A Corona Virus Diary

Corona virus diary 1

A lot has happened regarding this pandemic during the last few weeks. It is difficult to assort all of the aspects of this on an international scale. Today I can only provide an overview. Since I want to keep track of how this affects me, my aim is to discuss my experiences more specifically.

Corona Virus is the latent issue with a disease that thus far has killed thousands. Having the virus does not mean that it is or will become manifest (at least as I understand it today March 21). When it blossoms into full blown disease it is known as Covid 19 and recently an article I was reading called it SARS-CoV-2. These different names may serve the discussion well among researchers and medical professionals, the several terms can be confusing (thus misleading) to the population in general. For the purposes of this diary I am going to refer to it as Corona Virus.

This venture is only directly about me and how the pandemic has impacted my life. That is for now and that may change in the future. Today I am thinking about it in broad and generic terms. There is too much information screaming at us currently to really distill much of it. We also must recognize the conspiracy theories for what they are. Likewise anyone downplaying the seriousness of it are either lying or simply foolish.

So today is March 21 and I do not have the disease, the virus or unique symptoms. No one that I know has any of these either. Hopefully it will remain so. I also can go grocery shopping though stores now have restricted hours-sensibly enough. The last time I ate out and associated with friends was March 10^th at the Heathen Brewery in Vancouver. This is mainly because on March 15^th all restaurants and bars have been closed. Some food establishments including food trucks, can provide food to go and many use one of those ride sharing companies to deliver it.

I was able to meet with an old friend in Portland on March 6 as he and his wife are visiting their daughter there. In Oregon as of today, the governor is strongly urging people to stay home. It is not a mandate at least not yet. On the Washington side of the Columbia where I live no such urging has occurred. So I am out in the field looking at birds and new buds as spring is here. We have had some splendid spring weather since the 15^th. I have been cooking (thus eating) too much for it is something to do.

It is probably only the beginning of the demand that we do not do anything that will further the spread. Containment is the most crucial step today. While it takes much of the joy away from daily life, it is not some sort of draconian hardship forced upon us by some real or simply believed in, enemy. So many have endured much more difficult times historically and today it is nonsense to think that not having 100% freedom to do whatever enters our mind (and is legal) is disastrous.

Here are what somepeople who are far more well-known than I describe their own experiences.