Life in the Age of Corona

A Daily Diary

Saturday, March 21st, 2020

Staying active

Saturday, normally a day filled with activity.

Starting with coffee and the news in bed. Okay did that today- had to extend from 2 to 4 hours.

Then two hours on the matt. Cancelled. Instead the squat, crunch, push-up, plank, lunge routine we have started followed by a few weight shifts and ikkio exercises.

On a regular Saturday, the rest of the day would be filled with some combination of lunch, swimming, a grocery run, friends. None of that today. Seeing the plants I have ordered for the garden have not yet arrived, need to figure out other ways to entertain ourselves, and by the looks of it this had better be sustainable over weeks; just looking at a timeline someone in Italy shared.

March 9 was the first day of their lockdown - 11 days. Numbers of infected are still increasing as one would expect given a 14 day incubation period. If quarantine works, Italy should peak around March 24th/ 25th thereafter one would hope to see numbers of new infections decrease.

Based on the numbers coming from China 30 days after the peak, infections should come to an end. So a minimum of 44 days from day 1 of lockdown as a means to stop people from spreading the virus. So 10 days done, 44 days +x to go depending on when and how severe measures will be taken. It is a daunting prospect. 

The US as a nation is so far failing to stop the spread. Some states, like California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, are more enlightened than others, but that is probably not enough as these simulations show. And neither of the suggested scenarios are comforting. 

I am finding that I spend more time reaching out to friends all over the globe – checking in on how they are via phone, WhatsApp, Telegram or e-mail. Similarly, EM had a multi-hour Facetime chat with her besties last night to circumvent social isolation. So in some way the “confinement” brings us closer together. Still, my daughter and I are going to be challenged to fill the days and nights.

We have spent three nights watching the trilogy “How to Train your Dragon” and on other nights have been playing board games. We are considering taking up chess – a game popular since the middle ages, when people did not have the diversion of social media, TV and such like. There was a lot more “self-entertainment”; which to a certain extend we see emerging now with the Italians singing on their balconies and closer to home, the hood organizing a shamrock walk or painting rainbows and decorating gardens with them as a sign of hope (thank you Italy for the idea).

On figuring out ways to be active. One is BCCTV. Students are doing videos at home which they send in to be compiled for BCCTV show, amazing Mr. L. - thank you for keeping kids creative and busy. EM’s contribution today – making awesome chocolate cookies to uplift spirits, even if it does not help with weight control.

And to remedy the effect of eating those delicious cookies, we continue our walks alternating them with bike rides around the hood. As we walk around the streets of our neighborhood, I am noting that people are far more engaging than ten days ago. Everyone we meet, whether they are walking their dog on the other side of the street, or taking groceries from their car to the house, or pottering in their gardens, everyone has a friendly greeting, engages in a short conversation. It feels as if people have become a little more caring, a little more interested in reaching out.

I note the same on the Listserve. People are sharing uplifting stories (and yes, there is still the odd Blower comment, but I think that has been shut up by a post from someone who has been furloughed and pointed out that their worries were far bigger than blower noise). And the neighbors are banding together to help the elderly and local businesses. Our Listserve manager has put together a list local businesses and someone else maintains a list of people seeking help and people willing to help, for instance picking up groceries for those too vulnerable to venture out to the local supermarket. The neighborhood places collective orders with restaurants who deliver to a central location where people then go to pick up their orders (maintaining a 6 foot distance of course). A new sense of community is evolving. It is beautiful to see this closeness unfolding and I hope one that it will survive well beyond Corona.

We also have our sad and tearful moments though. When we ask ourselves how far into the future we need to amend or cancel plans: May? June? July? EM is wondering if come Memorial Day she will commence her job as a lifeguard again. When next will she be able to see her dad who lives in Germany? Will we be able to go home for the summer to see my mum, my sister, and the cousins? Last night, the response was no. We hugged, we cried, wiped away the tears and carried on.

Discussions on the listserv have today progressed to masks and gloves with ever more notes urging people to donate whatever they have to hospitals. With reports of shortages – and that is only with some ~20.000 identified cases nationwide - not very encouraging! Neither are the stats the county sends out showing the number of hospitals and ICU beds available – dismally few. Overall the US has fewer beds, doctors, equipment, you name it, available per capita than Italy. At the same time there is almost no testing – compared to Germany with almost the same number of confirmed cases, but 100.000 tests a week and capacity to ramp this up to 160.000).

A study in Italy shows testing helps contain. How can a country be so utterly unprepared? Scratch that thought, we all know how – lack of leadership and vision. If the people at the helm deny science, deny a crisis, of course there is no national mobilization or preparation. Ever-changing messaging from the administration does not give the confidence people seek that this is being managed well. In fact, it is not being managed at all as far as the national level is concerned.

The German government on Thursday distributed 10 million (!) masks to hospitals across the nation and garment manufacturers are now producing masks and personal protective equipment instead of suits and blouses. Even if the administration is incapable, there is some hope: Distilleries in the US are now using their alcohol to make sanitizers! On the bright side, spring has arrived in my garden!

Comments

10.05.2020 18:14

vera