(...to those who come here for fun recipes, please allow me to take over this space for one entry that is on my mind and I need to share. I promise we'll return to yummy food very soon! Thanks!)
I've heard comments that, "this coronavirus thing is all overblown" and, "we're healthy and can handle this". I've heard, "you don't have enough faith that God will protect you." I’ve also heard implications of selfishness, faithlessness, and aloofness. So let me get this out there in the most succinct and unambiguous way I can: Bullshit
I am a Christian, a believer. I am also a self-identified Introvert. Nonetheless here’s where my God-given, science-educated mind is at:
- Don't be foolish.
I was young once and took lots of crazy chances. I was physically strong but often stupidly foolish. And I thought I had a long life ahead. Now it’s 30-40 years later and fortunately I'm still stronger than some but my health isn't as good as it used to be. I have several of the listed coronavirus risk conditions that make me more vulnerable. I’ve had pneumonia a few times. I’ve spent lots of long, fevered nights fighting for breath. So I have and will continue to choose to remain isolated. From a public health perspective, I can do the math. I know if I get sick in the midst of the epidemic (and IT IS an epidemic based on the rate of spread) while case loads are rising sharply, I will likely have to wait for a chance to get treatment should hospitalization become necessary. The longer I -- and I should insist WE, the public can defer infection, the better chance I and other at-risk populations like me have of getting care with the added benefit of a better chance of researchers finding more effective treatment strategies (like chloroquine or other hopeful medicinal interventions.) And before you say it -- we already know an effective vaccine is a long way off and won’t materially change the trajectory of the current crisis.
- Be charitable.
While I am totally committed to absolute isolation from communal gatherings (>3-4 people) for my own AND community health, if someone I know (family, friends, neighbors) needs my help, I will do what I can like make food, shop (leveraging online order/pickup where possible to minimize contact), watch a pet, fix some necessary household item, etc. - Make good use of my time at home.
Some of that is doing my day job which thankfully is something I can do 100% online. But also, household maintenance, cooking (we gotta eat and it’s a great time to try that experimental recipe…), talking to my wife, catching up on movies, reading. - Slowing down the rush of life in general.
Now’s the time to gain a good gauge on how hectic a pace we put ourselves in sometimes. Funny how all those “things we HAVE TO DO” don’t need to be done. Maybe we never HAD TO DO them in the first place? I’m taking a machete to a lot of that crap to let the good stuff have room.
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