World AIDS Day in Uncertain Times

The YMCA weight room, a full-size gym, had become something of a ghost town even before the rise in COVID-19 cases in Ontario. Now we are required to register in advance and there are even more stringent protocols for those using the facilities. 

A week ago I was in this big space with one other person, a guy who was a regular before COVID and we joked about dealing with the crowds. From a distance we talked about the understandable concerns of many, and our relief that we could work out in relative isolation. 

He mentioned that he'd been a nurse through SARS, as well as the first years of AIDS. I shared that I was a member of the fledgling AIDS Committee of Sudbury in the late 80's. It was a time when there was still considerable uncertainty and misinformation about transmission, so much so that some doctors and nurses refused to enter the hospital rooms of HIV/AIDS patients.Was this a new plague? 

 Because of my involvement on the committee I did visit AIDS patients, people I didn't know, and I had my moments of anxiety. I was the father of three young children and wondered if what I hoped was a compassionate response as a Christian pastor was jeopardizing the safety of my own family. 

This pandemic is unprecedented in its scope, and unlike anything most people on the planet have experienced. It is so all-consuming in terms of the daily news cycle that we may have missed World AIDS Day yesterday, a recognition which began in 1988. . Not only was there limited coverage, the The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care. And without strategies to meet these needs, we may see a resurgence of HIV , and that could threaten our public health response to COVID-19 in countries around the world. 

We can keep in mind that HIV/AIDS continues to be a global health challenge and that a scientific and compassionate response is still necessary. Through the decades between 30 and 40 million people have died of AIDS, a tremendous loss of human life. We can pray for own understanding and access to adequate care for all who are diagnosed.