Life in the Time of Pandemic

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After much thought, I cancelled my trip to Italy this summer. It was supposed to be a tour of the Lombardy region which has become the epicenter of the country’s coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Within a few weeks, the virus has spread all over Italy causing more than 4,000 deaths, the most of any country in the world. In an attempt to slow down the spread of the virus, the government has imposed a national quarantine advising the population to stay at home and closing schools and most businesses.

The World Health Organization has already declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic after it has gained a foothold in 186 countries and territories around the world.

In the U.S.. Pres. Trump has consistently downplayed the threat and believed it would go away as temperatures warm. He has been inclined to go with the far-right thinking that the whole thing is overblown created by the “deep state” to hurt his reelection chances.

As the number of infections across the nation has surged, however, he has somewhat changed his rhetoric. According to New York Times, with more testing being done, at least 17,962 people have tested positive for coronavirus and at least 239 patients have died.

“My administration,” he said in a recent press briefing, “is recommending that all Americans, including the young and healthy, work to engage in schooling from home when possible, avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people, avoid discretionary travel and avoid eating and drinking in bars, restaurants, and public food courts.”

Without these actions, an epidemic modeling group at Imperial College London warned 2.2 million people in the United States could die.

In California where I live, Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered all California residents to stay home, except as needed for certain essential activities with no end date in place. Allowable activities outside the home include getting food, caring for a relative or friend, and getting necessary health care or critical medical supplies. Outdoor recreation and exercise are also allowed as long as social distancing and other “common sense” preventive measures are followed. Do they impinge on our individual liberty and freedom of choice? For sure, they do. But under the circumstances, they’re necessary for the common good.

Without these mitigation efforts, the governor projects that 25.5 million in California will contract coronavirus. We need to come together to face this crisis.

I see the world evolving as a result of this pandemic. Our society will be transformed and the way we interact with each other changed forever. For the better or worse? Only time could tell.

As for my cancelled trip to Italy, the tour company has refused to refund the deposit I already paid. The best they could do was give me an equivalent credit for a future tour which is fine with me.