In the time of Covid...

As I reflect on the spectrum of people that can offer a perspective on Covid 19 I can’t help but think of it in terms of a “drunk old guy at the end of the bar with an opinion” as being a one and Dr Howard Njoo, the deputy public health officer of Canada, as a ten — so with humble consideration to this scale, I would consider myself a solid five and a half on a good day.

Why am I so bold to say this?

Well I have an undergraduate in microbiology and have spend my career in the biotechnology space where I would find myself talking to virologists and immunologists quite regularly; insight by osmosis is how the saying goes. And as a hobby, I’m quick to dig into the statistics and curves, and lament what I would be doing if only I had applied myself more. With that said, it’s worth grounding ourselves before I offer insights into my guiding principles for dealing with this pandemic.

In December 2019, and possibly earlier, an animal virus jumped to a new host which had no innate immunity — the virus is from a family of viruses called coronaviruses and the new hosts are us. Because it’s a new virus it was called a novel coronavirus but soon after the WHO called the virus SARS-CoV-2, and the disease it caused, Covid 19. This particular virus infects the upper respiratory track, and more dangerously the lungs if it gets a chance, and because of it’s a novel virus there are over eight billion people that can unwittingly conspire to help it spread. We’ve had seven months to learn about this new virus and have found that it spreads easily in crowds (particularly indoors), it’s deadly (particularly to those who have underlying health conditions), people can be infectious even when they don’t show any symptoms, and the data suggests only about 1 % of the population has been infected — 1% is a long way from the herd immunity needed to bring us back to some sort of normality. This herd immunity comes when a majority of the population* either recovers from Covid 19 or develops immunity from a vaccine. And a vaccine for mass distribution is 8 to 12 months away (and I’m optimistic).

That is enough of me trying to show my worth as a solid 5 1/2, and with that small amount of self indulgence out of the way, here are my guiding principles in the time of Covid…. be it personally, professionally or spiritually.

1) Be as healthy as you possibly can — physically, mentally and spiritually. SARS-CoV-2 is a dangerous virus, more so for those with weak immune systems and underlying medical conditions (which is a very broad category). Depending on how you interpret the numbers, 2-5 % of those who are infected will die and many others may have to contend with chronic health issues. A healthy body, mind and spirit is the best defence.

Work hard to be healthy.

2) Work really hard not to get infected (FULL STOP). As a simple reminder, a person gets infected when the virus enters the body through the nose, mouth and eyes — more often than not this happens by being too close to an infected person or transferring the the virus from surfaces to your face. Try not to let this happen.

3) Be adaptive because change is happening. — Sadly some of this change is dramatic and hard (particularly on the mind and spirit). Remember though, with change comes opportunity, innovation, and more often than not, offers something better than you had. The important thing is to embrace the change and work with it.

4) Be kind. There is a common connection that SARS-Cov-2 has given us and a reminder that we are all very much the same. As you are (or should be) kind to yourself as you work through this situation, you should remember to be kind to others because they are working through the same situation. We will all get through this — not because of our differences but because of our similarities.

I appreciate each of my guiding principles necessitate the need for information, reflection, personal development, and stepping into the unknown — but isn’t that part of life anyway?

That’s all I got — be safe in the time of Covid.

iamgpe

*I’ve read that herd immunity will happen when 70 % of the population has developed an immunity to the virus. But remember I’m a 5 1/2.

Moments — I've always liked the story and wanted to share

A man was walking along minding his own business when inexplicably he fell into a hole, and as much as he tried, he just couldn’t get out. As he looked up he could see people walking by and started asking for help.

Soon after a doctor stopped. After assessing the situation he wrote out a prescription and threw it into the hole. “This should help”, he said as he walked away..

A little while later a religious man, after hearing his pleas, stopped. After some discussion, the religious man offered thoughts on the scriptures and how they can help. He looked to the heavens, nodded, and continued on his way.

As the man continued to watch people walk by he noticed a friend. “Hey friend”, he shouted, “Can you help me get out of this hole?” His friend, after hearing his request, jumped into the hole and landed right beside him.

The man looked at his friend and asked, “What did you do that for? Now we are both stuck in this hole!”

His friend looked at him and responded, “Yes we are… but I‘ve been here before, and I know the way out”

As I say, I’ve always liked this story and I will leave it up to you to decide if you want to share and discuss it on your next virtual cocktail hour.

Covid 19 has us all in the same hole, and for what it’s worth, this is the way out —

• Stay as healthy as you can. Exercise, eat well, and get lots of sleep.

• Work very hard to not to catch SARS-CoV-2 (It’s the virus that causes Covid-19)

  • Practice social distancing

  • Wash you hands often

  • Outside is better than inside. If you are inside with people who are not in your “virus free bubble” wear a mask.

  • Be patient.

• It’s important to be a friend.

Stay healthy and safe.

iamgpe

Reflections in crisis

“Do you think we are in a crisis?”

The answer came through the lens of a man who was born into the depression, knew what it was like not to have food on the table, survived polio, knew the impact of rationing on the home front, and from someone who had earned his wings as a paratrooper (with a couple of night jumps under his belt) — I think it’s safe to say a unique perspective by today’s standards.

His answer was ultimately, “No”.

There was an explanation that he’d never experienced anything like this before, and that not being able to get to his doctor’s appointments, unable to check in with the boys, unable to get ready for the upcoming golf season, and not wander to the store without concern of infection, was starting to weigh on him. A surreal situation that made it easy to loose track of time and difficult to pull away from the endless COVID 19 news. It was not a crisis from his perspective but then again something far from normal — something insidious that was draining both physically and mentally. Ultimately this question offers an insight into personal context and perspective because it’s very true to say front line healthcare workers or a family wrestling with the economic reality of a mortgage that’s due at the end of the month are very much dealing with a crisis.

This is an academic question that scratches at how we perceive the situation, are prepared for the situation, and how we are dealing with the situation. Covid 19 will follow the path of all infectious agents as it makes its way through the population, and as a community, we’ll work hard to change the trajectory of that curve by social distancing, good hygiene practices, and self isolation. Our actions are a direct effort to save lives and prevent our institutions from becoming overwhelmed — and are also a direct reflection of how we are handling this unprecedented situation. This is an inescapable reflection of who we are and our character in the face of a challenge. In the context of my small sphere I have seen people make re-usable face masks, donate to local food banks, help someone when they can’t make it to the pharmacy, and have watched people offer a supportive voice when the silence of self-isolation is deafening. All character traits to be emulated in my mind.

There are already whispers of us coming to the top of the curve, how we will turn society back on to something reflective of the way it used to be, and how the last eight weeks will echo into the next eight or nine months. We will all have a Covid 19 story that we’ll be eager to share or maybe just keep to ourselves upon reflection. As I mentioned to someone today we need to “gut this out for another three weeks” before we’re closer to having a conversation that doesn’t include a bubble of two meters. I will be very curious to ask what’s been learned for the next time.

Because most likely there will be a next time — probably around October or November.

iamgpe.