It isn’t done

You’ve stayed the course.
Since March, you’ve stayed home as much as you can, perhaps 100%, perhaps close. If you’ve ventured out, you’ve done so masked, maybe double-masked, maybe with a visor, perhaps gloves, to pick up essential supplies. Whatever you brought home, you immediately sanitised. If you’ve had home delivery, you’ve answered the door masked, and immediately sanitised everything, after, of course, tipping the delivery person, because you know they are indispensable now. You’ve cooked what ingredients you have.
You’ve had only the people at home for company — sometimes that’s good, but you could still use a break, sometimes that’s awful, and my heart goes out to you — or perhaps you live alone. You haven’t spoken to friends in person for months. You’re sick of video meetings and working from home though you’re grateful to have a job, let alone one that lets you work from home. Or you’re out of a job and wondering how long the savings will stretch. You know that you’re better off than so many others, and you’ve tried to do your bit to help those less fortunate. You’ve stayed TF home.
But you’ve had enough. You’re *so* done with the virus.
You want to scream. You want to walk without a mask. You want to walk without fear. You want to just go out and have a normal day. And you think, why not?
After all, restrictions are being eased; lockdown is officially over in some places. And all around you, you see people returning to work, going out to shops, hanging out in each other’s homes. Going to restaurants. Celebrating festivals in crowds.
But it isn’t over.
Yes, numbers are down. But they’re not anywhere near zero yet. And if you look around, around the world, you’ll see that wherever restrictions have been lifted before numbers were down to trivial, opening up has resulted in infections rising again. Yesterday, the USA, which has been opening up, recorded its highest single day of new cases.
In India, many people who have no option are returning to work, to commuting. Restaurants are now open, and are filling up. With festival season starting, and social distancing being sacrificed at the altar of bonhomie and enjoyment, not to speak of the start of cooler weather, which results in more pollution and a rise in respiratory ailments, it seems inevitable that we will see a rise too.
Also, complacency has set in. I’m seeing people walking around without masks, or lowering their masks to sneeze or cough (!) or to talk on the phone. That last one puzzles me most; I use an old-style candybar phone, and folks I talk to can hear me through the mask; people with fancy touchscreen phones shouldn't be having issues.
So, friends, if your circumstances permit it, continue working from home. When you do go out, remember social distancing and wearing masks, carrying sanitiser and washing hands obsessively.
You’ve stayed the course, so don’t let all the sacrifices you’ve made so far, all the inconveniences you’ve faced, all the behaviours you’ve modified, be in vain.
You’re so done with the virus. But the virus ain’t done with us.