Instead, this past year my life has been captive of a thing called coronovirus, something so small I couldn’t see it. Most people had never heard of it. Little though it is, I have never experienced anything that could tear up nations, cripple neighborhoods and fill brave people with the fear that it does.

As far as I can tell, COVID-19 or other coronaviruses have not invaded my body. But they have taken over my life and control my actions. For over a year, I have not been outside Utah, except for a few miles into Idaho where early Mormons, thinking they were in Utah, established a couple of towns where I buy things not available in our state.

My life changed quickly. I don’t remember hearing the word coronavirus until about a year ago. Cases were noted by national public health agencies in January and February 2020. All patients with the strange new virus had traveled to China. The first U.S. death was reported on February 29, 2020, just four days after this column is published.

On March 6, 2020 The Utah Department of Health, along with several other disease-watching agencies confirmed the first known case of COVID-19 in Utah. The patient was thought to have been exposed to Covid-19 on a cruise ship. Experts said it might become part of a community spread in Utah and we should watch for and report symptoms similar those of seasonal influenza — fever, cough, shortness of breath.

A few weeks later, on March 22, 2020, a Davis County man became the first Utahn to die from COVID-19. At that time officials noted 182 people in Utah were known to have coronavirus. Less than a year later, by the time this column is published, Covid-19 will have killed about 1,900 Utahns. Thousands of our friends, neighbors and kinfolks will have the disease. That’s what a difference a year makes.

Actually, 365 days make little difference in controlling a killing disease. It simply measures the time it takes for human beings to use tools available to them to stop a pandemic. New medicines or vaccines are only useful unless we convince, or in some cases require, everyone to use tools and techniques that are known to control the cause and spread of the disease. Convincing all Utahns to do what is needed is not easy.

At the present we humans do not have medicines or treatments to cure Covid-19 and other growing coronavirus-like diseases in countries scattered throughout the world. But we have family members, some with dual citizenship, living in countries that protect their people. Other countries let the virus control their actions. I have been in four of those countries multiple times and have children or grandchildren who have lived in those places for long periods of time. Some are citizens of two countries.

Australia and New Zealand have lost few people and coronavirus is under control. Some argue that movement and commerce rules are too harsh and it’s bad for business. But national leaders in those two countries put health of their citizens above trade and commerce. People are alive and well in two of the freeist countries in the world.

The other two countries, Brazil and our United States, have some of the world’s highest CCVID death rates. Leaders of nations with the worst COVID-affected death rates put increasing their power above health of their people. Early in the pandemic, both presidents became infected with coronavirus and survived, but the people of their countries suffered as hospitals filled and corpses of COVID victims.

Here in the United States we have a new president. The power of coronavirus may be winding down. The number of people infected with the virus is falling. More people are vaccinated. Masks are accepted and worn by informed citizens. Spring is coming and summer will not be far behind. Concerned citizens are needed to take little steps in bringing our country back to life. It won’t happen immediately but, God willing, the coronavirus pandemic will lead to the development of a single shot similar to those we give everyone today. Until that time, let us work hard to keep old COVID-19 at bay and our community together.

Walk out in your yard and slowly turn around looking at the mountains that make our valley a bowl. Whether it is COVID or overeating that puts us in a grave, the land will be here when we’re gone. Let’s hand it to those who follow us in better condition than we found it.