Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020 | 2 a.m.
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Not to bogart the Sun’s wonderful editorial page, but I believe this is important. On Aug. 2, the Sun published my letter, “Our generations are falling short,” roundly criticizing myopic Americans for their unwillingness to sacrifice anything to attempt to contain COVID-19.
It was published when I was relatively healthy, for a 71-year-old. I always wore a mask, andusually a shield; used hand sanitizer to a fault; constantly washed my hands; practiced social distancing — all of the recommended precautions.
Four days later, I found myself coughing. I took my temperature — 101.1 degrees — all amid news accounts of the then-upcoming, 250,000-person gathering of maskless motorcycle riders at Sturgis, S.D. Per my doctor’s instructions, I went to the emergency room. I was immediately admitted to the hospital after preliminary tests.
Two days later came my positive COVID-19 test results. In a hospital room, tied to an IV and electrodes, I was wondering whether I would leave the building in a wheelchair or a body bag, and wondering whether I ever again would see my wife.
If six fully loaded airliners were crashing every day in the United States, you can bet airlines would be grounded immediately — but that’s roughly equivalent to the current rate of daily COVID-19 fatalities.
I was lucky. I didn’t get pneumonia. A thousand Americans a day aren’t so lucky.
Don’t be selfish.
