Now that I am fully vaccinated, I should be excited about seeing friends and family again, but the prospect of socializing has filled me with more anxiety than relief. I’ve gotten used to a quieter, more mindful existence over the past year, and as “returning to normal” looms on the horizon, I can admit that there are some things I don’t want back.
Over the past several months, we have been inundated with information, disinformation, and opinions about every aspect of COVID-19: origin, prevention, treatment, and political implications of each. In this digital world, it can be incredibly difficult to differentiate fact from fiction, leaving all of us open to dubious information that can encourage doubt – even in the most scientifically minded among us.
Staying with my parents for a month this summer was mostly wonderful and occasionally trying as personal politics clashed. We were often in agreement about whether or not to wear masks, but less so about the government’s response to the global pandemic. This week I describe my political crisis of faith as I observe a growing divide between myself and my party.
Our knowledge about the virus grows and changes with each new puzzle piece: who can transmit it, when and how it can be transmitted, how serious the resulting disease and lasting impacts can be, and how best to prevent the spread. During my own COVID-19 scare, we figured out what to do at home to protect our families, friends, and coworkers.
Choosing to stay home and limit contact with friends and loved ones can be incredibly difficult for anyone. The pandemic so far is the longest amount of time I’ve been away from my parents, with the exception of when I lived in Japan. While spending so much time apart from them has been terrible, I’ve been terrified of unknowingly passing the virus to them.
In worrying about the health and safety of my family, friends, and coworkers over the past five months, I have done a lot of research about epidemiology and best practices to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. As violent opposition to health-protective policies becomes a regular topic on the news, I wondered what contributes to such vehement resistance to scientific facts.