Today Is The Last Day Or Soon Will Be
Posted by terrepruitt on March 23, 2020
For those of you my age or older you may remember a time when it was unusual to know someone with cancer. Now the reasons for that can be many things including but not limited to the fact that there is different testing in place. Also it could be that there was less contact with a large number of people and in so many different places. I mean, we might have known all the people in our neighborhood, but we didn’t have thousands of “friends” throughout the world that we “know” on Twitter. Either way/whatever the case there was a time when you MAY have known ONE person with cancer. Now, it is common place. Every one of us knows AT LEAST one person with some form of cancer or someone that “had” cancer. Well, I believe that today is the day, today is the last day that I will be able to say that I don’t know anyone personally that has had or has COVID-19. I feel that we are reaching the point very soon where everyone is going to know someone that has had it or has it.
I am not even going to state any numbers here because I know that by the time I finish typing this and posting it the numbers will have changed. I can just say that, even though none of the various sites I look at that post numbers actually have the same numbers, the numbers are growing. The reported number of cases, deaths, and recovered are all growing. The number of cases is growing FAST. And at this point, the United States is moving towards the top of the list.
Now, that “knowing” that I am talking about could be a person I actually know and have met face-to-face OR it could be friend from Facebook or Twitter that I have not met face-to-face. But with the way things are going there is going to be a “knowing” very soon.
I just wanted to go on record and remember this day. Today, Monday, March 23, 2020 I did not know anyone with COVID-19. I am loving that feeling. I am sad and sorry for anyone and everyone that cannot say the same thing as me, today, right now. And I am sorry because I feel like soon none of us will be able to make that claim.
It is a sad historical thing and I will be the first to celebrate if I turn out wrong.
I waffled about posting this because originally I thought I would keep my blog virus free, but I don’t believe that such a thing is possible. I mean, I already posted routines because of the situation.
I do hope that all of us that are participating fully in flattening the curve can continue to stick to our guns and not let the people who are being careless get to us. Sometimes it is difficult to stay in quarantine when so many others are not (“Well, if she’s going out, I want to too!”) but it will be awesome to know that we did not contribute to the spread of the virus at all.
Do stay safe and healthy. Do comment and “talk” with me because, ya know, isolation is lonely. Tell me how you are doing.
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
Frank Hubeny said
So far like you I don’t know of anyone personally who has this virus, but having it and dying from it are two different things. I have heard that there is something called chloroquine that might help one recover if one has the virus, but it requires a prescription. So there is hope.
LikeLiked by 1 person
terrepruitt said
Hi Frank.
Yes, having it and dying from it are two different things. And having it and passing it on to others is an entirely different thing. And since so many people and so many places are not doing what needs to be done to stop the spread we will probably all end up know both (those who have had it and recovered and those who had had it and didn’t). Just a few minutes ago I saw a post on FB about people meeting to walk together and make a video . . . things that make me go, “Hmmmmmm.”
There is hope and even more so if we stop the spread so people won’t need to recover. Not to quote specific numbers (but kinda) because, again, every site I look at (and I only look at three) has different numbers and I don’t know which ones are the closest to being true, but . . . from around noon today until almost midnight China cases increased by less than 60, Italy not at all, and the US by almost 5,000. (FIVE THOUSAND in less than 12 hours!) There is always hope, but realistically, here, in the US – the virus hasn’t even hit its stride. 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Frank Hubeny said
I don’t trust the numbers either. There are too many people who have not been tested to know for sure. It is best to stay inside so as not to infect someone in case one has the virus, or to catch the virus by being outside and infecting someone else later. I admit I am nervous. However, one good thing is that people are now connecting for work with online apps. Of course, not everyone can do that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
terrepruitt said
I look at four (earlier it was three) different sites and ALL FOUR of them have different numbers. Why? Where are they getting the numbers? I want all calculations and all numbers to match!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Frank Hubeny said
Only a few people have been tested. It isn’t evident who has the virus. On those four reports they may have come from different areas at different times, but none could be based on complete testing. Perhaps not even accurate testing. Those reporting the numbers might also just be guessing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
terrepruitt said
So, the 417,000+ supposedly “confirmed cases” haven’t been tested? I thought confirmed cases meant they were actually confirmed cases. I would think places like the WHO – which has the lowest number – would be working with the CDC (middle number), and they would be working with John Hopkins (highest number). As I just mentioned in another comment, I guess it is just a fantasy that all of these places are WORKING TOGETHER . . . and so would be able to report the same numbers. I understand the number of people who actually have it and the number of confirmed cases might be different but with sites reporting confirmed cases I would think they would match. I usually look at John Hopkins because it has one page that clearly displays it all where as the WHO and CDC are not as clear I would hope that the WHO, the CDC, and John Hopkins are not guessing, but again, I would also hope they were working together and would have matching numbers. There is other site I look at on occasion is not an agency site, it is a high schooler compiling data from three different sites – because — the sites don’t match! HA!
I think this whole thing is somewhat proving my entire complaint. The information does not match. There is so much conflicting information it is worrisome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Frank Hubeny said
Those confirmed ones I image have been tested, but there may be many more out there. I haven’t been tested, for example, although I don’t think I have it, but who knows? I agree that the data should match, but clearly it doesn’t. They should be working together.
LikeLiked by 1 person
terrepruitt said
It is just so bizarre to me that “official” sites don’t have matching numbers. Who are we to believe? It is so crazy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ann Coleman said
So far I don’t know anyone who has it, but the morning news said that in New York, which is the epicenter of it in the US, it has effected 1 in 1,000 people, so of course that could change. I’m feeling sad right now because I’m seeing so much fear and panic from a fast-spreading virus that has a mortality rate of about 2%. It makes me wonder what would happen if a virus came along with a 50% mortality rate, because no one in the world seems to know how to handle this one. Hopefully, this will be a learning curve and we will figure out how to quickly develop a safe vacciene (can’t figure out how to spell that) when a new virus emerges. The sun is supposed to come out tomorrow, I sure hope so!
LikeLiked by 1 person
terrepruitt said
I think the 2% mortality rate is if one gets the care they need, yes? And that is part of the problem . . . if the medical system is overwhelmed then no one can get the care they need. And, again, I am not understanding that 2% mortality rate figure because the sites I am looking at show it at more than twice that. So . . . what are we to believe? I look at four (earlier it was three) different sites and ALL FOUR of them have different numbers. Why? Where are they getting the numbers? I want all calculations and all numbers to match!
If there were a virus with a 50% mortality rate there would be a lot less fear and panic because there would be a lot less people to be doing the fearing and panicking.
I also believe that a portion of the fear and panic is not from the virus directly but from the unknown of everything around it. Not everyone is afraid of getting it, but a lot of people are afraid of not being able to work so they can pay their bills and buy food.
It is a very uncertain time.
Thank you for joining the conversation!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ann Coleman said
I agree! It’s the uncertainty that is scaring people the most…we have never lived through this sort of thing before. And yeah, the numbers vary from place to place. I think it’s reported cases and reported deaths. But without adequate testing, it’s hard to know for sure.
LikeLike
terrepruitt said
So different places report cases and deaths to different sites? I guess I was expecting WHO and the CDC to match and I am not even understanding how or why John Hopkins has numbers. I keep fantasizing – I guess – that all of these places are working in concert. It’s crazy!
LikeLike
tangosbaking said
It is definitely a very difficult situation at the moment. A few people I know are falling ill, but the NHS in the UK is not testing for any non-severe cases, so we don’t know for sure. Please take care and stay safe. ❤️❤️ Hopefully this will all soon pass.
LikeLiked by 1 person
terrepruitt said
The National Health Service is only testing where it seems obvious the person has it to confirm they have it?
I don’t even know the testing situation here, I keep hearing snippets that it is dire.
LikeLike
tangosbaking said
They are running shortages of tests everywhere I believe
LikeLiked by 1 person
terrepruitt said
I have heard in the US they only do tests if you have severe symptoms. But, I do not know the truth. That is the just what I have heard. (Shrug!) Again, it boils down to not knowing what the truth is and no information matches.
LikeLiked by 1 person
tangosbaking said
Agree. Hope all would be well over there ❤️
LikeLike
terrepruitt said
🙂 Here’s to hoping all will be well soon everywhere. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
salsaworldtraveler said
One problem with Covid-19 is we may know someone who has it and we and they don’t know it.
I have nominated you for a Blogging Award. No need to partake if it’s not your thing by the way. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
terrepruitt said
This is true, too. There are people who can have it and never have symptoms and get others sick. Or never have symptoms and no one gets sick. There are other diseases like that though, right? Sometimes people are carriers and they don’t even know it.
Thanks for the award nomination.
LikeLike