I usually post a blog every other Monday. Yesterday I was due to post. I did not. My mind was reeling with multiple thoughts and feelings swirling around. And I had no idea how to craft any or all of that swirl into a cogent, logical statement.
On February 28th I traveled to Pennsylvania to visit family for a week or two. My visit did extend to sixteen days. I stayed in a local hotel and visited family during the day. The purpose of the trip was to assist my family members.
When I traveled to Pennsylvania, COVID 19 was a foreign phenomenon with the exception of a couple of cases in Washington State and on a quarantined cruise ship somewhere on the west coast. While there was a sense of concern in the air as evidenced by the news reports, life seemed to be continuing as usual where I traveled. On my trip I didn’t worry about pumping gas or buying a snack. Using the restroom, I exercised my usual caution.
While I visited, everything around me and in the country changed. When I drove home, I saw people wearing masks. There was much less traffic. I used hand sanitizer to clean my hands, when I couldn’t wash them. I used wipes to clean my steering wheel and door handles, where I could. I tried to be aware of what I touched when I filled my gas tank, visited the restroom, and bought a snack or a cup of coffee. I tried to not touch my face! Much easier said than done.
I’m home. I feel well. These are my concerns. I have visited and traveled through an area that became stricken with the virus as I lived there using public facilities. Am I infected? I am a healthy person with a good immune system. Could I be a carrier? That would be someone with minimal or no symptoms but still infected. If that were so, I could infect others. I would be an inadvertent vector of the virus. I don’t know if this is possible, but we are in unknown territory with this virus.
This is what I do know. Because this virus is new, there is no immunity. That means staying apart, not going out except for essential trips, food, medications, etc., in other words, practicing social distancing. The concern is that if too many people become ill all at the same time the healthcare system is overwhelmed, and more people become infected and die. I’m doing that, hunkering down at home.
The irony is that COVID 19 can spread because we are social beings knit together in society and dependent on each other. We need to turn that around and be dependent on each other by respecting that social distance. Take care of yourself and in doing so, care for others. Think of others. If you are able, offer financial or volunteer support. Our economy, especially small businesses are at great risk.
This will pass, and we will return to something like our former lives. But my sense is that there will be a line between life before COVID 19 and live after. How destructive or profound the change will be is up to us, and how we care for ourselves and our community now.