So I start a new job last week, half of the people are staggering shifts from home every few weeks, and most people are being pretty smart about the masks and everything. This is after heavy restrictions were put in place by our governor weeks before. So today someone who was home is now at his desk, coughing a lot, without a mask, right next to me, separated by a short barrier where we can't see each other without standing up, but with some openings at the top and bottom to pass papers through I guess.
My sister last week says our Thanksgiving group requires a negative covid test, because of a few who are high-risk. I'm likely high-risk, but my immune system has shown to be better than average most of my life. I'm one of the few working in an office every day, which I have to do because I'm new.
I overhear the guy say on a phone call that he recently got over covid, that it's not something he'd want to go through again, and that the doctor said he's likely contagious for a while. He's talking to a lot of people at his cubicle throughout the day. Coughing. A lot. Without a mask. They're all wearing masks. So after they leave, and he keeps coughing, I almost get up to ask him to please cough into his mask or tissue, and the boss walks up and says he has to wear a mask. He comes back with a mask on, with a face like an irritated child. He coughs through it for a while. Then takes it off. I can hear the difference. As he gets up to leave for the day, he's coughing, without the mask. Back and forth between his desk and whatever. Coughing. Then he leaves. Then I write my boss an email because he left earlier. I don't know what'll happen tomorrow.
Anyway, I told my sis it's not worth the risk because of office shenanigans like this. I'm not willing to risk my family's lives over it, even if I test negative this week. I'm getting the test anyway even if I can't get the results before Thanksgiving. If it were positive, what do I do? If it's negative, I probably wouldn't go anyway because of knuckleheads like this. I guess I can thank covidiots for the holiday this season.
PS: A lot of other countries who've followed the medical recommendations and cracked down on the covidiots have reduced the infections and normalized a lot of their economy. America would be in the same boat if we were serious about this and not pretending it's no big deal. Our hospital ICUs have overflowed AGAIN. I'm not gonna put any family member there because I have to be around covidiots.