[Boomer]

There are many who cling to the death statistics to reinforce cavalier attitudes. (That in itself is creepy — guess they do not know anyone personally who has been affected — so, hey, that’s all that matters, right?)

There is another stat though that reveals a clearer picture of reality.

I am back in Ohio now — where I will stay for a while. Ohio’s governor (R) keeps us informed.

At Monday’s news conference, he said that on November 1, there were 1700 Covid hospitalizations in Ohio. But as of November 30, there are over 5000 hospitalizations due to Covid. Do the math for that percentage increase.

Hospitalizations for Covid grow arms and legs when beds are filled and staff exhausted. Others put off routine tests that could be lifesaving.

I now know one person recovering at home, and 3 hospitalizations, and one death.

The invisibility of this enemy adds to the creepiness of this mess.

Anyway, as far as stats go, I am so tired of hearing that those death stats are nothing. If that is what floats your boat -- well, whatever — but please explain to me the very real trend of that enormous increase in Ohio’s hospitalizations in just the past 30 days.

It’s here. It’s real. And we should have been cooperating as Americans to do what we could — whether we like it or believe in it or not. Wearing a mask and distancing are not that hard to do. Not trying is disgusting, speaks volumes.

The virus should eventually go away. But what will take a lot longer to go away will be how we think of people we know who put others at risk.

Never has there been a time that so clearly revealed so much about who people really are.