A Journal of the Plague Year
On March 15th, 2020, all hell seemed to be breaking loose regarding COVID-19. My mind in shambles, I realized that I had no control over what was about to happen. I figured I might as well be a good armchair historian and record events as they unfolded.
Over the next six months, I made 173 daily entries detailing the latest news, causalities, and my thoughts and feelings. On Day 174, I just couldn’t do it anymore. It was becoming too hard on my mental health. The journal went on a shelf, where it has stayed until I started preparing this post.
It’s now a full year since COVID-19 became a pandemic. To mark the occasion, I’m sharing the journal entries that best encapsulate the life we’ve all been living over the last year.
Sunday, March 15th, 2020
The following is a record of my thoughts and feeling about the little that has happened and the much to come. It is also a day-to-day record of events.
COVID-19 has, as of right now, spread more panic than germs throughout the U.S. Like just about any Sunday morning, I am listing to music and drinking coffee. It’s even raining outside. We need it.
No one in my family is sick. Yet.
There are rumors of a national quarantine, a phrase that up until a month ago would have seemed to be a fantasy.
People are still being so stupid. Going to clubs, crowded restaurants. They’re idiots, but I hope they enjoyed it. It will be many months before we can go to a cafe, restaurant, or bar. Flying in planes, going on vacation. It will be a long time before a lot of us do either of those things, too.
The governor is speaking now. Over 360 cases. 14% increase since yesterday.
Testing is increasing at state labs. New website to sign up for mobile testing. Sites will open throughout the state.
Newsom asks all seniors to stay home. All bars closed, including wineries, too. Restaurants limited to allow deliveries to people in need.
85% of students out of school. Newsom just called us a “nation state.”
After I finished writing 1,500 words for a client, I walked down to Safeway. All paper products gone. Same with cleaning supplies.
I wish this wasn’t just the beginning. But it’s only…
Day #1
Tuesday, March 17th, 2020
Well, it’s happening. At 12:01AM, Sonoma County will be on a lockdown. Only grocery, gas, and pharmacies will be open, along with a smattering of other places. Last night the governor closed all dine-in restaurants. To-go and delivery places still open.
Went for a walk this morning. It’s raining now.
National cases above 5,000 - probably 10x as many undiagnosed. Congress is debating some sort of aid package. I doubt that I’ll ever see a dime of it. The president told a few more lies today. So glad I go my funds out of the stock market. I would have lost $7,500 instead of $2,500 if I hadn’t.
As for me, being self-employed brings added stress to these times. I have plenty of savings, and the work has yet to dry up.
At least everything being closed makes it hard to spend money.
That’s all for Day #3
Saturday, march 21st, 2020
Turned on the radio as I made oatmeal this morning. NPR was discussing the explosion of cases in Europe. Also, New York has acquired two-million N95 masks.
The war isn’t going well.
Took a walk. Cut it a bit short as there were too many people out for my liking. It must be the beautiful weather.
Mom ordered me an AC, as I think there won’t be many cool places for me to work this summer. It should be here on Thursday.
She doesn’t think it’s going to get as bad as I do. I hope she’s right.
No formal entry for Sunday, as the two days are bleeding together due to lack of sleep. Was up 12:45-4:45 AM. I imagined dying alone and afraid in a hospital bed, coughing up blood through a respirator. It’s happening to otherwise healthy and young people in New Orleans, I read.
I have a 1-in-333 chance of dying form this. My best friend, a Type 1 diabetic, has a 1-in-25 chance. My mother, a 1-in-20 chance. My father, a 1-in-6 chance.
It’s all Russian Roulette. All that’s different is the number of chambers.
0.3%, 4%, 5%, 16.6%
I don't know if I’m doing the math right, but if we all caught it, there’s a 1-in-4 chance of disaster.
The odds only skyrocket when I think of everyone else I know or care about deeply.
I’ve spent the last two hours staring into the abyss that is the internet. I am so damn tired…
Well, the day ended better than it began. I took a walk, got some work done.
Slept well Sunday night.
So ends Days #7+8.
Sunday, march 29th, 2020
8:38 AM: 125,425 Cases U.S.; 5,591 California; 54 Sonoma County
Dr. Fauci predicts 100,000-200,000 deaths in the U.S. Today we’re at 2,201.
Wrote 1,500 words. Edited 3,500. A good work day.
Also, I saw an add that Sonoma County will want records of COVID-19 for people to see in the future. I wrote them volunteering this journal. I hope that the last entry celebrates an effective vaccine.
And if anyone in the future reads this…Hello! These are some shitty times to be alive. Cue “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones.
Goodbye to Day #14
P.S.: I hope every that I’m not sick, but everyday I worry that I am.
Monday, April 6th, 2020
8:27 AM: 338,473 Cases U.S., 9,697 Deaths, 17,727 Recovered; 15,182 Cases CA, 349 Deaths; 111 Cases Sonoma County, 1 Death, 23 Recovered
Saw on the news that New York will use city parks as temporary gravesites. Hopefully, the bodies will have a better resting place when this is all over.
By the way, I’m sure my daily numbers are very inaccurate, as people who die outside of hospitals aren’t added to the official tally.
Learned that a friend who works at a nuclear research lab at Oak Ridge is finally working from home. People in his building were getting sick.
They say that this will be the worst week. I don’t know for sure. All I know is that I am still healthy, and so are the people I care about.
Day #22
Friday, april 24th, 2020
7:33AM: 892,157 Cases U.S., 50,472 Deaths, 83,002 Recovered; 39,566 Cases CA, 1,530 Deaths; 216 Cases Sonoma County, 2 Deaths, 93 Recovered
President Dipshit suggested yesterday that we inject Lysol to treat COVID. Fuck me.
Slept well last night, though. That’s good. Feeling energetic.
Very productive day so far.
Couldn’t bring myself to eat leftovers so I had Uber Eats bring me a burger.
Day #40
Tuesday, April 28th, 2020
6:38AM: 1,002,885 Cases U.S., 56,752 Deaths, 139,162 Recovered; 45,178 Cases CA, 1,782 Deaths; 222 Cases Sonoma County, 2 Deaths, 103 Recovered
Feeling a bit down this morning. They say that a vaccine won't be ready until May - Aug. 2021. That seems so so far away. How will be live until then? Will there be any untainted joy in my life?
Good, encouraging news about anything would be welcome today. I am receiving a DVD organizer I bought from Amazon. So that’s something, I guess.
Day #44
Saturday, May 2nd, 2020
6:34 AM: 1,120,488 Cases U.S., 66,115 Deaths, 161,666 Recovered; 52,265 Cases CA, 2,134 Deaths; 248 Cases Sonoma County, 2 Deaths, 128 Recovered
The last four days were very productive, so it’s time for a day off. Well, I do have to get back to someone, but that shouldn’t take long. Grocery shopping went fine. It’s comforting to see full shelves. Despite everyone wearing masks, Safeway is a normal place. Amer checked me out. I told him that I hope he stays safe. Grocery workers have it the worst.
If I live to see 100, I don’t think I will see anything as disheartening as what I witnessed 30 minutes ago while driving through downtown. Sixty-plus people in a crowd waving U.S. and Don’t Tread on Me flags protesting the lockdown. I thought of that old Twilight Zone Episode “The Old Man in the Cave.” When you don’t listen to reason, you die.
I wonder how many of the people I saw today will be dead in four weeks.
But still, today was a great day off. I have no regrets. I’m sure that tomorrow will be a productive day.
Day #48
Thursday, may 7th, 2020
6:44 AM: 1,244,558 Cases U.S., 72,806 Deaths, 213,109 Recovered; 60,643 Cases CA, 2,461 Deaths; 286 Cases Sonoma County, 3 Deaths, 153 Recovered
3,300,000 more people filed for unemployment last week. Also, President Dipshit shelved the sensible CDC guidelines for reopening the country. We are not ‘warriors’ as Trump puts it. We are people who need leadership and reassurance. Americans are starving for both, and without it, we are going insane. In two states, men were murdered simply for telling people that they couldn’t enter a store without a face mask. One was the father of eight children.
Day #53
tuesday, may 19th, 2020
7:17 AM: 1,514,243 Cases U.S., 90,992 Deaths, 356,383 Recovered; 81,848 Cases CA, 3,285 Deaths; 391 Cases Sonoma County, 4 Deaths, 204 Recovered
Feeling really lonely, to say the least.
Yesterday, Trump said he’s taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID. Either he’s lying or will be dead very soon. Neither would be a surprise at this point.
Day #65
Friday, May 29th, 2020
7:08 AM: 1,745,378 Cases U.S., 102,958 Deaths, 498,938 Recovered; 103,969 Cases CA, 3,992 Deaths, 531 Cases Sonoma County, 4 Deaths, 222 Recovered
The county sheriff won’t enforce the shelter-in-place order after June 1st. He says the order is infringing on people’s civil liberties. What a fuckwit. (Sheriff changed his mind. That’s good. (And then he changed it back again. What an asshole.))
Riots/protests all over the country due to the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. ACAB.
President Dipshit just pulled the U.S. out of the World Health Organization. “Fear and Loathing” is too tame a phrase for this insanity.
Day #75
Saturday, May 30th, 2020
6:35 AM: 1,749,149 Cases U.S., 103,060 Deaths, 519,661 Recovered; 106,962 Cases CA, 4,088 Deaths; 548 Cases Sonoma County, 4 Deaths, 222 Recovered
“I’m not following this fucking health order,” sheriff Mark Essick told us yesterday. Cops just love thinking about new ways to kill the public.
Weekly shopping trip uneventful. Safeway still out of Clorox wipes and Lysol spray. Glad I found some last week for my mom.
The crewed SpaceX launch went off without a hitch. Crying good tears.
I can hear the George Floyd protests from here. A lot of honking. Something has to change in this country. The status quo will be the harbinger of doom.
Day #76
monday, June 1, 2020
6:38 AM: 1,790,191 Cases U.S., 104,383 Deaths, 444,758 Recovered; 111,921 Cases CA, 4,172 Deaths; 564 Cases Sonoma County, 4 Deaths, 304 Recovered
More protests overnight.
Now Trump has invoked the Insurrection Act to unleash the military on the people. All bets are off.
Curfew tonight in Santa Rosa and tons of other cities. I can’t explain how bad things are right now.
Day #78
tuesday, June 16th, 2020
6:07 AM: 2,114,026 Cases U.S., 116, 127 Deaths, 576,334 Recovered; 155,726 Cases CA, 5,114 Deaths; 765 Cases Sonoma County, 4 Deaths, 422 Recovered
Governor Newsom has basically given up. “We’re going to see an increase in cases” as the economy opens up. I wish things didn’t have to be so stupid. In New Zealand and Australia, life is perfectly normal.
Day #93
monday, july 6th, 2020
7:17 AM: 2,888,915 Cases U.S., 129,948 Deaths, 906,763 Recovered; 264,812 Cases CA, 6,374 Deaths; 1,359 Cases Sonoma County, 11 Deaths, 620 Recovered
Trump is going to tell us that we need to live with the virus and that 50,000-100,000 new cases a day is acceptable. There are no words to describe his evil and stupidity.
Governor Newsom is speaking, his weekly COVID update. Massive spread, but the death count is down. (It probably won't stay that way.) :( So glad he’s my governor and that I live in CA. At least we’re acting sane. :)
Day #113
Thursday, July 16th, 2020
7:16 AM: 3,499,771 Cases U.S., 137,420 Deaths, 1,075,882 Recovered; 355,046 Cases CA, 7,375 Deaths; 1,979 Cases Sonoma County, 16 Deaths, 976 Recovered
1,300,000 Americans filed for initial unemployment in the last week. Unemployment stands at 11.1%
Trump ordered the CDC to stop sharing virus data with the people. And I didn’t think my loathing of the man could get any worse. Grrr.
Day #123
Friday, July 24th, 2020
6:32 AM: 4,039,523 Cases U.S., 144,308 Deaths, 1,223,269 Recovered; 430,773 Cases CA, 8,201 Deaths; 2,300 Cases Sonoma County, 22 Deaths, 1,229 Recovered
Slept okay last night. Going to try to have a productive day.
Today the CDC caved to Trump and suggested that all schools open next month.
There were two more Sonoma County deaths since I reported the numbers this morning. Both men over 65 with preexisting health conditions.
I hope my parents can be some fo the first to get the vaccine whenever it arrives.
Day #131
friday, july 31st, 2020
7:19 AM: 4,495,612 Cases U.S., 152,082 Deaths; 493,140 Cases CA, 9,032 Deaths; 2,842 Cases Sonoma County, 32 Deaths, 1,437 Recovered
Another Sonoma County death. No info. A lot of federal benefits expire tomorrow, including the eviction moratorium.
So, the neighbor I share laundry facilities with has COVID. Mild symptoms. Spoke to him today from about 20 feet away. Don’t feel in any danger.
Day #138
monday, august 3rd, 2020
6:58 AM: 4,68,395 Cases U.S., 154,860 Deaths, 1,468,689 Recovered; 512,175 Cases CA, 9,396 Deaths; 3,113 Cases Sonoma County, 39 Deaths, 1,619 Recovered
Two more nursing home residents in Sonoma County passed away from COVID. :(
The schools that are opening bcak up are experiencing their first cases. What did they thing was going to happen?
The CDC projects that 11,000 people will die EVERY WEEK this month from COVID. We’ll see.
Anyway, today is a me day. Gonna go out to the coast later.
Day #141
Tuesday, spetember 1st, 2020
8:17 AM: 6,033,655 Cases U.S., 183,649 Deaths, 2,184,825 Recovered; 712,738 Cases CA, 13,022 Deaths; 5,800 Cases Sonoma County, 80 Deaths, 3,689 Recovered
Trump telling some extremely dangerous lies. Feels hopeless, to be honest. I’m dreading Election Day. Feels like an abyss.
CA couldn’t pass comprehensive eviction protections last night. A lot of people will be homeless soon, as the governor’s executive order expired.
Day #170