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Delta’s Psychological Toll
How 2021 Covid Scientists and 1878’s Aunt Nathalie Can Help
I’m a Boston-based cancer doctor and I’ve been writing weekly fact-based-no-blame-no-rumors-all-science-all-the-time essays about Covid-19 since March 2020.
You can read my views on why to get a summer cold tested here — or about protecting our kids here — or you can read about vaccines/anti-vaxxers throughout history here
Another day, another set of headlines about surges. And schools. And schools. And surges.
Covid Delta surges seem to last around 6–8 weeks. They are ramping up horribly in some new states (South Dakota, Ohio, Idaho, Maine) — but are slowly declining in Missouri, Oregon, Washington and others. These surges leave behind dazed exhausted healthcare workers, bereaved and ruined families, long-haul Covid and untold suffering, but they do ebb. Slowly.
Clearly, they can’t ebb soon enough. A lot of people are finding this Delta period exceptionally wearying, wanting things to go back to normal, just generally sick and tired of being asked to do hard things.
Some days it feels like we’re going to run out of coping skills and strength. Having schools start up during these surges is not helping one bit, fraying the last of our nerves.
