Responding to
COVID-19

“You're out of the woods, 
You're out of the dark, you're out of the night, 
Step into the sun, step into the light."

Optimistic Voices
Most of us remember the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy arrives in Oz. It's the point when her world switches from black and white to color. Shortly after that, the Munchkins begin to wake up because it's safe to come out of hiding. The Wicked Witch of the East can no longer harm them.

Many of us who've been vaccinated are feeling a bit like that about COVID-19. It's as if we've been in hibernation for more than a year and we're finally beginning to wake up. It's safe to come out of hiding.

But it's not that way for everyone nor is the virus under control.

In the United States, coronavirus cases are increasing again after hitting a low point late last month. Some of the states driving the upward trend have also been hit hardest by variants, according to Lauren Leatherby in The New York Times. And, while the number of daily vaccinations is exceeding three million, and daily vaccine production will likely hit four million doses soon, states are rolling back virus control measures just as new, more contagious variants are showing up. “It is a pretty complex situation, because behavior is changing, but you’ve also got this change in the virus itself [occurring] at the same time,” observes Emily Martin, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Some experts estimate 70 to 90 percent of the population needs to acquire resistance before transmission will slow.

As of April 5, less than 20 percent of the U.S. population had been fully vaccinated against the virus. And the article points out that, while higher vaccination rates among older adults mean that some of those at highest risk are protected, almost 70 percent of the population has still not received a first dose. Only about half of those 65 and older are fully vaccinated.

The good news is that the rate of vaccinations is continuing to speed up and more studies confirm that vaccines are effective against the coronavirus in the real world. In New Mexico, more than 52% of the population has been partially vaccinated and more than 34% has been fully vaccinated. But with increased transmission, experts warn, comes a renewed need for caution in the immediate term. “I think we’ve got to hang on just a little bit longer, being conservative and getting more people vaccinated,” Dr. Martin advises. “I’d hate to see us having another hospital surge when we’re getting so close to being done with this. I’m definitely worried about it.”
Thirteen months into the pandemic, many of us are also finding it harder and harder to concentrate, as Sarah Lyall writes. Some folks are experiencing a variety of late-pandemic lapses in concentration and memory, affecting our ability to get things done. It's not surprising, says Margaret Wehrenberg, an expert on anxiety. A year of extraordinary uncertainty has left many people feeling that they are existing in a kind of fog and seeing the world in shades of gray. When we experience a long period of chronic, unpredictable stress, she explains, some of us develop a condition called behavioral anhedonia, a loss of ability to take pleasure in our activities. “And so [we] get lethargic, and [we] show a lack of interest — and obviously that plays a huge role in productivity.”

“There’s definitely a change in how people are reporting memories and cognitive experiences,” observes Natasha Rajah, professor of psychiatry at McGill University. “They have fewer rich details about their personal memories, and more negative content to their memories.” This can mean people have a harder time paying attention with “a reduced ability to hold things in their minds, manipulate thoughts and plan for the future.”

But all is not lost. Olga Khazan suggests that we can emerge from our extended "stasis" a new person from the one we were when the pandemic began, if we're so inclined and we make enough of a commitment. "And what better time for transformation than now, when no one has seen you for a year, and might have forgotten what you were like in the first place?" She tells us that adults can change the five traits that make up personality - extroversion, openness to experience, emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness - within just a few months. Essentially, our personalities are "more like sand dunes and less like stone."

Intrigued? Here’s how a post-pandemic dispositional makeover might look.

If, for example, we were chronically late in the "Before Times," we could focus on being more conscientious, or timely, in the post-pandemic world. One way to show our friends how much we missed them is to start respecting their time.

Perhaps we’re someone who typically reacts with anger when a friend cancels plans. If so, we could focus on forgiving minor social slights. Forgiveness involves greater empathy and concern for others. Letting go of anger also takes significantly less energy than carrying around a grudge. The pandemic has caused some people to carry a crushing weight and experience extreme loss. By becoming more forgiving, we remember the uniqueness of each person’s experience, and become gentler toward one another.

The pandemic is far from over. For some of us, things are easing up. For others, there are still many challenges to overcome. For all of us, we're going to need time to heal. Accepting the fogginess of our days is a first step, if we're struggling with the repetitive nature of our locked-down lives. Treating ourselves and others with patience and kindness can also help.

The Munchkins were able to start celebrating immediately after they came out of their slumber . . . they didn't need time to recover. But that's the magic of the movies. In real life, it may take us a bit more time. And for those of us who want to live differently, perhaps we can.

In gratitude for all that you do.
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Thank you for your vigilance. We want you to stay safe,
healthy, and informed.