Coronavirus fear
Sorry, folks, but it looks like COVID-19 is going to be around for quite a while.
A United Methodist Insight Column
All of us hoping that the coronavirus pandemic will eventually subside got some unhappy news this week from the online news journal, Axios: it’s likely that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 respiratory illness will be with us for a long time, perhaps permanently. This means that the changes churches have made to their worship services and other in-person gatherings are likely to stay put for the foreseeable future.
Writing in Axios’ “AM Deep Dive” newsletter for Sept. 25, managing editor Mike Allen reports on Caitlin Owens' interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the Institute on Infectious Diseases and one of the world’s most reliable experts. Here are some excerpts from the newsletter (click here to sign up for Axios newsletters):
“Why it matters: More than half of the world — and a substantial portion of Americans — remains unvaccinated. Getting these rates up could mean the difference between the virus becoming a back-burner nuisance, or something that continues to define our lives for years to come.
"You either eradicate, you eliminate it in certain countries, or you control it generally. We want to do better than just control. We want to be on the brink of elimination," Anthony Fauci told Axios.
“Between the lines: The future will be determined by three main variables: vaccination rates, variants and the duration of immunity.
“The big question is whether we'll be in danger if and when we're exposed to the virus in the future — either because it's mutated into a variant that can escape our immunity, or because that immunity has faded over time.
“Variants and vaccination rates are intricately tied together. The fewer people that are vaccinated, the more the virus spreads, and the greater the chances of it mutating into a version that can evade immune protection.
"If a large part of the world is not vaccinated or infected, you're going to end up having this continual circulation of variants that will be a threat even to countries that are vaccinated," Fauci said.
“Yes, but: It's still unknown how long immunity lasts. Although we could, in theory, offer booster shots to the population every year in perpetuity, that's a heavy lift.
"I really do hope that it's going to be a three-dose vaccine. It may be that intermittently you have to get boosted," Fauci said, adding that he doubts people will need an annual booster shot.
“The bottom line: ‘If the rest of the world, the developed world, pitches in, and we get essentially 70% of the world vaccinated as we finish 2022, that could make a major, major determinant of what's going to happen with COVID,’ Fauci said.”
Disappointing as Dr. Fauci’s prognosis is (and most of us really want this thing to be over), his latest outlook confirms what medical studies have found over the past 18 months: public health protocols such as wearing a mask and keeping physical distance really do work to slow or stop the virus. Don’t forget to wash your hands, and get a flu shot while you’re at it.
A last look at the big picture from Axios: “More than 100,000 people are still being infected daily, and hospitals in hot spots have been swamped with COVID patients over the last few months. Most of the people being hospitalized are unvaccinated.”
Overcome ‘decision fatigue’
Whether it’s choosing how to structure in-person worship under COVID or what shirt to put on, all of us likely are suffering from “decision fatigue.”
Psychologist Barry Schwartz, a visiting professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley and author of “The Paradox of Choice,” tells writer Stacy Colino in The Washington Post: “There’s no aspect of the pandemic that has not thrown decisions at us that we haven’t had to make before. Things that used to require no thought or effort now require a lot of planning. In the covid world so much is uncertain — we haven’t had practice making decisions under these circumstances.”
Plus, the harder the decision, the more tired you’ll get, Prof. Schwartz says. So here’s how I plan to adapt the experts’ advice to cope with overwhelming choices:
Sleep on it. Unless it’s a true emergency, most decisions can be put off until you get enough rest to be clear-headed about your decision-making.
Automate your choices. Everything from your breakfast cereal to your wardrobe to a daily walk can be turned into a routine. In chaotic times, routine is your friend, so use it.
Get good counsel. Choose a trusted pastor, friend, mentor, co-worker or relative to help you sort out your options. Pastors especially benefit from having a friend or a support circle to help with decisions.
Check yourself before you wreck yourself. In other words, get used to accepting that “good enough” really is “good enough.” One of my favorite quilting instructors, Jenny Doan, is fond of saying “finished is better than perfect,” and that’s wise.
Make time for rest and recovery. Making too many decisions at once – especially momentous ones – brings on decision fatigue in body, mind, and soul.
Trust your feelings. If you find yourself irritable at having to make another choice, that’s a sign you’re overloaded. Postpone anything you can when you feel out of sorts.
Decision fatigue can be hard to recognize on your own, so I suggest church leaders agree to watch for signs in one another and in group discussions. So much rests these days on the choices that clergy and laity make for congregations, and it’s become clear over these past 18 months that we can only make it through the coronavirus pandemic by helping one another.
Media Mentions as of Sept. 28, 2021
Check out these articles via UM News:
High-court judge found time to serve church
Pastor's book examines 'Saturday faith'
Lawyer-minister made a big difference
Church hits airwaves to reach vulnerable communities
Mountain Sky Conference: Much-debated shelter now up and running
Church holds prayer service after mass shooting
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.