Coronavirus conspiracy
This morning I had this Facebook exchange with one of my brothers. It was fun. I wasn’t serious. I look on it is a simple, fun writing exercise. If anyone thinks that it’s inappropriate to treat the coronavirus pandemic in this manner, I have a lot to say - damning things - about Canadians’ cultivation of the crisis, their complacency, and their inflated sense of entitlement. Since writing this piece, two family members (a brother and a cousin) have come forward claiming first-hand knowledge of, or acquaintance with COVID-19 victims.
Me: About the novel coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic, I can't help but notice that in the midst of all the news and near-panic, I don't actually know anyone, or know of anyone, who has the disease let alone died from it. More than that, I don't know anyone who knows or knows of anyone who has/had the disease. And finally, I don't know anyone who knows anyone who knows anyone who either has, or had the disease, or died from it. All I know is what's reported in the media. That's the entirety of it from my personal perspective. Could it be, as I wrote jokingly in January, that there IS no novel coronavirus and that it's all a government-generated lie to more easily control the public? A conspiracy by corporations to sow fear and spur consumption with the goal of generating quarterly gain for the super-wealthy 1%?
Brother: I know two people who's parent got Covid 19...1 survived, one died (different families)....I know one couple who's husband dies of Covid...so it is out there....to be fair...all of them are American Friends...I personally am aware of one co-worker who's wife had it and he was off work for 3 weeks before being cleared to come back....It is out there.
Me: I think my lack of direct knowledge in these matters might be a measure of my natural social isolation. I don't know many people, I never 'go out' with friends (because I don't have any friends), and whenever I am not working I habitually stay home, anyway. I have to admit that these last few months of official isolation and self-quarantining have been among the happiest of my life.
These last few months of official isolation and self-quarantining have been among the happiest of my life.
Brother: We are homebodies as well, we've been practicing staying at home for years...so for us this is OK...just miss the international travel....new slogan...wear a mask or a casket.....you're choice
Me: When I was in Canada in March, habitually wearing a mask everywhere, I was met with curiosity, derision, dismissal, and even hate - hate mail in the local newspaper and even hate mail from a city councilwoman. Now everyone is on about masks like they've forgotten their March idiocy. Now, Canadians are going on about masks with the enthusiasm of evangelized converts. In March, North America was already 2 months behind the game, having broadly ignored the WHO contagion warnings from the end of December - even being complacent towards the state of international emergency that the WHO declared in February, weeks before the declaration of a pandemic. In March, I'd already been dealing with the coronavirus for a couple of months and was well versed in hygiene protocols. Vindication is sweet, but grovelling apologies would also be nice. And, the most satisfying of all would be if those people who dismissed my spring time eulogies to the virtues of the mask would hurry up and die already. But I could be wrong.