The past two days our federal and state government have been discussing the "reopening" of our country that is currently scheduled for May 1st. Everyone, including government officials as well as the general public, hasa lot of questions about what this is going to look like and how we are going to start tackling the two pronged issue of both the healthcare crisis and the economic crisis.
According to the press briefings from our state governor today and yesterday, here is what we understand at the state level: the opening up of Ohio will be done "slowly and responsibly." Gov. DeWine has put together a "thinktank" of sorts with businessmen and women from both large companies and small businesses to create and implement safety measures that will allow for a gradual reopening of the state that can boost the economy, help people get back into the workforce, and help all of us learn which practices are most effective at continuing to battle this virus while not remaining on total lockdown. Given the incubation period of the virus being about 2-3 weeks, decisions surrounding the economy and next steps will likely come in 2-3 week waves, though that number is subject to change depending on the ramifications we are having as a state.
Many people are looking at May 1st as the beginning of a "new phase." As we have continued to buy time, our hospitals have begun collecting PPE in creative ways that never, ever should have been a part of the job description in working FOR the hospital. That being said, our reserve of medical supplies is growing, albeit slowly, so continuing to stem the spread is critical. In addition, we are expecting testing capacity to increase, which will give excellent data not only for who has the virus, but also data on who has recovered from it.
Dr. Amy Acton reminded us all that we must continue to "don our masks and our capes," reaffirming the need for social distancing practices and other safety measures we can all take to help during this pandemic.
The federal government seems to be striking a different tune in how they are looking at the future of the country "in the time of 'corona.'" Today during President Trump's briefing, he urged citizens of states in lockdown to disregard law enforcement and state-level orders, sending a dangerous and powerful message to an already confused nation. He went so far as to tweet, "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" "LIBERATE MINNESOTA!" and "LIBERATE VIRGINIA"--all states that are taking a necessary, firm stance on social distancing practices. The president went on to tweet that our second amendment rights are "under siege" and to protect ourselves.
It is nearly impossible not to see the stark contrast between the state and federal responses to this pandemic that is threatening to kill many millions of Americans with the total number of people at risk being directly correlated with how stringently we take safety measures.
Personally, I am feeling the strain of being at-risk in a new, unprecedented way this week as the CDC and Dr. Acton released a timeline for the projected course of this disease, given few variable changes. People who are at-risk are currently being instructed to stay in their homes until a vaccine is created. This may seem obvious, but I don't think that all of the ramifications necessarily are...many people expected the pandemic to have passed us by two weeks ago, more still believe that May 1st is the break in the storm clouds, but that has never been the case. At least, not in my mind. Once we make it out of this first initial wave of surges, likely plateauing in early July, there is a second wave expected when the weather get colder again in the fall, creating several unknown variables for ho to proceed in the winter months. A vaccine is not expected until at least early 2021 (which I personally believe is optimistic) based on current best practices.
As a person who is not allowed to walk around my block, even wearing a mask and staying distanced, who cannot go to the pharmacy or grocery store, but instead rely on my husband to go and then decontaminate, and who is only allowed to leave for doctors' appointments...
I am sad.
I am very, very sad. There are so many unknowns with the only known facts feel like incredibly depressing obstacles. I am anxious for the health of everyone I care about as the government goes back and forth. For the healthcare workers who signed up to save lives--not to fight a war. For all of the people who were living paycheck to paycheck and now don't know when the next one will come. For the children in struggling to find a safe foster home in this pandemic. For the families relying on school lunches that were vital to the survival of many children attending school. And selfishly, for me. For not knowing when I will be allowed to leave my home and not being able to be on the frontlines to help those most in need except by reading the news, providing a shoulder to the ones I care about, and by writing.
I wonder when I will be allowed to hug family members who I should have hugged longer the last time I saw them. I wonder how my health situation will affect my husband's career and our living arrangements. I wonder if I can keep slogging through news that makes me want to get through the to the manager and talk to the person in charge. I wonder which, if any, of the trips we planned to take this year, or next, will happen. I wonder if I can keep exercising and cooking and doing those humanizing things when it feels like the walls are closing in from 37 days of confinement.
But.
I am also optimistic.
Then I see my dog with his head on my knee, tail cautiously thumping the ground. My husband pulling me off the couch to dance in the living room to my favorite song when it comes on Spotify. My mother-in-law and father-in-law texting us after dropping care packages on our porch. My friends pulling together zoom calls to stay connected despite poor wifi connection. The tree outside my window blooming in defiance of the extraordinary experiences. My mom sending me pictures of what she finds on her walks of the neighborhood. Messages from my doctors checking in on me because they care about me as a person.
And I already have my answer. We can do this together. I don't know how long we'll be doing it, and I know we cannot go back to where we were before this...but what I do know is that together, we can do this.
In the words of Winston Churchill in 1942:
"Now this is not the end.
It is not even the beginning of the end.
But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
Prepare, don't panic.
-Allison
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