The Weeks and Months to Come

“There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.”

– Stephen King

I am not a doctor or subject matter expert, I write this as someone who has been talking to and closely following the experiences of doctors, researchers, patients and ordinary citizens in Wuhan and other parts of China for 2 months now, and for the last week in Milan.

Expect next week to be the start of a very difficult period of time. Many parts of Canada, the USA, and most countries in Europe seem somewhere from 2 to 7 days away from starting to experience something similar to what happened in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei, and what is now happening in Italy. The Ohio department of health just estimated that in Ohio alone there are one hundred thousand people currently carrying the coronavirus, and that they expect that number to double every six days.

Expect a number of cities and countries to start enforcing lockdowns in the days to come. This is a good thing as the clearest indication we have as to what we can all do about this is to keep away from one another. Lockdowns typically aren’t so bad, in most countries it means you’ll be issued a pass that tells you when or how often you’re permitted to go outside to get the things you need. Otherwise you’ll just be stuck at home. In some cases it might be a few weeks, in others a few months.

As for the virus, it won’t be that bad either for most. You may be mostly bedridden for a number of days, but unless you need critical care there isn’t anything any doctor can really do for you. Most of our bodies are strong enough to deal with this virus on its own. Don’t panic, drink plenty of water, rest, and just give your body time to do what it knows how to do. We’ve been fighting this war for longer than you can imagine.

If you start to experience serious difficulty breathing call your doctor or, if it gets severe, try to get to an ER. The best thing you can do at the moment is know who you are going to call and where you are going to go if the need arises.

The greatest burden will be felt by those in health services, especially those in our hospitals and critical care facilities. Please keep in mind the sheer number of calls and requests they will receive. Not to mention that they are also going to be most at risk of contracting the virus themselves. Many will face the most trying time of their lives, they will need as much support from their communities as possible.

That’s all for now, feel free to reach out if you have any questions. If you want to read more here are some articles I found helpful…

Notes from UCSF Expert panel – March 10

Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now

Inside China’s All-Out War On The Coronavirus

Twitter thread on a letter from Italy

How Coronavirus Hijacks Your Cells

Finally, something to think about. In 1665, the University of Cambridge temporarily closed due to the bubonic plague. It forced Isaac Newton to work from home, and he used this time to develop calculus and the theory of gravity. Who knows what good will come from most of us getting a little extra time to just sit and think.

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