When I was last in Mexico, in February of 2020, the jacaranda trees were beginning to bloom. Alejandro tells me that they are once again in bloom.
The last time I was on Mexican soil was one year ago today... February 20, 2020. Early in the morning Alejandro took me to the airport, we had breakfast and said farewell, and I boarded my flight on my way home. I had no idea that a year would pass without being in Mexico and without seeing my "Mexican family". In fact I already had reservations for my return in April of that year. I planned to be there for Easter and for Alejandro's birthday. Of course in that short span of time everything changed as that virus in China that we had read about exploded into a worldwide pandemic.
Because United Airlines was allowing customers to reschedule their flights at no charge, I kept rescheduling, and rescheduling, and rescheduling with hopes each time that it would be safe to travel. I have a reservation to go to Mexico in early April, and this time I intend to use it. I have received my first shot of the COVID vaccine, and I will receive the second shot on March 16th. That will give me more that the necessary two weeks after shot number two for the vaccine to be fully effective.
We know that the vaccines are extremely effective in protecting those who have been inoculated. However there is the worry about the various mutations that are out there. And we still don't know whether or not the immunized person might be able to carry the virus and pass it on to others. I doubt very much that Alejandro's family will have been vaccinated by April. For those reasons I am going to practice abundant caution. Maybe I am being paranoid, but I would never forgive myself if I spread the virus to Alejandro's family.
About a week before my departure I am going to see if I can get a COVID test. Then I am going to isolate myself at home until my departure. I have ordered a package of the super-effective N95 face masks. (They supposedly filter out 95% of all germs.) I will wear one of those to the airport and on the flights. From what I have read, when the passengers all wear masks, the risk of contagion on an airplane is minimal. The airports pose a greater risk. I intend to keep my distance from others as much as possible... even shielded from the world with my N95. With all these precautions, I feel as if I can enter into the "bubble" of Alejandro's family without posing any risk to them.
It’s been a long year. Or feels like it. A year ago today, Mrs P and I went to London in the afternoon to see a conversation between Jane Goodhall and the reporter/author John Simpson.
ReplyDeleteThe first death in Italy had already occurred. The virus had been on the front pages of a few papers. We knew it was coming, sort of. But it didn’t quite feel real. Yet.
If my memory serves me correctly, when I returned from Mexico there were only a handful of cases in the U.S. and in Mexico. It seemed to me that the odds of catching it were so slim, that I had no intention of cancelling my April trip. But then by mid-March (excuse the pun) the virus went viral.
DeleteIf it helps, I read this article recently, and it basically states that you shouldn't worry about spreading the virus after you've been vaccinated: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/18/briefing/donald-trump-pardon-phil-spector-coronavirus-deaths.html?searchResultPosition=1 The gist of it is that while there are no studies assessing that, literally no other vaccine currently in use for any other disease prevents the disease but not also infection, so there's no reason to expect the Covid vaccine to be any different.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for you to be able to visit your Mexican family again!
Wow! Thanks for sending me that link. That really makes me feel more confident about being with Alejandro and his family. I will continue to wear the mask and social distance outside of their home, simply because of the virus mutations out there.
DeleteMuchas gracias!