Does Everyone in Lubbock Have Covid-19 or Does It Just Feel Like That?

It seems like since Omicron (otherwise known as "The Omni") became a thing, coinciding with the nasty cold and flu season, every living soul on Earth is convinced that they're now one of the unfortunate and unwashed who have Covid-19.

You get a sniffle? You've got the 'Rona.

You coughed up a Cheerio? 'Rona.

Nasty hangover after a gallon of Fireball? Double 'Rona.

Yup. Time to panic.

In all seriousness, and Covid-19 is serious regardless of what the talking heads in media have told you, this latest variant seems to be as dangerous (in this author's opinion) as a baby kitten. Plus, it's obvious now that no matter if you're unvaccinated, double vaccinated, vaccinated and boosted, or live in a Michael Jackson-esque hypobaric chamber, you're probably gonna get it.

So, enough with the vaccine and mask shaming, people. Get the jab, don't get the jab; do whatever you want. Besides, we also have this little long-term issue called influenza which is still rearing its ugly head and making people lose their minds, thinking they have The Omni.

However, the one thing people can't do is panic. And we do waaaay too much of that.

If you're sick, stay home and get tested. If you're not, who gives a rat? The problem is that we have perfectly healthy people going out and getting tested whenever the humidity rises above 30 percent, clogging up the system and making everyone freak out. If you feel fine, then calm down and go about your life. It's the fear that is paralyzing us more than the Omnibot.

Heck, a friend of mine had to get tested at work recently even though he felt fine. He tested positive (again, feeling great), so they forced him to take five days off. He wasn't sick, so he said screw it and went to Vegas for a long weekend. When he got to Vegas, he immediately got tested again and it was negative. So...free vacation.

After all, it's becoming apparent that the fear of getting the virus is worse than the virus itself at this stage. Just last week, I drove past a drive-up testing site on 82nd Street and was horrified not just at the line (which was far out into the street), but the panic involved in getting to the test site.

People were dangerously swerving across all lanes, then jamming on their brakes to take their place in line, potentially causing a serious traffic accident. Talk about irony --dying in a car accident on your way to get a Covid-19 test. (Would they count that as a Covid death?) Also, are healthy people taking the test, hoping for a positive result just so they can have five days off work? I wouldn't put it past anyone since we still have hundreds of "Help Wanted" signs all over Lubbock.

Remember, just because you test positive, doesn't mean that you're necessarily going to get very sick, or even sick at all. You could live life being Covid-positive just like you somehow managed to live life being insufferable.

Again, I am not anti-vaccine, pro-vaccine, anti-mask, or whatever. I'm anti-panic, and anti-stupidity.

If you feel fine, live your life. If you don't feel well, then go get tested. But don't clog the system if you have a sniffle and want Covid-sympathy (which is a real thing). I know I've been around Covid-positive folks, but I feel fine, so I'm not getting tested. If I feel sick, then fine, you can gleefully jam a cotton swab into my cranium.

So do whatever you want. Socially distance, cover your face with a pair of underoos, you do you. Again, don't panic. You're gonna get it anyway. Like a Dallas Cowboys playoff loss, it's inevitable.