We wish Sen. Rick Scott a quick recovery from COVID-19. He is the first statewide leader in Florida to have contracted the virus, as he announced Friday:

“After several negative tests, I learned I was positive this morning. I am feeling good and experiencing very mild symptoms. I will be working from home in Naples until it is safe for me to return to Washington, D.C. I want to remind everyone to be careful and do the right things to protect yourselves and others. Wear a mask. Social distance. Quarantine if you come in contact with someone positive like I did. As we approach Thanksgiving, we know this holiday will be different this year. But, listen to public health officials and follow their guidance. We will beat this together, but we all have to be responsible. I want to thank all the incredible health care workers who are working around the clock to care for patients and I pray that by next Thanksgiving, COVID-19 will be a thing of the past.”

Lest we need any more evidence of the severity of the pandemic, his announcement is a pointed reminder that literally none of us are immune to a disease that has killed more than 18,000 Floridians and more than a quarter million Americans in a span of mere months. There was no talk of herd immunity or of keeping the economy completely open at all costs. The senator’s words are sober. Our own actions should be as well. Vaccines are coming. They are not here yet.

A few more sobering numbers:

Deaths in Florida (population 22 million): 18,110

Deaths in California (population 39.5 million): 18,568

Deaths in Texas (population 29 million): 20,575

Deaths in U.S. (population 330 million): 253,458

Rate of positive tests in U.S. Senate: 9% (Of 100 senators, Scott is the ninth to test positive for COVID-19 or for antibodies.)

Rate of positive tests in Florida: 9%

1 million cases: That’s what Florida, with 923,418 cases right now and more than 9,000 new ones just on Friday, is on track to surpass very soon.

3 weeks: That’s how soon the first doses of vaccines may arrive at Tampa General Hospital and four other Florida hospitals, although enough doses to vaccinate the general population are still a ways off.

Zero: That’s how much good the promise of the vaccine does in actually preventing COVID-19 right now — today. That’s why it’s important to keep your (social) distance, your mask on and your guard up.

Global cases: 57,309,785

U.S. cases: 11,808,698

U.S. population as percent of total worldwide: 4.24

U.S. cases as percent of total worldwide: 20.56

Cases in U.S. (world leader) per 100,000 population: 3,588

Cases in India (second globally in total cases) per 100,000 population: 666

Sources: Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, U.S. Census Bureau

Editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay Times. The members of the Editorial Board are Times Chairman and CEO Paul Tash, Editor of Editorials Graham Brink, and editorial writers Elizabeth Djinis, John Hill and Jim Verhulst. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news