Francy that: An unwanted holiday guest lurks

Last spring, after months of following Covid-19 guidelines, we completed a road trip to South Carolina. Many activities were outdoors or in buildings that required masks. No Covid symptoms upon our return. I flew to Florida for a week in May. Safe again.

Maybe we were too careless, over-confident that the Covid pandemic had missed us. We relaxed our defenses. After a cautious return to attending church services, birthday parties and family gatherings — mask-free, hugs all around — life felt normal again.

As autumn approached, recommendations for booster shots, a second one for us, came from th...