I bet I’m not the only one who coughed or sneezed in the past week and thought “Oh no!” I’ve put my forearm to my forehead to check my own temperature. I’ve taken my fair share of deep breaths, just to make sure my lungs are clear. I wonder if that slight headache is due to allergies, eyestrain from being on my computer, or if it’s the first sign of Coronavirus.

I might have tendencies toward hypochondria – there have been a few times when someone told me – after I’d spent a lot of time in close contact with them – that they had just gotten over the “stomach bug”. The next time I ate something, I’d focus in on my own G.I. tract to make sure there were no indications of nausea. But this is different because nausea is unpleasant but Coronavirus can be deadly.

Unfortunately, the pandemic is hitting at the same time that the dead wet leaves from last fall are starting to mold. My allergies are kicking in as a result. My eyes itch and burn, there’s a slight pressure to my sinuses. I know it’s just allergies, but to be on the safe side…

I’m not going near people. I’m staying home – as strongly suggested by the government – because I’m not so self-centered that the thought of infecting someone wouldn’t bother me. Should this not be allergies (which I’m pretty certain it is because I don’t have a lot of contact with people to begin with), I don’t want to pass it on to someone else. Hell – even if I have the common cold and pass that on to someone, their immune system will be impacted and this is a time when none of us can afford a compromised immune system.

So I won’t be at the grocery store for unnecessary items. I won’t go to the post office to chat. I’m not visiting friends or relatives. I’m certainly not going anywhere near a hospital or doctor’s office. I’m staying home and I wish everyone else would as well.

There are nurses and doctors fighting this virus who need to stay as healthy as possible. There are people with underlying health conditions who could die from this. It’s not worth the risk.