Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Reflections During the Pandemic

A Maui Sunset
 How quickly things can change.

In mid-January, we went to Maui for a lovely family holiday. We swam, snorkeled, kayaked, hiked, toured the island of Maui, and enjoyed spending time with our daughter, son-in-law, and grand kids. We took a break from the news.
On a Dinner Cruise out of Ma'alea Bay
 Returning home on February 2, we heard on the news about a mysterious new strain of virus devastating China, especially Wuhan City and Hubei province. Tragic and scary, but also far away.

We followed the story of the Diamond Princess, the tourists quarantined on board, and the efforts to repatriate Canadians who had not tested positive for the disease.

And then cases of coronavirus began appearing in Canada. I live in British Columbia (BC), where some of the first cases were identified and where the most deaths have occurred in this country to date.

Today, Tuesday March 17, the BC government declared a public health emergency. There are 186 identified cases of COVID-19 in this province, and there have been 7 deaths (6 of which were residents in a North Vancouver care home). There has been an eighth death in Canada in the province of Ontario.

Social distancing strategies are being recommended and mandated here in BC. Gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned. All bars, nightclubs, and pubs have been ordered to close. Businesses that stay open must implement social distancing (e.g., takeout at restaurants; provide for one to two meters (3-6 feet) of distance between people). Schools are presently on spring break, and following spring break, the K-12 schools in BC will remain closed indefinitely. BC universities have closed face-to-face classes and are transitioning to online and other forms of distance instruction this week.

As much as possible, people are being asked to stay home, work from home, and shelter in place. Travellers who have returned from other countries are asked to self-isolate for 14 days, as are people who don't feel well or who have less acute symptoms of the virus.

Meanwhile, the federal government has announced a financial assistance package for individuals and businesses critically affected by the economic slowdown -- for example an opportunity to defer mortgage payments. Canada has closed its borders to visitors from around the world and is in the process of finalizing an agreement with the United States to close the border between our two countries to non-essential travel.
A Hike by the Ocean on Sunday
 How has the pandemic affected me, personally?

Last week, I watched all the events on my calendar disappear, one by one -- meetings, art show, writers' events, a presentation I was scheduled to give, yoga, and volunteer commitments. The ski hill closed. The library closed.

I wondered whether people were over-reacting. I pored over the news reports; read the website of the BC Centre for Disease Control; watched newscasts such as those given by the Prime Minister, the BC Minister of Health, and the Provincial Health Officer; and read academic papers by epidemiologists and other scientists. And I concluded that the social distancing and other measures they have put in place are our best chance to flatten the curve and reduce cumulative mortality.
At the Ski Hill in March

I am grateful to live here in BC, and in Canada, where our politicians and health officials have worked hard to make the best decisions regarding this pandemic and people's lives. I am grateful for our excellent health care system that serves all Canadians. I appreciate the forthright, clear communication we get on a hour-by-hour basis.

As new recommendations have emerged, I have complied with them. Although last week we were still going out socially (but with precautions), this week Rob and I are staying home. We aren't seeing friends, or even our grandchildren. We're not going to restaurants. We have enough food and supplies to last for a couple of weeks so we don't need to visit stores.

Trail Through a Garry Oaks Meadow
We are very fortunate that we live in a semi-rural area, so we can still go outside in our garden or for hikes on the trails.

It is strange how quickly a person's priorities change in the face of a true emergency. The everyday plans and preoccupations fall away, and suddenly seem not so very important.

It has been heartening to see how so many people across so many countries and jurisdictions around the world have worked together to take the necessary steps and to help each other in the face of this pandemic. (Although it's also disappointing to read about the toilet paper hoarders and people re-selling disinfectants at exorbitant prices.)

It gives me hope that the human race will also find a way to work together on global warming and the climate crisis before it's too late.
Enos Lake Through the Trees

21 comments:

  1. Jude, your description of how life is sounds familiar. Things are slowly shutting down as it sinks in that containment can only be achieved by separation. I too praise our officials for how this has been handled,(Florida and county government) although I believe Federal intervention is needed at this point to unify measures across state lines. Just like most states, our cases are in heavily populated cities. As of today, we have 216 cases in Florida, most of those are in counties south of us; Palm Beach, Dade and Broward. Our county has no reported cases.

    Just yesterday, I mentioned in another comment that it seems a bit of a dichotomy to be in both the 'at risk' category and the 'most able to cope' category at the same time. For most retirees in my community this is just an inconvenience. We are able to set aside our busy schedules and travel plans with very little consequence, financially or emotionally. But, for others the cost of containment will be devastating. We have much to learn from this experience.

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    1. Suzanne, I was reading some online remarks by a computer scientist last night. He said that because of the lag time between exposure and the first symptoms appearing, and the number of people one would infect prior to starting to feel sick, the number of actual cases is much greater than the number of identified cases at any given time. Assuming 10 days between first getting the virus and feeling sick enough to self-isolate, you can use the multiplier of 1024 to estimate how quickly the virus spreads. So for example in BC, if there are 186 identified cases, that means we can estimate that in 10 days there would be 190,464 identified cases in the province (186 X 1024), assuming no one employed social distancing. That would overwhelm the hospitals, and shows why it is so important in this stage of the contagion to stay away from each other.

      I am glad to hear you are well. That is an interesting point that while seniors are the most at risk of serious COVID-19 complications, we are also the least impacted in terms of lifestyle.

      Jude

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  2. Hi, Jude - It's wonderful to hear from you. I've been thinking of you. I am also grateful to live on Vancouver Island and to be retired. We are incredibly fortunate to be able to switch our routine (long walk in our semi-rural areas, long skype chats with our children and grandchildren, video-conferencing with book clubs instead of an in-person meetup, and of course, connecting through this amazing corner of the blogosphere)! I am also impressed and inspired by the kindness to others that I have seen all around me. My goal is to do my best to add to this. Sending warm hugs your way.

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    1. Hi Donna. I saw on Facebook that you and Richard are well and doing nature walks. I guess this means that we’ll have to postpone our coffee date indefinitely. Somehow, virtual coffee doesn’t quite cut it!

      You are so right about the kindness around us. It’s reassuring to see that our basic human goodness rises to the surface during times of crisis.

      Jude

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  3. Hi Jude. Pretty much the same thing here, although our trust in the current administration is at an all time low based on time wasted spewing misinformation and magical thinking. Anyway, Paul and I are mostly staying in place, only going out for needed groceries and neighborhood walks. I am so grateful to be retired and to live in an home with a patio, deck, and a garden. Best wishes to you and your family!

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    1. Hi Janis. I’m glad to hear you and Paul are well. It feels very strange to stay at home every day, given my normally very social life. However, my four year-old grandson phoned for a ten minute chat this morning, and I’ve been talking to multiple friends and family on the phone every day. Also, my yoga instructor is going to livestream our yoga class tonight and we had a practice streaming session this afternoon to make sure we could all connect.

      I know how fortunate we are during this time of crisis to be able to continue on in comfort so far, while others are facing difficult financial situations and life threatening health events themselves or of loved ones. As the pandemic first began to develop, I had no inkling that it would sweep across the whole world, infecting and killing so many. And yes, I sympathize with you and others in the USA regarding the idiot at the helm who has wasted precious time and thereby endangered so many more lives.

      Jude

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  4. Hi Jude - Glad to hear you and your family are well. I'm feeling extra-grateful because I was supposed to leave for Madrid on March 16. Air Canada first adjusted my flights then cancelled them altogether on March 12. Of course from March 13 till now, rapid changes occurred in Canada and Spain, as well as other countries. I'm at home safe and sound with my family. My home calendar was blank for the last half of March as I was going to be in Spain so no big social calendar adjustment for me :) Air Canada already issued me a full refund two days ago. Stay safe.

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    1. Natalie, I’m so glad to hear that you’re not in Spain right now. COVID-19 cases are spiking there, and it’s impossible to get a commercial flight out of Spain. Of course, the virus doesn’t recognize borders, but one is at much greater risk in a geographical area where there are large clusters of infection, not to mention an overwhelmed health care system. Stay safe.

      Jude

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  5. Glad to hear you are keeping well. Horizons are rapidly shrinking, aren’t they. I smiled at Janis’s magical thinking comment - unfortunately the U.K. govt has also been rather guilty of that and is hurriedly trying to reverse. Worrying times.

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    1. Hi Anabel. I have no excuse for my long absence from the blogosphere other than that I was so busy organizing all the events that were supposed to occur in March, April and May, but now have completely been wiped off my calendar. Yes, it is a strange feeling to shelter in place. It does feel as if the horizons are closing in.

      Yes, I’ve read that the UK has been slow in response to the pandemic. Warm thoughts to you and John.

      Jude

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  6. Hi Jude, I was thinking about you and Rob and wondering how you are managing. I know you are quite a close family. When you sum up the timeline, it is surreal how much has happened in a short period of time. I also am thankful we live in Canada and B.C. I also appreciate the forthright, clear communication. Last Sunday we made a family decision to completely self isolate. We want to try and keep everyone healthy. Our grandchildren are too smoochy, drooly, huggy and they would not understand boundaries. Chuck and I were very active up until then, gym, yoga, friends, family. As Chuck said (sometimes he has something smart to say) “you are either part of the solution or you are part of the problem.” Thank you for checking in and sharing, Jude. Stay healthy and virtual hugs for now.xx

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    1. Hi Erica — so great to hear from you. We were one day behind you in starting to self-isolate. Neither of us has been in a social setting since Monday noon. (I went to the grocery store Monday morning, and then attended a yoga class employing social distancing and extra hygiene precautions. The yoga classes were cancelled shortly after the last one that I attended.)

      I miss seeing my grandkids. I’ve talked to them on the phone several times, but it’s not like being there in person. I’ve been spending a lot of time on the phone talking to my kids, and other family and friends. Also texting, emailing, and even looking at Facebook, which I rarely do.

      I’m glad to hear that you and Chuck are well, and completely self isolating. Yes, that is so true about being part of the problem or part of the solution. Despite the natural human desire to rush to be with others during times of crisis, in the case of this pandemic, the best thing you can do to protect yourself and people in your circle and community is to stay home and apart from each other physically, while remaining connected and supportive in other ways.

      Jude

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  7. Wow, you said it really well, Jude. That is exactly our philosophy, too. I go into a dark place only for a few minutes and then I snap out of it. We used to watch the kids two days a week and lots of sleepovers. My daughter Sara had a baby boy 4 weeks ago.
    I was able to be there for the birth and visiting for the first couple of weeks. Best for everyone to not visit right now. Keeping a brave, smiley face when FaceTiming although a little choked. You likely can relate. I am still surprised how everyone else is not completely onboard. We will stay connected, Jude. Hugs!

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    1. How wonderful that you have a new baby granddaughter! Of course it’s best for Sara, baby, and you to stay apart for now, but I can completely understand how hard it is. And as for childcare, you must really miss your regular time with your beautiful grandchildren. Although I don’t look after my grandkids nearly as often as you do, my daughter has just started a new part time job, and I was going to start helping out a lot more with childcare. She’s able to do it from home, but that is next to impossible right now with the schools closed, her husband also working very long hours from home, and the kids at home going stir crazy. So here I am, stuck at home, not able to help.

      Jude

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    2. Erica, sorry for the error above. I meant to say baby grandson!

      Jude

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    3. Girls/boys they are all precious 🙂Just knowing everyone is healthy is the main thing. Day by day and see where this goes. xx

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  8. You have everything under control, Jude! :-) I’m glad you managed to get your vacation in, in the nick of time. The measures in Canada sound similar to the ones in Belgium. The US, and especially Florida, has been “a joke”. Crazy stuff!!

    Maybe you have realized this as well, but one of my blog readers (Peta) mentioned how the silver lining for this Coronavirus is that Mother Nature could take a breather in regards to global warming, as a lot of the emissions have been reduced, especially airplane traffic.

    I’m a tad envious of where you live right now, as we are trying to figure out what’s next and are bracing ourselves for an overwhelming amount of cases in the US. Take care and stay healthy!

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    1. Liesbet, I have been thinking about you and Mark and worrying about how you’ll stay safe during the next several weeks. Certainly roaming about from place to place right now isn’t very safe for you or for others you may inadvertently carry the virus to. My two thoughts are: stock up with staple food items, and go find a remote wilderness place to park, and stay put for as long as possible. Or, go to your official residence in Massachusetts and stay there (but without interacting with your family members there). But I know you don’t need my advice!!! I’m just feeling an abundance of concern about you.

      Yes, regarding global warming, I’ve been looking at video captures of the reduction of air pollution over Wuhan and northern Italy during the past few months. With planes being grounded, I’d imagine that would have a considerable effect worldwide. And certainly where I live, there are hardly any cars on the road at all. I watched a TED talk by a world health specialist who said that one reason we have had such a number of new disease epidemics in the last twenty years is that we have been pushing animals into smaller and smaller wilderness areas as we de-forest the world, and thereby humans are coming in contact with new zoonotic diseases that we we have no immunity to. She also said that there will be more pandemics like this in the future. In other words, this pandemic may be a direct result of the same human behaviours that are causing climate change and species extinctions. So depressing.

      Hopefully we all learn from this terrible experience and use what we’ve learned to change our ways.

      Jude

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    2. Great minds think alike, Jude. Your two thoughts are exactly what we’ve been considering. We went with option one for now, but are having a hard time finding a comfortable place “away from it all”. Florida - even in the north - is extremely hot and buggy right now, so we might venture into the woods of Georgia. We’ve been looking for a spot to sit for a few weeks and driving a lot, but haven’t found something that works.

      Yes to hoping that we will have learned from this! I had the same sentiment in my last blog (about the COVID-19 and how it’s affecting us). Take care!

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    3. Liesbet, I hope you find a solution that works for you. The best assumption is that the virus is everywhere, so sheltering in place where you don’t have to come in contact with anyone else is the best option (as you know).

      I’m way behind on my blog reading, but I’ll catch up eventually.

      Jude

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