Divide & Conquer: One Family’s Innovative Way to Fight Corona

Homes in the small town of Cleveland, Tennessee have decided to handle Coronavirus issues in a different way, to avoid contracting the disease.

Quarantine Home

DeAnna suffers from asthma and COPD, but is married to an airline pilot who is exposed to literally thousands of passengers and employees in a day. She also has two children home from colleges that have shut down, but who also have essential jobs and work with the public.  Rather than being exposed to the virus daily, she moved to their RV with a friend, who is also immune-compromised, to self-quarantine until a vaccine is released, estimated to be early 2021.  In the “Quarantine Home”, they order groceries from online pick-up, don’t eat out at all, and don’t leave the home other than to pick up groceries.  They order everything else they need from Amazon, to be delivered directly to their home.

Non-Quarantine Home

Her daughter’s friend, who has grandparents living in her home, and another friend who has an immune-compromised parent, have moved into DeAnna’s home.  DeAnna’s daughter says, “Since I’m home from college, I miss my friends; but now I still get to see them.” Her friends say, “It adds a little excitement to our lives, during this crazy pandemic; and it’s fun to live with someone different.” Homes and families are topsy-turvy, and they’re mixing it up by dividing their homes into a “Quarantine Home” and a “Non-Quarantine Home”; but so far, it’s working out great for everyone.

Staying Healthy from Corona

            So far, everyone is healthy and has avoided contracting the Coronavirus because no one in either household has intimate contact with the others.  In fact, DeAnna insists that this is the key to containing the virus – that the virus is actually spread by intimate contact.  The fact that her husband travels daily, in and out of busy airports, confined airplanes, and busy hotels for months, and eats out every meal daily, yet still hasn’t contracted COVID-19 means to her that it is not contracted by casual contact or through food preparation; and that the fact that he is staying away from physical intimate contact with his family members has prevented him from contracting COVID-19.  (He has been tested by his workplace, and tested negative for both the virus and the antibodies.) He also takes the normal safety precautions.  He wears a mask, washes his hands, uses hand sanitizer, wipes down the cockpit and his hotel room with disinfectant, and practices social distancing.  (The airlines also take extreme cleaning measures before and after each flight, disinfecting with spray and cleaning all surfaces.)

Difficult Times, Psychologically

Admittedly, it has been difficult.  “I think we’re in very trying times, that no one is talking about”, says DeAnna.  “I think we’re all struggling, but you don’t see it on Facebook or social media.  You don’t see anyone talking about how hard it is, or what they’re thinking, or the arguments they’re having in their homes.  I’ll admit.  We’ve struggled; but I know we’re not the only ones struggling.  My children felt abandoned when I first moved to the RV.  Yeah, they’re adults; but I’m still they’re mom, and they felt abandoned.  But I explained to them that I can live separately from them for 6-8 months until we get a vaccine, and then be here with them for the next 20-30 years… see them get married…watch their grandchildren grow up.  Or, I can live with them now, contract Coronavirus, and likely die from it because of my health issues.  So, it’s a trade-off.  And it’s a trade-off that I’m willing to make.  We have to look at the big picture… look at the long-term, and this will all be worth it.  Plus, we’re blessed. There are a lot of people who have it a whole lot worse right now.  We haven’t contracted it yet.  We haven’t been touched by it yet, thankfully.  And, daily, our prayers are with those who have.”

Avoid Contracting Corona

These residents of Cleveland, Tennessee have found an innovative way to handle the situation, by mixing up households and placing those who need to be quarantined in one household and those who can’t quarantine in the other home.  Will other families decide to do this too, in order to protect elderly parents, grandparents, or others in the family who are immuno-compromised?  It also avoids shutting down businesses and our economy, while still protecting those who need protection.  Sounds like a win-win to me!  Can you find a way to divide and conquer Corona?