Failing | Coronavirus

I can't say I know anyone that took COVID-19, aka Coronavirus, akbbpa, Rona, very seriously. As recently as two days ago I was out and about for a dinner date. I ride public transportation in Philadelphia on a daily basis so I figured I'd long been exposed to something, so why panic now? Cue the other COVID-denial phrases. The flu is more deadly. The news is sensationalizing things. This happens every election year. Etc. Etc. Most of us assumed it was nothing serious. And certainly not life altering.

Boy were we wrong. Or I guess I'll speak for myself and just say I was wrong. A quick Google search as of 7:30pm EST in March 16th shows the international death toll at 6,500. And this is number will undoubtedly rise significantly. Check out this CNN apocalyptic-style update feed for the latest numbers: https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-16-20-intl-hnk/index.html

To most that sounds like a trivial number. Hopeful in fact. When compared to millions of people that seems like great odds. That is unless you happen to love one of those 6,500 people. The most vulnerable people affected by Rona are the elderly, as well as those with type 1 diabetes, asthma and other pre-existing respiratory conditions. This really struck me because it made me realize my parents are pushing 55 and 60. My grandmother, mother and aunt all have diabetes. To be honest I'm sure what type but my brain decided to panic at the word diabetes and not follow through with asking them which type they have. Anywho. When I think of "old" people I think of my grandparents. They're the real old people, right? But the reality is that my parents are moving into the old people category. This realization is what sadly helped me start to fail fast. I quickly understood that a sneeze here or an unwashed hand there from a sickly person that lacks good hygiene could make someone I love one of the not so lucky few to be affected by this virus.

I feel guilty that the general well being of others didn't trigger me to be more empathetic but I'm grateful that I quickly failed at trying to fight Rona and decided to heed the advice of medical professionals and stay home as much as possible. And truthfully, thanks to a non-essential work ban by the city that decision was pretty much made for me.

So me, and the dog, will be working from home until further notice. I'll definitely be overeating, likely laying in bed too long and trying to fight boredom. Naps help. The dog agrees.

#failfast #coronavirus #covid19 #rona