Diary: Living with a pandemic 7 (Thursday 19 March 2020)

The pandemic is still with us. You cannot turn on the TV without endless newscasts from every area about new cases, new policies, new restrictions, etc.

But there are some good things happening out there, too. Neighbours are helping neighbours – with shopping and calling or emailing to enquire about how people are doing.

Today 157 countries (up 6 in 24 hours) have reported 225,252 cases (up 20,552); 9,276 people have died (up 1,006); and 85,826 have recovered (up 2,958). Canada has 727 reported confirmed or presumptive cases (up 129).

What is happening in many communities is that people are stepping up to help. In our local newspaper, columnist Licia Corbella comments on some of the groups organizing to assist “the elderly, the immune suppressed, young mothers or anyone else who needs help.”

Caremongering has become a new word in our vocabulary. New Facebook groups were first set up to help vulnerable people in Toronto and it has turned quickly into a movement spanning not only the country but the world. As reported by the BBC news in Washington, DC, “More than 35 Facebook groups have been set up in 72 hours to serve communities in places including Ottawa, Halifax and Annapolis County in Nova Scotia, with more than 30,000 members between them. People are joining the groups to offer help to others within their communities, particularly those who are more at risk of health complications related to coronavirus. The pandemic has led to acts of kindness around the world, from delivering soup to the elderly in the UK to an exercise class held for quarantined residents on their balconies in Spain.” See more here and here and here

In Calgary we have the YYC Covid-19 Volunteers Facebook page where requests for help and offers to assist can be posted. At the time of writing this, there are over 11,000 members. See more here.

A woman in Cornwall, England, designed a #ViralKindness postcard form that she delivered around her neighbourhood aimed at those who were self-isolating. It has since gone viral with groups and individuals adopting and using it worldwide. You can print a copy of the handout here.

Grocery and drug stores are now offering special times for seniors and those with health challenges to come and shop, avoiding the large crowds.

The 8,000-member Canadian Federation of Medical Students has been doing everything from babysitting children of health-care workers to manning the phones at 811 call centres

Social media is likely to expand during these times as many of us will be hanging around the house rather than out and about.

We still want to hear a brand new thing uh, huh…