A family member recently passed. I attended the wake, the funeral mass, the graveside service and the repast. Maskless, I greeted, shook hands with and, dare I say it, hugged dozens of family members and friends who I had not seen in nearly three years because of the pandemic. And then I went home and waited—for the phone call that said someone had been infected with the flu or COVID…that I should be wary of symptoms…and perhaps even be tested or quarantine.
That call never came. More proof, perhaps, that the world is returning to some sort of normal.
Grateful as I am, I am a worrier by nature—and the editor of Bottom Line Personal. So I can’t help but turn my concern to the next looming health crisis. A recent New York Times piece warned about avian influenza (bird flu). While this flu, in particular the H5N1 strain, doesn’t spread easily from person to person, 56% of the people who have contracted it have died. Researchers are concerned that this virus is spreading among migratory birds…and to other mammals…which increases the chances that it could spread to us.
I will research avian flu and the risks to keep you informed…but I also will relax for this moment and enjoy the fact that no one I know now is seriously ill.
Yes, you will continue to read in our pages about threats to your health, your finances—your life, in general…as well as ways to protect yourself. But when you can, I hope you will take a moment to consider what is right in the world and in your life. I wish you all a happy, healthy day!
