To Mask Or Not To Mask, That Is The Question! 14 Weeks In Self-Quarantine.

JUNE 5, 2020

I live in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Today, (June 2nd), the television news announced that Arizona registered its largest daily increase in new Covid cases of 1,772 new cases in one day. This may not seem large to some of you where the populations in your countries is much greater; but Arizona is a state with only 7.7 million in population, so this is big news. 

Why? How can this be when the state of New York is down to less than 100 new cases?

Let me take you back. I had recently been visiting this year in the UK. I returned home in mid-February. Soon after, I started to hear the rumblings of this new disease centered in Wuhan, China. I watched with some trepidation since I was around during the SARS epidemic back in 2003. I was then and still am a global business traveler. By March 3rd, I decided to self-quarantine myself and I still am. It is now my 14th week. I only go out once a week for groceries and to the drug store. I am always masked and gloved. Initially some people looked at me like I was crazy and others looked at me with utter disdain. I did it anyway because I knew what was best for me. Having lived through SARS and AIDS, I knew I wanted to be cautious and be safe. On March 3, I pulled out a small stash of N-95 masks left over from SARS (remember I traveled extensively, so I had kept them). I also had kept a supply of latex gloves in the kitchen for some time, just in case.

I decided then and there to self-quarantine. I ran out to our local Costco (hyper-market) and picked up one big package each of paper towels and toilet paper. I picked up some vitamins and some freezer food and went home and have basically been there ever since.

What have I witnessed? People who hoard and deprive others of goods, people out of work for long stretches of time, huge lines in some cases miles long of people queueing up at food banks, people complaining about how slow we are in “re-opening up the economy”, people who insist it is their right not to wear a mask and ignore social distancing and some radical right politicians and religious ministers who say older people should get Covid-19 and die for their country. 

I feel sorry for those who are out of work and for those who find it necessary to go to a food bank. I truly do. The other issues mentioned above besides these two are disgusting examples of humanity. 

Last Wednesday, more than 50% of the people at the grocery store did not wear masks. When I go back tomorrow, gloved and masked, I unfortunately expect the unmasked numbers will increase; all this will undoubtedly just bring more new cases of Covid-19. 

I am getting very tired of these people who talk about their rights to go unmasked and ask myself, why don’t they think about my rights for not getting this disease and those rights of the elderly and the immune-compromised. I guarantee you that if these people now get the disease, they will be screaming bloody murder for immediate and proper healthcare and blaming everyone but themselves. 

You might be asking what have I done to maintain my sanity during these 14 weeks of self-quarantine. I have written commentaries like this for various blogs. I have been on Zoom calls and so many webinars that I have lost track. I have completed some home projects that I had procrastinated on. I set up my own home gym using things from around the house instead of weights and my usual gym equipment. I have read a number of books that had been getting dusty on my nightstand. I have watched movies that I previously had not enough time to see. The list goes on. My sanity is fine. I must admit I am tired of being cooped up at home, but even though the restaurants have re-opened at 25%, I will not go to them until I am assured the pandemic has seen its dying days. 

Bob Jacobson

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