I have been feeling the need to document and write about the Corona COVID19 virus that has entered our world and lives so abruptly and very unwelcome I might add. Some have been affected far more than others, but I think everyone around the globe has been impacted in some way by it. I just wanted to write and journal about it from our perspective in Japan at this point, but this is a worldwide pandemic causing economic trouble and heartache everywhere.
The first time I heard about the virus was in the hospital after delivering Clay late January 2020. Our hospital had a random policy that only mothers could be with the babies and guest and fathers had to view baby from the window and could not hold and snuggle the baby until after discharged days later. It seemed like such a ridiculous rule at the time, but one month later many hospitals all over would be practicing separations and quarantine policies. My friend had asked me if it was because of the virus that family couldn't be with baby, and I had no idea what she was even talking about. . . but now it is what everyone, everywhere is talking about.
Clay just turn two months this week, and our world seems to have turned upside down during his little lifetime. The first case in Japan was reported just days before he was born. It started in China and caused so much death and sickness and lockdown there and has rapidly made its destructive way from one country to the next. The virus itself is an extremely contagious respiratory illness similar to the flu but currently has no vaccine and can be especially fatal to the elderly and those with asthma and weak immune systems.
Just before Clay turned one month, Riley had a business trip to America. This virus was in Japan at the time and the boss even gave him the option not to go, but at the time it didn't seem such such a big thing and had no idea the impact of the virus. Riley left Feb 21st and was gone for 10 days.
So much changed in those 10 days in our lives and in Japan especially. Church got canceled in Japan, schools closed, toilet paper and healthcare items disappeared from shelves, and Luke got potty trained during our time inside! I wondered if Riley would be able to make it back to Japan actually, and wished I knew how to pay rent with his card. I looked at flights back to America and wanted to go to be safe and 'wait out the virus time' there where it was "safe."
Riley traveled and returned back with no problem, but even just a week or two later it would have been a completely different story and the trip most likely would not even happened. Traveling has halted almost altogether with whole the travel industry taking hard losses. Overall in the work force, thousands have already lost jobs and many more will likely continue to lose jobs.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics also just got officially postponed this past week until next year. While the news was disappointing for us to hear as we were planning on Riley participating in the Nike Olympic projects and activations, we felt this was the right decision. We also felt relieved as we have felt that Japan's actions and reporting on the virus may not have been completely honest as there was pressure to put out an 'all-is-well' image in an effort to keep the Olympics.
The past two weeks, the virus has hit America full on. Missionaries have been asked to return to the their home countries to continue their missionary service, although many have seen their missions end much earlier than expected due to the virus. Temples all together have been closed around the world. President Nelson just called for a churchwide fast specifically "for relief from the physical, emotional, and economic effects of this global pandemic."
It's tough writing about the virus as it is still very much on going and are in the middle of it now, so the 'end results' of this pandemic are still yet to be written. We do feel like these next 2 weeks for Tokyo will be extremely telling of the trajectory of the virus impact here in Japan. Either the worst has yet to come for us and if it hasn't, it will in the upcoming week or if by the end of these next 2 weeks it hasn't, we can be closer to officially saying Japan dodged most of this virus bullet.
(what I wish i pictured, guy wearing gas mask at immigration office)
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