Why Write this Blog?

Hello reader,

Or, should I just be honest and use the greeting, “Hello family and friends,” instead? Who else would be reading this blog right now? Well, whoever you are, thanks for showing up here and giving this a try with me.

Tensions are swelling and rising. We wait for the monstrous wave of death to crash down upon us, washing away a few of our loved ones. None of us have experienced this before. It is no wonder we are all obsessed with the news. We crave more knowledge and facts.

Why am I obsessed with the coronavirus pandemic?

Like many of you, I’ve been reading and watching WAY TOO much COVID-19 news. Most of my recent conversations, texts, and emails have involved the latest news topics and someone starting a sentence with, “what I don’t understand is…”

Since this started, I have barely worked on my other writing projects, or any of the infinite tasks on my “could do” list. Sigh. I tried to tell myself to stop, but, like an addict, I unconsciously clicked on the next article or video.

I’m glued to the news because I want to know what is going on to prevent anyone I love from dying of COIVD-19. I don’t worry about myself or my husband as much, though. We think we already had it in early March (but we won’t know for sure until antibody-based testing is available for us).

A few other factors in my life may have predisposed me to be particularly susceptible to becoming obsessed with the coronavirus pandemic.

When I was in high school deciding what to be when I grew up, the headlines were also talking a lot about viruses. HIV and AIDS were the scary new pathogen and disease.

The fear of a pandemic was seeded in me early. I remember reading The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett, which was a gift from an aunt in the 90s. This book was one of my early exposures to the awe and power that a tiny microbe can have on humanity.

The majority of my career I worked as a research microbiologist, focused on hand hygiene science. I used to test products for how well they worked against viruses and other types of microbes.

Three years ago, I began what, at that time, I called “a sabbatical.” The freedom from employment has been so rewarding that I now just call it “my very early retirement.” I began a bucket-list project to write a novel as part of NaNoWriMo on January 1, 2018. In the terrible but complete draft that I should be re-writing right now instead of doing this, my main character is a teen girl who was born in 2040 during- wait for it- you guessed it- A PANDEMIC that wiped out 1 in 10 people. (Do you hear my long slow sigh?) Uggh. To be honest, and I know this is selfish, but I am a tad bit bitter with the universe for the timing of this pandemic. Now my it will seem like I just plucked it from yesterday’s doomsday headlines. The universe must be teaching me a lesson about procrastination.

Seriously, though, since I was a teen, I thought I’d experience a pandemic in my lifetime. Yet, this feels unbelievable. This pandemic scares the begeezers out of me!

I hate feeling like I am wasting too much time on the news. So I tried to limit or stop pandemic learning. For a day it works, but then I spend double the time the next day. It’s impossible to stay away. I cannot- NOT- obsess over pandemic information!

So, for now, instead of beating myself up for wasting time learning about the pandemic, I decided to lean in. I am going to let myself consume as much information as I can digest. Well, at least up to the limit when my husband and cats (Minka and Coleman) start getting annoyed because “COVID Carrie” is spending too much time in her basement office ignoring them. ;)

“If I create a blog and at least share my COVID learning journey with others, then my time spent contemplating the coronavirus pandemic will not be wasted,” she tells herself, not quite believing the excuse.

Who might enjoy this blog?

Today, everyone is talking about viruses, statistical models, and a lot of other sciency stuff. Even if you never liked science or math before- you are forced to learn a little now if you want to understand what is happening for yourself.

If you are also preoccupied with learning about the pandemic, join me! Subscribe to this blog. I’ll try to use my background as a microbiologist and as a science teacher to share what scientists and other experts are saying in understandable ways.

If you are choosing to disconnect and avoid the news because it stresses you out. I get it. Congratulations! Runaway. You don’t need another coronavirus-related feed in your inbox. Goodbye, and good luck! But if you have coronavirus-obsessed friends, go ahead and forward this invitation to them first, please. Thank you :)

This is an experiment. Maybe I’ll love it. Maybe I’ll hate it. Or perhaps it’ll just be a distraction to channel my coronavirus-related energies until the #StayAtHome restrictions loosen.

Let’s get to it,

COVID Carrie