COVID and shielding

 



 


Five weeks ago, I posted the first image of this set along with my thoughts about how my body was struggling to fight off the Coronavirus invader. Today I #GiveThanks that I am still able to post; there are 1.8 million victims of this disease worldwide and over 340,000 in the USA who are not so fortunate. We were lucky to deal with milder symptoms; and though I'm still trying to figure out the lingering impact to my heart and lungs, we know we dodged the proverbial bullet.
When you donate blood through the Red Cross, they do a COVID antibody test as part of their analysis. After recovering enough I was eager to donate and see the report of the presence of the antibodies confirming what I already knew. My body did its job!
Now, in theory, I am protected from the invaders, as if I were defended by a shield. The antibodies in my blood would quickly disable any incoming live virus I am exposed to. There's a lot still not understood about COVID immunity, but it still leaves a feeling of relative comfort and confidence amid the madness of the pandemic. I know there is some minimal risk of re-infection, and I that I could still carry and transmit the virus; but I'm a lot less worried about contracting the disease. We continue with other appropriate defensive measures in public including masks and social distancing.
We put up lots of defensive shields in life. Some are physical; some are emotional or spiritual. They serve a purpose to protect us from things that could harm us. It's wise and appropriate to put those shields in place where appropriate, but also critical to understand and acknowledge their limitations.

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