600,000 dead

That is a stark headline.

And it is meant to be.

600,000 dead from COVID in the US.

Yes, the rate of death is slowing.

Yes, most of the patients who are hospitalized are unvaccinated.

Yes, not everyone can be vaccinated.

Half that number would have been too many.

And the US reached that number December 13-14, 2020.

Let us tease apart what that means.

According to news sites, the first COVID death occurred in February 2020.

The US reached 100,000 deaths at the end of May 2020.

3 months.

300,000 deaths were reached in December 2020 .

6 months.

The US reached 600,000 deaths June 15, 2021.

6 months.

Yes, January and February were grim.

Yet, the numbers are still mind numbing.

I am sure I am not the only one who thinks that the COVID death rate was way undercounted.

In every country.

Including our own.

We may never have an accurate accounting of the COVID deaths.

That is not okay.

Healthcare workers are not okay.

Businesses are not okay.

There has been an unwanted and unwelcome schism in the political parties over this.

I don’t care what you believe.

I care if you are vaccinated.

And I feel for the ones who cannot be.

Who must stand by and watch people say they are not getting vaccinated because X, Y, Z.

COVID doesn’t care.

I have been fully vaccinated since January 25.

My husband has been fully vaccinated since May 14.

This means 2 weeks after our second shots.

I’ve taken my shot.

How about you?