It’s been about 24 hours since the management of the building where I live told us that Covid is in our building. We are 14 stories of about 120 elders, most of us especially susceptible to coronavirus. So far only one person has tested positive and that person, we are told, is isolating in his/her apartment. We hope. Is it someone still playing with a full deck? Is it one of the ones who often refuses to wear a mask? Is it X on the 5th floor? No, I saw X this morning. Is it Y on the 7th floor? Who haven’t we seen lately? The rumor mill is grinding overtime.
I have clear memories of a friend who was temporarily in Cherry Springs assisted living in Hendersonville at the beginning of the epidemic when it daily made the headlines as people were dying left and right from Covid19.
It is strongly suggested that we stay in our own apartments. For two weeks? What if there is another positive diagnosis in a few days, that would be two weeks from the second diagnosis, and suppose there’s a third? Am I under some kind of moral obligation not to leave the building in case I am bringing Covid-19 out with me?? Will I miss the whole fall? Is anyone taking care of the person in isolation? Have they done contact tracing? We are left to rely only on the grapevine and our powers of deduction for answers.
The Citizen-Times reports that those over 65 are only 18.5% of the positive cases in Buncombe County, but 88% of the deaths. If I (at 71) am one day diagnosed positive, will I die of Covid-19? Will I meet my (probably horrifying) death with grace and dignity or will I go in a blind panic? Will I be of support to my community in these times or will I be all me me me? Is it foolish to contemplate death at such a (relatively) young age or is it foolish not to? Should I carpe diem my way out of here?
- Submitted anonymously on October 10, 2020