Life in the Time of CoVid-Day 11 Lockdown
April 6, 2020-Day 11 of SA Lockdown:
Worldwide: Since Dec 31 & April 5, 1 ,174 652 cases of COVID-19 “(in accordance with the applied case definitions and testing strategies in the affected countries); 64 400 deaths.”
Italy (15 362), Spain (11 744), United States (8 501), France (7 560), United Kingdom (4 313), Iran (3 452), China (3 333), Netherlands (1 651), Germany (1 342),… South Africa (9), Cuba (6), Singapore (6), Trinidad and Tobago (6)…180 countries so far.
Woke to gloomy skies, rain forecasted an a note from the US Ambassador to South Africa, letting all of us awaiting evacuation (not sure how many we are) that they are developing “a viable alternative,” to the evacuation plan that fell through last week:
“(This was no small task — after the first set of charter flights arranged by DC fell through, Germany, Belgium, Canada, and Brazil all managed to schedule their flights ahead of ours.)” Marks ended the note with a smidge of promise: “We are getting closer to finalizing a solution, and I hope to have some good news to announce soon. All we are waiting on is for DC to sign the contract and remit.”
So, cues poised behind the eight ball—or, cases at the door—we go round and round and round in the waiting game. Thank you Joni!
USA: 312, 237 confirmed CoVid cases; Surgeon General Warns “Brace for our Pearl Harbor” moment.
For those unschooled in US involvement in WWII (or who didn’t see the movie,) Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese Kamazazi fighter planes bombed Pearl Harbor; “destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded. “-Pearl Harbor History
It’s horrifying to have anyone comparing CoVid-19’s anticipated Armageddon with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which vaulted the US into the already raging WWII—a war in which 50 to 80 million people died—3% of the world’s population. What’s more, many maintain WWII, combined with FDR’s New Deal, ended the depression. Conversely, the economic ramifications of the CoVid pandemic seem to be rocketing us into depression. I don’t know how to end this thought.
It is not easy to corral 57 million people into doing something together for the sake of humanity-CoVid in SA
Heroes. I console myself by mining the news and Social Media for Heros. Sure, we expect health workers to “do their jobs” (after all they do get paid…) But, would we step up ourselves? Our daughter-in-law, Michelle: wife, daughter, mother of 2 sweet boys goes in every shift to help expectant mothers and fathers bring their newborns into this world. Some hospitals were restricting partners from coming into the hospital, but staffers, like Michelle, at additional risk to themselves, nixed that: humanity rules. Marty’s son, Stephen, a Urologist, husband & father of 4, wears a mask at home. Some, including a nurse, mother of a 1 year old, out of fear of contaminating her family has not been home since the outbreak. Instead, she’s sleeping at the hospital. These heroes and so many more, risking their health to help others. In comparison, how hard? Inconvenient? Uncomfortable? is it to stay home, and if out wear a mask?
Research shows the average infected person spreads the virus to about 2.2 others.
Heroes: People staying home, not going for a run, not walking the dog, not visiting friends, not within 6 feet of each other.
No Excuses: If you have a T-Shirt & Scissors: You have a Mask!
Heroes: People wearing masks & sanitizing, staying 6 feet apart, not littering, not spreading germs.
I want to be a hero.
Curtis and I are going to walk to the shops today—only because, with our evacuation delayed we need groceries.
WE PROMISE TO: Maintain a safe distance from others. Sanitize, Properly dispose of litter. And we will wearing masks.
(Charles suggested tampons & duct tape; Shona said we wouldn’t last.)
Not designer MLB masks or official surgical masks, either. Thanks to Shona sending the No-Sew Mask instructions, we sport spotty-but-clean T-shirt masks. Our eyes will be smiling.