Friday, Mar. 6 - It Takes a Village to Catch a Virus.

Day 42. Today marks the first case of COVID-19 without travel history or contact tracing in Canada. Health officials struggle to find some connection. It's the beginning of community spread in British Columbia and Canada. Today also marks the largest amount of cases in one day, 13, and the widest spread, as cases appear in four provinces: B.C., Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta.

Two Vancouver schools have closed as a student was identified with a presumptive case of COVID-19.

The first case of COVID-19 is confirmed in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, prompting school closures.

Toronto has another case of COVID-19, a traveler who was infected in Las Vegas. The USA is exporting cases, and travel history is irrelevant.

"We're not in containment anymore," says Canadian expert Dr. Colin Lee, infectious diseases specialist. "What that means is that the virus can now spread invisibly without us being able to identify people that have traveled." Calling it a sentinel event, Dr. Lee said the switch from containment mode to delaying the spread means significant changes to preparation and daily life. People should expect cancellations of mass gatherings, school closures, and an increasing number of cases. “(Let) your family, friends, neighbors, know you can lean on each other. Look at your household and try to get your supplies ready for the next couple of weeks. We still have time." This is a significant change from "it's not as bad as the flu" from a few weeks ago, but the writing's been on the wall for anyone paying attention.

As major supermarkets run out of everything from toilet paper to spring water and frozen pizza, I'm not sure how much time we have, but at least new orders are still coming in. China has done an excellent job of keeping fresh food in cities during our lockdown, and I hope Canada and other countries can follow suit.

My dad, an enthusiastic Trudeau supporter, is finally annoyed with him. When asked why Canada doesn't restrict travel from hot spot areas, Trudeau said, "we're going to keep the things that actually keep Canadians safe. Uh, there is a lot of misinformation out there, there is a lot of 'knee-jerk reaction' that isn't keeping people safe, and they are having real challenging impacts on communities and on community safety. We're going to stay focused on doing the things that actually matter." So, I guess he's not worried, bigger fish to fry with his oil pipelines and blockades, or maybe worried about the economy more than the people, but by the time he gets scared, things will be petty bad.

South of Canada, the USA, is still struggling. The WHO offered the USA a correctly working test, but they insisted on making their own. It turned out to be faulty, their tests are a mess, and weeks later, they have no idea where the disease is. "We have no idea where this thing is," said their talking head expert on T.V. "This thing is everywhere."

Tonight we teach a class, so I want to chase the daylight hours. I do some research on this game's wiki, so I can tie my story arc into as many threads as possible.

As long as I've got avocado toast and strong coffee, I can handle a quarantine with dignity.

Xiaolin is flipping through Tiktok. I work on my Amos book a bit, but not enough.

Texas Coronavirus Prevention: wash your hands like you just got done slicing jalapeños for a batch of nachos, and you need to take your contacts out.

If you've got money in stocks and such, I suggest you invest in 3M, maybe Netflix or Amazon. Cocoon industries, but real wealth would mean some land, a cottage maybe, with a lake or a well instead. That’s my dream, anyway.

The sun shines in, breaking up my boredom. I ask Lin if she wants to go outside, she doesn't. I go exercise a bit more. She creeps up and tells me she's going out, so I join her.

  

We sit on our chairs, under a tree, and I read a page of William Gibson's new book, The Agency. It's so good, I'm not sure why I'm taking it so slowly. I think because with my mask and gear and the soundtrack to my life right now, I feel like I'm in a William Gibson novel. I'm focused on the 24 hours news, cycling between Chinese, Korean, Indian, Singapore, Italy, French, British, Canadian, American, CDC briefings, WHO briefings, my favorite Dr.'s who discuss the new medical articles and studies of the day. Just being aware of what's going on has become an almost full day job, and I am a supreme multitasker.

 

As the sun starts to erode my anxiety with its warm caress, I strip down to a muscle shirt, leaning my jacket against the guardrail.

I take a picture. Xiaolin looks up, noticing me. "Put your clothes on, it’s not summer yet.”

I slip my jacket over my shoulders, savoring the sun on my skin.

"Put your mask on, you'll scare the people.”

"The people?" I look around. We are alone.

She points to the building across from the parking garage.

I look over. No signs of life. "There's nobody here," I say. "We're fine,"

She shakes her head. "All the people will be scared if they see you without a mask."

I peer into windows. Are there people there, currently alarmed by my laissez-faire attitude?

I don't see anyone lurking around. Xiaolin means it, though. I think about the debates I have with my friends in the west and laugh. I can't take my mask off for five minutes here, alone and in the sun, without getting heckled. I put my mask back on and keep reading.

After a while, Xiaolin wants to go back up and bake a cake.

I check my phone and am reminded of a conversation I had with my friend. She had gone with a friend to pick up a pizza, at this lovely little Chinese-Italian place. Since you have to get takeaway now, they hide away from locals, masks down, and ate it on the street. Later they found a local underground bar to have some beers at. They're like, Weimar cabaret level cool. It sounds wild, like .. something I would have done 10 years ago.

I have friends in Canada flying to Las Vegas for work, to Seattle for fun, even starting a new job on Diamond Cruises. Am I the crazy one, to be at home?

I sing Bohemian Rhapsody while I wash my hands. They're so clean. They've never been cleaner. Galileo figuro magnifico.

My school sends a message: Foreign teachers are suggested to return until the school opening day is determined. To return, I ask? Not to return, they clarify.

Xiaolin is gung ho on this cake. I distract her with a minute of 'let's smell the fridge' for something odd while I struggle to get my ideas down before I forget.

We crack our eggs, whip them up, stir in some flour and powder. Later, after the class, we try it, and it's excellent, like a cheesecake sans the cheese.

We make a salad and pasta for dinner tonight. The real crisis I'm dealing with today is four ripe avocados. Tomorrow I'm gonna do something crazy for breakfast. Omelets and avocado smoothies.

After a few emails back and forth with Maria from Airinum, an upscale Swedish mask company, I work out a deal, since they have no more air filters for me to buy until July, they're going to replace a broken one with 10 replacements for free. Each one is good for 100 hours, and I have one and a half left, equalling 1150 hours of protection. Considering I go out for about 30 minutes a week, I should be stocked for 2300 weeks or 44 more years if I keep to my current schedule. That may sound crazy, but I've committed this far to not getting COVID19, so if I have to wait a couple more years until there's a vaccine, I guess I'm okay with that.

After dinner, I edit some news and take a rest. My colleague Marcel wants to get comprehensive health insurance before he flys back from Germany. Our simple work plan doesn't cover pandemic viruses. It's expensive though, Xiaolin suggests I stay inside; it's cheaper. Xiaolin had a sore throat and a sore shoulder last night, but today she's feeling better.

I've been trying to decide how far to pursue this video game writing job. On the plus side, it's in writing, I can make video games, the money is excellent, no lazy students or angry supervisors harshing my chill. It's very creative work. The cons, well, I'd lose my four months a year vacation, and my free house at the school. I actually make more money now and have more free time for my creative writing if I can focus. I want to be writing my own books, not other people's video games. It's tough to turn down what sounds like a dream gig, but I'm leaning towards keeping up with what I'm doing. Xiaolin tells me my hair is starting to turn white at the back. I guess this virus is taking its toll. I look out the window, and the streets are empty. I can't believe I have friends still traveling these days. Don’t they realize, if they just stay home they won't get sick? It takes a village to catch a virus.