Squaxin family,
Around the world several countries are experiencing an uptick in Covid cases due to the Omicron variant. You can find many headlines stating which vaccine best protects against it. There are even reports that it isn’t as severe as previous variants. I am not a medical professional, so it isn’t my desire to steer anyone in one direction or another. The goal is to simply advise our community to be ready.
Please ensure you, your household, your extended family, and neighbors are doing everything possible to be prepared for the next uptick of Covid cases in our neighborhood. This is an effort to ensure we are all ready and safe!
The clinic has vaccines, and they are scheduling our people for boosters. The clinic also has vitamin packs that are known for increasing your body’s immune system. I am imploring all of you to take advantage of these resources.
I also want to talk about fear, panic, and anxiety. These are normal reactions to uncertainty, and the last 20 months have been filled with uncertainty. We all have varying ways to cope with these emotions. We have been fortunate, in our small community, that we have not had the number of Covid cases or death percentages that the country/state have seen.
However, we’ve had a year with more deaths among our people than at any other time. It’s possible some of the deaths were caused by second or third order impacts of Covid – uncertainty. If you, or a loved one have taken up unhealthy ways of coping with the uncertainty, please consider seeking help from our staff at Behavior Health. They will assist you in finding ways to deal with this uncertainty we have all been facing.
The lesson for all of us to learn from this pandemic is a 360 degree view on our health. Covid has had the greatest impact on people with underlining health problems. We can all find ways to improve our health. That can mean eating healthier for some, or increasing exercise for others. A 360 degree view addresses our mind, our body, and our soul. I encourage all of us to assess our current state of physical, mental, and spiritual health.
This is not a gloom and doom message. Squaxin has been, and will always be, known as a resilient Tribe. We have done an outstanding job taking care of each other up to this point, and I know we will continue on this path.
Please be safe, and let’s finish the race Squaxin strong!
Respectfully,
Marvin