I only just learned that home Covid tests are available! It’s not clear how reliable they are for catching asymptomatic cases, but it was still a nice security blanket between my husband getting home from travel and being able to take a PCR the next day. I considered stocking up but stopped myself. There was plenty of supply. I was happily surprised to discover the kit had TWO tests, so we’re already prepared for the next time my husband has to travel. Score!
August 19, 2021
The main effects of the pandemic are a kind of "phantom limb" sensation, the metaphor being, you are used to the mask, and now, when vaccinated, you feel the need/ anxiety for same, even though 1) you are fully vaccinated, and 2) CDC has said masks for fully vaxxed people not necessary when outdoors. A sense of guilt, when living in a high-compliance area, sets in: it's becoming a token of politeness, of humility, of belief that it's not really over. Anxiety has become like shoes-- you simply wouldn't leave the house without putting on. At the same time, there are my "six degrees of separation" connections to people in India, my husband's former co-workers, our neighbors, a friend of mine who is married to an Indian. So so much helplessness and sense of being deliberately lied to by their government.
May 7, 2021