Pandemic Pandemonium

To recap:
Ten days ago our city declared a local emergency and it was decided that our school district would cancel all schooling for a month, through the end of Spring Break. Seven days ago my county, along with several others in the San Francisco Bay Area, created a Shelter in Place order, asking people to stay home unless receiving or obtaining essential services. Four days ago the governor of California declared a similar Stay at Home order for the entire state.

Everything is happening very quickly.

I haven't been shopping in eleven days. When I did go last, I went to three different stores in one day to find all of the different supplies I wanted. It was stressful. People were freaking out leading up to the spread of this virus, and the grocery store parking lots were JAM PACKED the day before our local Shelter in Place went into affect. I get it, I do. At the same time, I've been avoiding all stores in hopes that the general pandemonium will subside and I can do semi-normal grocery shopping again, soon. I'm planning on waiting until at least the end of the week before I go into a store again. We are very privileged to have a house with lots of cabinet space for food storage, an extra freezer, and the income to afford buying in bulk and our electricity bills. I'm not going to run out of flour, sugar, powdered milk, or pasta soon, thanks to my years of obedience to the Mormon church's counsel regarding food storage in case of emergencies. I AM going to run out of fresh fruits and vegetables in a few days, and that simply will not be tolerated.

At the time of my last post, my daughter had a fever. It only lasted that evening, she has had a stuffy nose and a bit of a sore throat off and on since then. No cough. We're all doing fine at my house. Maybe we all have Covid-19 and don't know it, but, that could be true for anyone right now. That's why many states all over the nation are following in California's footsteps and asking their residents to stay at home!

I am still full of rage that testing for this virus is not widespread. The wealthy and affluent can magically be tested if they feel fatigued or a bit under the weather. Meanwhile, people are ill with coughs and fevers and told that tests are not available and they should stay at home unless they have labored breathing. We are sending countless healthcare workers to work every single day and expecting them to return home to their families without being tested, despite KNOWING that this virus is transmitted by asymptomatic carriers.

As a society, we are flying blind when it comes to just how many people have this virus and as a result we have self-entitled people waltzing around, ignoring the guidelines for social distancing. I suspect these people don't understand the science behind viral infections and the evidence is not in their faces enough for them to realize the impact of their actions. Sadly, that impact is hitting us harder and harder every day.

The positive number of cases in my county jumped to 112 today.

Stay safe, my friends. Call your friends and family, read a good book, and wash your hands!