The whole world is being threatened by an invisible enemy!

Our personal health is at risk and many of us may die. At the time of writing, 400,450 people have been infected worldwide and 17,451 are dead.

Here’s a link to Worldometer that shows statistics for the world over for a range of subjects which would be fascinating in themselves if not overshadowed by the Corona Virus. When it’s referred to as COVID19 the CO stands for Corona, the VI for Virus, D for Disease and 19 for the year 2019 when it first emerged. The first detected case was in November 2019.

Shocking! But unfortunately very real and very dangerous.

To write about it is unnerving in itself!

My heart goes out to all who have contracted this terrible disease and to those too, who have lost loved ones. I’m especially grateful to the brave doctors, nurses and health staff on the front lines and of course, their families who have also risked infection.

They all deserve and need our heartfelt gratitude.

This is an ‘Exponential Virus’ as in, it will grow slowly and then very quickly sky-rocket! Effectively, it won’t be a problem until it is! Watch this video – it explains what is meant by ‘exponential’ better than I do. Click here to watch.

That most of the world is on lockdown will make more sense to you after you understand what exponential is and the power it has to overwhelm suddenly.  Here’s hoping we can slow the ‘speed of the spread’ enough to prevent our health services from coming under too great a pressure and collapsing just when we need them most.

Slowing the curve in growth is critical.

If we can just keep the number of cases within the Health Service capacity we will get through this!

I’m self-isolating with my partner and I have been doing so for over a week now! It’s surreal. We don’t go outside the door except for extreme emergencies and to get supplies. We plan our trips to the supermarket trying to go weekly or less often if possible.

Socially and health-wise this is very difficult for everybody but financially if we are not all reassured that we will have enough to pay our bills, feed ourselves and survive we may well panic. That would be disastrous and far worse than COVID19 itself!

We’ve seen how easily we can panic over toilet paper so when it comes to feeding ourselves it’s understandable but please, don’t panic. Stay calm, not because that will save you (which it will) but because panicking will surely kill many others about you, in great numbers!

My heart goes out to older people and anybody living on their own.

The hardest part of all this is the surreal sense of isolation and to be unable to connect with others. My partner’s mother is isolated but has callers who leave her food and supplies and she can use a smartphone. But what if you’re from an era when smartphones and the like were not part of your life? What if you can’t connect to the outside world? Keep an eye out for your neighbours.

They made need you.

If nothing else comes from this epidemic I would hope that it can bring out the best in us and make the lives we lose, matter.

Speak your Truth always!

Learn how to do so pleasantly and firmly, with consideration for yourself and others.

That’s the trick!

May you follow your heart and have the courage to have no courage at all!

Peter Petra, The Manse, Derry, March 24th, 2020