Wednesday—March 11, 2020
I was riding high with plenty to celebrate. My Pulmonologist, Dr. Shea confirmed that I did not have lung cancer. The needle biopsy showed no cancer. The nodules were still there and might be caused by infection—I would take an antibiotic for a week and in two months another CAT scan to see if they had grown, stayed the same or disappeared. It was very good news and I felt as though I literally had a new lease on life—there were so many things I could do.
Super Tuesday results made it clear that there were now only two men in the presidential race and Joe had the lead. Neither Joe nor Bernie were my first choice, but I was glad to see that Joe was the one ahead. I thought he could win and so for me the country’s future was looking positive too. There was more and more talk about the coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease that it caused. Northern Italy was in lock down, the numbers were escalating in Iran and starting to show up in Spain and Great Britain…but cases were decreasing in China and South Korea. We were starting to hear of cases on cruise ships an in Washington state. Trump was downplaying it—nothing to worry about…” we’ve got this under control.” Pence was put in charge. Government scientists couldn’t speak to news outlets unless Pence authorized it—there was no one you could believe. Hand sanitizers, Clorox wipes and toilet paper were no longer available in stores or online.
Wednesday we went out to dinner with friends to celebrate Rich’s and Barbara’s birthdays. I sat a foot away from the diners at the next table and we were elbow to elbow with our friends. We talked about the coronavirus and wondered if the restaurant, Thompson Italian would have to close. The owner, a friend, told us that they thought about moving the tables further apart, but each table was reserved—how to pick who didn’t get a table. And so, they changed some of their hygiene requirements and carried on. Home after a wonderful dinner we saw clips of Trumps’ disastrous message to the country—full of mistakes and mis-statements and untruths— “everything was under control” –we would close our borders to all Europeans but not Great Britain.” We went to bed anxious but not too worried.
Thursday—March 12, 2020
On Thursday, there was talk that schools would close, likely to be announced Thursday night at the Board meeting. I was scheduled to meet with school administrators that afternoon, they asked to cancel the meeting because they needed to prepare for the likely closure. Our friend Gary had his knee replaced on Wednesday, I planned to bring him and Anne dinner on Friday. With no meeting to attend, I went to the store to get a few items that I needed for the meal. I was shocked by the lines—I went midafternoon to avoid potential crowds to no avail. Each line had a dozen people many with mountainous carts. I had only purchased what I needed and as I stood in line I was torn between getting more, losing my place in the queue or just going with my original plan—which is what I did.
The Burmans, across the street neighbors were having a Pi party on Saturday, March 14. Thursday evening Len wrote to say it was still on. An economist by trade, Len provided statistics about how unlikely it was that attendees at a gathering would be infected by another attendee (.003%). Although I respect his knowledge I thought his analysis flawed because without testing, it was impossible to know how many people were carriers and how many had the virus. I wasn’t sure how Rich felt but I had begun to think that I didn’t want to go (despite having purchased what I needed for a savory pie for the party).
By this time the graph showing two versions of what would or could happen in the United States was out in social media and beyond. The first is a high steep curve based on a lot of people getting sick at the same time—a number so high that it would overwhelm the number of beds, hospitals, respirators, and care givers. The second shows a flattening—if individuals and communities take steps to slow the virus’s spread, the number of cases of COVID-19 will stretch out across a longer period of time. As the curve shows, the number of cases at any given time doesn’t cross the dotted line of the capacity of our nation’s health care system to help everyone who’s very sick. I showed Rich the graph to make sure he was taking this seriously. Trump banned European travel into the U.S.
Friday—March 13, 2020
Friday I went to spin class in the morning as I had on Wednesday. There were plenty of people at the community center and with some concern about the virus—we wiped our bikes with disinfectant before riding as well as after and squirted our hands with sanitizer as we left the gym. No hugs or handshakes when we saw friends, elbows and toe taps were the “new normal” physical greeting. Friday morning Rich was going to go to Home Depot very early to avoid crowds. I decided to do the shopping that I hadn’t done on Thursday. At spin class Jula and Bruce mentioned that there was a new Giant (that no one knew about) right behind Home Depot. It wasn’t busy but I didn’t bring hand sanitizer, so I didn’t want to use a cart. I brought my bags in and filled them instead of a cart. I bought what I needed for a dinner I was making for the Pauls—the family of a neighbor who is hospitalized with a serious infection in his hip. I also got some staples, but I was limited by not having a cart—forgot onions and eggs. I spent the rest of the day preparing the meal, listening to NPR and responding to administrators.
Saturday—March 14, 2020
I made Paccheri and Cheese with Peas and Mint with a side of herb roasted chicken thighs for the Pauls’ which took longer than I expected. Rich got deeply into his latest project—building a new desk. More news, more disturbing. We talked to Kyla and the boys. They were home, the last day of ski club had been canceled. School was closed a week before their spring break. They had planned a camping trip in Sedona but were thinking they would go on their own someplace—maybe Southern Utah or Arizona. We talked to Casey and mutually agreed that we should quarantine ourselves and not see each other for 14 days—since the CDC says symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days, or as long as 14 days after exposure.
We listened to the NPR as I cooked:
President Donald Trump is Negative for coronavirus the White House says, as he extended travel bans to the U.K. and Ireland. New York City reported its first fatality.
- Cases topped 152,000 worldwide, with deaths at 5,700
- China has 80,824 confirmed cases, 3,189 deaths
- In the U.S., nine new deaths and 520 new cases were reported
- France’s prime minister says people ignore warnings
- Schools in Jakarta will close for two weeks
- African nations from Rwanda to Mauritania reported first cases
Brought the pasta baked in a springform pan and chicken thighs across the street to Lindsey Paul who was bringing it to the hospital for the family to eat with Michael. I was probably closer than 6 feet from her. Came home and made tortilla soup that was what I was going to make for the Paul’s but fortunately found out that it was too spicy and acidic for him. Tried to find something engrossing to watch—watched a few episodes of The Crown—not so engrossing.
Sunday—March 15, 2020
The Ides of March and my father’s birth date. More work on the desk. I helped, read, played Words with Friends, more news. I learn that our friends’ restaurant Thompson Italian was packed on Saturday. They think it’s best to close and do so today; they hope to provide carry-out to keep their employees working. They, along with other restaurants, ask patrons to buy gift cards for the future so that they can pay their employees for a longer period of time. Casey went to store early in the morning and got a few things for us. We drove over during Penelope’s nap and picked up the groceries—stayed 6 feet away. Late in the afternoon I walked with Anne. We didn’t stay 6 feet apart but on the other hand we have been recently together and both of us fairly sequestered. Nice to be outside and with someone I like and miss. Sang happy birthday to my dad every time I washed my hands (which was many), it would have been his 100th birthday.
The news continues to be unsettling.
As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States climbed to over 3,100 across 49 states on Sunday, and after weeks of conflicting signals from the federal government, state and local officials across the nation began enacting stricter measures to try to slow the virus’s spread.
- CDC recommends no gatherings over 50
- New York closes restaurants, bars and schools
- Boston closes restaurants and bars before St. Patrick’s Day
- Las Vegas closes resorts and casinos
- Many states declare state(s) of emergency
- California tells residents over 65 to stay at home
According to CNN: “On Sunday, America’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, summed up what’s in store for Americans in the near future: “For a while, life is not going to be the way it used to be in the United States.” He also warned “…that hundreds of thousands of Americans could die unless every citizen joins an effort to blunt the pandemic — only to be contradicted by President Donald Trump”.
Made a big batch of chile for dinner. I watched some of the presidential debate—down to 2 candidates it’s a different game. Not to mention that there is no audience. It’s focused on the coronavirus and who will do what. I think Biden looked better—another primary on Tuesday.
Monday—March 17, 2020
Another day of working on the new desk. I also spent a good bit of time cleaning the house—bathroom, kitchen, living room and bedroom—changed sheets. Texted Deysi our sometime cleaning lady to tell her we were socially distancing and for the safety of both her and us we did not want her to come and clean tomorrow. I told her I would send half of the amount we usually pay, she asked if she could come and pick it up tomorrow.
An extraordinarily quiet St. Patrick’s Day. Around the world many were in lockdown—in China, Italy and other European countries literally could not leave their homes. 37 states have closed public schools, colleges and universities are sending kids home. No idea of how long this will last—a month? Into the summer?
The Wheels Keep Turning 