STUPIDITY ALERT - This journal entry was written before the extreme nature of COVID-19 was truly understood. Fortunately, it did not take me long to accept the reality of the situation and change my mind about how dangerous COVID-19 is.
Friday, March 13, 2020
I am over the corona virus hysteria. Yesterday, my sister called me with the days she was planning to visit me during my seven-year-old’s Mika, spring break, which starts March 23rd. A few hours later she called me back and said her husband begged her not to come. In his defense, he was as concerned that my sister would get the virus and pass it on to me as vice versa. I have met him a few times and he seems nice; I do think he thinks asking her not to come is protecting all of us.
My sister is practical like me. She told him stopping at a gas station in the middle of Kansas was not any different than stopping at a gas station in Kansas City. She told him we would be staying at my house the four days she would be here clearing clutter, not out mingling with the population. She told me the news had announced schools were closing in her area, and he did not think we were taking the risk of infection seriously enough if she came here at this time. I was thinking I am glad our school district had not overreacted. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha!
Last night when I went to bed, the news announced five area school districts were planning to close for two weeks. Of course, they did not announce which five school districts were closing so I wondered every time I woke up during the night if Mika would have school today. This morning the other news channel announced all the school districts in the Pikes Peak region would close on Monday and the children would have a two-week spring break.
When I got up this morning, sure enough, I had an email from the school district stating they were panicking, I mean using an “abundance of caution”, and would close next week and the scheduled spring break the week after, to deep clean the schools. Mind you, not one child in this area is known to carry the virus and the one adult in the county who does is in quarantine with his family. One presumed case of COVID-19 in El Paso county and the schools close? If none of the children have the novel coronavirus, what germs are they cleaning out of the schools? This is hysteria, not an abundance of caution.
I am fortunate, I work from home, so it is easier for ours than most families when kids are unexpectedly home from school. I know the extra week off will create a hardship for most of the families in my area. I am one of the few moms at Mika’s school who has a flexible schedule. For most families, both parents (or single parents) work at jobs that require their physical presence. (Somebody needs to deep clean all those schools.) I think the schools should remain open, as they figure out online options, until actual infection is identified in the schools. Parents can choose to keep their children home if they do not feel it is safe.
I am not freaking out about catching COVID-19 and I am in the death risk group. I went to my women’s luncheon on Wednesday and simply asked people not to touch me. I would probably be a little more concerned with my own safety if I were currently on a chemotherapy treatment. That hole in my bootie might prevent me from getting life-threatening complications when COVID-19 finds me, as I am sure it will.
Now, if COVID-19 catches me and beats me into a bloody pulp, my sister’s husband will have been right, I have not been taking this virus seriously enough. But I simply cannot live thinking that way. We are all going to die. I am probably going to die before you. I am not going to spend my last days huddled in fear in my home. I have an unexpected week off with Mika and I may take her to Chuck E. Cheese if she behaves.
My piece of advice to you is to let go of the fear. Chances are very good when you catch COVID-19, it will not kill you. It will not kill most of your friends unless they are older and have underlying conditions. Rest assured you are more likely to die from a heart attack or cancer than coronavirus and go outside.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.
Friday, March 13, 2020
I am over the corona virus hysteria. Yesterday, my sister called me with the days she was planning to visit me during my seven-year-old’s Mika, spring break, which starts March 23rd. A few hours later she called me back and said her husband begged her not to come. In his defense, he was as concerned that my sister would get the virus and pass it on to me as vice versa. I have met him a few times and he seems nice; I do think he thinks asking her not to come is protecting all of us.
My sister is practical like me. She told him stopping at a gas station in the middle of Kansas was not any different than stopping at a gas station in Kansas City. She told him we would be staying at my house the four days she would be here clearing clutter, not out mingling with the population. She told me the news had announced schools were closing in her area, and he did not think we were taking the risk of infection seriously enough if she came here at this time. I was thinking I am glad our school district had not overreacted. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha!
Last night when I went to bed, the news announced five area school districts were planning to close for two weeks. Of course, they did not announce which five school districts were closing so I wondered every time I woke up during the night if Mika would have school today. This morning the other news channel announced all the school districts in the Pikes Peak region would close on Monday and the children would have a two-week spring break.
When I got up this morning, sure enough, I had an email from the school district stating they were panicking, I mean using an “abundance of caution”, and would close next week and the scheduled spring break the week after, to deep clean the schools. Mind you, not one child in this area is known to carry the virus and the one adult in the county who does is in quarantine with his family. One presumed case of COVID-19 in El Paso county and the schools close? If none of the children have the novel coronavirus, what germs are they cleaning out of the schools? This is hysteria, not an abundance of caution.
I am fortunate, I work from home, so it is easier for ours than most families when kids are unexpectedly home from school. I know the extra week off will create a hardship for most of the families in my area. I am one of the few moms at Mika’s school who has a flexible schedule. For most families, both parents (or single parents) work at jobs that require their physical presence. (Somebody needs to deep clean all those schools.) I think the schools should remain open, as they figure out online options, until actual infection is identified in the schools. Parents can choose to keep their children home if they do not feel it is safe.
I am not freaking out about catching COVID-19 and I am in the death risk group. I went to my women’s luncheon on Wednesday and simply asked people not to touch me. I would probably be a little more concerned with my own safety if I were currently on a chemotherapy treatment. That hole in my bootie might prevent me from getting life-threatening complications when COVID-19 finds me, as I am sure it will.
Now, if COVID-19 catches me and beats me into a bloody pulp, my sister’s husband will have been right, I have not been taking this virus seriously enough. But I simply cannot live thinking that way. We are all going to die. I am probably going to die before you. I am not going to spend my last days huddled in fear in my home. I have an unexpected week off with Mika and I may take her to Chuck E. Cheese if she behaves.
My piece of advice to you is to let go of the fear. Chances are very good when you catch COVID-19, it will not kill you. It will not kill most of your friends unless they are older and have underlying conditions. Rest assured you are more likely to die from a heart attack or cancer than coronavirus and go outside.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.