Reflections on the corona virus situation during lockdown in Norway

A lot can happen in a week, and a lot can happen overnight. We don't really consider how quickly our lives can change, until change is forced upon us. The corona virus that originated in China has managed to change the world as we know it in one fell swoop. A pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization. China and Italy are dealing with unprecedented and overwhelming healthcare crises, as will other countries shortly; there are shortages of necessary medical equipment and corona virus tests. Global stock markets are rising and falling violently each day, and many people have already lost a lot of money. Businesses risk bankruptcy, especially those in the airline and travel industries. Small businesses will also suffer--cafes, restaurants, hair salons/barber shops, independent bookstores, you name it. People in all countries are hoarding paper products (especially toilet paper), soap products, pasta, rice, flour, and sugar. If you're reading this, please don't hoard--it's selfish and stupid, and only creates problems down the road. In Norway, we are in lockdown (https://www.newsinenglish.no/2020/03/12/norway-shuts-down-to-control-corona/ ), which means that churches have closed their doors, masses are cancelled, sports and cultural events are cancelled, schools are closed, and workers have been laid off temporarily or told to work from home. I fall into the latter group; I work at a hospital in a pathology department that has to continue functioning in order to deal with the other groups of sick people who need diagnoses in order to start treatments, e.g. cancer patients. Their lives depend upon those diagnoses. So those of us who are not doctors or nurses or clinical lab personnel are not required at work, because our presence only increases the risk of infecting the healthcare workers who need to be there. It's not a problem for me. I can work from home; most of my work is administrative at this point anyway, and can be done on my computer. I support this effort, even as I know that some people in positions like mine, do not. I've been working at home one or two days a week for what seems like forever, and I enjoy it, but that's because I am a structured person and one who does not need a lot of social interaction with colleagues.

Current estimates say that the pandemic will be at its height during the summer season, from May through August. We will see. I had already booked my flights to NY in anticipation of my longed-for annual NY vacation in August, but bought cancellation insurance this year just in case--thinking ahead. Because if the pandemic continues, I will not be allowed to travel to NY at that time, since all airports here in Europe and in the USA will be closed to international flights. I will miss not being able to travel to NY, but I understand and accept the outcome if that is to be the case. There is nothing I can do about it in any case. It's very weird, the whole thing. It's hard to describe how it feels. I guess one would have to talk to an ordinary Italian person experiencing complete lockdown, to find out how they cope with not being able to do much of anything at the present time.

We will end up longing for our previous way of life, but I don't think our way of life can ever return to what was. Our parents knew what it was like to live through WWII--they remembered the rationing, the fear, the loss of loved ones, the overall suffering. We will talk about the 2020 pandemic in much the same way--the year when the world as we know it came to a screeching halt, when globalism in its current form died, when the power of the European Union (EU) was suddenly wrested from them and returned to the countries who should rightfully have the power to decide for themselves how things are going to be in their own countries. I haven't heard many commentaries from the EU about what is going on; surprising considering how much power they have wielded over the years, even over countries that are not members of the union. I think all European countries have now understood that they have to protect their own people first against this pandemic. That is not selfish, that is smart.

Please follow the advice given to you by healthcare professionals; wash your hands, work at home if you can, practice social distancing, don't hoard, and don't plan huge parties or gatherings at this time. It's possible to rebook weddings, trips, concerts, etc. for a future time. It's possible to think ahead and to plan accordingly. It's not life as usual anymore. And if you cannot adopt these ways of doing things freely by choice, then the government will eventually ensure that you do so by forcing you to do so. Which is more preferable?