Heartfelt

While chatting with a neighbor -- a teacher -- outside at the requisite safe distance this morning, she mentioned that the mother of one of her students is an emergency room physician and has either been at work or in a room in the basement of her home when off duty. "That woman has not been able to hug her husband or her kids for over a month," my neighbor noted. I can't imagine what that would be like.

That's just one story amidst millions of other stories that those who are in the front lines of dealing with COVID-19 could tell. I wish that I could do something useful, but people in their later years are advised to "shelter in place" in their homes (assuming they have homes). 

We have friends who will do our shopping for us at the food co-op, and a number of local cafes and restaurants are doing take-away meals, which makes a nice change from making every meal yourself. We've had several of those, with more to come. It's one small way we can support our local economy. 

I have tremendous respect for those on the "front lines" of this battle against an enemy we cannot see and had no prior knowledge of just a few weeks ago, for those working tirelessly to care for those affected and to develop a vaccine against the virus, and for the millions of people around the world whose usual way of life has been uprooted with no warning, and in many cases, with no help. 

Blip 2064

[COVID-19 statistics for Whatcom County today: 139 confirmed cases,  677 negative results, and 7 deaths. One week ago there were 64 confirmed cases and 2 deaths. Two weeks ago there were 7 confirmed cases and 0 deaths.]