Doomsday? Or a Time for Unity and Hope?

The first time I heard of coronavirus actually involved a humorous meme on social media. The meme announced that the Mexican beer Corona Extra had changed its name so as not to be associated with the coronavirus. Corona Extra had changed its name to Ebola Extra. Funny, right? But, at that point I really had no idea what coronavirus was and didn't give it much thought.

Soon enough I read that the country of Italy had went into total lockdown. What does that even mean? I wondered.

Then I heard that the NCAA basketball tournament would be played without any fans in attendance. And, the NBA had postponed its season. Is this a joke?

Soon I read that the NCAA wrestling tournament would also have limited fan attendance. I worried this might affect the performance of my beloved Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team. Soon I read that it had been canceled altogether. It took my breath away when I read it. Is this a prank? I was upset because the Hawkeyes were predicted to win the tournament and be NCAA champions after quite a dry spell.

Well, I got over my disappointment pretty quickly. I realize now I'll be fortunate to see them ever wrestle again. A sporting event, no matter how prestigious, seems unimportant now.

Soon I was reading about preventative measures:
Wash your hands.
Don't touch your face.
Stay home if your sick.

Then I began to hear about the so-called panic buying of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. The first time I saw the empty shelves I laughed out loud because I was so shocked. Of course, my laughter abated quickly. The lack of toilet paper, facial tissue, and paper towels now had me concerned. I realized a lot of canned goods and rice had been purchased as well.

I went to see my therapist at the hospital. I was met at the entry by a man wearing a modified hazmat suit. Okay, so now I'm in a science fiction movie. He asked me some health screening questions and took my temperature. Then I was allowed in. It was quite disconcerting.

I told my therapist I'd been reading about the Plague (aka the Black Death). I think he found that amusing. I had decided that if mankind had survived the Plague, one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, we would no doubt survive this too.

I found myself thinking about movies like The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price, the lone survivor of a global epidemic who must battle a race of zombie vampires. Similar movies are The Omega Man and I Am Legend.

A few years ago I watched The Horseman on the Roof, a French film that follows the story of a brave and honorable Italian nobleman in France raising money for the Italian revolution against Austria during a time of cholera. He meets a countess who is looking for her husband, and he swears to protect her and get her to safety.

A perhaps more well known film I also watched was Love in the Time of Cholera.

Love in the Time of COVID-19? As people stay isolated at home and businesses close to prevent the spread of this virus, I also see communities coming together to support one another during this frightening and challenging time.

I found some hope early on after reading an article declaring this would not be like the 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic because we know so much more now and the field of medicine has come so far. For instance, we have antibiotics now. Although antibiotics do not treat viruses, they do treat the secondary bacterial infections that sometimes follow.

Still the world around me has become much like those times. People are scared. Businesses have closed. People are being told and sometimes forced to stay home.

My initial hope was somewhat deflated after listening to an interview in which infectious-disease expert Michael Osterholm stated, "This is just beginning. This is going to unfold for months to come."

Well, f*ck.

He did mention that we were doing the right thing by telling people to limit contact with others. He said we'd have to be thoughtful about things like school closures which had the potential to do more harm than good. A large number of nurses in the U.S. have children. If schools close for months then who is going to care for these kids? I think one of his main points was that he hoped this would be a wake-up call. We need to be better prepared for these types of situations.

I have some new phrases in my vocabulary now:
Flatten the curve
Social distancing
Herd immunity
Panic buying

And yet somehow people have kept their humor. I am tired of the toilet paper jokes now like "It's a respiratory disease! Stop hoarding toilet paper!" I admit the old picture of a toilet paper covered tree from a past Halloween prank was funny. I looked at the picture in horror wondering why any of us ever thought tp-ing a tree or house was funny. The tree might as well have been covered in dollar bills. Now people would be tearing the toilet paper from the tree.  

One of my friends on social media joked, "If I am quarantined with my wife and I die, I assure you, COVID-19 did not kill me."

Some introverts like myself found it humorous when we were all told to practice social distancing. "No problem. I've been avoiding people for years."

Another friend on social media said she was sick of the jokes and didn't understand how people could be joking at a time like this. I think she's concerned this is truly the apocalypse.  

At this point, schools have been closed. Restaurants have been closed. "The world has been closed" reads a meme on social media.

People have been laid off including myself. I went to work that night and had my annual review. The review was positive. But, before beginning the review my manager informed me that some of my coworkers and I would be laid off because the store was reducing its hours. I was stunned even though I should have seen it coming. I've opted to use some paid time off for now.

I ran into an old coworker at the supermarket. While we were talking, a female manager passed by us twice. She just said hi to me the first time she passed. The next time she passed she jokingly said, "Aren't you supposed to be in quarantine damn it?" I'm not, by the way. She was just joking.

"This woman is all over you. But, she's yelling at you," my old coworker joked.

"She's not used to seeing me in here this time of day. I used to shop leisurely late at night but I can't do that any longer because of the reduced store hours," I said.

"Actually I just came in to get some booze," he said with a laugh.

I don't know if I'll survive this. I already had enough problems before this came along. Maybe I'm being melodramatic. Would I feel better if I was living underground in a bomb shelter like the family in the movie Blast from the Past?

Maybe survivors of world wars and the Great Depression are laughing at us. "Pull yourself together you wussies." No, I'm sure they're scared too. I'm just saying people have been through hard times before.

One of my friends on social media posted a message of hope.

"I know this. When this ends - AND IT WILL - every game will sell out, every restaurant will have a 2-hour wait, every kid will be glad to be in school, everyone will love their job, the stock market will skyrocket, every other house will get TP'd, and we'll all embrace and shake hands. That's gonna be a pretty good day. Hang in there, World."

I'm not quite that optimistic but she could be right.

The old coworker I saw at the supermarket told me he had purchased a new house now that he is retired. He also mentioned that his youngest daughter was expecting a child. I was pleased to hear his happy news. Life goes on. Maybe this new baby will never have to deal with a pandemic as she goes through her life on Earth.

Do I think this is the end of times? No. Humans have been predicting the end of the world for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. Yet, the human race is still here. I think we'll get through this like we have other challenges. Then a giant asteroid will collide with Earth and take us all out. Unless, of course, Bruce Willis saves us all. Just kidding. Trying not to lose my sense of humor.

Maybe things will be okay.

I love you all.

Love,
Tharin
March 2020