Quarantine: One Month Later
Quarantine: One Month Later
an Update
It is the middle of April, and as T. S. Eliot once wrote, “April is the cruelest month.”
I am not sure what he had in mind when he wrote those incredibly accurate words, but April 2020 sure fits that bill. I do realize each and every day how lucky I am to be mostly healthy and to not know anyone who is personally afflicted with Covid-19. But I also cannot help but to check the statistics each day at worldometers and see how it is spreading around the world.
Maybe you aren’t like me, and I hope you are not, but I constantly think about all the people who have lost their jobs, and all the jobs that likely won’t come back… and there is this darkness that weighs on me as I contemplate the ripple effects of every impact of this virus on our world. I keep praying that this is going to end soon and end well, and that those of us who see the other side will see a better world. Maybe we are on the cusp of a new human Renaissance where we come back to realize what is truly important in our lives and we end this constant competition to see who can accumulate more things. But based on Amazon’s sales this last week, I doubt that this will be the case. Just seeing Bezos stupid face in that article creates a bit of rage in me, I won’t lie.
Here in Riga, the semi-lockdown state has created a few visible casualties. The virtual reality entertainment shop on Terbetes iela is out of business as is the clothing store on the corner of Gertrudes, one of the only places I could find men’s reasonably priced fashion. Several restaurants are closed (hopefully only temporarily), and most of them rely on Wolt or Bolt to keep the doors open. Last week, we ordered pizza from the nearby Delisnack, and the order was delayed by 40 minutes. Max and I sat there waiting, and at least ten Wolt orders were handed over to cycling heroes in that short time. I am not complaining, but just observing.
We have been taking the new dog for frequent walks around the city. Sometimes we get coffee at Caffeine, and all the tables are roped off. You can only get to-go orders, and the floor is taped off in 2 meter sections so you do not get too close to anyone else. Social distancing on your honor is the rule for the most part. Although the police are regularly patrolling the streets. You are not supposed to be with any more than one person unless you are with your family. So groups are discouraged. One man who has tested positive for the virus has been caught leaving his quarantine twice! Each time he was fined 2000 euros. I wonder what he needed to leave his house for?
I scroll down the list on the worldometer and see that Latvia is still below the Diamond Princess in total Covid cases with 675 as of today. Only 5 deaths… which is good. We are testing 16,595/1 million people, which is pretty high, and from what I see, the countries that are testing the most people per capita are having the most success at keeping the disease at bay. Awhile back, I wrote a post asking why we can’t just test everyone… make this a world priority… focus all production on making enough tests and training people to administer the tests. It won’t be a wasted effort. We will then have this infrastructure for the next pandemic (and there will be one) and we will have an understanding of how this spreads and how to control it. If I were president of the world, that would be my mandate. Test everyone ASAP.
One of the deaths here in Latvia was a university professor who was a healthy man in his 50s. His wife wrote about his struggle in the popular magazine, Ir. I found the report of his death in English, but it does not mention that Rolands Tjarve died of Covid-19. I find this interesting. Rita explained how the article in Ir reported the disease entering his lungs and just slowly suffocating him. Ventilators didn’t help. He just couldn’t breathe. This is what absolutely terrifies me about the disease, and what is easy to forget when you don’t see it for yourself.
We bought masks. Actually, I have a friend who advertised that she is making masks, and I bought three for the family. To tell the truth, I find it very uncomfortable and hard to breathe when I wear it. I am not sure if they do any good, but in a crowded supermarket, I feel better with it on. I have read that the masks actually protect others more than they protect yourself, but that is fine. I like to do my part. Speaking of crowded supermarkets, it is really hit or miss whether or not people are following the rules of social distancing. At our local, smaller Rimi shop, people are very good about keeping their distance. But when Rita and I went to the larger Rimi on Hospitāļu, people were not so concerned. I had to really work to stay away from people.
What is amazing to me is how every single shop I go into has some preparation for this crisis. There is tape on the floor to measure out the 2 meters of required distance. Cashiers are protected by makeshift sneeze guards that have descended, as if by some magic, from the ceilings. How did all of these get installed so quickly? Stores are equipped with sanitizers and gloves. Extra staff members are there to clean off carts and baskets. At the Sky & More on Krasta iela, a guard met us by the door with a thermometer to check our temperatures. At first I thought it was a bit invasive, but then I thought, “I like this! This is a good idea!” Shoppers there could shop with at least some modicum of comfort knowing that no one there had an active fever. At Depo, the guard was a bit less successful in controlling traffic. People were just squeezing together, and it made me nervous. Slow down, take it easy, you will get into the store! Everything will be fine. (I keep telling myself that!)
When I was about ten years old, some idiot poisoned some Tylenol capsules and seven people died. This led to putting safety seals on every single product we buy so no one could tamper with them. I guess it has been effective since we haven’t seen another round of poisonings like we did back then, but I wonder if it was overkill? Someone in the plastic business made a killing, and today, it is even more pronounced! Every single individual pastry at Rimi is now wrapped in plastic. All the meats and cheeses in the deli section are covered in an extra layer of protection. After this is over, will we continue to follow this regimen of extreme sanitation? Will it go even further? Will handshakes be a silly tradition that future generations laugh about? Will social distancing become the norm?
Time will tell, but back to my original thesis. This whole thing is just a black cloud in an already dark sky. I keep waiting for the sun to come out and give us some hope. Little things keep me sane. I like work. My new job keeps me busy and focused. I love hearing from people around the world to see how they are dealing with this daily grind. Friends, family and loved ones in general make everything more tolerable. And let us always keep our sense of humor!
One way we have fought off the blues was to take a short trip via rented car away from the city to see the gorgeous Latvian country side. We got lost in the woods, saw a waterfall, and breathed the fresh air!
How are you keeping sane? What keeps you focused? Share your secrets! If you are really bored, don’t forget to check out Fantasy Brackets… the game we developed a few years ago. I hear it is making a comeback.
Side Note
I am no longer a full-time teacher, and I suddenly miss the sound of my own voice. I was just thinking how for 20 years I have spent most of my career talking to other people. My job has been to stand in front of a class and to communicate ideas. What impact is it having on my psyche to simply give that up and do something else? To spend most of the day in relative silence? What will become of my voice?
The cool news is that I have a gig making video content for 5th graders. More about this later when it comes to fruition. I am kind of excited about this!
A Few More Photos