Unexpectedly similar

Jana Mathia, Gazette Editor | May 28, 20200

While chatting with a high school chum, I asked him about the outbreak in his neck of the woods. He lives in an East Coast city which has received national news coverage for its COVID-19 infection and response. I was surprised by the comments he made throughout the conversation:

"There have been a lot of deaths and hospitalizations but compared to the population still very low... So among people I know I haven't heard of anyone even getting sick."

"To me there is no real visible crisis at all- just feels more deserted around town."

"And everyone wearing masks."

"... it is a big deal for those impacted and losing jobs etc. but I haven't even heard more ambulances than usual."

"People you see outside are normal/happy just doing the same things as always with many stores closed."

"Every now and then there is some minor dispute about wearing masks or getting too close but most people are not that uptight."

I hadn't expected someone in such a different setting to say things that fit what I was seeing in my own area. Especially considering this chum lives in New York City, a place deemed by national media the "epicenter" of the disease in the U.S.

I have heard the analogy that we are all in the same ocean in dealing with the pandemic, even though we have different boats to weather it in. But, as I read his statements and realized each could have been said here as well, it dawned on me that maybe the seas and boats aren't as different as we may be lead to believe. He said about 80 percent of people in NYC are wearing masks everywhere now, which may be a little higher than here, but the city hasn't been ravaged to its core as some news reports might lead one to believe.

"It's actually the best time ever to visit NYC," he said.

He acknowledged another similarity, one I had not even considered about our separate locations.

"You probably feel jerked around by the large metro areas. Other than NYC New York state is very rural. Upstate NY has basically nothing in common w/ NYC."

Wow. Change that into Seattle and Eastern Washington and I suddenly feel a lot more connection to a state I thought I had nothing in common with.

"But the governor is relaxing restrictions separately by county so they are trying to account for the differences," he said. Again, I was surprised by his comment, but not for the similarity; how could New York, which was hit harder and more recently than Washington, be looking at relaxing restrictions already?

"Yeah Washington is strict," he said.

"Strict" is not the word I would use, was my reply.

Jana Mathia

Gazette Editor