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?

We all need a little positivity right now.  This is a difficult time for all of us.  Change and the unknown is always hard.  Here are some positive vibes, because we could all use a little cheering up right now!

Eating at Home

We’re eating out less, therefore we’re eating at home more.  We get more family time together “around the table” now, which includes a family prayer before we eat. We pray for those affected by the Coronavirus, and we express thankfulness for what we have.  We also eat healthier foods, since restaurant-foods contain a lot of sodium and fat, to make them taste good.  And a major plus: I’m cleaning out my fridge, pantry, and freezer by cooking at home!

Outdoor Time

We spend more time outdoors now.  Since we’re establishing social distance, we’re getting outside more by taking walks, going for a drive in the mountains, and hitting the hiking trails.  Added family time is a plus.

Family Time

Since we’re all at home now, we have more family time together.  Enjoy the time together and get “back to the basics”.  Do a jigsaw puzzle together, play board games, do crafts, watch movies together, do a YouTube workout video together, cook meals together; and take the time to teach your kids the things we don’t typically have time to do – how to cook, sew on a button, create a budget, and pay bills. Teach your teens how to fill out a job application and create a resume.

Enjoy the time together and sometimes just “Be Still”.  Turn off the news and social media.  Read a book or listen to an audiobook.  Sit on the porch. Lay in the sun. Sleep late. Enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation.  We move at such a fast pace, that we often forget about each other.  Maybe this is God’s way of forcing us to take a breather, to sit back and focus on family, to become closer to each other again, and to reconnect.

Be Neighborly   

Volunteer to help your neighbors, especially the elderly. Help them figure out how to order their needs online, and help them get delivery for their groceries and prescriptions. Many elderly people don’t know how to use a computer, how to download an app, or how to use social media; so, help teach them. Put a sign in front of your home, knock on a door, or call an elderly person you know.  Neighborhood by neighborhood, we can help each other.

Telecommuting Becomes the Norm

Companies will realize we can telecommute far more than we do.  Forcing companies to telecommute will show managers that jobs can still be done, and done well, from our homes instead of in an office.  All those morning traffic jams will be a thing of the past, which will result in less fossil fuel usage, which, in turn, is better for the environment. Productivity will increase, because there are less distractions at home and socializing among co-workers is eliminated. Even if companies don’t fully allow telecommuting permanently, a realization of the benefits of telecommuting might allow employees to work from home for the first two hours of the day, checking emails and returning phone calls; and staggering workday start times will decrease traffic, especially in the larger cities, where so much time is wasted on the morning commute.  Sitting in traffic – wasting gas and wasting time, all to get to work at the same time – is totally unnecessary in today’s age and with today’s technology.  We’re creatures of habit and social norms, but it’s time for those norms to change in order for us to be more productive (and happier on our work commute!)

Online Voting

With a Presidential election coming, our government may be forced to implement online voting (which, IMHO, should have been done a long time ago).  Imagine no waiting in line at the polls, no voter fraud (because voting eligibility can be proven online, in order to vote), more accurate counts, faster results, and less exposure to germs and illness because we’re not all touching the poll booth buttons, one after another, during cold and flu season.

Online shopping

We’re all going to realize how much we can do online and wonder why we didn’t do it sooner.  Once you try online grocery ordering and pickup, you’ll never go back!  No “cart rage”, no crowds, and the comfort of waiting in your own car – or better yet, convenient delivery to your front door.

Telemedicine Becomes the Norm

The realization will come that Telemedicine is the way of the future, and can be a major factor in reducing Healthcare costs.  This can be a unique way to provide healthcare for the masses, at no additional cost to the public, just by making it easier and faster to get to the doctor, and by making appointments more efficient.  (Also, I can’t count the number of times my chidlren picked up a different sickness at the Pediatrician’s office than the one we went in with at our visit! This would solve that problem too!) 

Better Hygiene

Since we are all becoming more aware of germs and the importance of hand washing, this should result in less colds and flu and overall better hygiene in the future.  When we start using online systems more, there will be fewer cases of all viral and bacterial infections, overall, including colds and flu. By the way, why don’t we just discontinue the whole tradition of handshaking permanently, while we’re here? (Says a borderline germaphobe… 🙂

U.S. Economy

Coronavirus will certainly hurt our economy during the shutdown, but when the market opens back up, it will open up with a vengeance.  People will be so tired of being “cooped up”, in their homes, that movies, shopping, restaurants should all experience a boon that will offset their losses during this time.

U.S. Production

When I heard that ALL of our antibiotics are made in China, it was a scary realization! It is vital to recognize that a global market only works when we can trust other countries to provide our needs. We don’t have the best of relationships with China, so what happens if we go to war or have trade wars, and they decide to withhold our medications? This situation should result in bringing more manufacturing back to the U. S., amid the realization that we need to be self-sufficient as a country.  We need vital medications, fossil fuels, and important production to be in America, where we have more control over production and availability.

Life Lessons

Lastly, and most importantly, we will realize what is truly important in life. We’ll appreciate our health a lot more, when are healthy.  I believe the purpose of illness is to build our immunities, and to make us appreciate the times when we feel really good.  Won’t we appreciate our health and freedom so much more, when things get back to normal?! I sure will!

We’re going to experience a “Back to Basics” lifestyle. A generation who is said to be spoiled and entitled will experience what it’s like to do without, and realize that they’re not going to die from it. We’ll realize that “things”, vacation, travel, and shopping aren’t important.  PEOPLE are important.  FAMILY is important.  We are going to realize that we can do without the rest; but without love and kindness and relationships, we have nothing.

Lastly, we will survive this.  I have all the faith in the world in my fellow Americans.  We have good leadership, who take quick action.  We have companies who produce the necessary products and react to our needs.  As a general population, we are smart, we are ingenious, and we are problem-solvers.  We will survive, and we will come out better on the other end of this.  As bad as this situation truly is (because I’m absolutely in no way trying to minimize it), let’s choose to be positive, look at the bright side whenever possible, believe in humanity, and work to help each other, as we get through this – as one cohesive body – as Americans.