COVID-19; Are You the Problem?

Prior to March, 2019, I had never been hospitalized. In my 67 years, I had never had a serious disease. Then the fatigue I had been feeling, suddenly had a name; I'd been diagnosed with AML Leukemia. During these last twelve months, I've learned a lot about doctors, hospitals, my body and particularly my blood. But I also learned how to protect my newly immunosuppressed self. Prior to ending my stay in the hospital, I purchased 150, N-95 masks through Amazon. I left the hospital in Houston wearing one of those masks and kept one on for weeks. As it turned out, I went into remission quickly, and I stored those remaining masks in my basement. When I returned to work earlier this month, I was overjoyed to get out of the house and resume my life! However, as the month progressed, the warnings about COVID-19 became serious and although I was in remission, my immune system was still compromised, so I quickly retrieved those masks and started to use them again. I had returned to work only two weeks before the virus landed in the USA and now I'm back at home, this time hiding from a communicable disease.

On rare occasions, I leave the house wearing a mask and gloves. I went to a grocery store and pharmacy today, and people looked at me like I was crazy, but those disapproving looks didn't bother me; I knew what I was doing. However, I was shocked that no-one else was wearing a mask or any protective gear whatsoever. According to my doctor, the news on TV and government warnings, the virus is spreading exponentially (Louisiana had zero infections two weeks ago, today they 975), yet even really old people pushing walkers, wore no protection. Maybe they can't find masks because they are now more valuable than gold. But it was the behavior of these people that really shocked me, as they crowded each other in isles and checkout lines. This weekend, huge crowds went to the beach here in California, without abiding by the laws of social distancing. Many people believe this virus is overblown and some believe it doesn't exist at all and may even be a political hoax. Maybe its an "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" situation. Maybe some believe they are immune or that its effects are no worse than the flu. Clearly, these people are wrong, and their behavior is endangering those of us with cancer and other diseases. Whether you are young or old, we are ALL vulnerable, and those ignoring the warnings are the ones spreading the disease and overwhelming our hospital infrastructure. Please, wear a mask when you leave the house and if you don't have one, keep at least six feet apart. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.