What’s your state of mind?

On the eve of Thanksgiving, we asked Facebook friends: What’s your state of mind?

We were fishing for people’s thoughts on the state of things as we headed into the Thanksgiving holiday -- would you stay isolated or have a big family dinner? How are you dealing with all that’s happening on the day we traditionally stop what we’re doing and give thanks?

We got a little of that, and a lot of discussion on personal responsibility and discussion about whether COVID-19 is being statistically explained in proper form. Here’s a selection of comments:

-- Bob Harlan: In the big picture of your lifetime, this will pass, taking command of perhaps 18 months of your life. COVID-19 transmission is easy and the effects vary by individual. We have to be particularly careful with our elderly and with those younger persons with underlying conditions. This disease is a big roadblock to a normal life, but the light is at the end of the long tunnel! Hang in there and stay safe!

-- Steven Parks: My state of mind is that I’ve had enough of the horrible California government officials that allow criminals to do as they please and the outrageous cost of living. I was recently in a different part of the country and gas was $1.49. The fact that our governor has rolled out the red carpet to any and all homeless has only increased theft/crime. I’ve had it with California and I will soon (right after the first of the year) be able to call another state home. My business has been sold and movers are being scheduled …

-- Toni Bryant: I’m (mad) at the community for not taking this seriously. As my family is now battling covid-19, sick as hell, people are whining about restrictions, having gatherings, boohooing about their rights. What about our rights? The ones sick with it? Cover your germ holes, distance yourself, wash your hands. This should have been done by now. Selfish people. Even with that said I still don’t want to see another person suffer with this. It’s not worth it! It only takes one person to infect your entire family.

-- Shawn Felkins: How is your family being sick the community’s fault? Come on, people take responsibility for your own actions.

-- Kurt Gaston: … This family most likely got Covid from a member of the community who refuses to wear a mask.

-- Holly Magiera: … exactly...take responsibility and wear a mask and isolate. Germs are passed in a community...not in isolation.

-- Lyssa Clark: … Sincerely hope things get better for you and your family.

-- Craig Bommarito: … Serious question: If your family was following the protocols and restrictions, social distancing and not gathering how do you suppose they contracted the disease?

-- Erin Costner Griffin: … People have to work. My husband is very careful and doesn’t see anyone outside the house besides at work. He wears a mask religiously at work. But it only takes one person in his building to potentially infect others. That’s why it’s so important that people are responsible. If half of our community is being careful and the other half is not, then everyone is at an increased risk.

-- Jess Ica: It’s no one’s fault but your own! You can’t blame others for your family getting sick. So tired of entitled babies!!

-- Jamie Krebs Hicks: … so these new cases could potentially be from those less than 100% effective masks... sounds legitimate to me. You are very correct that the masks are only 70% effective if used properly, like in a hospital setting. So now that they are being used daily with such materials as cloth, old t-shirts, etc.. we can assume they are even less effective than the basic mask being handed out which clearly states on the manufacturer’s box “not effective against COVID.” Why would you then assume it’s non-maskers who are the cause of your household illness?

-- Erin Costner Griffin: … I never said that. However people who do not wear masks at gatherings is what is driving up infection rates. I said that not wearing a mask is reckless. Like not wearing a condom or a seatbelt. And boxes of face masks have to put a warning on them because our society is so litigious that everything has to be labeled. As long as people refuse to follow guidelines, the longer our kids miss out on inperson school, sports and other activities.

-- Jamie Krebs Hicks: … you’re right in that they are not accurate because dying with a COVID and of COVID are very different things. The numbers should actually be lower.

-- Erin Costner Griffin: Actually, no, that is not correct. The way that deaths are determined for Covid are the same way as other diseases. If you have pneumonia and then have a heart attack secondarily brought on by the bodily stress of pneumonia, you died from pneumonia. The human body processes don’t work in isolation from each other. My husband is in the medical field and says that people do not understand how deaths were attributed prior to Covid which leads some to believe that the rules for determining deaths have been changed, which is not true.