Covid

 

I thought long and hard about doing this post, but I decided I am going to put this out there for people's consideration.

Last winter, there was a movement in the entertainment industry to 'save' an actor by going to their performance ***wearing a mask*** to help protect them from catching Covid.

Given the news out of Convergence, where not one, but three individuals (so far) are reporting they attended the conference positive for Covid, perhaps it is time for that ultimate in personal responsibility...keeping our teachers safe so that they can continue to teach in this craft we love so much.

I am immune compromised, so even IF my body was functioning, I would NOT attend any weaving conference because no one is wearing a mask.  (Well, hardly anyone.)  But just consider all of those instructors at Convergence.  Consider how, if they got sick there, the impact that would have on their other teaching dates.  Consider how, if they get Long Covid, their ability to teach would be compromised.

We had a chance when the pandemic hit to recognize that we need *clean* air, but instead our public health officials mealy-mouthed about washing hands and keeping distance between us instead of, you know, mandating cleaning the air, just like we do with water.

The alt-right didn't help by protesting about masks being an infringement on *their* 'rights' to spread a deadly virus.

Not deadly for everyone, true.  But we are only now starting to find out the extent of the damage being caused by Long Covid.

We have to remember that the majority of the teachers we love to learn from are...older...and thus more vulnerable.

If we want them to feel safe to remove their masks while they teach, it would be a boon, a gift, a mitzvah (if I've spelled that correctly) for the participants to WEAR A DAMNED MASK and protect the instructors from getting sick.

At the very very LEAST, wear a mask until people know they are not positive, after sitting in an airplane for several hours with who knows how many people breathing the virus (any virus, come to that) into the shared air of the plane.

More and more people who are knowledgeable about communicable diseases are describing Covid as a mass disabling event.  There are thousands of people now dealing with Long Covid.  I now have to remember when I am answering questions on line that *some* of the people are dealing with Covid brain fog, and what I thought was a clearly worded response might not be clear to the person with brain fog from Covid.

The irony is not lost on me that the film industry STILL has higher Covid protocols than hospitals.  Because the film industry knows that if their star(s) go down with Covid, it will be very expensive for them.  

If we infect our beloved teachers with Covid, pretty soon they won't be teaching anymore.

Maybe some people are ok with that, but I'm not.  

So, please.  Next time all y'all attend a workshop, how about wearing a mask to protect not just yourself, but the teacher.  Send them home without a dose of Covid, so they can keep teaching.