Editor:
“COVID is a hoax.” That’s what we encountered on a protestor’s sign as we headed to the ferry on Saturday morning to visit my father-in-law’s gravesite.
He died of COVID on Nov. 30, 2020.
There were several people gathered at the very end of North Road just before the turn to the ferry. With smiles on their faces, placards in hand, they encouraged passing drivers to support them with a honk of the horn or a wave. It felt like a slap in the face.
I can tell you that what my husband’s family has endured is no hoax. It became very real when both parents contracted COVID in their independent living facility in November.
Experiencing their struggle with the fluctuating symptoms of COVID, every day was a rollercoaster of emotions: the worry, the guilt, and ultimately, the grief of losing a loved one without the opportunity to even say goodbye, to see their face and hug them one last time, to put them to rest.
To the protestors, I can assume you have not had a personal experience with this horrible virus and I pray that you don’t.
I hope that if you or someone close to you does contract COVID, your age and risk factors are not a deciding factor in whether you will be cared for in ICU.
I don’t know what fuels your beliefs, but until you have proof that COVID is a hoax, please have some compassion for those who have been affected and are dealing with either loss or long-term side effects.
Be safe, wear your masks and follow protocol because COVID is very real.
Nina Thumand, West Sechelt
