• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
        • CR for Kids
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Shop
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
        • Subscribe
  • Advertising
  • Kids
  • Radio/Podcasts
        • Catholic Review Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
        • In God’s Image
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe

We don’t talk about COVID

January 15, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary

We don’t talk about COVID. No, no, no. I’m so tired of hearing about positivity rates and hospitalization rates and vaccination rates and…

What’s that? You know where we can find home tests? What time does the shipment come in? And they put them right out on the shelves?

Wow! Hang on, I need to text my friend who’s been looking for one. And maybe I should get a few more just in case. I don’t know how many we are going to need.

But yeah, let’s not talk about COVID. I’m just so happy the children are back in school. I just can’t decide whether they should be wearing KN95s right now. They’re so much more comfortable in the other masks, and they’re in them all day, except at lunchtime. I don’t know what they do for gym class. I’ve never thought to ask. That’s the last thing we want to talk about at night. We’re so busy listing all the teachers and students who were out sick today.

Who wants to talk about COVID? There’s too much else going on, especially now that the world has opened back up. Did you see your family for Christmas? Oh, yeah, we didn’t either because…you know. But maybe we can be together for Easter.

It seems like everyone is sick right now. Of course, no one can get a PCR test, and who knows if those home tests are even reliable. What’s that? You got tested where? And you were only in line for 45 minutes? Wow! Did you have to register in advance? Do they take insurance?

Hold on, I need to text my friend who’s been trying to get her husband tested for three days. He’s so sick, but the home test is not showing anything. You know, if you don’t go for testing when the viral load is high enough, you might not get an accurate reading.

What’s that? You think the viral load is higher later? Where did you read that? Because my friend’s sister’s mother-in-law told her that they’re changing the guidelines on isolation because we’ve been guessing wrong on testing times…or was it testing at all? I can’t remember. I try not to talk much about COVID.

Hang on, I have to show you the funniest TikTok. It had us in hysterics last night, talking all about CDC guidelines. Let me pull it up on my phone.

Wait a second, did you hear that man over there cough? I mean, that really sounded like a COVID cough, and, you know, they say with omicron it’s that kind of cough, way up in your throat just like that. And his mask is barely touching his nose.

Wow, I love your glasses. Are they new? Do they fog up when you walk into the store with a mask on? Mine are the worst.

OK, let’s talk about something else. I never should have brought up COVID!

With apologies to We Don’t Talk About Bruno from Encanto.

Copyright © 2022 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Rita Buettner

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

‘Magnifica Humanitas’: A feast of a message needing measured bites

Question Corner: Will everyone know each other’s sins at the last judgement?

‘Magnifica Humanitas’ explores being human in the age of artificial intelligence

What the pope’s new encyclical on AI Is asking of you

Flannery O’Connor: Southern writer made Catholic vision ‘apparent by shock’

| Recent Local News |

Monsignor Paul Cook remembered for devotion to parishioners and leadership in Archdiocese of Baltimore

Get ready for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s stops in the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Radio Interview: From Russian prince to American frontier priest 

From Queen City to crossroads

‘Traveling museum’ from Catholic Charities will visit Baltimore June 2-3

| Catholic Review Radio |

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Knights of Peter Claver express ‘full support’ for Pope Leo slavery apology
  • Pope Leo XIV heads to Spain — a missionary country he knows by heart
  • National Eucharistic Pilgrimage commemorates Catholic history along South Atlantic coast
  • Relics of sister to whom Jesus appeared, showing his Sacred Heart, will come to the U.S. in June
  • Meet the Silicon Valley priest advising tech companies on artificial intelligence ethics
  • Pew: Most Americans who attend religious services have heard about political, social issues recently
  • Pope Leo asks Catholics worldwide to pray rosary for peace May 30
  • Lawmakers back US bishops’ bid to block abortion from pregnant worker protection rules
  • Movie Review: ‘Pressure’

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2026 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED