Early Covid/Flu Season 2023

While driving my girlfriend to urgent care for her bruised foot, I noticed that the Walgreen's parking lot was full. This is unusual for a warm sunny day in mid-September. I thought, there must be a lot of sick people out there to have that many people at Walgreen. When we got to the urgent care, that parking lot was full too. They told my girlfriend that she would have a two hour wait, and that was assuming that nothing more serious came in between now and then. I drove her back home instead of having to sit among the Covid/Flu viruses circulating in the busy waiting area. She has an appointment to see her doctor, but that isn't until the end of the month. 

Meanwhile, I have been suffering from flu-like symptoms for the past 7 days. Knowing that it is extremely difficult to see a doctor is a concern. I don't think the general public is aware of how fast and widespread the Covid/Flu has become. My symptoms started with a 101-degree fever, which lasted for several days. Then a sore throat, followed by a mild cough and runny nose. I did not have a loss of taste or smell. The flavor of some foods was actually enhanced. Fruit tasted sweeter, but salty food was saltier. I felt good enough to do some house cleaning yesterday, but it is easy to get tired and over-heated.

The government doesn't want to have another pandemic shut down, despite a rapidly spreading virus that rivals the early days of the pandemic's first wave. We will have to fend for ourselves this time because too many people complained about their rights being violated last time. The 2023 booster shot is for last year's strain and was not tested on humans. Despite this, CDC is recommending the booster because that is the best we have come up with after 3 years of research. They have a few treatments, but that doesn't do any good if you can't get in to see a doctor. I see more people wearing masks, so some have gotten the word. On Monday, the government announced that they would be offering free Covid test kits. This is a strong sign that the pandemic is back again for another round.