OPINION: COVID Continues to Fade in Idaho & Twin Falls

My dad was full of folk sayings.  Such as, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it”.  Or, “We’re not out of the woods yet!”  The latter could be a phrase employed to COVID-19.  It’s still here and it may be with us permanently.  The longer it hangs around it should also attenuate.  Meaning it gradually becomes less of a health threat.  A doctor once explained to me it’s what has happened with most viruses throughout human history.

In Idaho, the roll out of a vaccine remains a lengthy process and, yet.  The number of cases being reported remains on the decline.  When you consider we’ve got more testing than eight months ago, the true figure may be well below where it was when the pandemic first struck.

The Idaho Statesman again reports figures coming in below past averages.  If you click on this link, you’ll see the county by county figures as well.  If I’m reading the story right, it appears there were no confirmed cases in Twin Falls County on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, we don’t appear to be having a flu season in the Northern Hemisphere.  Maybe it’s because more people are washing hands.  If you click this link from one of the Statesman’s sister papers, one theory is masks may be helping.  Or more people received flu vaccines.

Or it’s possible your immune system is on alert against viruses because you’ve already had COVID and many of you never even knew you were ill.

At lunch one day this week, a friend shared the story of a business client.  The woman explained COVID had killed her uncle.  When my friend asked a few questions, the client explained a stroke killed her uncle.  If he had COVID in the previous 30 days it’s on the death certificate.  Years may pass before we sort this out.