My Coronavirus Diary Part 8

By March 6, the Coronavirus had infected 100,000 people throughout the world. Today, just a little more than 2 weeks later, that number has more than tripled to 307,104 cases. On March 1, there were only 76 cases in the US. Today there are 26,574 cases. The numbers of confirmed cases are growing faster here than anywhere else on the planet. Geez! When are people going to finally "get it"?

Earlier today, I read about a breakthrough in the testing. A new test can detect the virus in 45 minutes instead of the three or four days it has been taking. It has met FDA approval and is manufactured here in California with shipments to be sent out starting this coming week. Hooray! The sooner we can get those into the hands of healthcare professionals, the better off we will be. If we can identify patients quicker, we can isolate them sooner and hopefully (with sheltering in place) we can contain this thing.

I had also heard vague rumors about the use of Ibuprofen (aka Motrin and Advil) and even regular aspirin causing the coronavirus to be worse. A doctor at work sent an email out about it. He later clarified that that he had read about it from a report from the French Minister of Health. All of the articles I've found since then have said there is no correlation between Ibuprofin and aspirin and the worsening of the effects of COVID 19, at least there was not much research to back that up.

Most of the articles I've read, though, say patients should start off with acetominophen (Tylenol) first. BUT--as a healthcare worker, I can tell you that -- do NOT use more than the recommended dosage of any Tylenol-containing product and keep track of the various Tylenol/acetominophen products you take. Too much can do serious damage to your liver. You could make you worse off in the long run.

Just to be sure, if I do get the virus, I will just stick (if possible) to Tylenol only. This is a "just in case" decision on my part. France had their reasons for saying otherwise. Right? I just need to find some Tylenol first. Hmm.

I wasn't going to post this, but my mother sent me a link to a news article stating that the White House wants us to reuse our personal protective gear. They want it sterilized and reused. Really? We will be in that stuff 12-hours a day. Reuse it? I suppose it is better than wearing a bandana over your mouth or going without anything at all, but this goes against everything, EVERYTHING that we have ever been trained to do to prevent the spread of disease.

Speaking of my mother, she has been trying to keep busy by working on these old, metal cabinets. Today she was going to paint them, but discovered that the paint that was made for them was the wrong color. My mother  was planning on taking the paint back to get the correct color. What!?

"Isn't everything on lock down out there," I asked.

"Well, you can't eat in restaurants and the bars are closed," she said.

"Well, what about Home Depot. Aren't they closed, too? They should be."

"No. I just talked to them on the phone."

I was furious. She gave me all kinds of grief about getting my haircut last week, and she wanted to do this? No way. I told her to hold off on the painting. It could wait until this was all over with. Pick another project.

I can't believe she wanted to go to Home Depot. I can't believe Home Depot is even open.

My diaries of this strange period of our history are MY thoughts, observations, and experiences, peppered with notes and comments from my friends and what they are experiencing as well. I also try to put in some facts and resources here and there as I can. But my blog is not important. There is a little information (news and what others are doing to cope) here for anyone who happens to read it.

It is certainly NOT a political blog, although I (like many people) have made some comments out of frustration over this whole mess. But I'm not focused on the politics of any of it. I'm focused on surviving this moment, together, with the rest of the planet.

I sent my blog links to another friend who lives in Kentucky. I'll call her "Mildred Pierce". This was her response:

"Sorry, darling," she says. "I was on Part 2 of your blog when I encountered your remark about our 'idiotic president.' So, I'm not reading any further, as I love President Trump. You totally screwed up. You had to give vent to your rampant Trump Derangement Syndrome.

"Wake up and smell the coffee.

"DJT is our Imperial Leader.

"Get on the winning team and get help for your TDS.

"XOXO

"#MAGA2020 #TRUMPTRAIN"

Whatever...

With all that is going on right now, she really has to focus on that? It is so typical of people like her to just through up a shield or blinders when you say anything against the president or their party. She doesn't have to read my blog, but at the same time she is blowing off whatever information I can give just because I mentioned our president, who did not act fast enough on this nor did he take it seriously until it was too late.

And, believe it or not, this woman is a nurse.

As I said in a previous entry, you can't argue with stupid. At least she and I can agree on one thing:

"I was on Part 2 of your blog when I encountered your remark about our 'idiotic president.' "

Yep, he is an "idiotic president."

(And you should have seen her note before I fixed her grammar. Ha!)

Mildred's rant aside, my friends are still keeping in contact with me and sharing what is going on in their part of the world.

Beth, who I worked with when I was a teacher (two decades ago--Zowie!), told me this:

"On Monday, I get to learn, via video-conferencing, how to set up teaching assignments for my students, online" she says. "I’m feeling too outdated (a nice way of saying 'old') for teaching this way. I'm kind of nervous about it.

"Tom, our cat, Pablo, and I continue to be holed up at home, trying to stay sane and not get on each other’s nerves too much."

I finally heard from my sister in Seattle. I was getting frantic (and...I don't know that I have her phone number?).

"We are okay," she says "River's school is closed until May, but now everyone is saying it will be closed for the remainder of the year."

I don't know if she meant the end of the school year or the end of 2020. She didn't mention our brother Seth or her Mom (she's my half sister), or her other brother, Andy, but she did let me know things were well with her son, herself and her husband, Zev. Thank goodness.

Speaking of children and school being out, this evening I was watching some DVD and I heard this happy, twinkly music coming from outside.

What the..?

It was a passing ice cream truck. I can understand the need for people to earn a living at this time when everything considered non-vital is being shut down. But really? An ice cream truck? Trying to lure kiddies out for frozen sweet treats and some possible horrible contamination? Oh my... That sounds like something right out of a Stephen King novel.

People still aren't getting it.




Continue to Part 9 HERE.