Just a Reminder: The "Mark's Vaccine Journey" Post from March 2nd Is Continuously Updated ...

 ... documenting his experience (struggle) trying to get the vaccine, as he is eligible as a K-12 staff member.  

We had heard about how much of a hassle it was, not just here in Kentucky, but other states, too, for different reasons - and not just from press - from family members' first-hand accounts, who live just outside NYC in Connecticut, California (L.A.), Michigan, and Florida. 

We wanted to wait and observe just a while longer, but Governor Beshear apparently passed an executive order requiring all K-12 staff to get the vaccine by March 15th or the state would not pay for COVID leave, if you got it. 

Also, as local news has reported - and my husband who works on the Data Team at Fayette County Public Schools can attest - there have been over 50 children and staff members who have tested positive so far, with at least two adults coming to work though symptomatic, since children began returning to school last week.

(The interim superintendent since Manny died - under pressure from the school board - began returning students to school last week; the first week was grades K-2, this week was grades 2-5.  You know if Manny was alive, this would've never happened :( )

And as of last week, Mark was required to return to Central Office for at least a half day per day, despite being on the Data Team and could work from home.

He also was required to attend a Zoom meeting from his office with his coworkers, early Monday morning - which means he had to mask up, drive and get his temperature taken, then go sit in his office - just to have a Zoom meeting which could've been done at home.

(That makes zero sense, of course - but I guess the rationale was, if teachers were present, they had to be - even for a Zoom meeting - but it was still absurd.)

By the time he got there, they'd canceled it anyway, due to other pressing issues, of course. Grrrrr.

Additionally, as of two weeks ago, all employees, regardless of your position, are required to sign up to spend at least 1 week on "car duty," greeting children and taking their temperatures (which Mark did last week).

Mind you, the temperature-taker for people entering Central Office, Jim - a retiree who worked part-time - died from COVID two months ago, after being attached to a respirator for two weeks first.

So I have him double-masked (regular surgical plus N95, plus his MSU Spartan gator on cold days)  and gloved up, believe me - and we're doing our best to get him vaccinated, but not having any luck thus far.

In every new post, I will either put a link to that post if there's been an update or mention there has been no news/progress. 

There has been an update this morning of the hoops we jumped through today  (but still without any progress) lol - here's the link to that frequently updated post from March 2nd. 

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PS - Kentucky's numbers are still up, people - deaths have only dipped slightly.

Even if this was just a "bad flu" or "pneumonia," over 500,000 people in the U.S. have died from whatever you want to call it, in a single year - versus the known flu, which kills between 30,000 to 60,000, and pneumonia, which kills 50,000 in a single year - for a grand combined total of at most, 110,000 - so wear a freakin' mask and stand at least six feet from other people, already!

Honestly, if the worst thing that's ever happened to you is someone made you wear a mask and you can't go watch an expensive live sports game, then please ... 

... allow me to escort your lucky, over-privileged, spoiled-brat, likely-white, full-grown-adult butt down to the COVID unit, the burn unit, the children's hospital, the cancer hospital, the hospice center, the projects, a domestic violence or homeless shelter, or even a prison, for some perspective and a reality-check wake-up call - so you can see what life is like for people with real problems, right now.

I'll be double-masked, when we go, but please feel free to continue to exercise your "God-given civil-liberty right" not to wear a mask and get right up in people's faces   ;)

Speaking of taking a visit down to places like the burn unit of a children's hospital for some perspective, I guarantee you that the majority of those children at the children's hospital, being treated for life-altering and terminal illness, whine and cry less about having to wear a mask and socially distance than some of you all do lol. Not only is that standard protocol for them to prevent infection as they are more susceptible due to a compromised immune system, but they have much bigger things to cry about!

And for the love of God, stop making a public health issue political?

*rant over* lol