Japan has had schools closed for the last month but, at least this week, the Japanese government is considering reopening schools from the second week of April. Businesses are still open, supermarkets are still well-stocked. My friends report that Costco has a good supply of practically everything. Sports events, concerts and festivals have been cancelled or are being held without spectators or audiences but no decision has been made on whether the Tokyo Olympics will be held (the people in charge were still holding out for having it on schedule but that plan is slipping away hourly...)
Japan is divided into two ways of thinking. That the government should formally put the country on lock-down to decrease the spreading of the Corona virus OR that Japan is doing a really great job of holding the virus at bay and we can go on with our lives as usual.
Even in our own home of two, Tetsu and I are divided... Actually, in my mind alone I am divided! This is what I find the most wearing, the most discouraging. That I can't even figure out myself how I should react to the virus!
The prefecture all together has a population of about 2 million people and as of today, there have been four cases of Corona virus reported... That gives us all a false (?) sense of security and everyone seems to be going along as usual.
I have felt that we should limit our activities in order to be responsible citizens. It is not a hardship to settle down at home for us. We don't have to miss work or inconvenience anyone. Tetsu strongly felt that we shouldn't go to church last Sunday because of the fairly large congregation and that made me sad even though we were able to "attend" the live service online.
On the other hand, Tetsu continues to go to the pool, actually the spa bath every evening saying that there aren't any cases reported in our area, if there was even one person that possibly had been exposed to the virus then the pool would close immediately (they've warned us that that is what they will do). I argue that going to the pool ISN'T the responsible thing to be doing even if the danger is minimal.
"We should be limiting our activities to only the things that are essential. Work (pre-school for me) I will go to because I'm paid to go, but recreational activities like the pool's public bath and church aren't necessary. We shouldn't be going to those things."
"Tanya, I can't believe you called going to church a recreational activity. For you especially, that is a necessity."
"That's right! It is! But we don't want to catch Corona virus and we don't want to spread it before we know if we've been infected or not! I'm willing to stay home as a responsible action!"
That was our Friday argument...
Saturday I had this enlightenment that hiding down in our house being scared and living in a psychological darkness wasn't going to do anyone any good and that we should be spreading a message of hope and cheer!
Me: "Oh, let's just go to the bath and be happy and friendly to people we meet!"
Tetsu: "Okay. Then let's go to church on Sunday and worship with friends!"
And that is what we did. The bath was nice and calming. Church and lunch with friends afterwards was wonderful and uplifting. All is good.
But this morning, when talking with Leiya and Tony, Tony reported about the anxiety he feels in the hospital because patients who have the virus come in with family members who are doing nothing to protect themselves. He says as a doctor, he finds the laissez faire attitude of the population upsetting when the hospital doesn't even have enough materials (masks etc.) to keep doctors and nurses safe. When I mumbled something about our prefecture still having ONLY 4 cases and that was why we were going about our regular lives, Tony clipped "That's how it all starts. With only 1 or 4 CASES!"
So I am back to thinking I'll stay close to home again. No more going out for any non-essentials. Tetsu says that is fine for MY decision. He is still planning to go to the pool bath as it is a "necessity" for him. And I shot back that he should be happy he still has the choice of having that "necessity" because it probably won't be there anymore once the virus spreads into our countryside...
Arguing isn't going to help us but the Corona virus isn't doing our nerves any good.
It is very hard to find the balance between living our lives and protecting our lives. Here in the US things are escalating quickly, more quickly than I ever thought! We also are away from the cities but still connected by others to the city so we are staying home as much as possible. We go for walks in the neighborhood or a nature preserve. When we have to we go to the store for supplies. This has become way more serious than I ever thought. In the town next to us, there was one case last week but now there are 6. Once it is in the area it multiplies exponentially! And that is only the confirmed cases! It seems that people are out there with no symptoms; without any idea they are spreading it. As long as I go to my sewing room and shut out the world, I can have peace for awhile. Our Catholic Churches have all cancelled Masses, although the church is open for prayer and they clean it each morning at 7 am. We are watching Mass online. It leaves a bit to be desired since most of our religion is about community!
ReplyDeleteHoping to make it through this stressful time, stronger and happier!
Here in Australia the C Virus is spreading quite rapidly. No Church services. Clubs and hotels closed. Whilst there are no confirmed cases yet in our twin towns, people have been really blasé about not congregating together and keeping at least 1-1/2 metres apart. Bondi Beach in Sydney had more than 1000 people on it last Friday/Saturday until the Police came and ordered everyone to go home (we had a couple of hot days again.) Australia has not learnt from what has been happening overseas. The New Zealand Prime Minister - a female - seems to be doing a better job of keeping tourists out and its own population in. My swimming group has been cancelled at the local pool which is fair enough. I miss it already. I become very nervous when I go out to check our Post Office box - and can't wait to get home again. All one can do is pray and place our families into God's hands. School holidays soon - week before Easter. Our 2 grandkids are home from school - DH and I went to their place at separate times today to see how they were - they are 10 and 11. Their mother was home for lunch when I went over there. I see the US has closed its Northern and Southern borders - poor Julietta and Takumi. Anyway will sign off now and try to get some sleep. That's been a bit hard of late. I am not a good sleeper at the best of times.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you and Testsu are doing well. Please continue to do so. I find at this time the news very unsettling and do not even turn it on. I am torn about going back to work. I'm a recently retired critical care nurse and when I read what Tony is experiencing I feel the need to be there but then I think about my 94 year old mother and I just can't put her at risk. Please continue to be safe and best thoughts to your children and their families here in the US. BLESS YOU TONY!
ReplyDeleteKaren in New Jersey
All gyms and indoor pools are closed in my state. So are nail salons, barber shops, and hair salons, at least til May. I don't know how we're supposed to go without haircuts til May. I was due next week! I think my (laid off) hairdresser and I are going to get together OUTSIDE on my back deck, both wearing N95 masks and gloves, using a clean sheet drape from inside my house, and just have her scissor my wet hair then skedaddle. Limit our contact, be outside, wear protection, and wash our hands outside. What else can you do? Our known cases number about 40 or 50 here, not anyone I know or have been in contact with. I only go out once a week to the grocery store, wearing a mask and taking incredible steps to clean my hands, purse, and clothes every step of the way. I covered my hair when I got home last time, then went straight to the shower. Clothes went in the washer in the garage and never came in the house. All groceries that aren't refrigerated are sealed in plastic containers left in the garage for a week before reopening or coming into the house. Tell Tony we are trying!
ReplyDeleteUpdate...someone in our neighborhood has tested positive and is home sick. He had traveled out of state and symptoms started when he got home.
DeleteYour post resonates with me. It is so hard to know what to do. We are self isolating as much as possible. All but essential services are closed here.
ReplyDeleteHi Tanya. I found it was easy to be complacent when there was only say 1 confirmed case but I recently started working on our areas COVID hotline. I can tell you that for every one confirmed case there is at least 5 unconfirmed cases. The trouble is you can be a carrier and not even know it. You may not get sick however you may unknowingly get many people sick. They have now traced back 400 cases to one woman alone merely because she didn't stay home and was a carrier. Her systems didn't show until 10 days later and meanwhile she had been living her normal life.
ReplyDeleteWe are thinking about this backwards instead of thinking how can I Not get sick we need to start collectively thinking how can I keep everyone safe. The way to do that is to stay home as much as possible.
Tony sees this first hand. In China, Italy and elsewhere doctors and nurses are dying. If the hospitals are full and the trained doctors and nurses all get sick then what?
What if you fall down and break a bone. Hospitals are full. No beds available and they won't be safe places anyhow. Doctors and nurses are busy now what?
It is something we collectively don't think about. I know I certainly didn't.
Then you have the opposite extreme of people getting themselves so worked up they are actually having panic attacks. This is also not helpful.
This is serious however if we stay calm and stay home we can help everyone especially our doctors and nurses who are now literally putting there life on the line for us.
In our small town, we have no reported cases, testing is very minimal here in Canada, basically they only have enough tests to test people who are already hospitalized, so the numbers are not true. But on the other hand, of the 88,000 tested, fewer than 500 had the virus! In the city where my husband works, there are cases. We have not gone to church the last 2 Sundays. We are behind you and do have shortages, mostly toilet paper - laughably - and hand sanitizer - not so funny. Take care of yourself!
ReplyDeleteour family put us into isolation due to our age so decision was made for us,,,, no going out and any deliveries of food put into isolation or handled with gloves they will not come into house and only talk outside at a distance. . We do not want to give them further anxiety so go along with it. Irene N Ireland
ReplyDeleteI don't comment very often but I love to read your blog. I hope you find peace soon. It is a very stressful time for all around the world. I spend time appliqueing, knitting socks and gardening. I walk around our block keeping my distance but saying hello to other people. I have been enjoying your kimono to mother of the bridegroom dress. I also loved your photos from the quilt show, truly amazing quilts.
ReplyDeleteYup, whatever variant of lockdown we live under, the anxiety is strong. One of the things that helps me with my anxiety is reading your blog and looking at your photos. Your mask tutorial is the clearest one I’ve seen and I an my friends are using it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWe have similar thoughts here - there are people who think we are overreacting and other people who think we should shut everything down. There is no middle ground. People who look at charts - the governors, doctors, seem to be panicked. I was able to find a couple of articles that show some charts - one that compares Italy to the US and finds that if we overlap them based on start dates, the US will be worse than Italy. I am not sure how realistic it is, but other charts I have seen look even worse. There is also another article that shows what would happen if we social distance, shelter in place, etc., and it looks like we can avoid some of the illness. So I am in the shut the whole world down category. There are cases very close by to my house, and politicians, firefighters, air traffic controllers are testing positive, even though tests aren't available and medical equipment is scarce. I am not panicking, since it does not affect my life very much. I work from home, and can easily stay away from people as I walk the dog. Washing my hands when I come home from outside, especially after grocery shopping, is something I have always done.
ReplyDeletePlease be safe.
ReplyDeleteIf you want detailed analysis, look up Coronavirus the Hammer and the Dance (on medium.com) - its a long read, but it goes over the situation and the possible outcomes thoroughly.
The short version is that the best case is if we take the needed isolation time to stop this, now, which likely means several more weeks. That gives us time - so the health care system isn't overwhelmed (like Italy's) and so the researchers have time to test possible treatments and develop vaccines. Then we are in a better place for the next wave(s) - fewer people die, and we have some tools to help combat this virus.
Sorry for being vehement - my chorus met over Zoom tonight, and a few members want to meet to sing (of course keeping our distance from each other) and I'm struggling with not yelling no as loudly as I can. Confirmed cases are occurring closer to us (I live in SW Virginia - 3 in hospital in Roanoke which is only about 45 minutes away). I would rather miss my friends now than forever.
--Jean Marie
Tanya, thank you for this post. You really illustrate that push and pull. I vacillate as well. And David and I see-saw with each other in that same way. But now that things are bad in the U.S. I am really having a lot of worry about things. Feeling very far away and helpless should one of our parents or kids get the virus.
ReplyDeleteThings seem to be relaxing in Tokyo though, so....? Hard not to worry about a second wave, if people don't take social distancing to heart.
It is rather comforting to find I am not the only one wrestling with these concerns. I really don't think I need six kids calling me to make sure I am behaving ... after all, I was grown up enough to raise them. First it was school called off, then the quilt groups, then choir practice during the week and now services have been live streamed. (well. my kids have liked being able to watch from their areas of the states and be virtually all together. Tonight's meeting was on "ZOOM" but I couldn't get in because I have to pay in dollars for the app. At least I have finished a quilt top and am now piecing the backing. The neighbor's house is having some renovations done and Saturday the banging and clanging putting up the scaffolding was awful and I had to escape to the park for a bit of weeding. Monday they were blasting water and it was as if there was a motorcycle revving it's engine in my livingroom. Not only that, but the smell of chemicals was giving me a headache, I went back to the park and pulled a big bag of weeds. Today they are painting and the smell is awful ... but it is probably just me and my over-sensitive nose. Too cold and blustery to go out and no sun with the scaffolding and curtains blocking the sun to the south. What started as a two week off is now looking much longer and the news from the states looks even worse. Hang in there. I love the stars in your log cabin.
ReplyDeleteHere in Ohio we had only 16 COVID cases. Today, 3/24 we have 564 confirmed COVID cases. it is a rapacious virus with fast transmission. Everything here is closed but the essentials, no libraries, no hairdressers, no nail salons. The church where I normally donate the quilts I make has shut down the entire campus. So far all my family is still well, but I worry for them. I have been making face masks by several different patterns but I can't say I'm really pleased with my results so far.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you - no swimming pools or spas.
ReplyDeleteIt is very hard for us social humans to isolate ourselves. But with this vicious virus we must. I've not been anywhere for two weeks but to the grocery store and post office, both times with mask on and bleach wipes in a baggie to wipe everything down before it comes into my house. I miss my quilt guild, my job, the coffee shop and being able to go to the beach - that was closed to the public last week. But, I feel it is my civic duty to try to do as much as I can here in my city to lessen the spread of the virus. I can't do much else. My husband and I are 65, he has diabetes, it would be very scary for him to get the virus. He is still working away from home for now, but that will most likely end within a week since our city now has 10 confirmed cases of community spread virus. I sew, read, watch a movie, I do NOT listen to the news constantly though - just too much for me. I limit myself to reading the news once in the morning and early evening. It feels so backwards to us all to not be able to just do as we always have. Like we've been put into 'timeout', perhaps we have. Take care and be careful when going out, if your area has 4 cases there are likely so many more undiagnosed. For the USA, the number of confirmed cases and the number of deaths to date are very low when compared to that of other countries whose death count is in the thousands for the size of their countries. That could all change in the coming weeks though. We have to stay home, that is how the Chinese finally got their case count down, by forced isolation of the populace. Hugs from NC, KittyAnn
ReplyDeleteOur Rec Center (and swimming pool) closed three weeks ago. Today I mentioned to my husband that, although I have not gained weight, I feel really "blah". So we went out for a 10-mile bike ride before dinner. I feel so much better.
ReplyDeleteOur Bible study had a Zoom online meeting today. It was terrific to see everyone again. The meeting itself was not terribly dynamic, for me. Our church is also doing online services and midweek Lenten service. I do embrace the Holden Evening Vespers.
I have been taking our dog to the local city park for walks, keeping our 7' distance from other people. (Not difficult when your dog is a 90-lb German Shepherd; no one wants to come near us.) So many dog walkers, and it's a good time to make small talk.
I hosted a small picnic for nearby neighbors last week. My voicemail said, "Come over for a picnic! Bring your own food, drink, and table service. I am sorry: I do not want you in our house. Please go to the toilet before you come over. If you have the need once here, you are welcome to go behind our barn. I will have our lawn chairs set 7' apart."
So pathetic. But four women came, and we had a few hours of delightful laughs and conversation. We do what we can do.
Having my husband home full time is different, but nice. Mine is a home-based business, so my life has not changed much at all, but I know his has. He is frustrated about not being able to be in his lab doing his research.
A sweet quilter friend, quite elderly, passed away this week - not unexpectedly at all. But how difficult for family, especially, and for us friends. We always embrace the celebrations of life in our church, and in the funeral luncheons following. I have not heard what the plans will be, but I do know that they will not be traditional or timely.