COLUMN: The new normal, part two

My experience with Alberta Health’s pandemic protocol went to another level recently. It started with minor cold symptoms. First, let me say that I was raised by a mother who hated pills and drugs. I don’t think we had Aspirin in the house. Mom believed in old-fashion, homemade remedies – dare we get sick at all, for she preferred we didn’t and just got on with our duties. Second, I’m prone to bronchial infections, not every year and more often years ago than lately. Symptoms are runny, stuffy nose, minor sore throat, cough, mild fever sometimes, which are also the basic symptoms for COVID-19. About once a year, about wintertime, I feel faint symptoms, which often pass when I overdose on vitamins, echinacea, fruit and juice. I’m also a believer in mind over matter so I often think the symptoms are psychosomatic (obviously I’m not a medical expert). I should add I never had bronchial infections when I was at home under Mom’s care.   

A few weeks ago, the symptoms arose; very minor, not uncomfortable. I wouldn’t have thought much about it except that I now pay attention to COVID protocols, so I began to self-isolate. Like before, one day I’d feel great, the next day not so much, and so on. Never too bad but on the worse days, I’d think isolation; on the good days I’d think of getting out. What eventually helped me manage my little predicament, because I thought I should get tested for COVID, was going online to the Alberta Health COVID pages and get some guidance. What I read was suck it up and stay home for 10 days, my conditions were noteworthy but minor (except for the stay home part, I heard Mom talking).  

Partly because of age, now partly because of COVID, I think I’m pretty good about my health. I wash my hands frequently, always have, I now wear a facemask in closed/close environments away from home, and I now social distance, a good thing anyway with some people. I pay attention to wise and knowledgeable authority. Yes, I’ve temporarily given up some of my liberties, for as much as I cherish my individual rights and freedom I am still sensitive to the best interests of society, especially in tough times. I mean, in the worse case scenario, who wants to be the last person left on Earth?

In the future, some pandemic protocols could remain to maintain better public health. I think they should; we live in a crowded world. For example, wearing masks is smart if we’re infected and need to go out, like they do in Japan. Go to the shops now and you see few if any people without masks; we’ve already adjusted. Sick days from work or school shouldn’t be a problem because we can now work better from home (remember, I’m not a medical expert and I’m retired; working families with school age children would have to weigh in on this point). In fact, I think an enforceable public health policy like this would be liberating once we got used to it. We’d feel more comfortable engaging in public, respecting certain new limits. “Get outta my face” could become a polite request.

Roger Jackson is a former public servant and a St. Albert resident.