Watching as people in this country whinge about lack of toilet paper and social distancing, I despair of the persistence and hearty inventiveness that led previous generations to foment revolution, build a country and survive wars, Depressions or the dreaded Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.
What exactly did great grandma do before the hallowed age of Charmin or wet wipes? She very likely did not have indoor plumbing, garbage pick up or bottles of poisonous chemicals with which to "sanitize" her home. She also had no neighborhood Walmart with security guards overseeing the latest delivery of toilet paper, lacked antibiotics and very often had no grocery store about which to complain.
Given this scenario, how did most of us get here? Sexual mechanics aside, someone had to live through all of those and other events in order to produce current generations of adults now faced with a new and threatening viral pandemic.
Our current lack of national and other leadership on this issue should lead people to write or call their legislators to demand free testing for adults of all ages and anyone faced with possible exposure or those vulnerable due to age or health status.
We should all be following guidelines routinely given out during flu season for avoiding this and other infectious conditions. The common cold, which almost everyone comes to work or other venues with, can make it easier to acquire other viruses, so the admonishment not to come to work if you are ill, even with a cold, has suddenly become important. Also significant are the steps one can take individually:
Learn about and practice healthy eating [more fresh fruit and vegetables], get at least eight hours rest per night, avoid crowds and stay away from hospitals and clinics unless absolutely necessary during flu season. Ask your doctor what you can do at home if you become ill and at what point you should seek physician or emergency care if your symptoms worsen. Monitor your situation and take any advised medication as directed. Wash your hands throughout the day and wipe down taps, faucets, door knobs and toilets, especially if these are shared. It is particularly important to hand wash prior to and after preparing food, after using the bathroom and before eating. Vitamins, supplements and pre-or pro-biotics can be an important part of self care. Read up on them and discuss with your physician how many and which to take if that is something you wish to do.
Social distancing has now become part of our national vocabulary and many venues are adapting schedules and hours accordingly. Some, along with work places, have gone virtual. Rather than complaining or chasing the next toilet paper delivery truck to your supermarket, think in terms of safety, for you and others.
If, like me, you are considered more at risk, get as much practical guidance as you can and adjust as necessary. I will happily chat by phone or online but think twice about face-to-face contact, especially since a friend who visited another friend in hospital and who works in a crowded place, came to visit me and was very shortly thereafter diagnosed with pneumonia.
Those of you tempted to whine or complain should put on big person pants and attempt to keep some perspective here. We are all in this together.
Will we need to live differently? Yes, but that may not be such a bad thing, particularly if we survive to look back on this time.
15 comments:
Good words.
YES.
And please, if you are lucky enough not to be in the vulnerable people category, think of those that are and follow those protocols. You may not get very sick, but your friends and family may well be different.
A good reminder...
Thank you for writing this e.
Take care of yourself.
I am glad to hear that you are quite aware of how to keep yourself well and are doing all that you can. We should all be so intelligent.
Wise words. Eat healthy. Practice good hygiene. And above all, stay calm! This panic is not helping.
Well written post. I see great opportunity to change for the better, during and after this. Taking care of each other, ourselves and the animals. There was no reason to eat those creatures which carried the corona virus. As for the wrapper paper shortage, I think there's several reasons for that distraction. But in the end, we need to take care of each other. Don't go to work or even out of the house, if sick. So basic, yet often not done.
You're right in many ways. But it's also true that a heck of a lot of people died back in Grandma's day. The indoor plumbing and even poisonous chemicals (although hopefully not TOO poisonous) do serve a purpose. I'm a big fan of bleach, myself!
If you know or bother to learn how to use it correctly, bleach may be fine and yes, people did die and they also survived. We have access to better information and resources and sometimes must think outside the box, which was the point. We also need to shift beyond our comfort zones and what we think we know and adapt to changing circumstances.
The world would be safer if we all were, wouldn't it?
Thank you. I wish the same for you and D and your loved ones.
Thanks, sweet Martha!
Yes...economics puts people in too many binds.
I hope that there will be lessons taken from all of this when we move past the crisis into a somewhat more stable future. But I'm not holding my breath. People revert to old behaviors so easily.
In the meantime, your advice is excellent!
Thanks. I think you may be right.
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