28 April 2020
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It reportedly started at a seafood market in the city of Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province in China, somewhere around Dec 2019 (although it is possible that it started in November or even earlier and that China was late to acknowledge the import of the disease). The world has not seen a pandemic such as this since the misleadingly labelled "Spanish" Flu pandemic that swept the world in 1918. That one hit on the tail end of World War 1 and in just two months killed half as many people (around 9000) as had just been killed in the war (about 17000) - both significant numbers in a country which had a population of barely 1 million people at that time. Ironically it was returning soldiers that brought the pandemic back to New Zealand with them.
The Pandemic Begins
As of today 3,041,550 million people globally have tested positive for Corvid-19. Many more people worldwide have the disease but are not able to be tested for a variety of reasons including government unpreparedness and government and society apathy.
At first, just three symptoms were indicators of the virus: shortness of breath, cough and fever.
Then it was noticed that people with no or very mild symptoms could test positive and also pass the virus to others. This prompted New Zealand to 'go hard and go early" introducing a lock-down that kept us all at home and reduce our social contact as much as possible for 33 days.
Later the CDC added the following official symptoms:
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
New Zealand’s Lockdown Response
New Zealand's own Dr Siouxsie Wiles produced the following graphic (which went 'viral' pretty quickly and has been referred to by millions around the world).
Total recorded, attributed deaths world wide today stand at 211,159 (this stat is from the Johns Hopkins stats - this is the site I have used daily to record and make percentage calculations). In the coming months this figure will, no doubt, prove inaccurate as deaths in the preceding months were misdiagnosed or somehow, in all the panic, just plain unaccounted. The majority of the deaths have reportedly been in the over 70 year old age group and those with underlying health issues.
As of yesterday, Monday 27 April 2020, New Zealand, where I am currently living, has been in Level 4 'lock-down' for 33 days. Personally, I have been in lock-down for about 37 days. At midnight this morning we moved down to level 3. The hope is that our team of 5 million (as our Prime Minister calls us) has done enough in this lock-down to continue the short road to fully eliminate this virus from our shores and keep us safe until a mass vaccination can be developed and rolled out (the plan there being that the majority of people will take it - along with the knowledge that a number of people wont - hopefully not a significant number). Our lock-down has been combined with strict border controls and lock-down rules (we 'went hard and early') and lessons learnt from our compulsive watching of daily combined press briefings from our Prime Minister and our Director General of Health. These have involved a high level of transparency and openness. Strong and caring leadership. Our government closed the border to everyone but returning New Zealand nationals/residents and made it mandatory to self isolate for 14 days for anyone entering the country. Those without an isolation plan are put into lockdown in hotels or other government monitored accommodation.
Life Inside the Bubble
Social distancing quickly became the phrase on everyone’s lips — a new buzzword for the strange reality of keeping our distance from others, both socially and physically. In New Zealand, that meant staying within our "bubbles": the people we lived with as of 11:59pm on Wednesday 25 March, when we were given just 48 hours' notice before the country entered Level 4 lockdown. People over 70, those with weakened immune systems, or with underlying health conditions were urged to self-isolate completely.
Only essential businesses like supermarkets, pharmacies, petrol stations and dairies were allowed to stay open. Everything else — retail stores, trades, offices — closed their doors. Tape was laid on supermarket floors to keep shoppers spaced two metres apart. One person per bubble was nominated as the household shopper, and strict item limits were introduced to curb panic buying. Still, shelves were stripped bare of toilet paper, disinfectants, paper towels, laundry powder, hand sanitiser, flour and yeast.
Medical services stayed open but moved to phone or video consultations wherever possible. Those who could work from home did so. But playgrounds, bush tracks, beaches, pools, libraries and gyms were off-limits. Entire sports seasons were scrapped. Concerts, tours, weddings, holidays — cancelled. Funerals could only be attended by people within the same bubble as the deceased. Churches, mosques and temples closed. No in-person gatherings, no social visits, no popping by for a cuppa. If we did go outside, we had to stay local, keep our distance, and obey the 2-metre rule.
Hospitals, rest homes and hospices shut their doors to visitors. Meanwhile, shortages of masks, gloves and gowns left many front-line workers without the protection they needed — a worrying echo of what we were seeing around the world.
Still, in the midst of all that stress and restriction, moments of creativity and connection emerged. One family’s Lockdown Boogie went viral (the good kind of viral!) showing how people across the country were finding ways to stay upbeat, connected, and just a little bit silly — even when dancing in their living rooms.
Global Impact
Across the globe, hospitals are buckling under the pressure. There aren’t enough ventilators. There aren’t enough ICU beds. There aren’t enough nurses, doctors, gowns or gloves. Wuhan, Italy, Spain, Iran, the UK and the USA are the worst hit so far — with the virus infecting nearly 3 million people and claiming over 206,000 lives. The youngest known fatality is just six weeks old.
China initially reports a 3% mortality rate, but many believe the true toll is higher — possibly because the virus spread quietly before anyone knew what it was. Global figures are suggesting something closer to 10%.
In New Zealand, we have 1,121 confirmed cases and 19 deaths. Around 75% have recovered. It’s sobering, but still relatively low — thanks, in part, to our early lockdown, closed borders, and the calm daily briefings from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield.
Around the world, industries are adapting fast. Distilleries are switching to hand sanitiser. Breweries are making PPE. Car manufacturers are building ventilators. Tip lines have been set up so people can report others who are breaking isolation rules, underpaying staff their subsidy, or price-gouging. Streets are mostly empty. A few people wear gloves and masks. Essential workers are still going to work — and many are scared. Health workers worry about bringing the virus home.
Financial & Social Adjustments
The government wage subsidy scheme is helping people hold on. Businesses are paid $580.80 for each full-time worker (over 20 hours) and $350 for part-time workers, and they’re expected to pass on at least 80% of normal pay. For some, it’s a lifeline. For others, it’s not quite enough — but it’s something.
This is the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The World Health Organization declared it on March 11th, 2020, and we’re now four weeks into living under the New Zealand alert system. This is life for now. Possibly for a while.
Moving into Level 3
At Level 3 the country moves to allowing businesses to open up as long as they can provides contactless click and collect, delivery and ordering. No customers are to enter any business’s premises. Workers have to maintain 2 metres distance at all times with other co-workers. They are to wear masks, gloves when they are to be closer than 2m to another person or are manning a click and collect station. Hand sanitiser and cleaning products are of the utmost importance with everything needing to be cleans after every use. Breaks are to be staggered with limited numbers allowed in rooms such as smoko rooms and toilets. We even can only use one stair case to walk up and one to walk down. Our stores have been repurposed into click and collect stores. Checkouts have been turned into packing stations, all sales are done on line and cashless and contactless. We are still to stay home as much as possible. Only allowing one or two people into our bubbles.
Still here, waiting
There’s no neat ending here. No ribbon to tie around this story. We’re still in it. Still trying to make sourdough starters. Still waiting for masks to arrive in the mail. Still watching the 1pm updates like they’re the most gripping TV drama in the world.
But we’re okay. Tired, rattled, homesick for a version of life we didn’t appreciate at the time — but okay.
So that’s where we’re at. Not over. Not through it. But here.
Still here.
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