Sixty five days ago on March 10 the world as I knew it, as we all knew it, changed dramatically. A “containment zone” was set up in New Rochelle, New York. My apartment is located .8 of a mile from the edge of the zone; less than a mile away. I learned of this “zone” at Yonkers Pottery Studio while working on my small pottery pots for my jade plants. Conversations were happening before this about this strange virus that was in China and how some of the older people in New York were responding. The mother of one of the students was obsessively buying rice and it was getting sold out. People were hoarding toilet paper. I was seeing this with curiosity. After all, it is flu season; but, why these strange purchase behaviors? That afternoon I learned an event scheduled for March 22 was canceled and a new date cannot be set until they know the Fall schedule. It was the beginning of the eventual cancellations of all events involving more than 10 people, basically all upcoming events.
My biggest frustration is the lack of information we are getting. Information that I believe science has, or suspected, all along. Quite simply, there is a complete lack of transparency. In the beginning days of HIV/AIDS, the CDC evaluated everything from the position; “What do you think? What do you know? What can you prove?” Unless the presented facts could be proven, “What can you prove?” without a reasonable doubt, they were not acted upon. COVID-19 reaction has gone the other way. Actions are being taken based on “What do you think?” The response to this question leads to a “try it and see if it works” approach.
I firmly believe the leaders were right in the very beginning with the guidelines of “wash your hands, don’t touch your face, use common sense”. Somewhere along the line we got these “cover your face” requirements. This scares me because I see people developing a false sense of security. I honestly think people believe the mask will keep them safe from the virus. I don’t feel safe because people are wearing a mask. I do not think people are washing their hands as much as before wearing a mask, a.k.a. neck warmer as most people are wearing them. Virus’s are fragile organisms and they can easily be rendered useless with simple soap and water. Let’s get back to the basics and let’s use common sense.
I admit I am having a very hard time with this virus. I am a planner. I am a Type A personality. Restrictions until such time as a vaccine and a treatment for the novel coronavirus is found are understandable. What are the restrictions? Am I going to have to wear a mask in public from now on? If that is the case, I need to accept that I am not going to be “in public” because I cannot breathe with a mask and I have a panic attack wearing one. My solution is to wear a scarf that covers my face. A quick run into the store to grab a bottle of wine is okay. Inconvenient but okay. As a way of life, it doesn’t work because I don’t think people are taking the necessary precautions of washing their hands as much as they would if they weren’t wearing a mask and that means more surfaces are contaminated. And more reasons for me to have a panic attack.
I think our government officials are hesitating and holding back, dangerously so, with guidelines we will need to follow going forward. I think they know we are not going to like the guidelines. Putting off informing the public is not going to change public reaction. Hospitals should be in a position to now deal with increased outbreaks of the virus. They are going to happen. Other things are going to happen as well. COVID-19 is not the only illness on the planet.
We are not going back to the way things were prior to March 10. I am not sure that people are accepting this fact. I have some ideas on what the next 12 to 18 months may look like and they are manageable. It is the lack of knowing, the fear of losing my freedom again, that is most disconcerting.
The only way we can intelligently go into the Fall is with a plan and we need that plan now. Schools should stay in distance learning mode while they develop spaces that are better suited to providing suitable distance between students. Businesses need a plan, like the grocery stores, of managing customers in and out of the store. Restaurants need an plan and if that means the servers wearing masks and gloves, I am not dining in. Whatever it is, please give me the plan and let me decide how to manage it.
