Metaverse Posts: January 2022

Friday, January 14, 2022

Covid and Galesburg, Illinois

Within a 100 mile range hospital beds are hard to get if you are sick and need to be in inpatient care. This is in part due to Covid (presumed Omnicron) surge, but also because Cottage hospital that has been around for decades has closed down. The facility lost its Medicare and Medicate status in December 2021 after failing multiple inspections. This has caused a number of out of work healthcare workers and has put a strain on OSF St. Mary's who was already seeing record high cases from the Covid Surge. People are embracing #Freedom in Galesburg, Illinois, but maybe a little too much. There is still the question of whether mask wearing does help at all, but even many unsure of masks have been wearing them accept for those that believe full vaccination means no need to wear masks. With respitory issues still on the rise, flu still a yearly scurge, it amazes me that people are not doing #CommonSense things like wearing masks. I have noticed people do not seem to be sanatizing their hands as much as well. Stores to fear? At Walmart, I overheard when I was there an employee talking about how they were short staffed due to so many out sick. Was at a local restaraunt and heard them talking about the Star Bucks on Henderson Street in Galesburg. Apparently, it was closed due to the employees having covid. As such an outbreak in such a small store is scary, it is understandable that for public safety they would shut the Starbucks down. Staff shortages are up, but this is related to Covid and people generally still fearing just living their lives. It isn't cowardly to stay home and fear existence. The issue happens when not donig just every day stuff becomes a complication as there is the argument that what is life worth if your not actually living life. Covid has caused many to think it is the end of the world in Galesburg, but realistically it is just the end of normal as we need to adapt to a new normal that allows us to live even if it just means we take some precautions.