Facts surrounding a given situation form evidence, and evidence can simplify life. But who collects the unspoken truths and analyzes the circumstantial evidence — the information people think to be true but do not dare speak because the results will upset their acceptable life views? Everyone who calls a company is all too familiar with the current recorded message that begins every company's mantra: "Due to COVID-19, wait times may be longer than usual." Think of the public's awareness of COVID-19 when news of it hit the media. Generations living now might have learned about pandemics, but they are now experiencing living through one.

Companies' recorded messages were prepared and replaced the previous ones, long before the many layoffs took place. It took some companies several months to announce and carry out the layoffs, but the recordings had already become standard messages to all who called.

The message readiness did not represent the human fallout that followed. Businesses knew the cash flow they wanted business to maintain; they knew the financial goals they desired to reach; and they knew upper management wasn't going to accept any financial setbacks. These set goals did not result from asking upper-level management to lower their already exorbitant salaries and benefits. Rarely does senior management sacrifice the rewards they feel they have earned and deserve. After all, they must maintain their status quo lifestyles. Entitlement rarely, if ever, creeps into their vocabulary when discussing those lifestyles. Still, to maintain status quo, someone lower on the ladder had to go. In fact, many lower on the ladder had to go. Employees' work history, performance, commitment, loyalty or even personal situation, such as serious health problems, weren't part of the equation. Maintaining upper management's status has always been the focus.

So, as COVID-19 began to take hold of the population, upper management didn't have to show concern, because it affected those with weaker, more compromised immune systems and community-centered lifestyles, those more commonly experienced by the lower socioeconomic groups. But those groups weren't part of the workforce, so apathy came easily to many. Life in corporate America would continue ... until it didn't anymore. People now can see the devastation caused by COVID-19 affects everyone — businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals who are not part of the workforce. It affects people with large families and those who have no one.

More than 300,000 have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. Within the last two weeks, COVID-19 deaths have superseded deaths from cancer and heart disease. And despite the introduction of the vaccine, the U.S. death toll is expected to rise to a half-million by spring 2021.

Nationwide, the median age of COVID-19 cases has declined from individuals 46 years of age in May to 37 years in July and 38 in August. For generations originally thought to be safe, the statistics are as follows, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "During June - August 2020, COVID-19 incidence was highest in persons aged 20 - 29 years, who accounted for greater than 20% of all confirmed cases. Younger adults likely contribute to community transmission of COVID-19. Across the southern United States in June 2020, increases in percentage of positive SARS-CoV-2 test results among adults aged 20 - 39 years preceded increases among those aged greater than or equal to 60 years by 4 - 15 days."

Most would agree 20 to 39 is too young to die, so whether it's from COVID-19 or SARSCoV-2 really doesn't matter.

According to NPR's reporting partnership with Kaiser Health News, emergency room Dr. Cleavon Gilman, an Iraq War veteran, called the deaths he has seen as from COVID-19 "worse than being in war." He has seen enough death to considers the deaths "a crime against humanity." The model created by Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at The University of Washington shows that approximately 50,000 deaths could be avoided if everyone wore face masks and followed the social distancing rules for prevention. Two simple acts of kindness and caring could make a world of difference. Nothing could be a greater gift this holiday season.

Email career and life coach: Lindsey@LindseyNovak.com with your workplace problems and issues. Ms. Novak responds to all emails. For more information, visit www.lindseynovak.com, and for past columns, see https://www.creators.com/features/at-work-lindsey-novak.

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