April 2020
Who was it that said "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures?This is my routine under lockdown:
1. Breakfast
2. Household chores
3. Exercise - drive to Stow Park, a mile away, for a 20 minute run. The morning air in early April has been pleasantly cool. I jog in the shade of mature oaks, pines and redwoods on soft ground covered with grass or mulch. It's usually deserted with just a few dog walkers around. but mostly quiet. It's funny, but the song "It's a strange, strange world, Master Jack" has been playing in my mind while I run.
After my run I do some stretches and core strengthening exercises.
4. Catching up on the news, Worldometers, feeling my anxiety level rising.
5. Attempt some creativity in my writing projects.
6. Lunch of salad or sandwich and a smoothie packed with fruit, yogurt, fresh ginger.
7. More writing, reading, then garden chores
8. Meal prep, dinner, maybe a walk around our neighborhood
9. A Netflix movie. Currently we're enjoying the Australian mini series A Place to Call Home. A feel good period drama providing welcome escapism.
April 1
Today's numbers: USA 215,000; Italy 110,000; Germany 77,981; the UK 29, 865; Australia 5000; South Africa 1380
I keep finding references to The Plague by Albert Camus in opinion pieces in the NYT and New Yorker.
Is Italy flattening their curve? Number of new cases and deaths per day now going down.
Been astounded at Trump's approval ratings going up despite his outrageous handling of the crisis. There appears to be a red state blue state divide over the pandemic. Seriously? Covid 19 first hit the coasts, the more globally connected blue states. The red states in late March were reporting small numbers at first and seemed in no hurry to take measures. In Texas, the governor expressed reluctance to take action despite pleas from mayors. Florida announced a shut down today.
April 3
Grim milestones. Total cases worldwide now over a million. Germany has surpassed China in its case number. USA 3rd in number of deaths which is now bigger than the number killed on 9/11. 1000 deaths in US in one day.
April 4
California has 12 000 identified cases. Nationwide the total is 300,000.
April 6
Monday morning the global mood swung upwards. European countries are conveying hope that the worst is over. Rates of increase of new cases are dropping. Daily death counts are dropping.
Numbers today: Worldwide: 1.3 million; USA 350,000, more than Spain (135,000) and Italy combined. China has slid to 6th place on Worldometers.
Today's grim milestone: USA has reached 10,000 deaths.
Andrew Cuomo cautions that even with New York appearing to plateau, the apex of hospitalizations and deaths hasn't been reached yet.
Boris Johnson was hospitalized the night of April 5 after showing CV symptoms for 10 days.
The Queen addressed the UK, a rare phenomenon underscoring the graveness of what we are facing.
In California we have been under lockdown for 17 days. It's eerie, like a horror movie, except it isn't fear that grips us. We are gripped by anxiety, discombobulation, uncertainty. We have no idea how long we'll have to "stay home".
The mess up with PPE goes on - shipments of moldy masks arrived in California.
Our news sources assure us that scientists and researchers are working feverishly to find treatments and vaccines. Can the plasma of recovered Covid 19 patients help hospitalized patients? What about the malaria drug?
The numbers in New York are suggesting a plateau has been reached. Predictions are being made that the apex of deaths will arrive in New York and other states by the end of this week. Infections from 2 to 3 weeks ago will translate to peak hospitalizations.
California today is at 15, 240 cases, with 351 deaths. California and Washington appear to be bending the curve. Too soon to feel optimistic though.
The mood this week isn't as urgent as last week. Resignation and a hunch that "there's light at the end of the tunnel" keeps us going.
The CDC is now recommending the use of face coverings. Due to a shortage of medical grade masks they are encouraging people to make their own from cloth. On social media everyone is sharing their creative efforts. Daryl and I wore bandanas on our walks in the neighborhood.
Then my friend Vandana, who has a sewing machine, offered to make us cloth masks.
April 7
We're no longer hearing urgent appeals for PPE. Now the news is about flattening curves, as well as sombre individual stories. Patients relating their battles with Covid 19. Bereaved family members describing their losses.
BoJo in intensive care receiving oxygen but not on ventilator
Wisconsin primaries - cancelled by democratic governor but republican senate appealed and SCOTUS overruled governor. Elections will go on.
Trump gave another dismaying press briefing. Blamed WHO for the state of the world and threatened to cut funding for this organization. Also fired the top watchdog in charge of monitoring how the administration spends the $2 trillion virus relief.
April 8
The morning news on NPR assures us that the nation's hospitals and PPE are now adequate to accommodate Covid 19 patients. The horrific scenario that governors had worried about were prevented. Navy ships off the coast of New York and Los Angeles have been converted into hospitals to relieve overcrowding and provide for proper isolation of Covid 19 patients. In California the curve has plateaued but Gavin Newsom has advised caution. From the outset, back in March, he consulted with experts and prepared for a worst case scenario. He still warns of at least 2 more months of restricted movement, predicting hospitalizations in this state to peak in early May. At the moment our hospitals have a light patient load.
Total recorded cases in California: 17, 540. Total deaths 447. In New York 140,081 total cases and 5,563 deaths.
Today a Chicago jail is being reported as the largest known source of US infections.
Yesterday (April 7) the US counted its highest Covid 19 related death toll in a single day with 1,997 fatalities bringing the total to 13, 000 as of this morning. Governor Cuomo commented that the death toll was now twice that of 9/11.
The state of New York now has more confirmed cases than all of Italy. Hospital resources are stretched to the limit and doctors are faced with having to prioritize patient care.
Total cases for USA: 404,242
Worldwide: 1,461,000 cases
The UK recorded its deadliest day: 987 Covid 19 fatalities. Total cases: 60, 733
BoJo still in intensive care creating leadership void.
Australia looks great with only 25 new cases bringing its total to just over 6000! Only 50 deaths so far. Their curve is bending!
South Africa looks good too with a total of 1,749 cases and 13 deaths. Two weeks now since the start of their very strict lockdown. Ramaphosa rolling out door to door testing in densely populated townships.
At home, after almost 3 successful weeks of self-isolation I'm beginning to feel some frustration. Every activity that made up my daily routine in normal times seems so fantastical. I long for a visit to the gym, for a trip to Trader Joe's, for a beach walk, the farmer's market, walks with friends, meals with friends, movies, concerts.
But I don't allow myself to submit to a negative mindset. If it's just a matter of 2 to 3 months before all of this is attainable again, then surely I can do it. After all, most of the world is imprisoned in their homes too. Homes that are more confined and with no opportunity to get out and enjoy a beautiful spring garden. My neighborhood, usually pleasant, isn't suitable for walks during working hours due to roadworks and construction of new houses where "Holiday Fire" houses were incinerated.
My days are full, allowing no time for boredom. It's been raining this week so haven't been able to do my daily jogs at Stow Park. I do loops that take me up and down Via Lemora, then up our driveway, around the house, and down the driveway. No shortage of entertainment either. Netflix has never been more valuable. Then there are a number of books I badly want to get through. My friend Robin has invited me to join her "Zoom" bookclub which I accepted and that's got me reading Olive, Again, the stand alone sequel to Olive Kitteredge which came out years ago.
Next on my list is City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert for my regular bookclub which we'll discuss over a Zoom session.
April 9
Today's headlines: 6.6 million more file for unemployment. Job losses and business closures are as crushing as the Great Depression.
The stock market is going up as the Feds take action to prop up the economy.
New York now has more cases than any country.
April 10
CNN reports on the University of Washington's Covid 19 model which is used by the White House. Predicts New York and New Jersey reached their peaks of deaths on April 9th and 8th. California is expected to hit its peak on April 15 with 66 deaths. The model is based on social distancing continuing until the end of May and not August as had been previously predicted.
Los Angeles requires face coverings in public starting today.
The first ER doctor in New York died today from Covid 19. He had to use the same face mask 4 times due to shortages! In the wealthiest country in the world!
Every morning when I wake up and my brain kicks into gear a sick feeling flows into my belly. A pandemic. It's really happening. And the whole world has to take shelter in their homes. I picture State Street, downtown Santa Barbara, how ghostly it must look. Like those ghostly photos of major cities we see on news websites.
I turn on NPR. I want to hear voices from the outside world. I want to know what's happening even though it isn't going to be cheerful news. Rather than urgency like the past weeks, it's resignation I now hear. This morning's story of hospitalized patients having to battle the disease without family around and going to their deaths all alone was heartbreaking.
Even though my personal situation is comfortable it's hard to tune out the crisis we're in. All of humankind, facing the same enemy. Hiding in our homes, desperate for our Hercules to appear with the appropriate ammunition that can destroy this overpowering monster.
There's some good news. The deadliest week that was forecast is now over. New York may be flattening the curve and things look promising. Europe too may have past the peak of new cases. Italy and Spain have flattened their curve and appear to be past their peaks of fatalities. Now France and the UK are spiking in new deaths. California's new case numbers have been lower than expected. A flat curve is reported. Maybe we're even bending it!
April 12
It's Easter Sunday. Oh how I miss my regular Sunday routine of heading straight to the gym after breakfast. A half hour of laps in the pool is especially pleasurable in the spring time. Then a soak in the jacuzzi where I fall into light conversation with whoever is enjoying the same ritual as me. After the gym I head out to the farmer's market, where I'm immersed in my local community. Young, old, families, university students, everybody enthusiastically stocking up on bounty from our area. There's always live music and the hum of people eating leisurely brunches at outdoor tables.
At home I sort through the produce and get them cleaned and ready for the week's salads and meals. Old routines that feel like they belonged to a different era. BC. Before Covid.
Self-pity isn't an option in a pandemic when everyone you know, and most of the world awakens each day with that same sick feeling of uncertainty. When will we be free again? When and if a vaccine is found? The experts tell us that could be a year or more in the future.
Before breakfast this morning Daryl and I took an invigorating walk at Lake Los Carneros. At 7:30 there were already quite a few people with the same idea. It's so beautiful there now, especially after the magnificent rain we've had in the past month. The grasses by the lake come up above our knees and the wildflowers stretch across providing bright color to the landscape. Lots and lots of birdlife, redwing blackbirds in particular, added to the magic. The fog was thick, but the air so fresh and delightful and the ground soft and squishy in places. So I couldn't have my swim but the walk sure was a mood booster. We had crepes with strawberries for breakfast.
At noon we watched the Andrea Bocelli livestream from Milan. Just him and the pianist in the venerable Milan Duomo. How weird to see this architectural marvel empty on Easter Sunday. During the performance city centers flashed on the screen. With Bocelli's heartwrenching voice how could we not find it emotional to see a ghostly Arc di Triomph and a deserted Trafalgar Square and an eerily empty Times Square? He ended his 15 minute performance outside the duomo with Amazing Grace. I'm sure people all over the world wept.
The USA has identified more than half a million Covid 19 cases and has surpassed Italy in the number of deaths. Half the US deaths were in and around New York City.
California is still showing a bent curve. 23,000 cases, 5th state in numbers
Australia and South Africa continue to report declining daily identified cases. Germany, Spain and Italy show decreased daily new cases and deaths.
India's numbers are climbing. Much of the developing world has gone up from double digit case numbers to the thousands.
Interestingly the stockmarket has been going up all week.
April 14
The mood this week is less sombre, more positive. Models from the Covid 19 research lab of the University of Washington in Seattle predict that New York and New Jersey have now peaked in hospitalizations and deaths. Governors are basing their decisions on these models which so far appear to be accurate. California is expected to peak tomorrow (April 15) with 66 deaths.
The numbers today: Worldwide 2 million; the USA is at 603,000 with 25, 000 deaths. Spain and Italy are trending with lower new cases and fatalities. Covid 19 numbers and deaths in the UK, Turkey and Iran are shooting up. Australia at 6,400 cases and 61 deaths continues to show promise, as does South Africa with 2,400 cases and 27 deaths. All kinds of theories are going around about the low (in the triple digits today) identified cases in many African countries. While most experts think it's to do with lack of testing, there are people out there floating suggestions of immunity perhaps from the BCG tuberculosis vaccine given at birth.
In the US a lot of the news at the moment is about re-opening the economy. How to go about this safely? Governors are looking at another month of lockdown at a minimum before a gradual loosening up. Entertaining visions of a post-lockdown state is certainly uplifting. However, as long as there's no vaccine or treatment there will continue to be restrictions on our movements.
The news media are also covering research on vaccines and antibodies taken from plasma samples. It's clear that scientists all around the globe are frantically in search of the elusive potion that will return us to the world as we knew it.
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