By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
My primary problem has to do with two older people living together alone. If one contracts the infection, the other will necessarily have it, too. -HK
Apr 3, 2020 at 12:33 PM: After days of frustration, I finally found an Amazon Fresh delivery date that I could reserve. My cart had two items removed in the meantime. I added some more only to have one of these taken away at the last moment. For those wishing to use this service, I found that that slots were available at 3 am and were still there at 6 am. I think that the midnight slot grabbers were no longer so plentiful. The good news is that I have enough stuff coming on Sunday to keep my family of two going for another week.
I subscribe to Nextdoor.com and see my neighbors freaking out. One was in mortal fear from joggers going by her first-floor window. Some were complaining that everyone should stay at home and not pass through a door to the outside at all. Unless you are at risk, having a health problem, you are unlikely to suffer more than a two-week malaise from an infection. However, you could infect someone who will have a much worse case. Who is more at risk? According to what I know, that would be those with compromised immune systems, hearts, or lungs. If you have AIDS, or COPD, or heart disease, be very, very careful. Cancer patients who are or have recently been treated are also in the high-risk category.
I find it strange to look out at sunny blue skies with a friendly sea breeze moving the leaves on trees in their eternal dance and know that, nearby, death lurks for some, an invisible stalker that can strike without warning. -HK
Los Angeles County now has 4,566 confirmed cases and 89 deaths attributed to COVID-19. My town is at 45 cases, about 128 per 100,000 residents (even though we have only 36,000 residents). Hancock Park, a community in Los Angeles, blows everyone away with more than 200 cases per 100,000 residents. Is this from having more testing or from not following guidelines? It is hard to make out what these numbers are telling us.
“Hope for the best, and plan for the worst.” In that spirit, I assume that I do not have the virus but take precautions with respect to others who assume that either I have it or they have it. This seems to be the only fair approach these days. My primary problem has to do with two older people living together alone. If one contracts the infection, the other will necessarily have it, too. I can hope that one of us will have mild symptoms, but I must be prepared to deal with two of us trying to survive while sick. We have never had this problem before. I hope we don’t have it now. It will probably be two months before the worst of the pandemic passes by and new cases are dwindling and not merely decreasing.
I may stop watching news broadcasts entirely because they are too depressing, but I have to know. -HK
I find it strange to look out at sunny blue skies with a friendly sea breeze moving the leaves on trees in their eternal dance and know that, nearby, death lurks for some, an invisible stalker that can strike without warning. I may stop watching news broadcasts entirely because they are too depressing, but I have to know. Yet another quandary to deal with in these days that are unprecedented in my long life.
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