Back in December 2019, there were rumblings among the healthcare community of a problem. It was regarding an outbreak of a virus in China that was making its way to Europe. At best, it garnered a small item on the back page of some major American newspapers. It sounded like a case of the flu. Besides, it was on the other side of the world. But by March that situation had drastically changed, with the virus finding its way to this country. The “bug” was now the lead stories resulting in such things as masks, thermometers, gloves, hand sanitizers and cleaning agents becoming scarce.
The unknown virus now had a name — COVID-19. For North Texas, one of the first hints of the disease’s threat was the cancellation of the Chinese New Year Celebration at NorthPark Center scheduled for Saturday, February 1, 2020. By the cancellation of Greenville Avenue’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 14, COVID-19 was being taken very seriously. No longer a problem in faraway places, it was hitting home.
Fueling the situation was the unknown, as well as conflicting information. Initially no one was quite certain how it was spread. Suddenly such ordinary things as handshakes, hugs and even coming within six feet of old friends were verboten.
As hospitals and healthcare workers went into overdrive as the cases roller-coastered up and down over the months, retailers, restaurants and the arts plummeted without customers and guests. Food drives became lifelines. A little-known software program called Zoom replaced conference table assemblies. Generations that had been raised on the old saw, “United we stand, divided we fall,” were now following orders to “Shelter in place and socially distance.”
Now, two years later, COVID-19’s latest offspring, Omicron, is threatening to take over the holidays. While initial reports claim that this COVID variant is more contagious, it’s too early to grasp its repercussions.
But there is good news. First of all, so far there have been no reports of the variant hitting the U.S. Second, this is not North Texas’ first rodeo. Masks that may have been set aside thanks to the lull created by the vaccinations are in the wings, ready to be put back on faces; hand washing and social distancing are routine even for schoolchildren; and proceeding with caution as research provides more insight will be the drill.
As North Texans get underway with the holidays and the probable arrival of Omicron, they will be better prepared with experience and not suffer the panic of two years past.