By Brian Nelson

Assumptions can be dangerous things.

We’ve all made them, relied on them, and often made poor decisions on them.

Very recently, our household hired a team of contractors, well-known in Marsh Creek, whom we “assumed” were vaccinated. They were not wearing masks when they came to paint our home’s exterior. Even the company owner came into our home to discuss the work without a mask.

Our first assumption. We “assumed” that he wouldn’t have … would he?

To be fair, this is an exterior painting job, all outdoors. Shouldn’t be much of a problem, right? Especially since most of us Creekers in our 60s and 70s have been vaccinated. Remember when things got so much brighter early in the summer that officials advised that we could go mask-less with other vaccinated people, even indoors?

A fair call, on balance. But we let our guard down a bit, thinking, hoping, the pandemic was ending.

On Monday, one of our painters (probably in his mid to late 40s) and I came into close proximity. He helpfully showed me white samples he applied to a window sill. We were close, with no masks, but we we’re outside and it was a rather short encounter.

On Tuesday, the fellow called in sick.

On Wednesday, he called in sick again.

Two co-workers told me they believe he is ill with Covid. I hope they are wrong. For him, and for us.

It was then I learned the whole team – always mask-less – had not received a single vaccine shot between the four of them.

“Irresponsible!”, I complained to the owner.

Strangely, this 62 year old has a heart condition that his doctor said would put him at grave risk from Covid if he ever got it. He ignored the warning. He also failed to tell us he didn’t have the shot when he came into our home, mask-less.

Thankfully, he’s healthy at the moment. Still not sure about his employee.

And thankfully, we have been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, the gold standard. But, we now have to sweat a couple of things:

1 – We could come down with “Breakthrough-Covid” any day now.

Then again, if we are lucky and we don’t …

2 – We may become Covid-Carriers, infected non-sufferers who threaten others.

So, yes, we are going to self-isolate the minimum time required before seeking a Covid test to determine if we are infectious carriers.

And, if you’re wondering, the other healthy (so far) members of our painting team told me they “think” they will now get their shots. Even the owner. We’ll see.

UPDATE: The sick employee says he has received a “negative” Covid test and is returning to work. Some members of the team now have since gotten or will get their shots.

One other thing …

Here is a text message I received from a local friend, describing the scene at Flagler Hospital.

“Just sharing what my nurse friend in Flagler told me. … she said, her job in Flagler is exhausting and heartbreaking, all their patients in ICU and ICCU are all covid. Just last week, was the most heartbreaking she ever experienced, a family has Covid, the husband in ICU in his 40s , the wife ICCU, while their kid in the morgue.”

“Their kid is in the morgue….”

Covid has crippled this family and it’s heartbreaking. And with the Delta variant and its sister-variants coming behind it, things may get much, much worse for all of us.

Be careful! And be sure to hire vaccinated contractors. If not, insist your contractors at least adhere to full mask compliance.