NJ Still Has COVID Virgins Even as 2022 Comes to a Close

It's really hard to believe the holiday season is in full swing throughout New Jersey. Before you know it, we'll be diving in at full speed into 2023.

This time of year is always fast-paced, with all the traveling to see family and friends, as well as shopping looking for those perfect gifts. And when it comes to New Jersey, it's about as fast-paced as it can get.

One thing most of us can agree on is that 2022 as a whole felt more normal when compared to the past couple of years, which was very welcoming for so many. To be able to go out with practically no restrictions anywhere was just a breath of fresh air for citizens and businesses alike.

Something that I really like is how much most of us have come to accept each other in regard to if someone chooses to mask up or not. And yes, I don't like to hear about masking up any more than the next person as I'm sure most of us are so sick of hearing about that.

But I have to point this out because there are some of us out there (well OK, most of us) who have chosen to no longer wear masks when we go out, and yet we still haven't gotten sick from COVID.

Get our free mobile app

Not only is the new year almost here, but 2023 also marks three years since the pandemic began. And with that fact also comes the realization that many in New Jersey have gotten sick from COVID, which is unfortunate.

Now before I go any further, I want to make clear that this post is in no way meant to be a political debate. At no point will there be any argument over whether or not we should've masked up in the first place, or if the vaccines are even necessary.

This post is simply based on observations of people I know and the actions they've taken to avoid getting COVID, as well as those who don't seem to take as many precautions as of late. I'll dive into each group, but again, it's all based on observation and nothing more.

COVID virgins

So let's first start with those that are COVID virgins. Those that have somehow still dodged ever getting COVID despite going about their everyday lives in public and not really taking many steps to avoid it.

I can talk from personal experience here because I am one of those COVID virgins. And to be honest? I don't know how the heck I haven't gotten it yet.

Now yes, my family and I were cautious in the beginning following all protocols we were asked to do. And like many of you, we kind of got used to doing that along with social distancing.

However, for the majority of 2022, we were mainly maskless and just went about our everyday lives. Even our kid's public school didn't mandate masks anymore, which was welcomed by so many families.

Yes, there are those that still took extra precautions, but that's OK. I'd like to hope that we're not judging each other anymore for whatever we decide to do. It's been a scary few years healthwise and I don't blame anyone for remaining cautious.

Speaking of which, I'm also one of those people who are considered a bit more in the high-risk category. As I've shared publically in the past, I have an autoimmune disease that puts me in a higher risk category than most. However, I do take care of myself and monitor my health in my own way very carefully.

With that said, I've been feeling great and going out and about like the vast majority of us. Now I do always keep a mask on me in case I find myself in a situation where I need one, such as in a medical facility.

But to bring the point home, I'm one of those people who, despite being around crowds, have still never gotten COVID. In fact, nobody in my household has gotten it yet, and we're at a point where we're just waiting for it to finally happen.

We have family and friends we're around quite often who have gotten it. And some have gotten COVID more than once. And yet, we keep testing negative.

Even stranger is how some of them take more precautions than us and yet somehow get it. Maybe there is some truth to having genetics on your side when it comes to our immune systems.

Regardless of how we've been dodging it, it really does feel like we're on an island now with a population that's constantly shrinking. When are we going to get it? Or did we get it and not even know it?

I don't know about my wife or kids, but I do have to get antibody tests every year, and from the results of those tests, I so far appear to have never gotten COVID at all. Of course, I'm probably jinxing myself by writing all of this, but it's true, and I find it strange that it hasn't happened yet.

So I'm just curious, how many others in New Jersey also are still COVID virgins? Are there a lot of us still on this COVID-free island, or have most of us already gotten COVID at least once? Or, how many aren't sure because they didn't test for it?

Let's dive into it. Take the poll below and let us know.

See? Nothing political at all. So now when you see those who went political in the comments (rant about masks, vaccines, red vs blue, etc), you can call them out for not reading anything in the first place.