Families of Those Lost to Covid Wrestle With Mixed Emotions as Emergency Ends

Shannon Cummings has been trying to move forward since her husband Larry, a professor at a college, died from Covid-19 on March 20, 2020.

She and her family flew to Southern California from Michigan to attend the Harry Styles concert. She meets twice a week with her group therapy class. She began eating in public for the first time again after years.

She said, "We lost more than a million people to the pandemic." It doesn't honour them to live my life.

She is still unsure of what the nation will celebrate on Thursday. The Biden administration has decided to end the public health emergency for the coronavirus, which was declared three years ago.

Ms. Cummings stated that she felt like people had not really accepted the fact that an emergency was occurring. It's hurtful for those of us that have experienced loss as a result.

Image

The United States is nearing the end of its coronavirus pandemic. Vaccines are widely available and effective, tests are easily accessible, and treatment has improved dramatically since the outbreak.

Covid has caused the deaths of more than 1.1 millions Americans, but this rate has been markedly reduced in recent months. It was the third leading cause of death in 2020 and 2021; preliminary data shows that by 2023 it had dropped to the seventh place.

The move of the Biden administration, which takes effect Thursday, has mixed feelings for many Americans. Many have lost friends and family to the pandemic.

Some people are worried that the pandemic has been politicized again.

Kori Lusignan is a Florida resident whose father Roger Andreoli died from Covid in 2020. I saw the pain and suffering up close. It made me believe we hadn't taken insignificant or rash decisions. We had to make those choices, and they were for good reasons.

Others will welcome Mr. Biden's acknowledgement that the country has changed since he was in office.

Image

Vincent Tunstall said that he didn't feel it was premature and he had no hard feelings about his brother's decision to take this action. Marvin Tunstall died from the virus in Nov 2020.

Mr. Tunstall stated that he still wears a mask in public places and during his daily commute by train. Every mention of Covid brings back memories of his brother. This is a pain that only those who lost loved ones to the pandemic can understand.

He said: "Unfortunately, I am thinking about Covid when I consider the pandemic and my thoughts are intertwined."

Pamela Addison is a Covid widow and mother of two. She advocates for survivors and said that the decision by the administration to let the emergency expire reminded them that the federal government can do more to help children who lost their parents or caregivers.

She said, "The children are constantly overlooked." We don't like to talk about the kids. It's as if we didn't want talk about their existence.

After Thursday, insurers won't be required to cover eight tests at home per month.

Image

Laura Jackson, whose husband Charlie died from the coronavirus in 2010, questioned the need for the move. She said that leaving Americans to pay out-of pocket costs for the virus was the same as 'dumping it back' onto the public. The country is still unprepared for future pandemics.

She said that there was still much work to be done and that questions remained about the origins of the virus. We shouldn't turn off resources.

Ms. Jackson's husband died on May 17, 2020. The end of the pandemic as a public-health emergency on Thursday coincides with that date. She said that both days have been filled with fear.

She is still regularly confronted by people who deny the existence of Covid or imply that her late husband's death was due to his pre-existing condition, which is a hurtful comment.

Ms. Jackson stated that she never felt as though we had acknowledged those we lost. I feel that we have always been eager to move past it. It's still very real.