Do you ever get mad at people who voted for Trump? He said he was going to make a mess of our healthcare system, giving RFK permission to go wild about anything health related except oil.  And yes, it is a mess right now. Take for example, getting a COVID vaccine.

For a while, some states required a doctor’s permission to get a COVID vaccine. That restriction was removed this month. At least, I think so.

I don’t live in one of those states that formed a health alliance to counteract the madness. Anyone over 6 months of age can get a COVID shot there. So naturally, getting a COVID shot became a challenge for me, even though I am old enough. I asked about getting a COVID vaccine at my local Hy-Vee. They said they had no information but might in a month. Hy-Vee by the way has donated to politicians, including “mean Ken.”

I then called the pharmacy associated with my local hospital, PRH. They said they didn’t know what was going on. After all that happened with COVID, the CEO of PRH has donated to Republicans recently. 

However, I went to Costco in West Des Moines and got a COVID shot. I’m over 65 so eligible and had no trouble getting one, except that Costco was packed. 

I’m one of those people who so far doesn’t suffer much from COVID. I’m a teacher and exposed to many germs and have had frequent colds. Since COVID is a killer cold, it’s possible my body knows how to fight it. I had it once and thought it was just a weird fever. I had a test kit about to expire, I used it, and yes, it was COVID. I believe I might have had COVID once before, in February 2020. My research students and I felt “kinda weird” and although I never had a fever, I had strange dreams.

Sadly, the government is no longer offering free COVID tests. What they are offering is photos of Trump along with a theory that scientists don’t support. How unprofessional! And untrustworthy. And unhelpful, at least to the average citizen. I’m going to have a hard time trusting other information. There was even a little Fauci bashing on a government website. This kind of thing has gotten the CDC attacked and someone killed.

Even if you don’t get very sick, COVID persists in your body. It’s aging. It can promote heart disease. It can harm veins. Long COVID is most prominent in young people and women. It can even cause anemia and heavy, painful periods.

How to debunk COVID misinformation? There’s a study for that.

Here’s an example.

Myth: COVID doesn’t affect kids. 

Reality: Pediatric COVID is more common and harmful than people think! Memory problems and anxiety are some of the persistent symptoms. 

What isn’t a myth? This year, COVID confusion abounds. I wonder why?