Coronavirus Pandemic

Q1 2020 IN MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

Q1 2020 IN MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

I, along with everyone else in the public health community, have been tracking the progression of the COVID-19 epidemic. At the beginning of March 2020 I traveled to Oporto, Portugal to take part in the examination committee of a doctoral thesis. On the very day of my departure my daughter called me from Berlin to ask if I had seen the news of the closing of the Oporto University’s Medical School, where the examination was going to take place. After a quick exchange of emails it was confirmed and so I went.

COVID-19 IS A CONTINUUM

COVID-19 IS A CONTINUUM

I want to hopefully shed some light amid the confusion. There is a continuum of COVID-19 in between “you die” and “you get over it and return to normal.” Today is day 31 for me. I tested negative on day 27. Yesterday out of nowhere, I was hit with crippling fatigue and chills. My cough is almost gone, and I’ve been fever-free for two weeks, but when it comes to COVID-19, testing negative doesn’t mean it’s over.

COVID-19: AM/WAS I INFECTED?

COVID-19: AM/WAS I INFECTED?

It was a long direct flight home on March 13, a Friday; I felt trapped, wondering when it would be over. It was the first time in a long time that I felt sick on a plane. Coincidentally, the last time was during the Ebola scare in 2014.

TWO DAYS IN APRIL

TWO DAYS IN APRIL

It’s worth remembering the beginning, 50 years ago now, the aspiration for a healthier and more sustainable environment, to be stewards – a word utterly lost on the current administration – of the natural wonders that sustain our lives, meaning clean air and water, restoration of contaminated lands, controlling greenhouse gas emissions, and more.

Duchenne Smile

Duchenne Smile

A chalk drawing outside the Art Studio says: ‘What if six feet and a mask made us all closer?” I love this sentiment. There’s a certain kindness these days, more ‘hellos’ and waves. Duchennes smiles for days, which you can see above masks, smiles reaching the eyes.