The Surge

As the US reached over a million new COVID daily cases this week, it seems almost inevitable that we’re all going to catch it at some point.  To be honest, I’d think I’d rather catch it now rather than later when the ability to fight the virus via the booster shot has waned.  Just before Christmas, we had our first case at work.  So an e-mail went out saying that someone tested positive who had been in the office on such and such dates and so you might have been exposed.  The dates were December 20, 21 and 22 – when I was on vacation, so I was absolutely not in the office then – so I don’t really know why I received the e-mail (it was only supposed to go out to those who were identified as being on site).  Also, apparently, our company has its own contact tracing process – so if I had been a direct contact, then I would’ve been notified separately about that (which at least I wasn’t).  Nonetheless, it was an interesting e-mail to receive – lots of legal talk, like no toleration of any of form of retaliation or discrimination against this employee who tested positive (we don’t know who it is, but the fact that they came into the office on 3 consecutive days does limit the possibilities), and that if you test positive and you think you contracted it at work then you may be entitled to worker’s compensation and additional benefits.  What is still bewildering to me is despite this massive surge in COVID cases, and what is sure to be the first of many positive cases at work, that we are still expected to come into the office 2 days a week.  I will continue to ignore that guidance – I find it outrageous that I’m expected to go into the office at all when we still have to wear a mask all day (clearly a guidance created by people who have offices and therefore don’t need to wear their mask all the time – without any consideration towards us cube workers), and even more so now with the rapid spread of this new variant.  The rule that we are allowed to work remotely 3 days a week was supposed to end in the new year, so at least that’s now been extended through to the end of February.  But I will continue to work remotely 5 days a week until such time as someone calls me out on it, with the occasional ½ day in the office every now and then (such as for a particularly enticing free lunch being served).