Coronavirus Diary Day 315: January 21, 2021

New Beginnings and Fucking Numbers

First, some housekeeping. If you’re new here, welcome. Rejected in Paris was created way back in 2015 when I was living in France and documenting all the crazy shit I saw, ate, and drank. Mostly, I made fun of the Frenchies. When I moved back to the USA in late 2016, I abandoned it. At the start of the pandemic, I resurrected it to document my experiences with all things Coronavirus. Since March 2020, I’ve used this blog to journal my everyday life, sprinkle in a little news, share some pop culture highlights, and report infection/death numbers. So, there you have it. Shall we?

Yesterday, Joe Biden was inaugurated as the new President of the USA. Kamala Harris is the new Veep. It’s a fresh start. Hopefully, that means something.

COVID vaccinations have been rolling out since the end of December. Healthcare workers, people over the age of 65, and some folks with underlying health conditions are at the front of the line. All of my nurse friends have been vaccinated (both doses). My 90-yr-old parents-in-law received their first doses last week. The media is constantly yelling that we aren’t delivering vaccinations efficiently enough. That may be true, but what do I know. If someone walks in front of a needle, I say, jab ‘em.

Despite vaccines, the Coronavirus is still raging. With a newer strain that spreads more easily, it’s full speed ahead. So (and you know I avoid this part *like the plague*), it’s time for numbers.

Worldwide Cumulative Confirmed COVID-19 Cases / Deaths:

97,888,663 / 2,094,390

USA Cases / Deaths:

25,122,304 / 418,576

Brazil Cases / Deaths:

8,655,512 / 213,180

Russia Cases / Deaths:

3,655,839 / 67,832

UK Cases / Deaths:

3,543,646 / 94,580

France Cases / Deaths:

2,987,965 / 71,998

Spain Cases / Deaths:

2,560,587 / 55,041

Italy Cases / Deaths:

2,428,221 / 84,202

In the meantime, China is still sitting pretty with just 88,701 cases and 4,635 deaths. Huh.

How are my New Years Resolutions going? Not too shabby, in fact, thanks for asking. I am three-fourths finished the first draft of my first romance novella in the Lake Harmony series. That’s been fun. I discovered #cryptoart and have enjoyed reacquainting myself with one of my favorite hobbies, that is, art. I sold a few digital pieces for some $ETH and now I think I’m fucking amazing. And finally, I haven’t caught the COVID, so there’s that.

Actually, my step-son (who lives with us) was exposed to the virus over the weekend, so we’re all on pins and needles until his test results come back, and even then, I’m skeptical. I’m steering clear of old people for the time being.

At this point, if you don’t know someone who’s had the virus, you’ve been living under a rock. I stopped counting months ago.