Coronavirus Diary Day 242: November 9, 2020

America Elects a New President, Pfizer Announces Vaccine

 

U.S. drug company Pfizer announced this morning that their COVID-19 vaccine candidate has proven 90% effective in 40,000 test participants. This captured headlines around the world and sent the stock market into outer space. I guess it’s good news, because it certainly sounds like good news.

 

In the meantime, there have been 51,062,625 confirmed, global Coronavirus cases and 1,266,185 deaths. More and more countries are entering second lockdowns, and some cities here in America are proposing the same. So, yeah.

 

Ahhh, remember the lockdown? I have such nostalgia for baking experiments, binge watching, Zoom happy hours, mask sewing, home schooling, delivering groceries, meal preps, family dinners, dog walks, YouTube workouts, Tiger King, sanitizing stations, TikTok dances, and Instagram Live. There was a time – briefly – when freedom was looming on the horizon and I thought, “I’m going to miss this.” Now – perhaps – we’ll have a Second Act. What will you do differently? What will you accomplish during Lockdown 2.0 that you wish you had accomplished the first time around?

 

A novel, maybe.

 

Last week, we moved my husband’s parents into an independent senior living community, just for the winter months. They are 90 and 88. Before last week, they were living alone at a family property in Upstate New York. Winter here brings negative temperatures and cumulative snow dumps of a dozen feet. Everyone agreed that my in-laws would be safer in a controlled environment, for the time being, of course.

 

The safety protocols where they’re staying are impressive. No one is allowed inside the building, other than residents and employees. Social distancing and mask wearing are strictly enforced outdoors. Upon arrival, my in-laws were tested and quarantined in their apartment for 2 weeks. I trust they will be safe from Coronavirus. I really do. But, will they?

 

You guys, of course! There’s a vaccine.

 

 

 

Joe Biden has been elected the new President of the United States of America, effective January 2021. Donald Trump disagrees with this outcome, of course, crying voter fraud and claiming he has been reelected. We’ll see how that works out for him.

 

Kamala Harris will be the first female Veep. Also, the first person of color Veep.

 

I’m all up here in the Adirondacks traipsing through forests, shooting targets, and drinking tequila. I was pretty sure the world was going to hell in a handbasket (whatever that means), but as it turns out, things aren’t so bad. So, I don’t have to build a bunker, a greenhouse, or perimeter booby traps. Which leaves more time for wine to play with the dog.