April 18th Corona Virus
It looks like it has been one month since I've written here. One month ago in Massachusetts we had tested 1743 people. There were 256 cases and no deaths reported. Yesterday there were 148744 people tested. There were 34,402 cases, and now 1,404 people have died. What a difference a month makes. The US leads in cases and deaths. We also lead in incompetency from the top. But we already knew that. It's just even more unsettling when there's a pandemic involved.
Let me see. We still are doing remote learning for school. I have been trying to get up to speed with things like Zoom, Google Meet, Seesaw, etc. I have been recording some lessons but they aren't being used, and I don't know if they will be. We continue to have Zoom CPTs. Teachers are working incredibly hard to have available work for their students.
I have spent what feels like hours on-line trying to find places that will deliver food so we don't have to step foot in a store. We have had groceries delivered from Amazon Fresh/Whole Foods, and Instacart which has delivered from BJs and Target. Even CVS of Target delivered prescriptions for me the other day. They drive up in their vehicle and drop them off at the steps to the mudroom, or on the deck. Some wear gloves and masks, and if I catch their eye through the window or door, we wave. We have done one pick up at Hannefords. You have to get on right at 12AM to get a slot for the day after that day. David went, and you drive up, get out and use a credit card machine. No interaction. Someone is there to load your groceries in the back of your car, or you can do it yourself. He also went to a wine and beer store to get beer. We had ordered and paid over the phone, and the plan was to call when he got there and they would place it outside, but the guy's phone was off the hook so David had to step into the store. That's the closest we have been to being inside a store since this all started. He wore a mask and gloves.
We are now being told to wear a mask when in places with other people. There seems to be more and more of a thought that spread may be happening a lot through asymptomatic people, so if everyone wears a mask, it will help contain things, because nobody knows for sure if they are positive or not.
They have just started releasing statistics by town once a week. This past Wednesday Shirley was said to have 15 positive with the virus.
These are things that are still not clear.
How much is spread through surface contact. This is why we are told to wash our hands for 20 seconds often throughout the day, and to clean surfaces and doorknobs, etc., daily.
How much is spread through people who are asymptomatic.
Exactly what kind of damage is done with this virus. There is now more evidence that it seems to attack not just lungs, but also other body parts.
It seems like for some people their bodies immune response over reacts and causes damage and even death. This is why some seemingly healthy young people are getting very sick or dying.
Doctors are not as likely to use ventilators now, because low oxygen levels can be helped in other ways. We didn't know this in the beginning so states were trying to stockpile ventilators.
Doctors, nurses, hospitals still plead, beg, and search for personal protective equipment, and testing supplies. Every day Trump insists they have more than enough, but only occasionally does a White House reporter push back hard, searching for truth. And usually then the press conference ends, with Trump calling the reporter nasty, or some other ridiculous word. He continues to get on tv every day and spout nonsense and lies. He put out a plan the other day that has 4 phases. It still isn't clear to me what we will need to do to get to Phase 1 even. It seems like it will have to be that new cases drop 14 days in a row. But that is by state.
We have not even reached our apex here in Massachusetts. It seems unlikely we will return to school this year, although for now the return date is still set at May 4. I expect that to change. Most experts (that I trust) seem to be saying there has to be a reduction in new cases, along with widespread testing, and contact tracing. We are doing well with that in this state, but we still have a way to go.
We had a Zoom Easter gathering with family on Easter. It was nice to see everyone. Laurie, Mike and I are in some kind of contact every single day. Mostly through texting. The girls seem to be taking this in stride. They say they wish we were back in school, but they get it.
So we stay home, day after day. We go for walks sometimes. Yesterday I walked alone, and passed a woman with her 3 children. She was wearing a mask. I had a scarf, so I pulled that up over my mouth and nose as I passed her. Patty has made some masks for all of us, but we haven't been out where we need to use them yet. Except for David that one day when he picked up groceries and beer.
What will we remember of this time. I know every day I think of how lucky we are. We have not lost our jobs. We live in a place where we have running water and can easily social distance. We have plenty of food. What about people who don't have those things? This pandemic is showing the disparity in our country and it is heartbreaking. One of the things we heard when we were first talking about closing the schools is that schools were where many kids got their food. In what universe is that okay? Will we just go back to that without systemic change? The people with the least are the ones on the front lines. The grocery store workers, the 'essential' workers who have to take public transportation to get to their job. That's not social distancing. And the people who used to work in jobs like waitressing, etc. have now lost their jobs and they don't have enough money. They don't have health insurance. Surely this should be a wake up call finally. Shouldn't it?
It looks like it has been one month since I've written here. One month ago in Massachusetts we had tested 1743 people. There were 256 cases and no deaths reported. Yesterday there were 148744 people tested. There were 34,402 cases, and now 1,404 people have died. What a difference a month makes. The US leads in cases and deaths. We also lead in incompetency from the top. But we already knew that. It's just even more unsettling when there's a pandemic involved.
Let me see. We still are doing remote learning for school. I have been trying to get up to speed with things like Zoom, Google Meet, Seesaw, etc. I have been recording some lessons but they aren't being used, and I don't know if they will be. We continue to have Zoom CPTs. Teachers are working incredibly hard to have available work for their students.
I have spent what feels like hours on-line trying to find places that will deliver food so we don't have to step foot in a store. We have had groceries delivered from Amazon Fresh/Whole Foods, and Instacart which has delivered from BJs and Target. Even CVS of Target delivered prescriptions for me the other day. They drive up in their vehicle and drop them off at the steps to the mudroom, or on the deck. Some wear gloves and masks, and if I catch their eye through the window or door, we wave. We have done one pick up at Hannefords. You have to get on right at 12AM to get a slot for the day after that day. David went, and you drive up, get out and use a credit card machine. No interaction. Someone is there to load your groceries in the back of your car, or you can do it yourself. He also went to a wine and beer store to get beer. We had ordered and paid over the phone, and the plan was to call when he got there and they would place it outside, but the guy's phone was off the hook so David had to step into the store. That's the closest we have been to being inside a store since this all started. He wore a mask and gloves.
We are now being told to wear a mask when in places with other people. There seems to be more and more of a thought that spread may be happening a lot through asymptomatic people, so if everyone wears a mask, it will help contain things, because nobody knows for sure if they are positive or not.
They have just started releasing statistics by town once a week. This past Wednesday Shirley was said to have 15 positive with the virus.
These are things that are still not clear.
How much is spread through surface contact. This is why we are told to wash our hands for 20 seconds often throughout the day, and to clean surfaces and doorknobs, etc., daily.
How much is spread through people who are asymptomatic.
Exactly what kind of damage is done with this virus. There is now more evidence that it seems to attack not just lungs, but also other body parts.
It seems like for some people their bodies immune response over reacts and causes damage and even death. This is why some seemingly healthy young people are getting very sick or dying.
Doctors are not as likely to use ventilators now, because low oxygen levels can be helped in other ways. We didn't know this in the beginning so states were trying to stockpile ventilators.
Doctors, nurses, hospitals still plead, beg, and search for personal protective equipment, and testing supplies. Every day Trump insists they have more than enough, but only occasionally does a White House reporter push back hard, searching for truth. And usually then the press conference ends, with Trump calling the reporter nasty, or some other ridiculous word. He continues to get on tv every day and spout nonsense and lies. He put out a plan the other day that has 4 phases. It still isn't clear to me what we will need to do to get to Phase 1 even. It seems like it will have to be that new cases drop 14 days in a row. But that is by state.
We have not even reached our apex here in Massachusetts. It seems unlikely we will return to school this year, although for now the return date is still set at May 4. I expect that to change. Most experts (that I trust) seem to be saying there has to be a reduction in new cases, along with widespread testing, and contact tracing. We are doing well with that in this state, but we still have a way to go.
We had a Zoom Easter gathering with family on Easter. It was nice to see everyone. Laurie, Mike and I are in some kind of contact every single day. Mostly through texting. The girls seem to be taking this in stride. They say they wish we were back in school, but they get it.
So we stay home, day after day. We go for walks sometimes. Yesterday I walked alone, and passed a woman with her 3 children. She was wearing a mask. I had a scarf, so I pulled that up over my mouth and nose as I passed her. Patty has made some masks for all of us, but we haven't been out where we need to use them yet. Except for David that one day when he picked up groceries and beer.
What will we remember of this time. I know every day I think of how lucky we are. We have not lost our jobs. We live in a place where we have running water and can easily social distance. We have plenty of food. What about people who don't have those things? This pandemic is showing the disparity in our country and it is heartbreaking. One of the things we heard when we were first talking about closing the schools is that schools were where many kids got their food. In what universe is that okay? Will we just go back to that without systemic change? The people with the least are the ones on the front lines. The grocery store workers, the 'essential' workers who have to take public transportation to get to their job. That's not social distancing. And the people who used to work in jobs like waitressing, etc. have now lost their jobs and they don't have enough money. They don't have health insurance. Surely this should be a wake up call finally. Shouldn't it?
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