10 in 1500

Living in a city with a Stay At Home order.

Every breeze feels… contaminated. Every rustle of leaves. Every whistle of wind. Tainted. Dangerous. Deadly.

It isn’t. I know it isn’t. COVID-19 is many things; airborne, as far as we know, it is not.

But it doesn’t stop me from feeling like I should hold my breath when I step outside.

Walking through Target to get supplies, you can’t help but wonder with every passing person… who has it? And did I come into contact with them?

It has only been a few weeks. A few weeks since the coronavirus seemed so distant. Sure, there were cases in the US a few weeks ago, but none were here.

Now… There are 418 confirmed cases in Mecklenburg County. Almost 1,500 in North Carolina. 10 deaths, which doesn’t sound like a lot- but it’s everything to the families of 10 people. It’s easy to get lost in the numbers and forget that there’s a life connected to each one, and friends and family members who will be forever altered because of this. 10 isn’t a lot in 1,500, but it is a lot to them.

Like many other states, we are under the direction to stay at home, unless we are essential workers, or we need to go out for medical assistance or supplies. And even then, social distancing- I’m gonna hate those words in a few months…