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LETTERS TORO. BOX 1027, ATHENS, GA 30603
OR EMAIL US AT LETTERS@FLAGPOLE.GOM
My COVID-19 Has Lasted 10 Weeks
I am one of those long-haul (30 days-
plus) COVID-fighter people—10 weeks
for me of a moderate case that got better
at times, then worse, then better again. I
am very glad to say that the last two weeks
I have been feeling immensely better. (I
waited to make sure sure it wasn’t just
another blip before announcing it.) Now,
I am somewhere back to my “normal”
Chronic Fatigue self. The symptoms of
CFIDS are so similar to COVID long-haul
that it would be hard to tell the difference
in general, but my sudden onset and severe
symptoms of COVID that were different
from CFIDS are gone.
Some of the weird things about having
COVID-19:
• I never really had the fever or even
problems breathing, just many of the other
debilitating symptoms—many more than
are listed or were even known to exist when
I had them.
• I had been quarantined by myself for
a month before I was exposed to the virus,
and I was wearing a triple-layer mask and
being very careful, breaking quarantine by
going to a procedure at a pain clinic that
had been planned since December. I had
called ahead to make sure the office was fol
lowing safe guidelines, but no one there was
wearing a mask.
• I am often very foggy, forgetful, can’t
think of words, but while having COVID,
there were times I could not speak one
regular sentence. My Facebook activity was
mostly just liking/loving or sad/angering—
unless I was in a temporary upswing and
could type words.
• The first time in my illness that I seri
ously thought I needed to get myself to the
ER was in Week 10. That was because of
severe rib cage/heart/chest pain. (I thought
I had gotten over it three times by that
point.)
• I never once tested positive with the
virology test (negative twice). Yet my doctor
did diagnose me as having COVID from
video and telephone appointments.
• Some people consider my case to be
mild because I did not have to go to the hos
pital, and as fortunate as I feel that it wasn’t
worse, I am seeing some people have flu-like
symptoms for a week or even less and that
is what I would call “mild.”
• Mild, moderate, serious, severe,
extreme, death: You do not know which one
of these you are passing on to someone else
by not wearing a mask or keeping your dis
tance—because you may be pre-symptom-
atic or asymptomatic.
• I had hoped that by the time my four-
month quarantine was over, that y’all would
have contained this and shut it down, but it
is worse now.
• According to doctors and Tom Hanks, I
might not even have antibodies, and even if
I do, I might not have them for long.
• Someone like me may still have the
virus or damage in internal organs, even
though we test negative from nasal swab
tests.
• So I will continue to not be in enclosed
spaces with people, wear my mask, stay
home as much as I can, keep my distance,
disinfect everything—for your health as
well as mine.
• I am so grateful for all my support crew.
(You know who you are.) Thank you. I feel
like it will soon be time for me to be paying
it forward as this virus explodes.
• Melatonin, famotidine, selenium,
zinc, vitamins C, A, D; soluble fiber, Pepto
Bismol, Ricola throat drops, 15-plus kinds
of probiotics, CBD oil, topical magnesium
oil, constant fluids, low sugar-wheat-dairy
diet, highly digestible green protein drinks,
peanut butter, vegetables, oatmeal, fruit
juices, antacids, Tylenol, Xanax. (Not all at
one time! Do your research to see if they
are right for you!) These are the things that
helped me through. Good luck out there!
Angie Grass
Athens
Improve Crisis Response
As a white, 69-year-old person who
owns property in Clarke County, I support
our county commission in doing whatever
needs to be done to remove the knee from
the throats of our communities of color. I
support the defunding of the police if this
means redirecting a significant amount
of the law enforcement budget to fund a
totally new department for crisis response.
The end result would be to provide 911 dis
patchers another alternative to the current
three responses available—fire department,
police department and EMT. This Athens-
Clarke County Crisis Response Department
(ACCCRD) would be staffed to the point of
being able to respond to multiple situations
simultaneously 24 hours a day, seven days
a week.
A domestic disturbance is reported at a
residence: Dispatch the ACCCRD. Gunshots
are heard within a residence: Dispatch the
ACCPD. A man is reportedly asleep in his
car blocking a drive-through restaurant:
Dispatch the ACCCRD. A man is reportedly
robbing a restaurant: Dispatch the ACCPD. A
man is reportedly passing counterfeit money
or selling marijuana: Call the ACCCRD to
investigate. A man is reportedly running
down the street naked: Call the ACCCRD.
The ACCCRD would have the authority
to call in other agencies—fire, police and
EMT—if the situation warrants it.
Those who are employed by this newly
created Athens-Clarke County Crisis
Response Department would be highly
trained in the skills of observation and
negotiation. They would have their own
hierarchy, uniform and arrest powers.
They would carry no weapon, but would
be trained to use a weapon that is securely
kept in the car. They can also help maintain
order at UGA football games and downtown
events. They can investigate crimes that
have already occurred and use the same
database as the police. If the Clarke County
School District wants to hire law enforce
ment for the schools, let the officers come
from the ACCCRD, not the ACCPD.
Only by creating a crisis response depart
ment that is budgeted as an equal partner
of what we currently call “law enforcement”
will all communities in Athens-Clarke
County be protected from the various types
of disruptions to the social order.
Greg Davis
Athens
Social Workers Are Important
I am writing in response to the article
I read about the commission approving to
move the monument and vote down police
cuts. I can understand people wanting to
keep some Confederate monuments around
to memorialize their fallen loved ones, but
that is the reasoning our government wants
you to believe. However, those monuments
were put up with the intention to further
ideals of white supremacy. Most of these
monuments were built in the 1950s and
1960s during crucial civil rights movements.
[Editor’s note: Athens’ monument was erected
in 1872.) The government was trying to
push further their white supremacy agenda
by disenfranchising African Americans
through systematic racism. Conveniently
erecting these Confederate statues during
this time is a slap in the face for everyone
fighting for equality. This situation has its
parallels with the current condition of civil
rights movements and Black Lives Matter.
Racism is real, and the South’s history can
not be changed, but its future can be.
Speaking of civil rights and equality, I
think it is fitting to replace the monument
on Broad Street with a rainbow crosswalk
as requested by the Athens PRIDE orga
nization, and to announce this in June
during Pride is perfect. I think moving the
monument to the only place where there
even was any Civil War action in Athens is
a perfect compromise, because for those
who wish to have a way to memorialize
their fallen loved ones, they will still have
that monument in a more fitting location.
As for defunding the police and the com
mission’s plans to implement and budget
for it, I think it is a wonderful idea, and it
is nice to see that there are compromises
instead of one group or another giving up
something completely. You cannot make
everyone happy, but you can make things
right as best you can. Commissioner Mariah
Parker’s idea to cut the number of police
officers in half over a 10-year period is a
good way to transition into prioritizing
public health and child care, which will as a
natural result eliminate a lot of issues that
would cause police to be involved. If we help
people at the root of the issues and begin
where they are, be understanding and try to
help, a lot of problems will be eliminated.
As a social worker who is currently
working on her master’s degree at UGA, I
can speak to the need for social workers to
help people, more so now than ever before.
It is and has been on us to connect people
to the proper resources they need to live
life like everyone else: happy and healthy.
Sometimes people need a little extra help
or some guidance. Not all police officers
are bad. I think it would be a great idea to
have social workers working in tandem
with police officers because we can all learn
a great deal from each other. As with any
issue, it all begins at home, with the indi
vidual; and placing time, effort and funds
into public health and childcare is the per
fect way to begin the journey to equality
and coexisting as one nation like we should.
Elizabeth Zezulka-Byers
Athens
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We are here for you!
Taking precautions to ensure
everyone stays healthy and
disinfecting high touch surfaces.
Adilene Valencia
706-424-9810
aecleanathens@gmail.com
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FLAGPOLE.COM | JULY 22, 2020