I know what you’re thinking. 😏 No, I’m not talking about that “C” word. 😂 I’m talking about Coronavirus or CoVID-19. You know, the “C” word on everyone’s mind. 😬

I’m exhausted. 😓 My heart hurts for working families who don’t know how they’ll pay their bills; for truck drivers and retail workers who are also on the front lines, trying to keep supplies in stock; and for healthcare workers who don’t know if they’re going to carry this virus home to their own loved ones. 😔 I’m deeply worried, because I’m one of those healthcare workers, as are many of my friends. 😣

I’ve lost count of what day it is in this fight. If we’re being honest, I no longer care to count. I only know it’s already been a long road, and it’s still early. 😖

I’m a planner, a deliberative, calculating control freak. 🥴 I don’t just admit it; I embrace it. 💪🏻 I’ve never been comfortable with spontaneity or uncertainty. I’m not a ‘wait and see’ kind of creature. 🙃 I need timelines and blueprints. I NEED TO KNOW ALL THE THINGS! Because of reasons. 💁🏻‍♀️ I don’t sleep well these days. I stay awake to worry, contemplate, research and pray. I need to find calm amidst all this chaos. But mostly, I desperately need answers that simply do not yet exist. 😰

How long will this madness go on? I don’t know. No one does, and that’s a terrifying prospect. 😳

Viruses are like mischievous toddlers. They’re sneaky little jerks who don’t like to tell you what they’re up to. 😒 They sit quietly, doing sketchy things and when you notice the suspicious silence and ask what they’re doing, they respond with an evasive and innocently conniving, “Nuthin.” 🤓 But it’s actually worse than that. If it’s your toddler, you can intervene and swiftly stop whatever abomination might be brewing. 🙅🏻‍♀️

Living through this rapidly unfolding pandemic is more like helplessly observing someone else’s toddler wreaking havoc, while they’re trying to upload selfies to their IG. We’re all forced to wait and watch in sheer, unadulterated horror, speculating the results, with no way to know exactly what’s going to happen next or when it will end. 😭

We are blessed — and cursed with a world of information at our fingertips, the bulk of which we send and receive via social media. 🙄 And although many of us follow legitimate news outlets on those channels, we’re more inclined to receive second-hand information from friends, family, and even strangers. Which makes much of what we encounter incredibly subjective, biased and woefully inaccurate. 😨

Not everyone intentionally spreads false information. Fake news is often cleverly written and easy to believe. Thus, even well -meaning people can share misguided things. 😑 And with the lack of oversight or responsibility from companies like Facebook and Twitter, the spread of misinformation on social media continues to be a source of considerable frustration to many of us. 😤

Fear mongering is prevalent, and partly responsible for many people acting irrationally during this crisis. 🧻 However, another equally damaging response to the outbreak is willful ignorance from those who believe they are exempt from the consequences of this pandemic. 👙

They are correct…to minuscule degree. 🤫 It is widely known that the older population and those who are immunocompromised or have other significant underlying medical conditions are at greatest risk for the serious implications of the virus. Unfortunately, people who subscribe to delusions of age and health related protection are more wrong than right. Younger, healthier people are not immune to the virus. Viruses don’t discriminate and thinking otherwise is comparable to riding a motorcycle without a helmet or free falling without parachute. 🤔 You’re not guaranteed to become infected if you maintain your pre-pandemic routine, but wantonly avoiding the measures advised by public health officials certainly improves your chances. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Additionally, beliefs that younger people and those with healthy immune systems are strong enough to fight off the virus ignores the larger concern that fuels social distancing recommendations. The pleas for individuals to stay home as much as possible are motivated by evidence that people can be asymptomatic vectors, unknowingly spreading this potentially deadly virus to unsuspecting victims. 🦠

It’s understandable that people don’t want to be in seclusion. Social distancing is particularly difficult for many, because humans are social beings. The news stories of individuals visiting via phone, while sitting outside their elderly parents’ care facility windows are a poignant reminder of the emotional toll of this pandemic, and knowing that many others are unable to visit at all is even more tragic. 😢

Elsewhere, there are other chilling reminders of the gravity of this situation. Healthcare workers are scrambling to find alternative ways to protect themselves amid unprecedented PPE shortages, despite cautions about the efficacy and increased risk of infection from the use of cloth masks. Some hospitals are setting up unorthodox areas for COVID-19 screening, in preparation for what they consider to be an inevitable influx of patients. The state of Florida and other states have banned restaurant dining and closed other businesses. Virtually all schools are closed. Therefore, the class of 2020 will not be able to enjoy the rich experience that is synonymous with being a high school senior. These are truly dark and uncertain times. 😔

Still, despite all this uncertainty and hopelessness, there are reasons to stay optimistic. 😍 In Wuhan, China, they were able to close the last temporary hospital after the dramatic fall of cases. There is exciting news about clinical trials of existing drugs that could be effective in treating COVID-19. Researchers believe they have discovered an antibody capable of fending off an infection by the Covid-19 variant of coronavirus. A 103-year-old woman became the oldest person known to recover from the virus. Healthcare workers are united in the fight against this virus. Celebrities are making considerable donations. People are being genuinely good human beings. 🥰

There is also some comfort in a recent interview with Prof Walter Ricciardi, scientific adviser to Italy’s minister of health. Although new cases continue to overwhelm their medical system and their death toll is skyrocketing, things are slightly less concerning than their numbers suggest. Prof Ricciardi says Italy’s incredibly high mortality rate is attributed to two factors. First, they have a larger population of elderly people than other countries, with their hospital patients’ median age being 67.

Second, the way their deaths are classified inadvertently skews public perception. Essentially, if a patient dies while being positive for COVID-19, his/her death is reported to have occurred as a direct result of the virus, regardless of other underlying causes.

These subtle distinctions may seem insignificant or absurd, but they could explain why Italy is reporting mortality rates so much higher than other countries. 🤭

As we continue to navigate the long, arduous journey ahead, I refuse to sink into a pit of despair. 👊🏻 Instead, I will keep my eyes and ears open for signs of positivity and light. Good things are out there, you just have to look. 🤗