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This gallery started on the First Day of Astronomical Summer June 20th

At that time, there were 2,297,190 Confirmed cases of US COVID-19 & 121,407 American Deaths. Those statistics sounded really horrible back then. They actually were!!!

Sadly, the coronavirus statistics are far, far worse today with an increase of close to 5,000,000 (5 Million new) confirmed additional COVID cases & an additional 80,000 (80 thousand more) American deaths within just the one Season of only 3 months. Today is now the last day of Astronomical Summer. Summer was supposed to be the season of low COVID impact... We were supposed to be past the pandemic...The current US President misled everyone. He still is.

Because my older husband is part of the “high risk” group due to his age, we now have spent two entire seasons in personal lock down. We originally (at the beginning) expected this situation to go on for just a couple of months at most. After all, the US is (was) a leader in health care & in taking care of its citizens. Obviously, we were wrong. Not only does the virus still rage on, America also continues to lead the world in both the number of COVID cases and in COVID deaths. The USA has been #1 for COVID since March!!! Not a #1 to be proud of….

Over the weeks & months, most people have grown totally numb to the COVID numbers. In general, people now tend to more or less ignore both numbers and those human lives that the numbers represent. “Many people” – to use one of the current US President’s favorite phrases – also believe in conspiracy tales and call the entire coronavirus situation nothing more than a “hoax” (another favorite catch phrase of the current US President). This later is part of the reason that COVID cannot be brought under control in the USA.

Without proper control, more people are going to die from coronavirus.
That includes a combination those who know COVID is real & those who don’t believe COVID is real & those who don’t care but believe that “God will protect them no matter what. Yes, some people are more at risk (older peope and those with various health conditions) than others. But everyone is at some risk. Plus there is a matter of “long haulers”; ie, those who may recover; but have been left with permanent health disabilities. More young, healthy people should be concerned about that. A virus doesn’t discriminate based on your beliefs. COVID has been unlike any previous virus that the world has ever known.

If the US had done this country’s COVID lock down and then reopening properly last Spring, we probably would have all been in a better place for the country to reopen. Science says there would have been far fewer deaths during the weeks and months to follow… But that’s now hindsight. We have to deal with the situation we face today.

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Monday US COVID NEWS

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly introduced — and then on Monday quietly withdrew — guidance on its website acknowledging that the coronavirus is transmitted mainly through the air. The rapid reversal is another in a string of confusing missteps from the agency regarding official guidance that it posts on its website.

In another change of guidance on its website, the C.D.C. said in August that people who were in close contact with an infected person but had no symptoms didn’t need to get tested. But last week, after The New York Times reported that the guidance was dictated by political appointees in the administration rather than by scientists.”
New York Times

“Signs of an 'October vaccine surprise' alarm scientists. President Donald Trump, who seems intent on announcing a Covid-19 vaccine before Election Day, could legally authorize a vaccine over the objections of experts, officials at the Food and Drug Administration and even vaccine manufacturers, who have pledged not to release any vaccine unless it’s proved safe and effective. Such a move could further erode public trust in a vaccine and foist an unsafe shot on Americans.”
NBC News

Without being able to trust “those in charge” of the welfare of the American people, how can America ever get “safely” free of this horrendous pandemic??? Not a good note on which to end Summertime. Again; the future is uncertain. The only thing that is certain is that time still continues to march on. Seasons change.

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My personal story - about living through the pandemic in the USA - first started on the Last Day of Astronomical Winter March 19th

At that time, there were
14,200 confirmed US cases of COVID-19 & “only” 187 American deaths.
Control of the virus was still possible back then.

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6 Months Later

September 21, 2020, 20:12
7,029,245 Confirmed cases of US COVID-19
204,336 American Deaths

The country has come a long way – but not in a good sense. It’s been a brutal 6 months.
The future remains uncertain.

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We now end another Season & I end another Gallery.
The photo above ends Summer at our home
in "Stay-at-Home" isolation.