If you're a person who suffers from regular anxiety, the last few weeks have been especially tough.

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Schools are closed indefinitely, hand-washing may become the public-health message of the decade (and it's only 2020), and grocery stores look ransacked -- I say looked, because I haven't left my house since Wednesday.

That's when the fever started.

I came home from work late Wednesday morning and felt chilly. After checking the thermostat and being horrified/confused it was set to 74 -- I realized I had the chills.

Oh no.

My temperature registered at 101.6, which is where it's been since -- going as low as 99.5, but never coming back down to normal.

Otherwise, I feel pretty ok. Without the chills, I don't think I would have thought to check for a fever. Honestly, I'm still surprised every time I take it (hourly), because five days later the thermometer still hasn't gone below 99 degrees.

I'm coughing a bit, and using my inhaler here and there. I have asthma, which puts me at greater risk for complications of COVID-19, the same for other upper-respiratory illnesses too.

And while I feel fine (really, I do), I haven't left the house and am practicing social distancing with my family as much as possible within our home.

Among the things I've learned in the last five days of being home and out of work -- binge watching is overrated. I'm pretty sure I've consumed all of Netflix and there really is "too much of a good thing."

I've also learned 30 different ways to explain what's happening to my kids -- and here's the deal -- they know something is up, and unless you're the one to explain it to them, you can't tell if they have the right information or understand it in a way that's appropriate for their age. Don't avoid the issue -- welcome the teachable moments. After all, we're all about to become homeschool families. Communication should improve now.

Protect your family and those you care about. Here's a quote from Michael O. Leavitt, the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which sums up our current state:

"Everything we do before a pandemic will seem alarmist. Everything we do after a pandemic will seem inadequate. This is the dilemma we face, but it should not stop us from doing what we can to prepare. We need to reach out to everyone with words that inform, but not inflame. We need to encourage everyone to prepare, but not panic."
Michael O. Leavitt, 2007

 

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