Quarantined--Sort Of

Here we are at home, socially isolated to prevent the spread of COVID-19, that new coronavirus that suddenly appeared in China a couple of months ago. Never in my lifetime have I ever experienced this kind of reaction to a virus. It seems as though the whole world is quarantined. 

Except for Levi's therapy and an occasional trip to the grocery store, we are staying home most of the time this week, and into the near future. We are not really quarantined, since none of us are sick, but the kids and I are isolating ourselves at home to help prevent the spread of this new, nasty virus. Bill is going to work as usual, with some recently added COVID-19 protocol, in an effort to provided essential TV and internet services to the homebound people who need it now, more than ever. 

Yesterday, when I took Levi to the hospital for his appointment, we had to don face masks because I drove to an appointment in Fort Collins last week; since then, at least one health care worker there has tested positive for the virus, so I have a very slight chance of exposure. I'm not worried, even though my asthma and age put me at a marginally higher risk for complications if I actually catch the virus.

I have been quarantined before, when I had mumps, and then measles, as a child in the early sixties. Those quarantines were voluntary and typical for children who contracted any contagious illness. Before vaccines were commonly available, social isolation was used to prevent the spread of illness to vulnerable people, except when parents purposely arranged play dates with sick kids so their healthy kids would catch a particular disease at a convenient time. Otherwise, when children were sick, they stayed home, usually for two or more weeks at a time. Compulsory school attendance laws were unheard of, because most children missed several weeks of school every year due to illness. 

I remember what a relief it was, for parents everywhere, when the polio vaccine was given to all children, nationwide. I was seven or eight when Mom took all three of us kids to Norfolk's community building, where we stood in a slow-moving, snaking line so Danny and I could each chew up and swallow a sugar cube that had been injected with the free vaccine. Baby Laura Beth received her vaccine in liquid form, squirted into her mouth. I don't recall whether we received two or three doses that summer, but it was a big deal, because it meant the end of that horrible, crippling disease.

Now, the world waits anxiously for a vaccine for this new virus.

Realistically, for most people, COVID-19 is no worse than the its cousin, the common cold. But for medically fragile children and immuno-compromised or senior adults, this disease has proven to be several times deadlier than influenza, which also kills an alarming number of people each year. As I understand it, it also spreads like wildfire, with a symptom-free incubation period of up to 14 days.

For those who develop pneumonia, hospitalization is required so ventilators can be used to help patients breathe, in hopes that they will recover from this deadly complication. Unfortunately, this particular virus has spread so fast that it has overwhelmed the hospitals in Italy and other European nations. That's the real reason our nation's nursing homes and schools are closed for the next few weeks, and why so many people are working from home: social isolation slows the spread of the virus, ensuring that hospitals have rooms and ventilators for the seriously ill people who need them.

I've been thinking about the reasons for the toilet paper shortages, as well as the scarcity of essentials like milk, bread, bananas, and flour. Some people in our selfish, entitled society are obviously panicking, hoarding unreasonable quantities of goods they think they might need. Fear is a powerful motivator.

But when I stopped briefly at WalMart the other day to pick up a couple of items, I watched several elderly men and women, carts piled high with groceries, making one last trip for supplies before they went home to stay, knowing that their chances of surviving the virus were not nearly as good as they hoped. For them, that WalMart trip had to last, because they had no intention of leaving their homes again for several weeks. Other families needed more groceries than usual because their kids were unexpectedly home from school, and the adults found themselves working from home. When a family of six is forced to stay home, they use a lot of toilet paper and drink a lot of milk.

Here in twenty-first century America, families are busy, to the point of being overcommitted, with every hour of the day scheduled. After work or school, kids are ferried to and from sports practice, music and dance lessons, midweek church activities, movies, shopping, and parties. When people are accustomed to such busy lives, sheltering at home is culture shock for many.

When I was a young child, most moms stayed at home to care for their families, while the dads were the sole breadwinners. Children went to school, and maybe a scout meeting, but most of their out-of-school time was spent playing in their neighborhoods and interacting with their families. Daycare centers were non-existent because they weren't needed; family or neighbors cared for children when it became necessary. Rural families were even more isolated on the farm, and in the small country schools the children attended. Social isolation was pretty much the norm, and certainly easy to implement on a larger scale when needed to prevent the spread of disease.

I hope that this period of forced isolation will draw families together. Perhaps people can embrace this unexpected hiatus from their busy lives, and enjoy the slower pace of life at home. There are board games to play and books to read, and home improvement projects to complete; outside time is encouraged, as long as non-family members stay six feet apart, so families can take hikes and plant gardens, if they choose. What a wonderful opportunity to simply play and be creative!

In our community, I am glad to see people providing food for the kids who need it. Volunteers are delivering groceries to the elderly. People are trying hard to encourage one another, and maintain contact via phone or computer. Teachers are making extra efforts to keep in touch with their students, as everyone prepares to shift gears and implement large-scale, online, home schooling. It's a scary thought for some, but educators are working together to make the transition as painless as possible for everyone.

It will be at least a week before Levi starts online school, and Victoria is without her preschool job until school resumes, so we need to find plenty to keep them occupied. At our house, Victoria, Levi, and I are organizing our newly-painted basement, so we can move to the next step of installing carpet, and adding a TV and furniture, in our new home theater. Once the weather moderates a little, we can all work in the yard, pruning bushes and cleaning up the flower beds and garden, so we can plant peas and spinach soon. And then, we plan to repaint Levi's room, with one cobalt blue, checker-board wall. Sudden change is hard, but we are making the best of it.

I would like to adopt the same attitude as Martin Luther, who had some pertinent things to say about the pandemic Plague that was so rampant throughout Europe in the sixteenth century: "I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash not foolhardy and does not tempt God." (Luther's Works, Volume 43, page 132)

It was summer when Danny and I were stuck at home, in our beds, sunglasses covering our sensitive eyes as we waited for our measles to disappear. Every day was made so much better when Mom brought each of us an armful of warm, wiggly, Cocker Spaniel puppies from Daisy's litter. I won't be leaving the Nebraska Panhandle any time soon, but if you live close by, and are in need of any groceries or help with your kids' school work, let me know. If you are feeling anxious, text me or call; I have time to listen. Today, if you are feeling afraid or stressed, I pray you will turn to God for the guidance and peace you need. And, when you are tired of being cooped up at home, waiting for this virus to run its course, I wish you puppies.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9