This is how COVID-19 has impacted my life. I live in Abingdon, a small town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in rural Virginia. I’ve been quarantined and sick since March 11. I’ve had a harrowing trip to the ER in an ambulance, been shut in a glass cubicle at the hospital and faced with a tech who looked like he was dressed in a haz-mat suit as he swabbed me for my COVID-19 test. My wonderful ER doc had to fight to get me tested and it took a FULL WEEK-7 days- to get the results (negative, what a relief) . My current diagnosis: acute respiratory viral infection, unspecified. All the OTHER tests came back negative, too. But I remained very ill for several weeks, though I’m slowly getting better. In the meantime, because I’m medically fragile, I cannot go out. Friends have been kind enough to bring me groceries as needed, and I had stocked my pantry just before I became ill. The independent pharmacies have performed wonderfully, as have my doctors. I can’t say the same about the massive healthcare CORPORATION that oversees everything here. I inadvertently got involved in some of their medical drama and think they behaved very badly indeed, aside from taking an appallingly long time to process COVID-19 test results. And I have heard a few individuals give the extreme right “save the economy” talk that has revealed more than I cared to know their true character. But for the most part my community is functioning and surviving. People who can are delivering food to friends. William King Museum is doing virtual art talks and events, as is the Arts Depot. The library has ALWAYS offered online options and and continues to do so-awesomely! Barter Theater is live-streaming a play. Local restaurants are still offering takeout. We are hanging on….for now.
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