Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Pandemic 3/31/2020

The numbers keep climbing.

World total:  803,313
United States:  164,516
Virginia: 1250
Loudoun County:  87

Maryland:  1660
Washington, D. C.:  495

Virginia and Maryland issued Stay at Home orders effective yesterday evening and Washington, D. C. will issue one effective tomorrow.  All non-essential employees must stay at home except to go to the grocery store, pharmacy, bank or to get gas.  Pat and I are both considered essential, so off to work we continue to go.  I won't lie and say I am happy to be out of the house.  It's more than a little troubling.

The Stock Market has continued to see saw, although it does seem a little more stable that it was.  It had gotten down into the 18,000 range, but is back in the 22,000 range. 

New York continues to be the main hotspot in the U.S. closely followed by California, Chicago area, Michigan, Louisiana.  And now they are saying our area is up and coming.   Based on the numbers, I'd say they are right.

Schools are now closed for the remainder of the year, but Loudoun has finally started the Distance Learning.  They are uploading Hot Docs on Google Classroom on Monday mornings.  The idea is that the kids have all week to complete the work by the end of Friday.  Teachers are available by email if there are questions.  I have Aidan working 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the morning and then 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the afternoon.  He also started some new work outs. . .one of his WLC coaches is doing Live workouts on Facebook, which stated yesterday.  Aidan's legs are killing him today!  yay!!  And he went for a run with our neighbor, who runs track for Virginia Tech.  The WLC workout today is supposed to be primarily upper body (coach's legs are hurting too!)

So Aidan is doing pretty good.  I'm going home now for lunch and will work from home on Wednesdays.  That's helping him stay on track as well.  This boy needs routine, as do most children.

I just heard today that Delirium Cafe, in Leesburg, is closing effective immediately and may not reopen.  So sad.  They had been doing a great business until this all started (less than 3 weeks ago!!)  I want to order Solo Pizza tonight. . .

I'm worried about my medicine for Rheumatoid Arthritis.  I take the anti malarial drug they have decided to use for Coronavirus treatment.  I am very hopeful I can still get it.  I just ordered my next 90 day supply this morning and am hopeful Pat will be able to pick it up for me.  I just can't even begin to think about the pain returning to my hands and feet.  It was bad.

Say a prayer and keep your fingers crossed.

Stay well!  Stay safe!  Stay home!

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Pandemic 3/29/2020

Another day and many more are sick.  The totals:

World:  708,020
United States:  131,366
Virginia:  890
Loudoun County:  61
Maryland:  1239
Washington, D. C.:  342

Gov. Northam has placed the Commonwealth of Virginia under some partial restrictions.  Only essential Employees are to be out and about unless you are going to the grocery store, pharmacy or gas station.  He has backed off on issuing a full stay at home order.  I am an essential employee as is Pat.  Although Pat is working from home.  Beginning this week, I will be working from home one day a week.  I have been stressed worrying about Aidan being home alone for so long.  I was okay with a couple of weeks, even four.  But, now it will be 5 1/2 months until he goes back to school.

The saying for this year is Social Distancing.  I think it will be the phrase of the year.  Social Distancing is a new verb phrase.  It means to not be closer than 6 feet from anyone else.  Sort of puts the cabash on friendly hugs and even putting a hand on the should of someone who needs comforting.

And today we all need some comforting.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Pandemic

Anyone reading this will know that this began many weeks ago.  Coronavirus.  Covid-19 specifically.

In January we began hearing about this virus that was hitting China really hard.  Everyone was wearing masks and it sounded horrendous on the news.  At that time, there was maybe a couple of minutes of some story on the news, but that was enough to show us how bad it was in China.  Wuhan, specifically.

By the beginning of February, the stories on the news were lasting at least five minutes.  Sometimes more.  There had been confirmed cases in Washington by then.  There were several cases on a couple of cruise ships.  The cruise ships were not allowed to dock anywhere.  Even healthy people on the ships were locked down on the ship.  Many people began dying.  I started calling them Death Ships. . .I mean, it was crazy!

But that was only the beginning, for us.

By the end of February, it was popping up all over the U. S. and Europe.  Italy, particular, was being hit really hard.  They were locked down by the end of February.

March saw the numbers in the United States really climb.  Particularly New York.  New York became the new Italy, although things are still really really bad in Italy.  We had our first case pop up in Virginia at the end of February and the numbers did climb.

Loudoun County Public schools had decided, as of March 11, that they would be closed on Friday March 20 for a Teacher Work Day so they could figure out Distance Learning plans.  We were at dinner with friends.  Exactly 12 hours later, I received a call from the schools saying schools were closed effective immediately until March 27th.  I was crazy trying to figure that out!  I mean, what happened!!

Aidan had his Tier 1 training on Thursday, March 12th but then by Friday, the 13th, Kettler was closed.  So was Ashburn.  ION was still open so the boys all went to that rink for Stick and Shoots over the weekend and into the following week.  ION, being the new rink in town, wanted to stay open as long as possible.

By Monday, the 15th, there had been someone in Loudoun County diagnosed.  Now, things were starting to get very real.  We began a new phase of our life:  Social Distancing.  We are to be 6 feet or more away from everyone else and we had to wash our hands with soap and water or Purell and wipe everything down with alcohol based cleaner.  Panic buying became a thing.  People began hoarding TP, paper towels and Purell.  I thought it was crazy before. But, now, I mean yikes!!

As of Monday, March 23rd, Loudoun County had 15 case; Tuesday, March 24th we were at 18; Wednesday, March 25th we were at 20;  By Thursday, March 26th, LoCo was 28 and Friday, the 27th the count was 43.  I just saw on the count site that LoCo is at 54.

Other counts, as of today:
The World--629,627
USA- 105,006
Virginia--604

New York is the current hot spot with 52,318 cases.  However, Chicago, Detroit and New Orleans are the new up and coming hot spots.

Hockey has been cancelled for the immediate future.  We have no idea when that might come back.  School in Virginia has been cancelled for the remainder of the year.  We're learning about Continuity of Education and Distance Learning.  Not sure how well this will go.  Staying focused is not a strength of Aidan's.  Staying focused without continuous adult or parental supervision may be non existent.  But, we're trying.

Today, I went to Costco for a couple of things.  I was in tears by the time I was checking out at the full realization at our new reality.

I'll try to be more positive the next time. . .