Pandemic States of Mind

In late spring and early summer of 2021, we felt optimism. Covid-19 was on the wane. We’d beat it. Stores reopened and people began to travel again. But when the Delta variant slammed us in the summer, we reluctantly began to wear masks and isolate more. Back to square one and back to the maelstrom of rotating through Kubler-Ross’ five states of mind once again: Denial (this can’t be happening again), Bargaining (I’ll wear my mask to the grocery but not to the family reunion – they’re my relatives), Anger (This is all the politicians’ faults), Depression (Don’t talk to me, this is all hopeless, it’ll never end), Acceptance (It’s just one more round, we’ll get through it with sensible precautions).

I’ve said it before and it still applies:

Luckily we’ve had many wise people who faced reality: scientists, researchers, nurses and doctors who’ve valiantly cared for patients and created medicines and vaccines.

From my perspective, a vast majority of people around me have been able to practice Kubler-Ross’ last step: acceptance. Most of us did our best. We wore masks, stayed six feet away from others, washed our hands and helped others when we could.

Now, we’re becoming resigned to taking precautions once more.

This is an update / addendum to my April 2021 blog, entitled Pandemic Adaptations. Check it out.

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