Heart.com Heart disease is the nation’s No. 1 cause of death. Life is cut short. Although it can sound grim, it also can be a wake up call to action and you can live as long as your pier’s. For someone that experiences a heart attack the life expectancy can be cut short by 16 years. Compared to those who have heart failure that can lose nearly 10 years of life compared to those without heart failure. In recent years there have been tremendous gains in reducing cardiovascular disease.
- Obesity – According to sciencedaily.com obesity can reduce life expectancy “up to” 8 years.
- Kidney Disease – kidney disease has several stages. 1-5 while I have a adult child (24yr) that was born with renal disease he has been at stage 2 since he was around 1. You can read his story here. Each stage of kidney disease does have a decline in your life expectancy, but it is not a death sentence.
- Lung disease – COPD is one of the most talked about lung disease in the lung community according to healthline.com There is no way to predict the life expectancy, but having this progressive lung disease can shorten lifespan. How much depends on your overall health. Do you have other diseases?
- Cancer – each cancer has it’s own stages and types having had 6 of my father’s 15 sibling have 6 different kinds of cancer. My mom passing from Breast Cancer (also separate from my dad’s 6 sibling’s).I can say that it is also not a death sentence. Our family has celebrated the VICTORY of this battle on many occasion’s!
These are just a few example’s. As we can see there is NOT a time of death stamp on your foot when you are diagnosed. A person can live just as long as their piers.
A few fact’s to consider before we say the words, ‘It only effect’s people with pre-existing condition’s or above a certain age.”
Approximately 133 million Americans, representing more than 45% of the total population of this country. Have at least one chronic condition. With 81 million having multiple conditions. Sited from – fightchroncidisease.org
There is a 50% higher occurrence of diabetes in truck drivers.- sited – fleetowner.com
87% of them have hypertension or pre-hypertension. 50% are obese and many have more than one risk factor. -sited- corporatewellnessmagazine.com
Many occupations site similar static’s.
The moral of this story is, we all have at least one loved one fighting a chronic condition that places them at high-risk for Covid-19. Nowhere does it say, because we fight a daily war we are disposable! The families that have all lost someone would tell you, they did not think it could happen to them. They were not ready to say goodbye.
In recent week’s we have seen a decline in social distancing and mask wearing along with many discussions on why “we” don’t have to wear a mask because it is against our constitutional right’s.
I will say this, our right’s have protected us and those around us. If you are found to cause harm to someone else you can quickly find yourself in court for negligence or worse.
It is different in every state, but if you have sexual relations with someone and they did not tell you that they have an STD you can file charges and in some place’s they can even face attempted murder charges. – sited – CDC, Wikipedia, Criminaldefenselawyer.com
Then why is it that wearing a mask is not the same, just like intercourse protection is not always 100% because of user error, but at least you went the extra mile to stop the spread and save a life.
There are many controversies on the subject such as COVID-19 is a hoax. We are being desensitized to mask’s for a future event. It will go away after election’s. Etc. All of which can be countered with the other side.
I don’t really care where you fall in the political debate, but when our President in his own word’s said he was down playing the urgency of COVID-19. While in a private interview give’s, details of coronavirus being air borne, and 5 times deadlier than the flu. While telling the nation it wasn’t.
He was saying to us that we can not handle the truth because we will panic. – sited- bobwoodward audio interview/CBS
Like the toilet paper that flew off the shelf there would be some that may not be able to handle the fact’s, but to divide us in a manor that coronavirus is no longer the war we fight. Instead we are thrown to the wolves to discern fact’s from fiction and be divided.
This Virus that does not know the difference between Red or Blue. It does not know the difference between the U.S. and India. It does not know the difference between Iowa and Arizona. Covid-19 has taken over 212,406 lives’ in the U.S. and 1,022,525 world wide as of today 10/01/2020 – sited from – worldometerinfo/coronavirus
There are group’s gathering around the world. One group called the “Long Hauler’s” is connecting people who have never fully recovered from Coronavirus. It show’s us, we don’t know what the outcome will be for years. Much like Agent Orange and Gulf War Syndrome. Both of which are caused from Chemical warfare agents used in war. The difference is that this war in our back yard.
At what point do we stop fighting with each other, stop trying to be right? Shift our concern toward the lives of our friends and family and say wearing a mask is a small thing I can do today, to save a life tomorrow!
Our future depends on how we treat each other. Will you let a small piece of cloth stop you from being a Super Hero.
