The early prophets tried to convince people that Jesus was not just a holy man, but God’s son. Jesus himself couldn’t do it, and his death on the cross changed very few minds.

            There was nothing marking him as special, no visible birthmark of God’s hand, no halo encircling his head, no rays of light surrounding his body. But He was God’s son even though many chose, and continue to choose, to disbelieve.

            Moving into the human condition, there ae many illnesses that are debilitating, that cannot be seen. People believe in cancer because they all know someone who’s contracted it. They’ve heard plenty about cancer in documentaries and news blurbs.

            Blindness ranges in degree, from limited impairment to complete inability to see. Wearing thick lenses is an outward sign as is walking with a white cane or a seeing eye dog. But what about those who can see, whose eyes appear “normal” and so observers question the diagnosis.

            Hearing impairments are often completely misunderstood and denied. Since the cause is inside the ear, the casual observer may doubt the loss, perhaps even going so far as to make fun of someone who’s speech is slurred due to an inability to hear consonants.

            During a child’s educational years, deafness substantially impacts learning. If a student can’t understand what the teacher is saying, then he is missing chunks of instruction that cannot be made up through reading books.

            There are probably many other “invisible” disabilities that people fail to take seriously, too many to detail in one tiny paper.

            The COVID virus is one such illness. Because it can’t be seen, because it presents itself differently in each individual, a good portion of Americans don’t believe it exists. They refuse to get vaccinated, refuse to wear masks, refuse to test when ill, and refuse to isolate when they have a “cold” and cough.

            It is because of these individuals that the virus is alive and well, constantly morphing into newer, more contagious versions of itself.

            When you have a cold, you stay home, avoiding family gatherings. Or you should out of courtesy for family members.

            If you’ve got the flu, you should stay in your bedroom so as to not give it to your immediate family.

            But…people who refuse to believe in COVID, who don’t wear masks or get vaccinated, then blithely go out in public even when they’ve got a dripping nose and a cough, spread the virus to innocent individuals.

            Perhaps they’re lucky to not suffer serious symptoms. Good for them. But what about their 80-year-old grandmother? What about the passenger sitting next to them on an airplane?  What about the asthmatic child who could die?

            If you don’t believe, then you don’t care.

            COVID, for most, can feel a lot like the flu combined with a cold. But there are people who contract COVID and suffer miserably.

            It cannot be seen. There are no pustules, no rash, no swelling that signals to others that a person is ill.

            Scientists are confounded by COVID, as it doesn’t act like most viruses. Most people recover fairly quickly, but there are those deemed “long haulers” who suffer for months or even years.

            The cause of that suffering cannot be seen, but it is there. Brain Fog, a symptom of COVID, impacts the ability to process words, both written and spoken. It affects retention as well as comprehension. Someone suffering from Brain Fog doesn’t look different from someone who isn’t. That doesn’t mean it’s a figment of the imagination: it’s very real. And debilitating.

            Muscle fatigue is another invisible symptom of COVID. Again, it cannot be seen, yet for those experiencing it, it is incredibly real.

            Taking a shower can be so taxing that the individual has to rest for hours. A walk around the block in a “flat” neighborhood can exhaust a sufferer for several days.

            Yet on a new day the individual can swim laps, hike hills, use the treadmill.

            Muscle fatigue can cause depression, especially among those who are normally quite active. Imagine being a marathon runner who gets tired walking in the house. Imagine swimming 30 laps one day and only being able to complete 10 the next.

            Imagine being too tired to hold a book when you’re an avid reader. Or not being able to stand long enough to cook your family dinner.

            Long COVID is as real as a hearing loss, cancer, the mumps or an upset stomach.

            The disbelievers need to believe. They could be the ones who give the virus to someone who then suffers for months or years.

            Is that the right attitude? To be so selfish as to not care about others? To be so deeply in denial that your lack of belief, lack of comprehension, lack of compassion can disrupt lives?

            Believe. It is real.