The NEW March Madness

This month’s blog entry is a bit different than my usual lighthearted fare.  But with the dire news about the spread of the Covid-19 virus surrounding us, I thought it appropriate to reflect on this public health crisis and provide some sourced information to help us all.  The material included here was created by me, with references noted and quoted. 

The is the year when everything changed.

First, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among a group of 9 people who lost their lives in a helicopter crash.

And then the corona virus, COVID-19, hit.

One NBA player tested positive and the league immediately suspended its season, with hockey, soccer and other sports leagues following suit.

March Madness Basketball games were canceled and conference tournaments were halted in the middle of games after some were played without spectators, cheerleaders, the band, or the fans providing the homecourt advantage. The Rutgers Men's Basketball team was on the cusp of gaining its first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 1991, only to be left with a premature ending to a magical season.

St. Patrick Day parades have been canceled or rescheduled.  Baseball’s Opening Day has been postponed.

The stock market crashed.

Other than epidemiologists, had you ever heard of the Corona virus or Covid-19?  Yeah, me neither.

Now – and this is subject to change by the time you finish reading this essay – people are dying in Italy, where they have run out of beds and medical care.  People are being diagnosed and dying in this country, too, in your town or a neighboring one, and the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.

Three people mutinied because someone sneezed on an airplane, ending in a forced landing.

People are sneezing into their coats, stripping toilet paper and hand sanitizer from store shelves, and practicing “social distancing,” thus validating all of the introverts who avoided crowds anyway.  Today I got the last two bananas at my supermarket and nothing to use to make and freeze a meatloaf.  People are hunkering down, hoarding and losing their last bit of sanity.

Concerts, sports events, rallies, weddings and parties are being cancelled.  Who wants to take a cruise with the possibility of being quarantined upon returning if someone on the ship tests positive for the virus?  Or worse.

Flights are being canceled because people are afraid to fly.  And with the tests for the virus being in limited supply, no one knows whether they have been exposed to the virus by a passenger who just hasn’t been diagnosed yet.

Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson announced that they have contracted the virus and are in quarantine in Australia.

Colleges and public schools are closing, leaving college kids with no place to go and no way to get there.  Teachers are scrambling to prepare to teach online.  People will lose their jobs because they have to stay home and take care of their kids instead of picking them up after school.  We may run out of beds in health care facilities, equipment and treatments.

The reality is that no one – even the US, with the best doctors and health care in the world (supposedly) – was prepared to face this worldwide pandemic that has resulted already in thousands of deaths.  Diagnostic tests were not available and the vaccines have not as yet been developed.  And don’t hold your breath waiting for a cure or a vaccine.

According to the industry group Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers Association, on average, “it takes at least 10 years for a new medicine to complete the journey from initial discovery to the marketplace, with clinical trials alone taking six to seven years on average.  The average cost to research and develop each successful drug is estimated to be $2.6 billion.”  We don’t have that kind of time.

The threat of further outbreaks remains a reality as we have finally caught up with our own failure to take precautions with our health.  Our lack of good hygiene doesn’t help.  The CDC says that only 31 percent of men and 65 percent of women wash their hands after using the bathroom. WebMD on its website lists the “12 Hot Spots for Germs,” and they are things many of us experience every day, like using a touch screen to order food or touching the restaurant menu, using those explosive hand dryers (for those who actually wash their hands) or working out at the gym on equipment where the virus’ germs may reside for a period of time.

According to a four-year study conducted by the University of Arizona’s Environmental Research Lab and sponsored by Clorox, “Grocery carts are veritable petri dishes teeming with human saliva, mucus, urine, fecal matter, as well as the blood and juices from raw meat. Swabs taken from the handles and child seats of 36 grocery carts in San Francisco, Chicago, Tucson, and Tampa showed these common surfaces to rank third on the list of nastiest public items to touch, with only playground equipment and the armrests on public transportation producing more disgusting results. In terms of playing host to germs and bacteria, the carts are far worse than public bathrooms, which at least are cleaned more often. Bacteria and viruses such as E. coli, staphylococcus, salmonella, and influenza can live on grocery carts, a sorry fact most shoppers are blissfully unaware of.”  That’s OK, the grocery shelves are bare anyway by now.

Some further advice suggests maintaining a 2-week supply of food in the house in case you are quarantined, stocking up on prescriptions you might need during that period and buying over-the-counter meds to treat the symptoms you may contract.

Many stores offer antibacterial wipes these days. Use them.  If you are lucky you might find a package of wipes or a bottle of sanitizer on the shelf.  Many of us who were careful before the invasion of the virus but who were not exactly germophobes now have begun to rethink how we can minimize our exposure to germs in general and to the Covid-19 virus specifically.

The World Health Organization says:

“Practice respiratory hygiene.  Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

“Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene practices, you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19."

When I think of all the times someone accidentally spit on me during a conversation, I shudder.

The WHO continues: 

“Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.  National and local authorities will have the most up-to-date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.”

We are told to wash our hands for at least 20 seconds. Lady Macbeth didn’t wring her hands as much as I do now, followed by an application of lotion to prevent dryness and cracking.  I saw online a diagram of how to wash our hands properly and realized that at nearly 70 years old, I had not been doing it right.

Stay away from crowds and don’t wear a mask unless you have symptoms but do use hand sanitizer before and after any possible exposure.  Last week, as I was flying home, a passenger was wiping down her seat like it was going to be used for surgery.  And I had no idea how many times my hands touched my face in the course of a day, which we are told to avoid.

Now I wonder if I could have been exposed to the virus at the BIG 10 Women’s Basketball Tournament, which was held the week before all hell broke loose.  If it takes two weeks to develop the virus, I’m smack in the middle of that window.

If you do have symptoms, see your doctor and self-quarantine for two weeks.  Watch movies, read books, take a walk, do deep-breathing to help stay as relaxed as possible, and wait.  Call your friends and family and use social media to stay in touch since most gatherings are discouraged. Donate to your local food bank, where supplies are limited and donations are down.

I’m not minimizing the severity of this situation by any means, but I am hopeful that we will change our behavior as individuals to improve our hygiene short- and long-term.  And I am hopeful that we will get this pandemic under control, because it is deadly.

What a year!  And it is only March.  

Meanwhile, stay safe, stay healthy and stay connected.