"Nativity Scene" on iStock by Getty Images
December 23.. 2 days until Christmas 2020.. Wow..
This has got to be the most somber Christmas season I have ever experienced, which is understandable given the backdrop of an actual pandemic..
Having just read this article on journal writing, it got me thinking about how I started out chronicling this year, and how I seem to have regret not painting a clearer picture of things as they were happening. Living through this pandemic for the ages is basically history writing itself, and it would be a shame if I wouldn't be able to make a worthy contribution, seeing as I am in a position to do so.
Now that I finally have time off from the hospital, this is the perfect time to make an early retrospective. I have forgotten how liberating it feels to be rid of hospital responsibilities, overnight duties, and endless reports, even for just a brief period of time... Actually I have a pair of things that I would hopefully have started before I go back to the hospital, but I don't wanna talk about that now.
Taking a peek at the current COVID numbers, it seems to have leveled out somewhat, and we are waiting with bated breath in anticipation of a post-holiday spike in cases that we hope would not come about.. but these are Filipinos we're talking about, so I'm not really holding my breath.. I guess all we can do now is keep trying to protect our loved ones from harm and brace ourselves for another mad rush to the hospitals..
Yes, I have heard of the vaccine news.. but seriously, do you actually believe we will be getting the shots anytime soon? From China? Oh please, don't make me laugh.. You're talking about one of the most untrustworthy countries in the world right now, whose government always spews out how they never waged war on another country, but bullies their smaller neighbors into submission. If their vaccine is indeed as good as they claim, then why are they afraid of releasing the data behind it? This could bee because 1) their data sucks, and that would turn off anyone who would even think of buying from them, or 2) There is no data in the first place, and the TDK shots we may be receiving is just sterilized canal water for all we know. Remember, since religion is banned, the people in general tend to lack a sense of higher moral accountability, and thus would be inclined to just do anything to make a buck without caring how their methods would affect others. They are also on a nationalistic supremacy kick, and tend to look down upon people who are not from their "great" nation. Not good global citizens by any conceivable measure.
Enough about the virus originators though. I have had my fill of them to last a number of lifetimes already and do not need any more negativity, dishonesty, or selfishness in my life.
To day that this year was a perfect storm is a big understatement. I can't help but feel that the initial coronavirus situation (during the early part) was made worse by the mask-buying frenzy people suddenly went into after the eruption of Taal volcano way back in January. People snapped up supplies of N95 masks like hotcakes, since violence of the eruption had propelled ash to fall here in the metro. As a result, the usually ubiquitous N95 masks at the hospital were almost nowhere to be found when the COVID pandemic finally hit our shores.
It started as a slow trickle at first.. A few suspected patients with a lot of false negatives.. But testing was too damn slow, and precious slots for testing were greedily taken up by politicians who felt the need to flex their fragile egos and insecurities by jumping at the head of the line before those people who really needed it, and I guess the same truth would play out once the vaccine becomes available, if ever.
The first handful of confirmed patients were Chinese from the TDK mainland. No surprise there. Then came the cases from those who had gone abroad earlier. Based on the early trend I had observed, the private hospitals were the first ones the cry out "COVID surge" as their wards were suddenly filled to the brim with sick rich old people who often had a significant travel history, with numbers from the public hospitals considerably lagging behind (we have to bear in mind that the influx of recalled OFWs came at a much later month).
Then the panic buying started. I was caught in a couple of those situations, where supermarket lines seemed endless and unmoving, with people hurriedly snapping up whatever essentials they could get their hands on. Thankfully, the supply of toilet paper was never an issue in our poor little banana republic. 😜
Then the lockdowns came. Being a frontliner, it meant that I was still free to move about the metro with a simple flash of my ID or a glimpse of my scrubs. The situation on the road was so eerie to say the least.. The streets were close to deserted, and my normal morning commute of 45 minutes to an hour. was cut down drastically to 10-15 minutes. Roads were closed and checkpoints were manned by the police, which I welcomed wholeheartedly. All the police I had encountered were firm but polite, and gave you no hassle if everything was in order. They were doing their jobs, and I applaud them for that.
Living under a lockdown was a bit strange, since nobody was really leaving the house. Having a free pass to move about, I took it upon myself to be the one who goes out for essential supplies every so often. Supermarket lines were tightly controlled, and nonessential businesses were shut down. The only place you could go to was the supermarket, and that often required a bit of creative navigation because some roads were closed between cities/municipalities and access was restricted for non-residents.
Eventually fellowship started in earnest, and the early adaptations we had to make in no way resembled what I thought I would be entering when I decided to apply last year. Having been displaced from the usual office of operations, I have to admit that it was getting really depressing as time wore on.. It felt like I was just going through the motions, but was not really getting anywhere..
As the year dragged on, lockdown measures were relaxed, but eventually were tightened again due to a second spike in cases, this time much greater than the first. This was also in part due to the steady repatriation of OFWs who returned home, and the fact that the virus had already been spreading to other parts of the country.
People slowly got used to the restrictions, and were really thankful as measures were relaxed somewhat, which meant that more people could get back out there to start earning a living again. Adjustments had to be made, obviously, but like I had said in previous posts, I think that the measures implemented (ESPECIALLY having mandatory faceshields in public) had made a considerable impact, because if you consider the fact that even thuigh more and more people are going out and commuting, the infection numbers have remained somewhat stable and may even be ever so slowly declining.
This is no reason to drop our guard though. We need to keep at it, to continue our lives but at the same time being responsible for yourself and for those around you. I honestly believe that this country can eventually pull through, as long as everyone stays smart and responsible, and won't try to be like the westerners, because whatever it is they are doing there, it definitely ain't working.
A lot of changes were forcibly adapted, as life must indeed go on. The conduct of important life events such as graduations and weddings were altered dramatically, and would forever be remembered a bit differently compared to what was the norm before.
Now we are at the final stretch of this seemingly endless ordeal of the year, and I am already itching to start anew. I hope the new year finds you well! Have a happy holiday!
