Today is Monday, March 23, 2020. Yesterday in the United States, at least 100 people died as a result of the coronavirus. On Saturday, nearly 800 people died in Italy. There have been 16,508 deaths so far.
In my last post, there were 307,104 cases globally and 26,574 here in the United States. Today, as I start this post, there are now 378,601 cases globally and 43,963 in the US. And it is only going to multiply and get worse and worse and WORSE.
On Whidbey Island in Washington, where my family lives, there are now 29 cases. The latest confirmed cases all stem from a nursing home (Careage of Whidbey), located right behind the island's only hospital, Whidbey Health Medical Center. (There is also small clinic on a nearby military base that is only for military personnel.) The home is very near the Island County courthouse, the jail and within walking distance of my brother's house. How was that allowed to happen, especially since Seattle's outbreak started in a nursing facility?
Someone at a bank on the island also tested positive. My brother's ex works there routinely. Today there were people in HAZMAT suits cleaning the place.These two incidents, I think, have woken my brother up to the dangers. At least I hope they have.
Here, I had to run some errands today (the tortoise needed lettuce). I was pleased to see spacing rules were somewhat in place, keeping people a decent distance apart. The stores were more or less stocked up (Water was available, but not much. There was plenty of meat. However, eggs, paper goods and cleaning supplies were gone.) and I did find some Romaine lettuce for Shirley. Phew!
Traffic was like any other day, though. I saw a school's sack lunch program set up with parent volunteers waiting to hand them out in the parking lot---but all of the parents were huddled around each other talking, waiting for the kids to come by. UGH!
At a stop light near a different school, I saw a group of about 8 boys playing basketball together. They were sweating and getting right near each other. Hello? There's a reason they've called off the NBA guys. Hello?
Where I live, the numbers are still low, but climbing...
Madera County added 3 new cases today (were any of them the ones at my hospital? Probably...). Tulare was diagnosed with another 4. But those will mushroom and multiply...and still the people do NOT get it.
And our fearless leader, President Trump (UGH!), is actually considering ending the social distancing rules (in favor of saving the economy). REALLY!?! What an idiot.
Despite what the president has said, the Surgeon General warns that things are just going to get worse in the coming weeks. Jeepers!
My CNA friend Kim in Wisconsin sent me a note this morning. Things are looking grim there as well.
"Wisconsin just had a jump of 100 cases over the weekend," she says. "All non-essential businesses will be closed as of tomorrow. At least my favorite coffee shop isn't closed as of yet. I still got my drink before it closes. I do have a coffee maker and will have to make my own drinks. I am a horrible cook, so I will have to get creative. At least I work full time, so I will get food at the hospital. I'm trying to be positive, but it is getting hard. At least I got to see my grandma, because I worked at the nursing home yesterday. She was so happy. I told her NO HUGS though."
My friend Janine in Lakeport, CA also shared this about her life:
"I am pretty much staying on the property," she says. "Art (her husband) will be working from home at least three days a week now. He also wears a mask if he has to go into court."
Art's father, who everyone calls "grandpa," lives across the street from them and is 94 years old.
"Art’s the point person to go to the store," Janine says. "He wipes everything down before he takes grandpa’s stuff to him. We also put a sign on grandpa’s door that all visitors have to wear a mask; the masks and hand wash are there on his porch.
"When this was coming down, Art had the forethought to buy a few things before they were too scarce. He also discovered that there were proper masks in mold removal kits, and got one kit for more back up.
"All and all, we are pretty well situated in a rural area. The downside? I don’t think our hospital has ventilators if push comes to shove."
My friend Paula in Lindsay, CA wrote a note about what she is going through.
"Things have been crazy and I am really struggling," she says. "We went on school closure this week and are now on lockdown. I am now doing distance learning with my class and I already miss them so much. I have cried so many tears thinking about what we are not going to get to do this spring together.
"My teenage son came home on Friday and said essentially everything he worked for this year (swim season, FBLA state competition, his engineering project) was wiped out in one day. All small things in comparison to one's life, but in the moment, big things.
"My husband has today to finish shutting down his district and then he is working from home for the foreseeable future as well.
"So that’s our life now in the household; Two educators, three teenagers, two Bassett hounds and a whole lot of hand sanitizer."
But all of the news isn't bad. My co-worker Melaney and her husband Joe welcomed their new bundle of joy, Harlow, into the world on Saturday.
Harlow and her big sister, Piper (2 1/2) can be seen here:
The rain is pouring down outside. I wish it would wipe this virus away, but it won't.
When I started this entry, there were 378,601 cases globally, 43,963 cases in the US and a total of 16,508 dead. In the short time it took me to put this together, there are now 381,293 cases globally, 46,332 cases here and 16,572 dead. It's not stopping. It's ramping up.
My mother is sending me some sort of mask in the mail. She wants me to promise to use it. As I have nothing else and the hospital has hoarded all of the masks we normally use, I will use it.
Stay home. Stay safe. PROTECT YOURSELF. And keep your kids home, too. This is NOT a drill.
Continue to Part 10 HERE.
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