Oh Boy, the Pandemic

My only knowledge of pandemic's comes from watching disaster movies.

I've watched a lot of them---zombie outbreaks, monster outbreaks, giant worms (loved the movie Tremor, the first one), contagious disease outbreaks of all sorts.....that's my information base for pandemics.  Andromeda Strain, Pandemic, Contagion, Cargo (which I really liked), The Girl with all the Gifts, Zoo, (the series, liked it too), Omega Man, anyhow---I feel prepared, right, after watching movies like these, over the years?

Now I see the real pandemic panics.  The fights over toilet paper, of all things (isn't that what leaves are for, when you run out?).  And now the travel ban from Europe.  And shut down cruise lines.

Universities are going to online classes.

All I think about is the jobs that will be lost.  Like all the worker bees at the universities, who serve the students, for minimal pay.

And like my older brother's and his wife's jobs. They work in the travel industry.  Both work from home.  My brother says his wife's job was already cut to four days a week.  They get their health insurance through her job.  He only works minimally as a consultant now.  He has health issues.   I worry about their future if her job goes down the tubes.

I wish I had tons of money to travel now and support the travel industry.  I'd do it in a heartbeat.  It's cheaper now, at least, but still not in my budget.  Let's face it, I can't even afford to stay one night in a cheap motel. I won't be much help.

I'm happy to hear the Olympics will go on as planned at least.

The virus has hit close to home here.  Two guys at the veterans home in Lebanon have it, but they don't have bad symptoms, according to the paper.  But they had to have gotten it from relatives who visited or workers or volunteers, who have been out there spreading it in the community maybe unaware they even are sick.

I still wonder about the Sweet Home Ridgeway man, who had the porch cats, who suddenly became ill and died of pneumonia, in February.   Well, its probably been floating around these parts awhile.

The death rate is ten times higher than seasonal flu is why everyone is up in the air over it, the news said this morning.   But most people will only get mild symptoms.   They now define "mild" as to include getting pneumonia but not needing oxygen or a respirator.

I got to call the Waterloo residential cat caretaker, see how she is.  She didn't feel well at all on Sunday when I was going to go over to catch the last male there.  So I didn't go.  If she wasn't better she was going to the ER that night.  Had a terrible headache and no energy.  I was worried she was having a brain bleed but she said it felt sort of more like flu.   She's a tough lady so is probably fine.  I want to catch that cat of hers for Monday's clinic.

My new teeth are great.  They made my mouth a bit sore yesterday but that's just the settling in period I think.  I can even eat pizza now.  And apples.   I celebrated last nght with a nice ripe apple.