MEERKAT POEMS

Dear George,

The meerkats are among my favorite exhibits at the zoo.  They’re always busy and active, diving in and out of their burrows, checking out the world about them.  I think they enjoy watching the humans as much as the humans enjoy watching them.  Here are a few meerkat poems, dedicated to their happy spirit.

Love,

Dave

My Meerkat Family

Here you have my family.

Meerkat Mob Number Two Thousand Four.

That is our mother standing at the rear.  

We Meerkats are called mobs.

though the British call us gangs.   

I am right near the middle.  

They say I have a serious look.

but it doesn’t really matter 

because all Meerkats have serious looks.  

We are not separate beings  

but interchangeable pieces  

in the Great Meerkat Collective.   

We look alike

think alike

act alike.

We are not as quick as cheetahs

as majestic as lions

as strong as rhinos.

But we are brave

and determined 

and when the apocalypse arrives

as it surely will 

we will be the last remaining species on earth

because we stick together

and prize the group above the individual.  

Humans could learn a lot from Meerkats. 

                           * * *

A Meerkat Primer

Not just anyone can be a Meerkat.

You have to be tough

also smart

very quick on your feet

able to scramble through a four-inch bolt-hole.

My family has lived in the desert for eons.

In July, one hundred and twenty at high noon

so we retire to the depths of our burrow

where it’s pitch black, cooler.

We spend the remainder of our time

hunting for food.

Butterflies and beetles, moths

maybe a lizard or a baby bird

if lucky, a small snake

an egg or two, some cactus seeds 

even a scorpion.

I get new brothers and sisters four times a year 

usually after a rainy season 

sometimes six or seven pups, sometimes three or four 

We Meerkats live to age thirteen 

longer than squirrels or skunks or rabbits.

There are half a million Meerkats

in the world today

five times as many Meerkats as giraffes. 

               * * *

The Sentries 

Raza and I are sentries

posted at our station dawn to dusk 

rain or shine, dust storms, lightning.

Ever vigilant

we don’t allow ourselves to  blink. 

Meerkats have deadly ancestral enemies

the hawk-eagles

the bat-eared foxes, the jackals

the spotted snakes with their long fangs

and poisonous venom.

My responsibility is to watch to the north

where the eagles fly in 

while Raza looks south

for the foxes and jackals.

We have keen vision and keen hearing

and at our slightest warning cry 

our family members dive into their burrow holes

ready to enjoy another Meerkat day 

               * * *

What Meerkats Think

Meerkats think all the time, you know. 

Not so much about life’s meaning

but more practical stuff

like the dozens of things my mom has told me.

Keep out of the midday sun

Mark our territory

 and defend against the rival mobs

Always take care of the baby pups

Drink the water when you come across it

The juiciest beetles hide under rotten logs.

And every day, of course, I think about our enemies.

How I might snatch an eagle right out of the sky

or twist a desert snake into knots

Gang up with my sisters and brothers

to chase away a hungry jackal. 

And most of all I think about Lavinia 

the sweetest Meerkat I’ve ever seen

who lives with her sisters across the great valley

and hopefully one day will be my bride.

I wonder if Lavinia ever thinks of me.

Eight-Three and Chugging Along

Dear George,

As I write this our son J and grandkids V and L are busy pressure washing our patio deck.  I can’t think of a better birthday gift.  Our deck has long been in a sad state of disrepair, and J has been working on fixing it since they arrived from California 10 days ago.  The last task is painting the deck.  J is supervising, while V is manning the pressure washer, and L is dislodging the chunks of dried paint.  Since Katja has been thinking about tearing the whole thing down and starting from scratch, their birthday gift of manual labor is going to save us about $5000. 

One thing I think about turning 83 is that our family becomes more important every year as we grow older as a source of social, emotional, and practical support.  We’re very proud of our grandkids, delight in their growing up.  J and our daughter-in-law K are our good friends to us as well as our closest family members.  Our group is driving back to New Orleans in two days, returning to their regular lives (as much as possible) after a summer in Half Moon Bay.  We will miss them dearly.   

J asked me how it felt to be 83, and I said it wasn’t much different from being 60 or 50 or even 40.  My poor hearing is my major sign of being in my eighties, but it’s been poor for the past two decades and it’s not nearly as bad as it might be.  I think I am more aware of being in my eighties because of the pandemic because I read in the paper every day that Katja and I are in a high-risk category.  I’m going to be extremely angry if I catch the coronavirus and die from it because that isn’t part of my game plan.  

I’ve often thought about which decade of life is the best.  When I was a kid in grade school, a pharmacist in our family drugstore named Lucien regularly told me to enjoy life because I was in the best time I would ever know.  I didn’t pay attention, but I think he had a case.  Now I think the eighties are also a strong contender, at least if one is relatively healthy and financially stable.  Since retiring twelve years ago (fourteen for Katja), we’ve been free as birds and unencumbered by job tasks, bosses, annual evaluations, and difficult colleagues.  We’re more mature, we devote ourselves to enjoyable pleasures, and life is full of contentment.  I never really expected this, and it’s a welcome surprise.  

I don’t know what my 83rd year will bring.  We have the rest of the Trump presidency, the pandemic, unrest from police brutality, the economic disaster.  My hope is that we will successfully wend our way through a chaotic world.  I wish the same for you and your family.

Love,

Dave

P.S.  The photo is my pandemic hairdo and beard, untouched since last February.  This geezer looks much more like an 83-year-old than he used to.  

Will This Actually Happen?

Dear George,

We have “sheltered in place” for four months, and that arrangement appears likely to continue indefinitely.  Our lives, while less damaged than most, remain pretty bleak.  No outings, no social gatherings, no events, no sports, no music, no art, no restaurants, not much except TV and red wine.  Recently, however, it’s been dawning on me that something stupendous and wonderful is likely to happen in the foreseeable future.  I’m referring, of course, to the November elections.  Every day more evidence becomes available that Trump has little or no possibility of being re-elected.  In my mind, the inauguration of a new president in six months.  I’m sure you’ve see the news reports.  Here is a sampling:    

87% of Americans are dissatisfied with how things are going in the country, and only 17% are proud of the country’s condition.  (late June Pew survey; brookings.edu) 

As of the end of June, only 39% approve of how Trump is handling his job as president.  (Pew survey; brookings.edu)

Younger white working class voters (ages 18-39), a major Trump constituency, tend to view Trump’s presidency as “poor” or “terrible” (46%) and are unlikely to think that he handles race relations well (35%) or brings the country together (35%).  (Pew survey; brookings.edu) 

Trump has received severe criticism for mishandling the pandemic crisis and for his responses to protests over the death of George Floyd.  (theguardian.com)

According to CNN analysts, “the toll the coronavirus will have taken on the American economy and people will be too great for him to overcome.”  (cnn.com) 

Though seniors (65 and over) favored Trump by 8 points in 2016, most surveys in June 2020 found Biden leading Trump by 2 to 8 points among seniors.  (nbcnews.com) 

A recent NY Times poll found Biden leading white women with college degrees by 39 points (compared to Hillary Clinton’s 7 point margin in 2016).  (slate.com)

In 2016 Trump won white women without college degrees by 37%.  Recent polls have found that number shrinking to single digits.  (slate.com) 

According to a June 2020 NYT poll, Biden is leading by 6 to 11 points in six battleground states that Trump carried in 2016 and that were crucial to his election: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina.  (nytimes.com)  

A late June Pew Center survey found Biden leading Trump nationally by 10 points, 54%-44%.  (brookingsedu)

It sounds almost too good to be true, and I’m immediately reminded how we celebrated Hillary Clinton’s “landslide victory” up until the polls closed on election day.  Momentous things could happen in coming months with the pandemic, the economy, race relations.  And/or Joe Biden could mess up.  Right now, however, there’s lots of reasons for anti-Trumpers to feel optimistic.  I’m determined not to die from the coronavirus while Trump is in office.  I plan to avoid all germs until 2021.  (But in the worst circumstance, if need be, I’ll hide out at home till 2025).

Love,

Dave

Skipping the Fourth

Dear George,

Thanks to the coronavirus, this may be the most un-Fourth of July since 1776.  No fireworks extravaganza on the riverfront, no band concerts or parades or community-wide picnics.  You don’t even see that many flags.  Just a lot of firecrackers that have been going off late at night for the past two weeks and terrifying neighborhood dogs.  It’s just as well.  Between Trump, the country’s failure to control the pandemic, George Floyd, the uproar over monuments to white supremacy, and economic collapse, it’s hard to dredge up any feeling of patriotism.  Here is my optimistic, if somewhat delusional thought.  Six months from now we’ll be inaugurating a new president, they’ll be distributing a vaccine to hundreds of millions, police reforms will be in place in many U.S. cities, racist monuments removed, and an increasingly successful reopening of business and industry worldwide.  Probably too much to hope for, but some of it could actually happen.

This is pretty much a lost year so far since virtually everything pleasurable has been put on hold.  On top of it all, I woke up on June first with every muscle in my body aching.  Thinking it due to the statin I take for high cholesterol, I emailed my doctor’s office and asked if I could stop the statin.  During these perilous times it’s difficult to see or talk to a doctor, so the nurse-practitioner said by return email it was o.k. though she thought it more likely to be arthritis.  My son and daughter-in-law, the two doctors in our family, tentatively diagnosed my condition as Polymyalgia Rheumatica, a mysterious but not uncommon ailment apparently linked to being older than one should be.  I relayed this to the nurse-practitioner, and she started me on a low dose of steroids (prednisone).  That helped quite a bit for the first two days, then seemed to reach a plateau.  The pain is tolerable, gets better in the course of the day, and I’m patiently waiting for it to go away altogether during my three-month steroid treatment.  

The other painful thing is that my close friend Jennifer and her partner Brian moved this week from Cincinnati to Virginia where she’s taken a high level position in the state university system.  Jennifer came here twenty years ago, and, because she lived right down the street, we walked home from work together practically every day.  That’s a lot of walks and talks, maybe 3 or 4 thousand.  This is the second time in a couple of years that one of my closest friends has moved away, and these are losses that are pretty much impossible to overcome. 

A bright spot is that our son J and grandkids V and L will be coming to visit in about a week, and they’ll stay with us for two weeks, the longest get-together we’ve ever had.  I think it’s a great opportunity.  I worried that with so many things shut down it will be hard to keep the kids entertained, but J reassured me that they are very content to spend the whole day playing video games.  I myself have never played a video game, so I’m going to ask them to give me some lessons.  At the end of their stay they’ll drive back to New Orleans, taking one or both of their dogs with them.  J asked if we might want to keep Iko in Cincinnati.  Katja’s been wishing for that for some time, but then she changed her mind, thinking back to a childhood trauma when her veterinarian dad said she couldn’t keep the new puppy he gave her because its original family wanted it back.  Dog arrangements will work out one way or the other.   This three and a half month visit from Iko and Lil Paws has been a great treat and has reminded us how much we are dog people.  

Katja sent me off to Clifton Market yesterday with a grocery list that included some challenging items, e.g., unsweetened cocoanut, cider vinegar, two avocados.  A staff person stocking shelves found the cocoanut for me, and I actually found the vinegar myself, though I had to call home to see if apple cider vinegar was correct.  Another staff person pointed to the end of the aisle where the avocados were, but unfortunately the labels were missing from the various fruit and vegetable boxes.  I picked up two dark green lumpy items shaped like small footballs and took them back to the staffer, asking her if these were avocados.  She looked at me strangely and nodded yes.  Then she asked if I would like her help in picking out which avocados would be best to choose.  I declined but sincerely thanked her for her offer.    

So we are muddling along.  Cincinnati is one of the worst places in Ohio for spread of the virus right now, so we’re trying to be as careful as possible.  Take care, wash frequently. 

Love,

Dave     

Embracing Dementia

Dear George,

Another of my early-eighties birthdays is coming up soon.  I don’t look forward to it that much.  When I was a kid between eight and twelve, I was always excited about becoming a year older.  Nowadays I wish I were going in the opposite direction.  The two birthday aging things on my mind are death and dementia.  Neither are popular with the general public.  Death sounds the worst, but, when you think about it, it has its advantages.  You’ll definitely never be bored or irritated again.  I think that dementia gets a particularly bad rap.  I’ve been mulling it over ever since Katja asked me to bring the laundry downstairs and I brought down two pillows instead. 

My main thought is that dementia is not unique to old age, but really it’s around from the very beginning and persists throughout most of life.   You can see this immediately by going to the zoo and looking at babies in strollers. We all, of course, begin life as babies, and it’s interesting to note that they have practically no minds at all.  They gurgle, drool, pass gas, suck their thumbs, scream, cry, and poop and pee.  That’s about it.   When we think of the so-called symptoms of dementia (e.g., confusion, inability to comprehend things, difficulty learning new tasks, mood swings, poor judgment, disorientation, inability to concentrate, difficulty of thinking of words, risk of falling down, etc.), we are essentially describing what babies and toddlers are like for the first several years of life.   This suggests to me that dementia is elemental human nature.  On a 0-100% scale, I would say that babies get a dementia score of 98%.

Children, of course, are taught a lot of things as they grow older.  They still, though, remain mostly demented.  When I think of the highlights of my childhood from, say, ages five to twelve, what comes to mind is praying that the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy will come, not stepping on cracks which would break my mother’s back, setting the living room curtains on fire, and stealing my brother’s Halloween candy.  Based on such experiences, I’d estimate that school-age children are about 80% demented.

Teenagers aren’t much better.  They’re taller and possess better verbal skills, but they’re not much oriented than 7 or 8-year-olds.  As an adolescent, I mainly remember being overwhelmed by social anxiety, alienated from my parents, subject to mood swings, perplexed in relationships with peers, beset by fantasies, obsessed with trivialities, and worried about psychic survival.  Dementia level?  Maybe 70%. 

Adulthood is usually seen as the peak of mature mental functioning, but that’s a myth.  Society demands a certain amount of rationality and logic in the workplace, but, below that surface level of conformity, we remain largely motivated by impulse and craziness.  This is what Freud meant by the primacy of the Id.  We just keep our real selves hidden away, though our demented selves regularly break through.  At work, dementia = 45%.  The rest of the time, 60%.    

All of this changes in our older years when society kicks us out of the workplace.  Rules, roles, and social expectations gradually recede, and we become free for our real selves to emerge – silly, confused, emotional, and bumbling.  Though we get distressed about this, we could also think about it as a normal and liberating state of affairs.  Dementia, creeping up to 75% or even more.      

The conclusion seems clear.  Rather than resisting or denying dementia, we ought to recognize that it’s actually our natural state throughout our lives and embrace its presence.  Being demented, from this perspective, is the ultimate form of self-realization.  Having resolved this in my mind, now I have to think a little further about death.  Given my demented mind, that shouldn’t prove difficult. 

Love,

Dave

Excerpts From My Coronavirus Journal

Dear George, 

I’ve had lots of time on my hands since retiring, but now, because of the pandemic and stay at home orders from the governor, it is virtually endless.  One of the things I’ve done to keep productive is to start a daily Covid-19 journal.  Here are some excerpts.

Love,

Dave

Thurs., Apr. 16, 2020.

It’s been 45 days since Governor DeWine ordered schools closed and 25 days since the Ohio Board of Health issued a stay-at-home order.  Job losses in the state have surpassed 855,000, and, as of today, there’ve been 389 reported deaths (an under-estimate of unknown magnitude).  As retirees, Katja’s and my situation is not nearly as catastrophic as that of millions of others.  We’ve pretty much stuck to the stay at home rule and have lost, at least temporarily, most of our main life pleasures: OLLI courses at the university, eating out, movies, concerts, art museums, the zoo, library visits, sports events (NBA, NCAA, French Open, Wimbledon), my line dancing and zumba classes, Katja’s shopping expeditions, our respective writing groups, and social gatherings of all sorts.  We cancelled a family trip to New Orleans and will almost surely miss a long-expected July trip to visit loved ones in California.  It’s unknown when we will be able to see family members again.  Perhaps most of all, it’s unclear when our community and society might return to any semblance of normality, or whether this will even happen at all during our lifetimes.  Too much to contemplate. 

Sun., Apr. 19, 2020

We and the doggies, Iko and Li’l Paws, actually slept in till 11 a.m. this morning.  Iko had climbed onto my chest and was sleeping there, while Li’l Paws cuddled next to my rib-cage.  J brought the dogs up from New Orleans one month ago and left them in our care while he and his family are in northern California.  It’s been a blessing for us.  The dogs fit right in, and Katja and I are happy to have them.  Something brand new at a time when the pandemic has taken so many things away.  I do four walks and 12,000 steps a day with Iko and Li’l Paws, plus lots of rough-housing and petting.  An unexpected benefit is that my blood pressure has dropped from 140/85 to under 120/80.   

Wed., Apr. 22, 2020 

More people in our Ludlow Ave. business district are wearing masks.  I’m going to guess 50%, more for solo walkers, less for couples.  I’ve taken to wearing my blue bandana when I go into stores, but pull it down when I’m out on the sidewalk where I maintain physical distance.  I find all of this distressing.  In the beginning days of the pandemic, my sense was that strangers were being more friendly to one another, exchanging smiles and hellos, encouraging words.  Now people spread as far apart as possible and avert their eyes.  We are all turning into alien beings. 

Wed., Apr. 29, 2020 

It’s well-known that the novel coronavirus is much more lethal for elderly people.  Age, however, factors in beyond the prospect of dying from the virus.  At age 82 we might have up to ten years or more left to live (if we’re lucky).  However, are our lives going to be radically diminished because of the lingering pandemic?  Will we be wearing masks and keeping away from others in public for the rest of our years?  Avoiding stores and restaurants?  Right out our quality of life is seriously diminished.  I’m hopeful we’ll be able to recover some portion of it without having to risk illness and death.   

Fri., May 1, 2020

I woke up this morning with a feeling of dread.  Laying there, it dawned on me that it had to do with social isolation.  Up until recently I’ve been active member of five groups that met weekly: a writer’s group, two writing classes, two group exercise classes.  Plus going to a variety of events when we were part of big groups, e.g., concerts, musical theater, opera, art exhibitions, the zoo, etc.  Now all of that’s gone, at least for the foreseeable future, and Katja and I spend nearly all of our time by ourselves.  I never think of myself as a particularly social person, but now even I am feeling socially deprived.  

Tues., May 5, 2020

Katja’s crown on a front tooth came out, and the dentist’s office, just reopened, was able to see her the next morning.  New age dentistry was upon us.  We waited in the car, rather than the waiting room, till a masked staff member came out to escort Katja in while maintaining a six-foot distance.  Katja wore her mask too.  They took her temperature, asked her questions, and she cleaned her hands with Purell, washed her hands in the sink, and soaked them in Lysol for 30 seconds.  The dentist in his protective equipment fixed her up in half an hour.  We headed for home, nervous about having been out in the contaminated world.  

Thurs., May 7, 2020

What groups are experiencing disproportionate deaths during the pandemic?  People over 65, particularly those with underlying medical conditions like heart disease or cancer.  Health care workers.  African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans.  People in nursing homes, prisons, group homes, immigrant detention centers.  Lower income people and/or those lacking health insurance.  The homeless.  Meat-packing employees.  People who live or work in crowded, high-density locations.  For the most part, the disenfranchised members of our society.  

Sat., May 9, 2020

Usually I try to find something humorous when I meditate on life, but, along with climate change and the Trump presidency, I can’t find anything amusing about the pandemic.  I googled “COVID-19 jokes” and was surprised to get a number of hits.  Most of the jokes were mildly humorous at best.  Here is my favorite”  “So far my self-isolation life is remarkably similar to my normal life.”  (Too true.)  

Tues., May 12, 2020

Katja is off to her doctor’s appointment to check out severe pains in her hand.  She was excited about going, and I was mostly nervous.  Katja said she would wear her gloves and mask and would be fine.  She said the doctor’s office wouldn’t be open if it wasn’t safe.  I thought to myself that the doctor’s office is opening even though it isn’t safe.  Perhaps I’m overly cautious.  Or maybe Katja is overly risky.  Or some combination of the two.  

Wed., May 13, 2020

Our local newspaper carried the stupidest article about pets and the coronavirus today.  The general theme was that the coronavirus is very upsetting to dogs and cats.  They’re not used to having humans home all day, and it messes up their routines, especially sleep patterns.  Also getting petted so much is stressful and makes pets cranky.  They can get injured from jumping around and playing so much.  Because they’re not confined, dogs and cats are getting into more fights.  I say all this is hogwash.  Our visiting dogs love having the humans with them all day, and they can’t get petted enough.  They don’t get injured jumping and playing (though their humans are more likely to).  All in all, the pandemic is like utopia for pets.  

Mon., May 18, 2020

Today Katja and I took a trip to the Party Source in Northern Kentucky, billed as the nation’s largest liquor store.  It is big, like a Kroger super-store.  But talk about nonessential trips.  We only had three bottles of expensive whiskey left in the house, so that was a seemingly good reason to go.  Sort of.  I picked up a cart at the entrance, and then an employee wiped down the handle with disinfectant.  A stupid system since I was already infected from touching the cart.  I bought more whiskey than usual, either to delay a next trip or to drink more whiskey because of the pandemic.  If we wind up infected, at least we can stay in a stupor.   

Sun., May 24, 2020 

So, does the coronavirus have a silver lining?  I’ve been trying to think of positives that have resulted.  The most obvious is that we have gotten to have two sweet dogs in the house that otherwise wouldn’t be here.  Katja and I necessarily spend more time together, and I think we’re more positive to one another as a consequence.  I’m more in touch by phone and text with several loved ones.  I watch more funny sitcoms on Netflix.  Katja has been cooking up a storm, lots of delicious meals.  I’m more careful about staying well.  On the other hand…   

Tues., May 26, 2020

Our streets have been near-empty at night since the pandemic started, and I walk the dogs in the business district because at least it is well-lighted.  Tonight Lil Paws barked at an apparent homeless man who stepped out of an alley, and he started following us, screaming gibberish at the dogs and waving his arms.  Both dogs started barking wildly and strained at the leash to get at him, which only made the homeless man more agitated as he followed us.  I pulled the dogs into the street and over to the opposite sidewalk.  The homeless man stayed on his own side, but continued to shout obscenities at the top of his voice.  The near-violent episode still makes me uncomfortable.  

Mon., June 1, 2020

Kroger is having its current Lean Cuisine sale (5/$10), so I decided to stock up.  I skipped our nearby Clifton store because I read that three employees had the coronavirus, and I skipped the second closest store in Corryville because Katja said hardly any of the customers wear masks there.  Instead I drove 10 miles to the Harrison Avenue Kroger store on the West side.  About half the customers were wearing masks, and half weren’t.  As an in-store mask wearer myself, I identified with the former group and looked somewhat askance at the latter group.  Though I wasn’t fanatic about it, I think wearing masks when in close proximity indoors is  considerate.  So it was easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys.  In my mind, I imagined that the non-mask-wearers were Trump voters.  Just another example of our society becoming polarized.        

Wed., June 3, 2020 

I can’t believe that it’s already June.  Dr. Amy Acton issued a stay at home order for Ohio on March 23, and we haven’t eaten out or gone to any sort of event since that time.  72 days of “sheltering in place.”  All these days run together, and, even though the reopening process has begun, it’s going to be some time before we’re comfortable venturing out.  

Shadormas For Our Times

Dear George,

I don’t intend to make this a coronavirus blog, but it’s all that’s on my mind these days.   Mostly I’ve been working on a series of shadormas about the pandemic.  A shadorma is allegedly a medieval Spanish poetic form that consists of 6 lines with 3/5/3/3/7/5 syllables per line.  One shadorma can be a short poem, or you can string a series together as I’ve done here.  I say allegedly Spanish because “shadorma” is not a Spanish word, and no one has ever discovered a Spanish poem from the Middle Ages that was written in this form.  One skeptic speculates that shadormas were invented in recent years by a postal clerk who had too much time on his or her hands.  Anyway, they are enjoyable to work on.  Usually I prefer to write light, airy poems, but the dark side prevailed this time.  It is what it is.  I wonder if this is how others feel.   

Love,

Dave 

Shadormas For Our Times 

Nasty beast

This COVID-19

Satan’s spawn

Spread by wind  

Racing through the populace

Hunting you and me 

Wuhan first

And then Seattle

World on fire 

Lethal scourge 

A lucky few will escape

A roll of the dice   

Job losses

Businesses kaput

Store meltdowns

Bankruptcy

Recovery takes ten years 

Most will not survive 

Stick to rules

We’ll flatten the curve

Hospitals

In distress

Doctors, nurses lacking gear

Medical war zones 

The elders

Nursing home patrons

Prisoners

Hispanics

African-Americans

COVID’s after them 

Stay at home

The world is closed down  

Malls shuttered

No pro sports

Large gatherings illegal 

Cities are ghost towns

  

Keep apart

Six feet, maybe twelve

Handshakes out

No more hugs 

In this disconnected age

Friends cannot be friends

Don our masks 

Cover up the smiles 

Faces veiled

Muffled breath

Neighbors look like terrorists 

I avert my eyes 

    

Will we die? 

Maybe, we’ll know soon    

Eighty-two 

Weakened lungs 

A profile the virus craves

Hide in the bedroom 

At the store

Peril from all sides 

Crowded aisles 

Few wear masks  

Surfaces are festering

Illness resting there 

Flawed leaders

Failure at the top 

Denial

Nonstop lies

No regard for human life

Politics, that’s it 

Drink Chlorox 

Bleach will kill the germs 

Shrinks them up 

Roasts their skin 

Covid Nineteen turns to ash 

Sadly so will you

This lockdown

My spouse won’t have it

Rambunctious

Unrestrained 

Off she goes to Fresh Market

Picking out new germs  

Years to go 

For this pandemic 

Dastardly

Worse than SARS 

Worst of all for folks like us 

Will our lives come back?    

   

COVID-19 Q's and A's

Dear George,

Everyone is inundated with news about the coronavirus pandemic, and it sometimes seems like that’s all that we ever hear, think, or talk about.  This is a switch from news about Trump although almost as depressing.  Caught up in the new collective obsession, I decided to compile  information from sources on the Internet and post some of it here in the form of questions and answers.  These are either things that I didn’t know, thought I should remind myself about, and/or wanted to share with family and friends.  Here are some of the things I found out. 

Love,

Dave  

Are “coronavirus” and “COVID-19” the same thing?

No, although the terms are often used interchangeably.  The novel coronavirus (scientific name, SARS-CoV-2) is a virus named for the crown-like spikes on its surface.  There have been six other coronaviruses known to infect humans in the past.  Most have spread from animals to humans.  COVID-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (its name derived from Coronavirus disease 2019).  (cnn2)  (note: letters in parentheses refer to sources at end) 

How do COVID-19 and influenza differ?  

COVID-19 kills more people.  According to the CDEC, between 24,000 and 62,000 Americans died from the flu between Oct. 1 and Apr. 4 this past season.  In contrast, over 87,600 people died from COVID19 between February and May 15.  Coronavirus is twice as contagious as the flu, can spread unknowingly for many more days than the flu, more often results in severe illness, and, in contrast to the flu, there is no vaccine available.  The number of reported deaths divided by the number of reported cases is 3-4% for COVID-19 (although the actual percent is lower because many cases go untested and unreported).  Mortality for seasonal influence of the flu is usually well below 0.1%.  (cnn2) (who) 

Why do we have to shut down businesses for COVID-19 when we didn’t during the SARS and swine flu epidemics?

The novel coronavirus is different because it is both very contagious and far more lethal than the flu.  SARS infected 8,000 people around the world, but caused only about 800 deaths.  The swine flu infected 60 million people in the U.S. but with a very low fatality rate (1/3 as lethal as the flu).  (wik)

How is COVID-19 transmitted?

Like the flu, COVID-19 can be spread from person to person through droplets in the air from an infected person coughing, sneezing, or talking.  In addition, COVID-19 might be spread through the airborne route in which tiny droplets remaining in the air cause disease even after the ill person is no longer near.  Recent research suggest that just breathing or talking may be enough to spread COVID-19.  Airborne transmission of COVID-19 via small droplets is most likely in healthcare settings. (astho) (hop) 

If they’re not coughing or sneezing, how can people infect others?

By speaking or by touching one’s mouth, nose, or eyes and then touching other surfaces.  (cnn2) 

How many people with COVID-19 show no symptoms?

CNN states that possibly up to 50% of infected people have no symptoms at all.  One study reported in Science of coronavirus cases in China found that about 80% were infected by someone who didn’t know they had it.  (cnn2) 

How deadly is COVID-19?

Fatality rates vary widely, from 12% in Italy to less than 3% in the U.S. to less than 1% in Iceland.  80% of deaths have occurred to persons 60 years or older.  The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases estimates that the death rate is “about 2%.”  (ast) (cnn2)

What states have had the most and least COVID-19 deaths?

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) update on May 15, 2020, states with the most reported COVID-19 deaths were New York (22,707), New Jersey (7,237, Massachusetts (4,108), Michigan (3,361), Pennsylvania (2,819), Illinois (2,245), and California (1,904).  States with the least COVID-19 deaths were Wyoming (7), Alaska (10), Hawaii (15), Montana (15), North Dakota (17), South Dakota (21), and Nebraska (42).  The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has had 15 deaths, and Menominee County (Michigan) has had 8 cases and 0 deaths.  (cdc) 

Are non-medical masks effective?

According to the World Health Organization, evidence is limited and it’s unknown whether non-medical masks protect the wearer.  However, they may protect others if the wearer is a pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic carrier of the virus.  CNN suggests that masks won’t necessarily protect you because contaminated surfaces are a significant risk factor and infect those who touch those surfaces and later touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.  (cnn2) (who) 

Does the World Health Organization recommend the use of gloves? 

No.  WHO suggests that wearing gloves may increase risks since it can lead to self-infection or transition to others through touching contaminated surfaces which is not followed by removal of gloves and hand hygiene.  Instead of gloves, WHO recommends public hand hygiene stations in stores and other locations.  (who) 

Is washing your hands with water as effective as washing with soap?

No.  Washing with water alone doesn’t really help.  You need soap or alcohol to dissolve the greasy liquid coating of the virus.  (cnn2) 

How do death rates from COVID-19 compare to other major diseases? 

Compiling data from the CDC and other government sources, Business Insider concluded that deaths from COVID-19 recently surpassed past weekly averages for deaths from heart disease and cancer.  From April 9 to 15, at least 13,613 people in the U.S. died from COVID-19, compared to weekly averages of 12,451 for heart disease and 11,521 from cancer.  At the height of a recent flu season, 7,119 people died from the flu or pneumonia in a single week.  (bus) 

Why are older adults at greater risk?

People’s immune systems grow weaker as they age which makes it more difficult to fight off infectious diseases.  And chronic health conditions like heart disease, cancer,  hypertension, and diabetes, more common with age, can compromise the immune system.  (nfid) 

Why are rates of severe illness and death from COVID-19 higher among African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans? 

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials identifies numerous factors: densely populated housing, employment in essential or service industries, limited opportunities for working remotely, less access to paid sick leave, limited health insurance coverage, language barriers, and financial factors.  (ast)

Will the COVID-19 outbreak stop during warm weather?

The CDC states: “It is not yet known whether weather and temperature affect the spread of COVID-109.  Some other viruses, like those the cause the common cold and flu, spread more during cold weather months but that does not mean it is impossible to become sick with these viruses during other months.”  The fact that the virus keeps spreading in the Southern Hemisphere during its summer months suggests it might not succumb to warmer temperatures.   (cdc) (cnn2)

Can coronavirus live on clothes?

Available evidence suggests that the virus doesn’t survive as well on a soft surface (such as fabric) as it does on frequently touched hard surfaces (e.g., door handles).  (hop) 

Can the virus stay in a beard?

Coronavirus can stick to hair, and it is wise for beard-wearers to wash at least daily if not more often, depending on how often they touch their face.  (cnn2)

Can people get COVID-19 from their pets?

According to the CDC, “At this time, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.”  Pets can have a variety of canine and feline coronaviruses that can make them sick, and a small number have been reported to be infected with the COVID-19 virus, mostly after contact with people with the illness.  The CDC recommends not letting other people pet your dog when out on a walk.  (cdc) 

Is one immune to COVID-19 if they have had the disease and recovered from it?

Health experts don’t yet know the answer to this.  Scientists are currently investigating this question, and it is unclear to date whether one can become re-infected.  (cdc) 

When can we go to the symphony or to the pro tennis tournament?  

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials concludes that a return to everyday life is unlikely until the coronavirus is controlled through vaccines, preventive medicines, treatments, and widespread testing.  “Experts are uncertain as to when it would be safe to allow large gathering and crowds…without careful social distancing.” (ast)

Is a vaccine in the offing?

Most experts say that the virus won’t stop spreading until 60-70% of the population is immune.  Vaccines are the only way to reach that level without a monumental death toll.  According to experts cited by NBC News, the National Institutes of Health is planning to begin large-scale testing of several promising vaccine candidates this summer. However, developing, testing, and production of vaccine for the public is still at least 12 to 18 months away.  Most vaccines take 10-15 years to develop, and the fastest vaccine on record, the mumps vaccine, took four years.  The longer we go without a vaccine, the more likely that focus will shift toward therapeutic drug treatments.  

(cne) (nbc)   

Could herd immunity eventually prevent COVID-19? 

Herd immunity happens when so many people in a community or society become immune that it stops the disease from spreading, either through vaccination or through contracting the disease and building up natural immunity.  For most diseases, 80- to 95 percent of the population must be immune to the disease to stop its spread.  In the U.S. this would mean up to 3 million deaths in the absence of an effective vaccine.  Healthline.com concludes: “Herd immunity isn’t the answer to stopping the spread of SARS-CoV-2.”  (atl) (hea)  

SOURCES:

(acl) acl.gov, “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)”; 

(ama) ama-assn.org, “COVID-19: Frequently asked questions” (Apr. 30, 2020); 

(ast) astho.org, “COVID-19: Simple Answers to Top Questions” (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials); 

(atl) the atlantic.com, “No Testing, No Treatment, No Herd Immunity, No Easy Way Out” (Yascha Mounk, Apr. 28, 2020); 

(bus) businessinsider.com, “One chart shows how many Americans are dying from the coronavirus…” (Apr. 17, 2020).  

(cdc) cdc.gov, “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); ADD DATES FOR BELOW IF AVAILABLE

(cin) cincinnati.com, “Simply talking in confined spaces may spread the coronavirus” (USA Today, May 13, 2020); 

(cne) cnet.com, “Coronavirus vaccine”; 

(cnn) cnn.com, “Men in low-skilled jobs are dying from coronavirus at a higher rate…” (May 11, 2020); 

(cnn2) cnn.com, “You asked, we’re answering: Your top coronavirus questions”; 

(cor2) coronavirus.jhu.edu, “Mortality Analyses”; 

(cor1) coronavirus.ohio.gov, “Coronavirus (COVID-19)”;

(faq) faqcoronavirus.gov, “About COVID-19”; 

(fda) fda.gov,  “Coronavirus Disease 22019: Frequently Asked Questions” (U.S. Food and Drug Administration); 

(hea) healthline.com, “What Is Herd Immunity and Could It Help Prevent COvID-19?”; 

(hop) hopkinsmedicine.org, “Coronavirus (COVID-19): Frequently Asked Questions”;

(nbc) nbcnews.com, “Coronavirus live updates”; 

(nfid) noid.org, “Common Questions and Answers About COVID-19 for Older Adults” (National Foundation for Infectious Diseases);   

(sta) statista.com, “Number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide by country”; 

(who) who.int, “Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)” (World Health Organization);  

(wik) wikipedia.org, “COVID-19 pandemic”