Thursday, May 14, 2020

Couple quick thoughts

* Board meeting (we met in the Fellowship Hall and all sat 10' apart from each other on folding chairs). It was to decide when we reopen for in-person services. I admit I was apprehensive for two reasons: first, as one of two actual biologists in the congregation, I'd probably be the one looked to to decide or share information. And second, sometimes even people who are reasonable about many, many other things have....odd opinions....about the seriousness of this.

Well, the interim minister said his piece (fundamentally - that the concerns about "super spreading" in choirs and concerns about proximity of people in a confined space suggested to him it wasn't a good idea yet) and then said "But I'll defer to the scientist...." and I realized "oh shoot, that me"

So I reinforced what he said, said that the most important parts of in person church for me (singing, hugging people, taking communion) would be very difficult or impossible to do 100% safely (communion we could manage - there are individually sealed-up sets of the elements, often sold for people who do homebound communion - my dad took it many times when he was unable to get out to church). I noted that I would be apprehensive returning given my history with respiratory disease (the last time I got the flu I was sick for six weeks - and that was the case that triggered me to get the flu shot every single year since then, and I've also had walking pneumonia a few times and was pretty sick each time). Another woman mentioned "Some local churches are reopening but telling people over 60 not to come and....look around" (I think three of us present were under 60).

I said:"No earlier than mid-June, that's what I think, and at that - if we could do services outdoors, that would be even better" Maybe we don't sing - or maybe we get someone with an acoustic guitar to at least help keep us in tune.

A young woman who works for the local Tribal authority noted that she was apprehensive because they were going to slowly reopen the offices, but the casinos reopen June 1. So she thought maybe late June. She was particularly concerned about the casino reopening, as that will draw people from many areas, and probably in particular people who downplay the seriousness of the virus.

So now - the plan is, we re-meet mid June to decide - late June or early July? One other person suggested that maybe an outdoor July 4 weekend service, which might be a good way to consider it. But if cases spike (they might), we won't.

The financial secretary did say that we were doing okay - people are still making contributions (I am; I'm donating a chunk every month through the Givelify app, which direct deposits the money to the church's account, so Mike doesn't even have to deal with checks)

So I'm glad. It went well, people were all pretty much in accord. And I feel heard. And I think we made the right decision. It FEELS like the right decision, I don't feel conflicted about it.

* I asked my mom last night if she remembered the 1957 flu outbreak, which was apparently a bad one. (I've been reading a little bit on "central quarantine," which some people are suggesting may be a way of really squashing transmission, but I KNOW it would be near-impossible in our polarized nation, and apparently 1957 was one of the outbreaks where quarantine was proposed).

She said: yes, I do. I was still in college and was dating your father. He had a car, so one day we drove somewhere (she didn't remember where but could have been the county health department) and she said "We waited in a long line forever, but then we were able to get vaccinated" and I guess that was that....So there was a vaccine then. (MAN but I wish there were a vaccine for this)

I also remember around 1976 we were up visiting my grandmother and my dad took her somewhere to get a vaccine. I thought it was against swine flu but they say there wasn't a vaccine for that? Maybe it was AFTER the outbreak and a vaccine had been developed? I just remember him doing it because she didn't drive.


But yeah. I have effectively been near-quarantining (and if I were sick? Or really immune compromised? I'd find some way to get food delivered, even if it came down to either leaning on one of my church friends or paying someone to go get it for me - we don't have Instacart or anything like that here, but I am guessing SOMEONE would have a teenaged kid who'd like to earn $20 or $30 for going out and doing a grocery pickup for me, even if it was them doing a wal-mart PICKUP on my behalf, so they don't get exposed). I guess as long as I can keep doing that I do it....it seems the easiest way to stay safe. Maybe once a week or so, mask up and go to Green Spray, maybe go once or twice (masked) to the big open-air garden center (unless cases are really spiking up, and then no)

Yes, it is tiresome and I get lonely, but if I can make myself stay busy - get up and get dressed in the morning, and do Duolingo practice, and do piano practice, and then - and I find this is very important - do some "continuing ed" type reading for a couple days (keeps my brain busy and makes me feel like I'm doing something useful) and get exercise regularly (this afternoon I need to mow the lawn as long as it doesn't rain, that will be my exercise today) and just wait this thing out. I can stay put at least until August....and if my uni stays online come fall semester, I can stay put a while longer and hopefully....I keep holding out hope of either an effective treatment, a vaccine, or maybe enough people change their behavior to shut R0 down to a level low enough that it might be safe enough to consider travel again....

3 comments:

purlewe said...

Sue's work (which is a church) doesn't have an official open date yet. I think they are going to get together at the end of this month to discuss June. But I know that they don't see a date in sight yet. The state is opening county by county here (which I think is dumb but then I am not in charge) And they have announced Philly will be last. So I think church won't open here for awhile. But Sue's mom's county was the last to close so it was the first to reopen. Which means her church has re-opened BUT will only let 25 people in right now. So you could drive to church and if you are person #26 they will send you home. Which seems... pointless? (the bigger church is getting re-roofed so it is a smaller location on top of the fact that it is a bit of a drive to get there) At least it sounds like her mom isn't tempted into going BUT... she wants to get her hair cut and she talks about it CONSTANTLY. Which I get but also it seems funny. Like She won't go to church but she would jump over hoops to get a haircut. ?? I dunno.

Jay said...

And a couple quick thoughts in return for you: After just updating (yet again) our company and laboratory protocols for wiping everything down with bleach or IPA solutions, I now wonder if we could be creating yet more headaches for ourselves down the road by trying to make every surface around us sterile. I do know that many microorganisms, such as yeast (Yeast! Oh Blessed Yeast! Giver of Bread and Beer!) will inhibit viability of other microorganisms. While bleach, IPA, and other agents may inactivate COVID-19, will wiping out all the common micro-flora and fauna we've grown accustom simply give something more virulent a 'safe' surface to wait? Your thoughts?

rmtodd said...

re: the 1976 swine flu: yes, there was a vaccine: that was the incident that got some notoriety because some of the recipients of the vaccine got Guillain-Barre syndrome and the vaccine program was shut down. (Though, as the wikipedia article on GBS notes, viral diseases like influenza can themselves trigger GBS, and no subsequent flu vaccines have shown this issue.)