Pandemic Pandemonium

This coronavirus has certainly been disruptive for everyone.  Here are some observations about how things are going.

I feel sorry for extroverts during these times of social isolation.  Extroverts require fairly frequent external stimulation to keep them happy. Us introverts are used to creating our own stimulation from within.

One of the main admonitions that the health authorities keep telling us is to not touch your face.  So here are the things that I figure I cannot do:

-          Put on my glasses;

-          Put in my hearing aids;

-          Brush my teeth;

-          Shave;

-          Blow my nose;

-          Eat; or

-          Drink.

So, governments at all levels want us to get back to work to “save the economy”.  Mr. Trump is very adamant about this. But with the US having the most cases in the world as well as the most deaths, how many more lives is he willing to sacrifice to “make America great again”?  Canadian authorities seem to be willing to go very carefully in opening things up, with Quebec apparently willing to be the cat’s paw.  In some ways, I’m glad to see some things start up again.  I got my lawn fertilized the other day and we’re looking forward to getting our gazebo put up in the next few days; all things that weren’t allowed up to a week ago.  But I don’t want to see a lot more people put at risk as a result of the easing.

Everyone talks about “flattening the curve” but that only means that there are only the same number of new cases as yesterday.  People still get sick.  It is only when the curve starts to go steadily downward that we are making progress.

One of the saddest things to see are all of the statements in the obituary columns of funerals not able to be held and ceremonies to be held at some later, undetermined time.  For those of us who have lost a close relative of friend during this period, it leaves a lingering, unfinished business.

Some people think that virus testing is the answer to everything.  Supposedly, if you get tested and it is negative, you are free to go.  You don’t have to worry about getting sick.  But the truth is that the test only shows your condition at the time you take the test.  Tomorrow you are just as likely to get the virus as ever.  People like health care workers should probably get tested after every shift they work.  Those who use the test result to blithely go back to work and socialize should continue to take the same precautions that they have take up to now that have kept them safe so far.