COVID-19

So we are at the beginning of what has been officially declared by the world health organization (WHO), a pandemic. The novel coronavirus, nicknamed COVID-19, began in Wuhan, China, initially contracted from bats if my understanding is correct, and spread to various countries, with Italy appearing most affected, and finally reaching the United States.

It began in Washington and then spread to the expected states: New York, California, and now Florida. In Florida it began in Tampa, two hours from me, and then in the southern part of the state, especially Broward County. Yesterday it reached Seminole county, the county I lived in for the first half of my life in Florida and where my mother and in-laws still live.

People have gone insane. The general public should not be alarmed, because even if they get it, they are expected to recover and should not experience anything worse than a flu feeling. However, people who are immunocompromised, elderly, in poor health, or dealing with some other underlying condition or risk, have a lot to be concerned about.

Instead, most of the general public has gone out and purchased all of the face masks, hand sanitizer, and most of the toilet paper, cleaning supplies and many other things such as non-perishable food and water they could find. The other half of the general public is standing with your arms crossed shaking their heads and laughing at the people protecting themselves.

First it was that it wasn’t in the United States. Then it was that it wasn’t in Florida. Then it was that it wasn’t in Central Florida. Now it’s that it isn’t in orange county, and then it will probably be that it’s not in the city, and then that it’s not in the school. It is a little bit funny to watch the rationale change.

The fact of the matter is the virus can live from 2 to 9 hours on plastic, metal, or wood. In my opinion, which is a non-professional opinion, it is pretty much impossible to contain. Even if you were to wear a mask and gloves to a grocery store, if you didn’t disinfect the container of every item you brought home, you could have brought the virus home. Our cell phones are constantly exposed even when we were a mask and if we don’t disinfect our cell phones, we may as well not wear a mask.

I believe people like myself who are at risk are now in a position where it is incumbent on us to protect ourselves. I am making the choice to self quarantine except for medical trips, and for the time being, to my daughter’s school. I should not be taking that risk, but it is a difficult choice to make.

I am also having to ask my adult daughter and her fiancé not to come visit anymore and indefinitely because she works at a theme park and without wearing even a mask, can’t take the risk of her being a carrier and can’t expect her to stop working or protect herself as if she were me when she is young and healthy and it is her sole source of income.

I am hoping this will peter out similarly to when the flu season comes to an end. That would buy us the time for a vaccine to possibly be created before it re-surfaced. That is my hope. In the meantime, I don’t have any choice but to protect myself as much as possible. So that is what I’m doing.