Rhino's Ramblings - A Warning About The Human Cost Of COVID - 19

By Robert Thomas - Opinion/Commentary

For many in Moose Jaw the past seven to 10 days have been a tumultuous one as the specter of COVID - 19 or more correctly Variants Of Concern (VOC) has cast its shadow over the community.

In the minds of many in Moose Jaw we are headed for a lockdown. For others it is a sign of dread or outright hostility to further restrictions.

It is a shadow which goes much further than what some are seeing as “just a flu” that is for “no good reason” forcing them to change their lives or perhaps I should clarify for some having them live their life much differently than they want to. Their freedoms are being stripped away and they do not like it.

For others, through no fault of their own, COVID - 19 has led to not only loved ones becoming sick but also sadly passing away from COVID - 19.

And no, I am not speaking about people with underlying conditions, but rather the main and root cause in their deaths is contracting the coronavirus which causes COVID - 19. And even if the person who passed away was elderly or had a pre-existing medical condition it does not matter.

They are people just like you and me and ultimately someone’s loved ones.

Their lives and deaths are summed up in a few hundred words or less in the local obituaries. And yes sadly as just a number in the government statistics that are quoted in the media or shared someplace on social media.

Here is hoping we all remember them as people and not just some easily tossed aside number.

Over the past ten days I have been asked a question I cannot answer. It is a question I truly wish I could answer but sadly I cannot.

“Will it ever end?” I was asked.

To which all I can answer is I should not be writing about COVID - 19 but rather I should be writing about hockey playoffs.

And NO I am not saying the Province should be lifting the restrictions but rather all of our plans now in all of our lives to some extent revolve around a coronavirus that appeared just over a year ago.

People are getting very sick from COVID - 19 with G-d only knowing what type of long term effects it is going to have on their health.

Many of these people are not the elderly but rather they are younger, in many cases decades younger, than I am.

I have also been asked by more than a few parents to get the word out that this virus is real and plead, beg or just plain bully people into realizing the truth. A truth which some of the parents speaking to me never fully believed in or just did not pay enough attention to until it struck their households and the ones they love.

I have heard from a few parents from Cornerstone Christian School who have told me despite what it might do to how people view their faith and beliefs in the short term in the end it is what their faith and beliefs tell them they must do for others in the community that they want people to know the truth so they can protect themselves and loved ones from becoming ill or worse.

They want people to understand what this virus can do and they do not want others to live through what they have lived through the past couple of weeks and are still living through.

COVID - 19 or rather the Variants Of Concern (VOC) has hit their school community hard.

And no, this is not COVID - 19 showing its ugly face and infecting the old but rather the virus through its VOC mutations is now infecting the children of Moose Jaw.

These are children and families which go well beyond those brutal and ugly statistics. Statistics which also have children in other schools contracting the virus- as it has throughout the pandemic - starting to show up in larger numbers.

Below is the most recent example of this chart on the Province’s web-site and the latest statistics. So people know Moose Jaw and area is included in the South Central 2 sub-zone.

What it tells you is that 33 children and youth in Moose Jaw and surrounding area have contracted the virus. And during the week shown through testing 8.6 percent of 301 children and youth tested have confirmed active cases of COVID - 19.

If you extrapolate the math that means there were children who contracted the virus previous to the week of tests and are not yet considered to be recovered.

But this is not a column about statistics this is a column about the human impact COVID - 19 has had upon the community.

Perhaps if a human face was attached to the statistics then the naysayers and others might have a better understanding about the true impact the coronavirus is having on the community.

If you go further into the statistics there is officially, and so far, five cases officially confirmed surrounding the outbreak declared at Cornerstone. With the cases discovered - I am assuming from what the parents are telling me - there are many more discovered during the mobile testing last Monday and Tuesday mornings not yet included.

Do I believe it is a staggering amount?

No I do not. But I do know there are more cases tied to the outbreak than the government statistics show and are telling us at this time. But the big question is how much higher? Easily much higher than what they have released because this is VOC driven. Perhaps we will never be told.

Right now I can honestly say I do know of two additional cases I can confirm for sure because the parents or their families have been in contact with me. They wanted me to pass on a message which can be summed up in a few short words.

COVID - 19 is real.

How real is COVID - 19 you may ask?

Just ask the parents - from schools throughout Moose Jaw - whose children have been sick or still are sick with COVID - 19 and the worry and stress they are living through. It is not just a virus or a “simple flu” that impacts old people and is just a nuisance for young people. It will knock down anyone irregardless of age.

The virus does not discriminate. It can be contracted by anyone, young or old, religious or not, black or white, rich or poor, working or unemployed. Quite truthfully it does not care.

All it takes is for one little opportunity if you let your guard down and you can contract it.

You can contract it from people who show no symptoms at all for a couple of days before they have symptoms. Just one simple small act which might just be something you subconsciously do without realizing it and you may have exposed yourself to it.

The outbreak of the VOCs in Moose Jaw schools is what has set off the alarm bells within the provincial government as the genetic coding popping up are the more transmissible and virulent VOC versions and more importantly in rapidly growing numbers.

But what has it been like for the parents and families?

From the ones I have spoken to it has been stressful to state it mildly. It is something they would never wish upon others and that is the real reason two groups of them have approached me. To warn others to not let up on the precautions and take as many extra precautions as you can to prevent contracting the virus.

It has impacted everyone at the school.

The screenshot below is part of a letter parents received on March 26th from Prairie South School Division director of education Tony Baldwin.

It is not the same form letter I have seen it seems in countless letters from school principals warning parents a case of COVID - 19 has been confirmed in their school. This by all appearances to me is much more than that.

The outbreak at Cornerstone is not the only occurrence of VOC cases in the community which appeared seemingly overnight sending the Moose Jaw numbers dramatically upwards.

The major influx of VOCs in Regina it seems in many people’s minds has inevitably made its way here to Moose Jaw.

When I asked the questions at the media scrum just under two weeks ago with city manager Jim Puffalt about what the City was doing in regards to COVID - 19 VOCs I did not do so because I had a tip or inside information.

I asked the questions based upon what I was trained to do when I studied semiotics and discourse analysis in Novosibirsk so long ago Boris Yeltsin was still president. To look for signs in speech, gestures, actions and body language in individuals.

And how two key figures - Mayor Fraser Tolmie and city manager Jim Puffalt - acted and reacted on a micro-scale towards COVID - 19 at the March 22nd Council meeting led me to believe the signs pointed to something massive coming in regards to the COVID - 19 pandemic so I asked the questions.

Given how the City has been in constant contact with Public Health officials it is in my opinion obvious key City officials would have been made aware of the declared outbreak at Cornerstone on March 21st and the events leading up to it by the evening of the March 22nd regular Council meeting. If not there is a major communications lapse going on here.

But all of this is irrelevant it would only be a matter of time until the outbreak of VOC cases throughout the city would trigger the response from the Province and the resultant flurry of media coverage and attention.

I tried to dig deeper into the reality, the true numbers and impact of the situation by asking questions of the provincial government but in reality their replies do not share much more insight than what has already been published in the media. There was no acknowledgement of the additional cases I can confirm.

But there is another level to this story and that is the human angle one that goes well beyond the statistics and the media reaction - a story of human decency and kindness.

From what I was told by the parents and relatives who have approached me they only came forward to warn others and ask them to take extra precautions. They don’t want your children sick like their children are.

It was not to embarrass the government, the school or City Hall but rather they want to send out a warning to others within the community that COVID - 19 is real and at this time they are asking people to follow the protocols and to realize the seriousness of the pandemic. We have become far too complacent.

Nor is it to close the businesses but really it is about asking people to take care and precautions so as to prevent them from contracting the virus.

I am more than certain from my contacts with them they are sincere in asking people to take this entire pandemic seriously.

You can call it an act of faith or belief if you like that sometimes you have to expose yourself to potentially unkind responses to stand up for your beliefs to help and protect others. Although I have not researched it I am guessing it is in the Bible as well as other books followed by other faiths as well as those who do not believe at all.

Before this ugly and awful pandemic is finally over others including yourself may well contract the virus but maybe, just maybe, a few parents coming forward despite how difficult it is, is enough to convince you to take the precautions and not contract the virus.

At the present time I know the rumour mill is swirling in the City as to how bad things are when it comes to COVID - 19 but as you take a break try to remember one simple word when it comes to the recent outbreak in the community and those personally affected by it - compassion.

Don’t run these people down - a few kind words, gestures and offers to help while following the protocols and recommendations can go a long way. Think about how you would like to be treated if you or your loved ones have the misfortune of contracting the virus.

Have a great Easter Sunday dinner with your immediate household and help stop the spread.

EDITOR’S NOTE - In preparing this column questions have been asked to the Province and the Prairie South School Division.

TO ALL THE STAFF, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES who have COVID - 19 in your homes we wish you well.

Chart showing one week increase in cases in the south central zone which includes Moose Jaw - active cases went from 69 to 147 with 140 in Moose Jaw and area - SOURCE Government of Saskatchewan