The pandemic: a rant

South Carolina is finally excelling at something!!!

Per capita we're in third place in the entire world for the rate of new Covid-19 infections. Yay, us!

Can you hear the sarcasm dripping from this post so far? Read on if you feel like reading a rant...otherwise, don't say you weren't warned.




Yes, it's a fact that we have the third highest new infection rate per capita than any other city or country in the world here in South Carolina. Today our positive case count has reached a new daily high of 2237. Statewide so far our positive cases have doubled in less than a month and are now over 54,000. We've had almost 1000 deaths. Our hospitals are reaching dangerous capacity and one in Richland County (an hour away from where I live) made the national news yesterday because of their overflowing ICU, the growing demand for ventilators, and for the number of deaths they've had in the last few days. Today, our state had our first child (pediatric) death from Covid-19.

And how does our fine populace respond? Like FUCKING IDIOTS, that's  how. Pardon the language. (I did warn you). Our leadership is nonexistent. Governor McMaster held a press conference yesterday to address the surge in this disease. You know what he proclaimed as a solution? Are you ready for this?

Bars and restaurants have to stop selling alcohol after 11pm!

That's it! Seriously.

Oh, and McMaster also parroted the fool in the White House and said we "must" reopen schools on time. No matter what. We have nothing for leadership in this state. Nothing. And the people here are just as bad! Our city passed a mask ordinance. You wouldn't BELIEVE how many people refuse to wear masks, refuse to make their employees wear them, and spread lies and misinformation about wearing them. They talk about their "rights" and their "freedom". Many of them still dismiss the whole pandemic as a plot to "bring down our President".  And no, I'm not kidding about that last sentence. They really think that this whole pandemic has been exaggerated for the express purpose of making Donald Trump look bad. They make tasteless jokes about the virus: "If I can smell your farts through two layers of clothes, what makes you think a mask protects anyone from Coronavirus?" Har dee har har. Cue all the idiots on social media yukking it up over gems like that one. While people die. While people get put on ventilators.

My own family is just as bad! That lovely fart joke I passed on to you came from my cousin's daughter, WHO WORKS IN A NURSING HOME, and who regularly takes her three little kids to my mom and dad for free babysitting. (My mom is diabetic and my dad has lung issues, not to mention that he has only 20% heart function on the left side. Catching Covid would probably kill them both). She (my cousin's daughter) was royally pissed off when Florence passed a mask ordinance and spouted off on social media about how she wouldn't be coming here to shop at Sam's if they tried to make her wear a mask inside. She made it clear she only wears a mask AT THE NURSING HOME because they make her do it. Not a damn bit of concern for anyone else. And my stupid parents can't be reasoned with. They act like family members can't spread the disease, or something. They love watching those three kids and dismiss my concerns about them possibly bringing the virus to them. They refuse to stop going to church or doing anything else that they want to do and I've given up fighting with them about it.

Then my husband has to go to work at the pet store, in a mask all day, and deal with hordes of people only about half of whom will wear a mask. There's no enforcement of the ordinance in this town. He's scared to death going to work with the way our rates are rising, seeing as how he has such compromised lung function. Catching Covid might be the death of him, too. He's considering stopping working again if things continue to get worse (and I'm sure they will). That puts us in a position of using up our savings just to survive. But of course I'd rather do that than risk him getting sick! When he had cancer 9 years ago I thought I was going to lose him, and like a miracle, he survived and is doing well. I won't lose him over  Covid-19 after going through all that! Not if it can be helped. Gregg is so disgusted with how some people in this community are acting, he even was willing to discuss the possibility of selling this house in a few years and moving to a totally different part of the country. He loves this part of South Carolina and for him to even entertain that thought is indicative of how disgusted he is with the redneck, uneducated, callous Conservative Republican white people we're surrounded with. So am I. For years I've said, "If the liberal, open minded, non-racist and more educated people keep leaving, how bad will our beautiful home state become?" But I'm almost at the point of saying, "You know what? Life is short. Do I really want to spend the time I have left among people that I can't respect? In a place where the majority's values aren't my values? Where even during a pandemic people can't put aside their politics and look out for each other?"

If you're still reading, thanks for hanging in there while I blow off steam. I'm just feeling so frustrated, sad, and angry today.