Musings on the Path

Up until recently, the only serious COVID-19 cases I knew of were friends’ relatives I had never met. That changed about a week ago. Last year a good friend, in fact our emergency contact here in Austin, took a bad fall and ended up in a nursing home a mile away. We visited every week or two until the shutdown. A week ago we learned that she had died of COVID-19. The nursing home had an outbreak that she did fine through. As the outbreak subsided, she became sick and died in a matter of days.

More details are emerging. The outbreak came after the lockdown on visitors was lifted. One family asked to take their mother to her doctor appointment instead of letting the nursing home staff do it. They signed a document saying that was all they would do. They took her to her appointment, then to lunch, then shopping. Five days later, the mother became sick and died of COVID-19. Half dozen other deaths followed. I would hope that they would be held accountable for lying and the deaths. In Texas there is a good chance they will not.

Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain.

Friedrich Schiller

We all are vulnerable. The surprise is even the gods are vulnerable (see Jeremiah 15:15-21).

When COVID-19 first reached Austin, TX and we were asked to wear masks, most of what I saw was disposable masks. Now most places I go require masks and most of them are washable cloth masks. People expect to be wearing them for months and the cost of months of disposable masks is much greater than buying and washing cloth masks.

At first, we wore trifold paper masks I had leftover from chemo. After a month, I did buy an inexpensive cloth mask from the grocery store, but didn’t wear it long. The straps were too long, it had no nose wire, and didn’t come high enough to not need a nose wire for a good fit. A couple of safety pins fixed the straps problem, but it wasn’t enough. We bought four KN95 masks for the two of us at $10 each. They only last a month or so before getting too furry and itching our faces. I’ve placed an order for a cloth mask with Van Gogh’s Starry Night printed on it. It’s cut to not need a nose wire and has a pocket for a filter.

Two weeks ago, I was tested for the SARS-CoV2 virus. The test came back positive with the caveat that they were seeing 10% false positives. I had no symptoms at the time. Now, 15 days after the initial test, I am still symptom free. Of the people who eventually show symptoms, onset after 14 days occurs in only 1% of the people. Dr. Fauci says 20% to 40% of the infected people never show symptoms. These mostly are young people. I am not young.

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the uncertainty I cannot change, the courage to reduce the uncertainty I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

paraphrase of Rheinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer

I will need to test negative twice at least a day apart before my doctors will see me again. I’ve scheduled the first with my primary physician. It’s the very uncomfortable nasopharyngeal specimen, so courage will be needed. I’m scheduling the second through the local health department, so a different lab from the initial test and the first retest.