Plague Diaries, Issue 4: 16 March 2020

Today is the last day that I was supposed to be on my vacation. Which means, if we lived in The Old Normal, tomorrow I'd be going back to work, checking the sick line, answering emails, and catching up on a backlog of work. But because my employer is closed for business, at home I will remain. I think now that my vacation is over, this strange situation is starting to settle in.

For the first time since last Thursday, I did leave the house--to get gas ($1.87 a gallon!), to swing by the library for a final meeting (it was so unsettling, to look around the conference table at each of the folks on my team, and wonder, "How long 'til I see you again?"), to stop by CVS to see what goods they had (a surprising amount--even toilet paper!) and to work for Susan. For a bit, I stopped in Bryan Park and walked around, giving everyone a wide berth. A few folks were out, but not many.

Indiana Governor Holcomb made the call to close down bars and restaurants in the state.

Cases of COVID-19 in Indiana up to 24, from yesterday's 19. We also had our first death.

Northern California residents have been ordered to shelter in place. 

Up until this point, I've been watching events unfold with wonder, curiosity, and concern. Today, though, my mood has dropped a bit, into a bit of depression and a lot of anxiety. I miss my colleagues and my work. I hear vague speculation from random people about how "this could go on longer than we thought" and that makes my blood run cold--completely apart from the folks whose lives are at risk, what will this mean for our economy? Our jobs? Our elections?

Rumor-mongering and speculation does no good, however, and while we shouldn't stick our heads in the sand about any of this, we need to try to keep our spirits up, and support others, and find hope and laugh where we can. So, on that note, I'll sign off with the best memes of the day: