Out for a walk, I talked from a distance with an area man who is ready for things to get back to normal. Well, at least a new normal, I said.
At the close of our short conversation, I said take care, something I say routinely, but which now seems to carry greater weight. The area man assured me that he’s young, strong, and not worried. I kept my mouth shut.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Distance, literal and figurative
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comments: 6
As I've said before, this is where the CDC made a fatal mistake. By constantly re-iterating (including ads on tv) that the persons greatest at risk were the over 65 and those with underlying conditions, they effectively gave carte blanche to everyone else to do whatever they want. I see it every day-younger persons not social distancing, families out walking together including the young children and today a grandpa. And today I saw that the largest number of cases in the world is in the US followed by Italy. The US has 5 times the population of Italy but 4 times the number of cases.
I remarked to someone yesterday that this reminded me of the early days of AIDS. It was pushed (as I remember) that it was an issue with those of certain sexual orientation and drug users. But later when it showed up in blood transfusions, it was a different story.
My question to researchers, so you are young and get it and it isn't that bad, are you now susceptible to other diseases that you may not have been if you hadn't had it. After all, it affects the lungs, will they now be more susceptible to the flu every year or lung cancer or air pollution or developing asthma?
Kirsten
And we already have so many people who are younger and healthy and have ended up with devastating illness, which, of course, they may have already passed to others.
And to pile on, here is a story from Dave in today's Nextdraft newsletter: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-terrifying-story-of-an-unwitting-potential-covid-19-super-spreader-in-chicago
As he wrote in his synopsis: "Throughout these simple, seemingly innocuous encounters, the man had mild symptoms of what authorities now know to be the novel coronavirus, and health officials believe he may have been a so-called super-spreader who unwittingly transmitted the infection to as many as 16 people, resulting in three deaths." The Terrifying Story of an Unwitting Potential ‘Super-Spreader' in Chicago. (This is why people who see you without a mask at the grocery store want to punch you in the face, even though they can't because of social distancing.)
His newsletter: https://nextdraft.com/
Kirsten
I just read this (!). I try to read him every day, though sometimes though the puns are too much for my mood.
I've been thinking of our greetings and salutations, and how they now often include, Hope you are well, or Be well. I have a friend who has always signed off with "Be well," but now it has a more urgent meaning (though maybe it always did for him). It's poignant to live at a time when phatic communication stops being phatic.
And how. I think of something from The Best Years of Our Lives, and a bombardier’s awareness that any goodbye might be permanent:
“Well, it was nice knowing you, Peggy.”
“That sounds like a permanent goodbye.”
“You never know.”
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