COVID-19 doesn't care how tired you are of it

You're probably tired of dealing with COVID-19, masks, social distancing, and everything that goes with it. You're not likely excited about the prospect of waiting until you have both doses of vaccine before you're mostly safe from COVID-19. You're probably even LESS excited about the idea that even after you've gotten your COVID-19 vaccine, there's still a chance that you could contract and spread COVID-19 to other people. But COVID-19 doesn't care about any of that.

COVID-19 in childcare

Children can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and be sick with COVID-19. Children can be asymptomatic (show now symptoms) but still spread the virus. As noted by the CDC, "Most children with COVID-19 have mild symptoms or have no symptoms at all."

No matter how safe a daycare facility suggests it is, kids don't always wear masks, and they certainly do not keep their distance from one another.

COVID-19 in friends

You can catch the virus that causes COVID-19 from a friend. You can spread the virus to a friend. You and a friend could have been completely fine and healthy the entirety of this pandemic and decide that it's finally time to throw caution to the wind and have a party. One guest doesn't realize that their sister was in contact with a friend whose father had COVID-19... and now you've all got COVID-19.

Anyone can have COVID-19 and not know it. One person can have COVID-19 and show no sign of it, while another can go from healthy to near-dead in the span of a week. COVID-19 does not care how careful you've been for the past year – one breath is all it takes.

This isn't normal

There is no modern precedent for this situation. Everything in your brain may say "I want to be safe, but I can't let this COVID-19 ruin my big event", but COVID-19 will not care. COVID-19 spreads easily, and does not stop spreading just because you want to get married with all your friends and family in attendance.

Keep your distance from other people for your own safety, wear a mask for the safety of everyone around you. We're doing better now in the world than we've done with COVID-19 in the past. We're getting closer to getting COVID-19 under control.

But it's not over yet. Please be safe.