We are presently living through a new challenge. One that is more demanding of our physical and mental strength. Many changes in our lives have already occurred and more to come.
You have washed or sanitized your hands more than ever in your life. Your facial expressions, when meeting other people, have been limited to above the nose. You have observed the signs of social distancing.
The cause of these changes is COVID-19, a virus, which can cause death, especially in older people and those with underlying physical conditions. We were confronted with this challenge a year ago. The scientific world went to work immediately to find a vaccine to save our lives. We have been fortunate that vaccines are here and being used. Normally it takes years to find the right vaccine to concur a virus. This discovery has led to another challenge, getting the vaccine in the arms of people. This challenge is doubled because to be effective some vaccines need to be given twice.
To overcome the spread of the virus, the speed of vaccinations is an important consideration. The organization is the key to meeting a goal, however, our leaders have not had this challenge before and this has caused confusion.
The United States has a population of 335 million thus the problem of prioritizing the vaccinations is based on the supply available. The challenge increases when we think about our world neighbors. Two of the largest countries in the world are India and China each of which has over 1 billion people. These and other advanced countries have developed their vaccines which should help solve this health problem.
Looking down the road to a changed way of life after we get control of this virus will make a change to the way we do our daily work. Many families with school-aged children have found that virtual learning to be a challenge. New daily routines for everyone presented a lifestyle of togetherness. Our educational leaders are looking at new ways of learning and certainly, our teachers have been presented with the challenge of teaching lessons online. Hopefully, we learned new ways of adapting learning to meet the needs of all students.
Many of the ways we do things will change. Where we do our work, how we shop for daily life needs, where and how our services are rendered, and how we socialize.
Our guiding light is in this past year and that to come is our faith in the daily message of Jesus Christ.
