Saskatchewan has had some relatively good news in the last week in regard to COVID-19.
It hasn’t all been good, of course, because there are new confirmed cases of the virus every day, and a fourth death was reported over the weekend.
What is good are the numbers of recoveries from the virus, as on many of the most recent days they are out-stripping the numbers of new confirmed cases, and show that in this province at least, the curve is flattening somewhat. Premier Scott Moe had a good comment as he referred to this trend on Monday, but he also spoke of a possible light at the end of the tunnel.
“None of this is a reason for complacency,” said Moe. “But it is a reason for cautious optimism. It means we can start to think about what the process of reopening Saskatchewan will look like.”
Keeping in mind that after a person is infected with COVID-19, it takes about two weeks or so for it to manifest itself in symptoms, we need to realize that the positive trend of numbers has to be sustained for some time before anyone can realistically say we’re out of the woods.
The fact is, we are at a crucial point right now where we could really blow it if we did get complacent. One comment made on the Review Facebook site about the positive numbers is it might encourage people to come out more and not worry so much about physical distancing.
This is very true. With the way this virus is spread, by interpersonal contact, we need to still be very careful and hang on a little while longer. It is not yet safe to just drop all restrictions and return to a “normal” life of working, school, sports and shopping.
While the numbers of recoveries is very positive and encouraging, it would be so easy for a group or two in each community to get together, and one person who might have COVID-19 but no symptoms showing could infect the whole bunch. It would then spread, quickly, and those positive numbers would very quickly become very scary.
The bottom line is, we don’t have a vaccine yet, or any way really to treat COVID-19 — we can’t cure it, and those people who are most vulnerable are the most at risk to die from it, like those with compromised immune systems and seniors, especially those with underlying health conditions.
We are on the right track so far, this is certainly true — but we need to continue on that track a little while longer.
For those who have had to shut down their business, or who were laid off, or who are at home instead of at school, it’s hard to see the positives because there are very real financial pressures, not to mention the mental and emotional ones caused by being forced to distance oneself from friends and family. In the end, however, it will be worth it if lives are saved because of what we do now.
