I am not an educated medical professional by any means. My engineering degree didn't require me to have any science other than dealing with g forces, strength and types of materials, and so forth. Learning how human and animal bodies work was off the table. Despite that, I've always been interested in how the human body works, so I made the effort to learn whatever I could.
The latest world crisis is the rapid spread of a new type of coronavirus, given the designation of COVID-19. What that designation stands for is explained here. This is a disease with flu-like symptoms, but can be fatal in older people and those with compromised immune systems and chronic diseases. Being 60 and living with not one, but TWO chronic conditions (asthma and diabetes), this means that yours truly is at a somewhat higher risk of contracting COVID-19 (and dying from it) than many others. To date I've been lucky, especially by the fact that I don't wear a face mask when I'm out (but should). I found a vendor here in Southern California with good product reviews, so I reached out and placed an order. Garment Decor, based in Chino CA, keeps people employed making their products. They ship quickly (and free for orders of this product), so I hope to be able to cover at least half of my face sometime very soon. (The world will thank me!) I also got some masks for Diana while I was at it.
Day-to-day living is...interesting. We've become so accustomed to going wherever we want, whenever we want. State and local government officials have essentially put us on lockdown, sort of like being grounded by our parents. Unless we need to be out (grocery shopping, caring for elders, doing essential tasks, etc.), then we must stay home. When we are out, it's like a ghost town. Parking lots have few cars in them. Streets and highways are all but deserted, even during what would be morning and evening rush hours. Getting a bite to eat means using a drive-thru, pick up at the counter, or using a service like DoorDash, UberEats, etc. Don't even think about entertainment unless you can cook up something in your living room. Forget about seeing a movie, going to a theme park, or playing a round of golf. Large gatherings of people, like church services, have been banned. Everything is closed. Gasoline hasn't been $2.50/gallon in ages (in California, anyway). I'm getting about a month out of a tank of gas.
It's very strange out there. We're adapting to some new terminology and ways we interact with others. "Social distancing," for instance, means to keep at least six feet of space between you and someone else. Many places have actually put down tape or markings showing where to stand while waiting in line. As one who doesn't like people sitting or standing too close to me, this is kind of a good thing.
How long this will go on depends on when our fearless leaders decide that it's safe for us to be in close proximity to others without passing the virus among us. At this point, it looks like it could be as long as summer or early fall. The best we can do is to wash our hands frequently and thoroughly, and keep our faces protected. Also, minimizing contact with others by not going out unless necessary.
At some point, life as we knew it will return. Upon being given the green light to return to normal, I'm sure we'll start getting caught up quickly.
Day-to-day living is...interesting. We've become so accustomed to going wherever we want, whenever we want. State and local government officials have essentially put us on lockdown, sort of like being grounded by our parents. Unless we need to be out (grocery shopping, caring for elders, doing essential tasks, etc.), then we must stay home. When we are out, it's like a ghost town. Parking lots have few cars in them. Streets and highways are all but deserted, even during what would be morning and evening rush hours. Getting a bite to eat means using a drive-thru, pick up at the counter, or using a service like DoorDash, UberEats, etc. Don't even think about entertainment unless you can cook up something in your living room. Forget about seeing a movie, going to a theme park, or playing a round of golf. Large gatherings of people, like church services, have been banned. Everything is closed. Gasoline hasn't been $2.50/gallon in ages (in California, anyway). I'm getting about a month out of a tank of gas.
It's very strange out there. We're adapting to some new terminology and ways we interact with others. "Social distancing," for instance, means to keep at least six feet of space between you and someone else. Many places have actually put down tape or markings showing where to stand while waiting in line. As one who doesn't like people sitting or standing too close to me, this is kind of a good thing.
How long this will go on depends on when our fearless leaders decide that it's safe for us to be in close proximity to others without passing the virus among us. At this point, it looks like it could be as long as summer or early fall. The best we can do is to wash our hands frequently and thoroughly, and keep our faces protected. Also, minimizing contact with others by not going out unless necessary.
At some point, life as we knew it will return. Upon being given the green light to return to normal, I'm sure we'll start getting caught up quickly.
