Self-Isolation Day #13

Thursday, Self-Isolation Day #13

. . . and the first day of a three-week shelter-in-place proclamation!

Because people are asking me, yes, we are following all the guidelines and were following them for two weeks before they were actually put in place. I may disagree with certain aspects of how this situation is being handled, but I'm also not leaving my four walls except to walk outdoors.

The birds singing, chirping, and pecking (the woodpeckers!) at 7:00 a.m. this morning were truly a chorus! I exercised in the cul-de-sac in my own galumphing, frumpy housewife way to the glory of the birdsong. The little ones were supposed to stay inside but kept coming to the glass front door to watch me forlornly: Thomas (4), wearing a crown, held up his clothes in faux helplessness, hoping I would come get him dressed.

Thomas, supposedly unable to get dressed

We have joined our neighbors in setting up a Bear Hunt for those little kids on neighborhood walks: the idea is that homeowners put a teddy bear (or, in our case, at least three!) in a window of the home for passers-by to spot.

We have emailed the herpetological society for advice about our new "guest" and John has already improved his terrarium.

This period of God allowing society all to be grounded at home (as nothing happens without God's providential will) are many and different among families. In our case, I previously considered our lifestyle slower and more home-based than many homeschoolers'--we do not even attend a co-op or hybrid school or any local classes--yet I'm currently seeing the great benefits of being even more utterly at home as if we are living in a time 70+ years ago.

• The children are finishing all their school and music practice every day.
• They aren't rushing off to activities so they have time--loads of time--for outdoor play and creativity (currently: playing elaborately with dolls, spinning yarn, knitting, drawing, painting, writing stories, woodworking, writing many snail mail letters). Honestly, we are watching less TV than ever now that we're home all the time!
• The baby is getting his daily nap.
• Everyone is better rested, sleeping more overnight (except for adults not sleeping due to coronavirus stress!).
• Our family is praying the rosary every night together (as opposed to the rosary happening often late at night when Mom and little ones cannot join in and when the older kids really should already be in bed).
• We are reading aloud more as a family.
• We already ate together six nights a week, but three of those nights were at awkwardly early times due to evening activities: now we are eating dinner together seven nights per week at the same time.

I pray that this whole experience allows some families to want to be together more, to want to slow down, to want to consider homeschooling. It looks like we will be living this lifestyle another few weeks, so I will enjoy the aspects that I can enjoy!

Meanwhile . . .

Each night my husband and I are watching the Trump Coronavirus Task Force Briefing, which is often an hourlong investment of time for our understanding of these dire times. Those who would not want to vote for President Trump may not desire to watch him speak, but it remains important because he brings in the national experts who share actual, hard data and speak in measured tones, not in hysteria. We would all benefit from more measured tones.

Just three days ago, The New York Times published a terrifying article by Dr. Emanuel suggesting 2.2 million Americans might DIE . . . Fourteen Days. That’s the Most Time We Have to Defeat Coronavirus. Such publication makes one wonder where lies the difference between mistaken calculations, salacious publications for the sake of earning money, and the outright crime of shouting "fire!" in a crowded theater.

Within two days, the entire bloated Imperial Model had to be reduced exponentially due to actual data being accumulated . . . Epidemiologist Behind Highly-Cited Coronavirus Model Drastically Revises Model






Just tonight Dr. Deborah Birx explained (starting at the 47:00 mark) that even New York City--exponentially worse-hit than anywhere in the country due to its unparalleled population density--is not experiencing the dire situation the media is hyping up. They do have remaining ICU beds and they do have thousands of ventilators. There is no situation anywhere in the USA at this time that merits considering blanket Do Not Resuscitate Orders--against family wishes--for COVID-19 patients, as has been spread around since yesterday. The prediction of the models do not match the "reality on the ground" in any countries: we will learn much more when we develop an antibodies test to know how many people statistically truly caught COVID-19, most of whom were probably asymptomatic or so mildly symptomatic that they had no idea. (Apparently, "CNN refused to air Birx speaking during the press conference and repeatedly cut away when she and Vice President Mike Pence spoke."  Dr. Deborah Birx: Media Has ‘Frightened The American People’ With Salacious Coronavirus Numbers)

Just from a friend (not Dr. Birx, not somewhere vetted) . . . as many people who have died in NYC from coronavirus over two weeks are as many people as die in NYC normally in two days regularly. The mortality rate for COVID-19 in NYC remains about 1% of confirmed cases, as compared to what I'm hearing is a 10% mortality rate for influenza of confirmed cases. Every year, every season (which isn't even a whole year). Influenza kills an average of 34,000 people annually and is still outstripping COVID-19 deaths right now as we speak: You are at far higher risk of catching influenza than COVID-19 and of dying of influenza than of COVID-19. About 99% of those dying of COVID-19 are elderly and with comorbidities.

Bonus Reading:

• Nobel Laureate: Why Coronavirus Crisis May Be Over Sooner Than Many Think
• Horowitz: WHEN did coronavirus begin in the US? And why it matters