I didn't feel it, but it woke all my friends up.

     The title was originally lighthearted, but no one is feeling that way anymore. At first, it all seemed like a joke, But now I think we're all just feeling devastated.  At first, we made fun of the world-wide panic, but now we realize that this is actually very serious.  I went to bed with a stress headache and woke up with it still here. Yesterday I couldn't stop myself from crying because I am just...sad.
     Am I worried I am going to die? Absolutely not. But do I worry about millions of people in the United States alone who are elderly or have other underlying health conditions that put them at risk? Yes.  I have friends who over the years have been hospitalized multiple times with pneumonia because of asthma, and I fear that their damaged lungs could not handle this. I worry for my friends who live and work and a funeral home.  They are the ones responsible for picking up bodies of the deceased, and it makes me sick to think about what would happen if we had an outbreak in the area.
    As for myself, "statistics" vary very very widely in regards to what happens to the young and healthy, but I wonder about this mystery breathing difficulty that has plagued me for the past year...{the doctor is assuming it is exercise-induced asthma because the inhaler works}...and I know that I was hospitalized for just having bronchitis on my mission.
    I worry for medical staff, who already in California are working for days on end and have so many patients that the medical staff are no longer allowed to use the breathing masks to help mitigate the risk of getting COVID19. They have to wear surgical masks instead because the other masks are reserved for patients. In Italy, which was the hardest hit outside of China, frantic and exhausted doctors have resorted to not treating anyone over age 80, because they do not have enough ventilators for everyone. What will happen if we too run out of beds?  Analysts have predicted that the United States will start to look like Italy if we don't slow the spread now.
    Luckily, just about every leader has stepped up to slow the spread of the coronavirus.  Much international travel has been banned; people must not meet in groups of more than ten which means all public gatherings are cancelled; countless stores have closed; dine-in is banned; grocery stores have an hour for senior citizens only; pretty much all schools that I know of are closed {universities went online, K-12 are just on pause}.
    While these safety pre-cautions are all very smart and are meant to protect vulnerable people from getting sick and prevent people who aren't as careful from spreading the illness... It's affected everyone's lives. I only know one person with the coronavirus {she went on a trip to London and contracted it there}, but EVERYONE I know across the world is "socially distancing." Graduations, concerts, sports {including Dallin's volleyball season} and other events and activities have been cancelled. Travel plans are completely haunted.  Missionaries from many countries across the world are being sent home.  An elder from my home ward was supposed to serve in the Philippines until July, but since he only has a few months left, he won't be able to go back out once the craziness ends. Just like that, his mission is over.
     I'm anxious to see what will happen to the economy.  I can only imagine the stress being a business owner right now as people isolate and stop going out and spending money, either by choice or not.  I am so lucky to have two jobs with the school that allow me to work online; a lot of people are struggling to pay the bills because they cannot work when their place of employment is shut down.

    That being said, there is still much to be grateful for. So far, my loved ones and I are healthy. And I haven't had this much time with Dallin probably since we got married. This virus is forcing everyone to slow down and really enjoy the little things.