Friday, March 12th, 2021
Exactly one year ago today was the first day of homebased work for us.
It was also the last day of in person learning for EM.
On March 12th our offices closed – initially for two weeks. Likewise schools shut down, initially until spring break.
In a team call after the first week of #stayhome I said to everyone “see you in 84 days”, which is how long China had shut down to eradicate the virus. Little did I know it would be a year and then some at the time.
Then again, in conversations with my brilliant friend I had stated I would not put my life on hold for 12-18 months (which is exactly what I am doing now), so I must have had an inkling of what was to come.
Well here we are, one year later.
It is also, an opportunity to reflect on pandemic life.
In the beginning there was so much uncertainty. Fears of failing food and water supplies drove many, including ourselves, to buy canned goods (all of which have since been donated to foodbanks), bottled water (still chilling in my garage) and stocking up on frozen foods (languishing in my freezer) and other groceries to survive for a few weeks. Everyone did. That last Thursday leaving the office I stopped at Trader Joe’s. Word must have gotten out as the line for the cash register snaked its way around the entire store!
Then the official lock down came, and we hunkered down at home, leaving only every 14 or so days to replenish stocks and hunt for disinfectants, hand sanitizer and rubber gloves. TO this day I only go shopping once the milk runs out.
After videos circulated on the web about the spread through surfaces, every item entering the house was quarantined for a few days or disinfected before entering the house. We masked up (and still do) when leaving home. Donned rubber gloves for grocery outings (which we no longer do, so I have a supply of rubber gloves for anyone in need). We shopped for our elderly neighbors, the community came together. We met neighbors we had not known. People pased on intelligence about rare items such as toilet paper (never a shortage in our house and we did not hoard any!).
For four months we left the house only for a grocery run every other week or so and for a daily walk around the neighborhood.
As it got warmer, we spend every weekend day outside in some national park or by a lake. EM and I were tight knit unit, became even closer than we had been (and we have always been close) as our social circle shrank to nothingness.
We spend a lot of time talking, reflecting on this very slowed down life of ours, observing the tiniest changes in the neighborhood.
Amidst the pandemic I spend many months I worried about losing my job, which added to the high stress levels induced by our confinement. I sought advice and made contingent plans, which in the end proved to be liberating. I now know that if my contract is not extended, I will be eligible for severance. I reached out to a few potential clietns and consulting firms all of whom enthusiastically responded. Just knowing I had options was a boost to my moral. As a result of these uncertainties, I have plans to rent an apartment in mum’s house. Just so I have somewhere to go if the shit should hit the fan. Mum, my sister and I have terminated a long term tenant so I can take over the apartment, and I will, not matter what.
Worries about our financial future caused me to terminate J. Also, I did not need someone to be with EM when away as travel had come to a grinding halt. While I did find her a new employer, she had to return to the Philippines for the visa change. She has now been stuck there for four months and it is unclear when State will process non-immigrant visas again.. This is causing her financial distress as she is supporting her mother, her daughter and all of her sibblings and their families. I am helping by sending her money to pay her bills now. I very much hope she can come back. I discuss her situation with EM in the hope that for EM it will be a learning experience on managing one's finances.
As the State reopened so did our lives. We created a bubble with the family of EM’s best friend.
As numbers came down, we adjusted our life, embraced small outdoor gatherings with selected friends. As we learned more about the virus, we ventured out more, found ways to entertain, go on little local beach vacations (with the bubble), began to take educated risks, reconquering our life. This included booking swim slots at pools and weapons practice in the park.
EM was focused on creating memories. Mostly this involved taking the Floh (our Fiat 500 convertible) for joy rides with her friends - masked, top down.
Pandemic life taught us about friendship and patience. There were surprises. Some friends just disappeared, while acquaintances became close friends.
We missed our summer trip to Europe, which in hindsight we should not have.
Miraculously EM found a BF in the middle of this mess.
Her senior year began on Zoom. Stress levels increased caused by a combination of lack of social interactions, breaking up of friendships, assignments and university applications due. With it came mental breakdowns and tears, but we stayed strong and pulled through.
Then came autumn and winter and with it a rise in case numbers as well as preparations to spend the holidays with our family in Germany. We became experts at taking COVID tests. We persevered.
We retained as much of a life as we could.
We have become accustomed to living with the virus. Masks are now normal, as are social gatherings outdoors and in small groupswhile maintaining an appropriate social distance.
How different our life is, but it is still a life, albeit with fewer friends, no travel and carefully planned social interactions. All in all we are lucky. We have a lovely home with a beautiful outdoor space enabling us to entertain, I have a regular income, we hvae friends, we can exercise.
It is becoming harder and harder to tolerate though the closer a possible end to this nightmare gets.
On the positive side, the warmer weather is uplifting to the spirit. After five months of being largely confined to our house, we want to get out. And it is becoming easier to do so. At the same time vaccination is picking up in the USA. The presidential narrative is shifting from “darkest hour” to “hope". This reflects how I feel after a full year of #stayhome, at least for the USA where 101 million doses have been administered to date, with 32 million people fully vaccinated, despite 62k new infections reported over the past twenty-four hours to bring the US total to 29.98 million.
Let us all do our bit for the next two months and who knows, we may have a happy Memorial Day weekend.
This becomes ever more likely with President Biden (how I love to write this) setting a timeline for every resident to be eligible for a shot by May. The new administration is well ahead of its target of 100 million shots in the first 100 days.
One more vaccine to hit the market in coming months seems to be Novax who today announced results from its phase 3 trials. Noteworthy, beyond the general 96% efficacy, is its effectiveness against the South African strain at 55%. I expect they will apply for emergency use shortly, increasing the vaccine arsenal.
I am just saddened about the state of affairs in the EU, where numbers a still on the rise and vaccination is very slow as supply shortages continue to persist. AstraZeneca has yet again reduced the number of doses it will deliver by the end of March. Instead of the 90 million doses contracted it will now deliver only 30 million. I find that difficult to understand. Likewise, I do not understand why the EU is blamed for not allowing AstraZeneca to export doses made in the EU while the company does not fulfill its contractual obligations.
The USA has millions of doses of this vaccine in its stockpile and AstraZeneca has not even applied for a license yet! Why will they not allow for these to be shipped to Europe and accept 60 million in April or May when production in Europe has ramped up?
As it is, the USA will, with the as yet to be licensed vaccine, have enough for 640 million people. And the USA does get doses manufactured in the EU, maybe the EU should clamp down on shipping those out. I get the need for the country to vaccinate its population, but the global economy will not bounce back until all have had a shot, this most certainly applies for those with whom close economic relations are maintained.
Some people love masks and never want to see them go! Especially during a cold winter walk I sympathize with the sentiment. Also, flu infections and common colds have been down his winter, another good reason to wear a mask. And then there are some people in whose airspace I do not want to be at any given time, I may selectively continue masking up as well.
The pandemic has taught me about friendship, the need to look out for yourself and your loved ones.
It has taught me about the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
It has taught me about reaching out to those who matter in my life, no matter where they may be located. I have been closer to some people very far away than those nearest to me.
I have cherished the time with EM.
I have learned to embrace this new slow life.
Today I am hopeful that life as we knew it a year ago will come back to us.