Yet another prominent Colorado political figure – this time, University of Colorado Regent and gubernatorial hopeful Heidi Ganahl – has come down with a case of COVID. The Republican contender tested positive for the virus and won’t be participating in campaign events scheduled for this week, Ganahl’s spokeswoman told our news affiliate Colorado Politics.

Like others in the state’s political pantheon who have caught COVID, Ganahl is said to be experiencing mild symptoms and, like a lot of them, had been vaccinated. Presumably, she’ll continue attending to her duties, if remotely, as an elected member of CU’s governing board.

Gov. Jared Polis tested positive for COVID over a year ago, before the vaccine was available. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who has been vaccinated, announced on Saturday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. Last month, 6th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, also vaccinated, tested positive for COVID following an official trip to Ukraine. Colorado’s junior U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, who was vaccinated, tested positive in August. U.S. Reps. Ed Perlmutter, in the 7th Congressional District, and Doug Lamborn, in the 5th CD, came down with the virus in late 2020. As Colorado Politics noted, all experienced mild symptoms.

The development certainly illustrates the breadth of the persistent pandemic, now well into its latest iteration as the evidently milder omicron variant. Pols are being made to feel the public’s pain – like it or not. Then again, for most who contract the virus, the pain is not great.

For all the deaths and hospitalizations wrought by COVID-19 among the ailing, elderly, immunodeficient and otherwise vulnerable populations, most who test positive find the experience much less perilous. Symptoms range from flu like to far less pronounced. Particularly young adults and children often enough have no symptoms at all.

All of which, arguably, underscores the wisdom as well as the limitations of vaccinations – though of course that debate will go on. The vaccine doesn’t necessarily shield recipients from COVID, as many vaccinated people who later get COVID will attest. But medical experts do contend the vaccine is likely to mitigate COVID’s symptoms. And the fact that you can catch the virus even after vaccination may make the case for getting a booster, as many public health officials recommend. Particularly for those who feel they are in harm’s way.

When politicians are caught in COVID’s wake, it serves as a reminder of the need to keep the pandemic in perspective just as we must keep it in check. Seeing our state’s elected officials test positive, yet proceed with their duties, even as they refrain from public contact for a time, should reassure us that life goes on in every sense for the vast majority of people who catch COVID. That may seem obvious to many, but those who are fearful their lives never will return to normal can take heart.

Despite the latest surge in the COVID caseload, there is no need to return to the extreme measures and economic and social paralysis that prevailed during much of the pandemic’s first year. We wish a speedy recovery to Ganahl and all the other public servants who catch COVID – and who keep on taking care of business.

Denver Gazette editorial board