As the world starts 2022 pretty much in the same situation that we started 2021, it's extremely frustrating and simultaneously infuriating. A virus mutates to adapt to its environment. Hit it with a medication and over time, the virus becomes resistant to that.
This is one reason there are "super bugs" such as methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. It's not only due to incorrectly or over-prescribing antibiotics but because viruses, for the most part, are smarter than humans. It's hard to believe I just typed that, but it's a sad truth.
With omicron raging as it is and more variants on the way, the new normal for this planet is walking around with masks on, washing hands vigorously and often, sanitizing our environments, virtually doing almost everything, and on and on.
Any time you see a news report regarding an Asian population, you see them walking around with masks on. If you really think about it, you've seen that for several years. I always wondered why they were in masks. Now we all know why.
I was having a conversation with my daddy, Austin Porter Sr., when he made a profound statement. "These hospitals should be allowed to refuse a bed to a person who's suffering with C-19 [he refuses to call the name] who isn't vaccinated. Why give a bed to someone who chose not to do their part in trying to stop this virus by getting vaccinated and possibly take a bed from someone who chose to do their part?"
I had to stop and think about that for a moment, as I hope you do right now. I wholeheartedly agree with him. That makes all the sense in the world to me.
I understand that there are some who can't get the vaccination because of medical comorbidities and the medications they're currently on possibly reacting badly to the vaccination. But for those who choose not to get vaccinated because you "don't know what's in it," that conversation is futile. You've had several immunizations that are required to attend school, for employment, and traveling abroad, and you still don't know what was in those.
What's in the polio, hepatitis B, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and all other immunizations we were administered as children? Go ahead, I'll wait. As I stated earlier, this is a pointless conversation.
To that, I will add, not only do you not get a bed, but you don't get to visit an emergency room if you're unvaccinated. People who're really sick and need to be evaluated in emergency departments are either afraid to go, discouraged to go, or have to wait hours due to unvaccinated visitors taking time and staff away from those who are.
In another conversation I had with my niece Tashika Keown, I told her what her grandfather suggested. Not only did she agree, but she offered to take all of the virus relief funding and utilize it to renovate buildings (such as the old VA hospital on Roosevelt) and make covid-19-only hospitals specifically for the unvaccinated. Again, another brilliant idea and, though I wouldn't work there, I'm sure there are those humanitarians who would.
And to politicians and those who make the decisions on how funding is appropriated, don't even attempt to say that there is no funding for this, because we know that isn't true. Stop padding your pockets and those of your buddies and actually do something to try and stop this virus from which over 5 million people have died.
Stop making excuses and make prodigious choices to help stop this thing. I am in no way suggesting that unvaccinated people should not be treated. They should just be treated in their own environment, with others who chose--as they did--not to get vaccinated.
I can say as a homeowner that if you're not vaccinated, you can't come in my house. I can also say that if you claim you are, let me see that card that says so first. Businesses should be able to require the same.
For businesses that have signs that say "vaccinated--no mask required; unvaccinated--mask required," how do you know those without a mask are actually vaccinated? Because of this, if I have to enter an establishment, I wear my mask anyway and require my son to do the same, because we don't know. That unmasked man or woman may just be a defiant person who doesn't care about anyone else.
Allow businesses to require those who enter to show their vaccination card and ID (to prevent fraud) before entry. For those of you who want to cry about privacy, do everyone a favor and just stay home. The fact that your privacy matters more than the health of yourself and others says quite a bit about your character, or the lack thereof.
There is so much unknown about this virus, and information and regulations/guidance changes almost hourly; I get it. Those who are fully vaccinated can potentially infect others, and some deaths have been fully vaccinated people, I'm aware of that.
But, as I tell my children, it's better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Kellaneese R. Porter-Parker is an Arkansas mom and activist.