Corona Virus COVID 19 Disease (1

 I know. I know. Nobody wants to read any more about the corona virus right now. Yet I choose to write this Blog. I do it so that I  have a personal record of it. And just in case somebody still happens to read this Blog at some future date there will be one more very personal account.      

NUMBERS: The statistics, of course, change by the minute. As of yesterday March 25 here are just five figures. Cases in the world 500,000, Deaths 22,00. Cases in Italy 80,000, Deaths 8,000. Cases in Spain 60,000, Deaths 8,300. Cases in USA 82,00 Deaths, 1,200.

The symptoms vary from very mild to extreme. They include runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, fever, respiratory infection. It is the respiratory effects that cause death. The challenge of health care providers is to protect themselves with appropriate safety apparel, especially also face masks. The critical apparatus needed for treatment is ventilators for the lungs. The biggest challenge for the care providers is to have all these items in adequate supply.

To prevent the spread of the disease government at the local and state levels have imposed very strict rules: Stay home unless you work in an essential enterprise. All bars and restaurants closed except for take-out. No social gatherings of more than 6 people. Stay six feet apart. No physical touching of hands. In most states all schools are closed. Only a few churches are holding public worship. Those which offer public worship are extreme fundamentalists  whose  pastors assure congregants that if they pray hard enough and have enough faith they will  be protected from the virus.

We are all affected. Our family is typical of those who have no symptoms but are dealing with the precautions needed to avoid them.  They all work from home. Just a few examples: Liz does her interpersonal psychological counseling over the phone. Granddaughter Maria teaches sixth grade science over the internet. Tim stays home but helps Kaiser Permanente keep the public informed. John and Regina and their two kids are all in a single apartment in Spain regretting that Antonio’s university graduation ceremonies from NYU  have been cancelled. Ryan is without pay because the museum which he manages is closed. Jonathon sits in front of a computer for the Disney-CSPAN network doing very little because all live sports events are cancelled.

Jane and I are so comfortable that we almost feel guilty. This retirement community has urged all residents to stay in their homes except for when they walk outside to get exercise and even there they must always maintain at least 6 feet of space. Every single day staff comes to the front door of our apartment and disinfects the doorknobs and entrance area. All food for the more that 800 of us here is delivered every single da with each meal including soup, salad, entree, two vegetables, dessert and a drink. In between meals staff has come up to offer ice cream, a bouquet of freshly cut sun flowers or a drink of coffee or cocoa We are not allowed any visitors. If we must leave campus we have our temperature taken when we return.

The days do not get too long or lonely for us. We stay connected with email and telephone. I try to make at least 10 phone calls each day especially also to single people. Our congregation has also assigned me a list of eight families with whom I try to stay connected. There are three different Coffee Chat times on line for our congregants. Our Sunday worship, midweek Lenten services and weekly Bible Class are all on-line via  ZOOM. My Men’s Support Group uses Team View to stay connected.

These days of crises bring out the worst and the best of people. An interview that went all over the media featured a young college male speaking from a beach in Florida. He asserted his right to enjoy himself and said that if some old person died because of him that was just that guy’s bad luck. ”I have the right to stay on this beach and I am staying right here! ”  I have been distressed to read an editorial in The Wall Street Journal which complained about all the business shut downs. The writer argued that we must realize that in the long run keeping all businesses running is really more important than a few extra lives of ordinary people who might die. There are very unpleasant accounts of companies raising the price of protective gear by as much as 800%.

Fortunately these sad stories are countered with wonderful tales of self-sacrifice and generosity. The organization at which I often serve food to the homeless asked for more volunteers to prepare to-go meals for the homeless. The response was that more volunteers than were needed showed up and many of those were high school students who were now not in class. I heard of a very ill person who gave up his ventilator for use by a younger person and it cost him his life. I think of all the medical staff which have risked and even given their lives to assist the ill. I think there are now reports of more than 200 health care providers who have died as a result of their service to their neighbors.

This I believe. We will get through this. We will continue to support one another. We will move forward with a greater realization that within the four seas all of us are brothers and sisters.