COVID-19 became the topic. News about it if hasn't become an hourly, it's at least semi-daily updates. Of course thanks to advanced and keep-advancing machine learning these days, any topic you checked out once online intentionally or unintentionally will keep showing up in your news feed. In my case, I have been following the updates, from both American social media and Chineses social media. And they are the two giant cliffs.
From the moment when Washington announced its first death on Feb 28 in Seattle, I was worried because of knowing how much impact the virus brought to everyone's life change in China: being locked down, or staying at home for months, or safety measures, or the fatality, etc. What I didn't expect is how much my remote family and relatives are worrying about me. I didn't tell my mom about any death in Washington until a few hours later (assuming news propagation time to Chinese social media), my mom asked me if I live in King County. I gave an optimistic answer: "of course", finding it amusing that she didn't even know I live in Washington state but now she knows about King County. She started sending me messages every 6 hours (forget about any timezone wherever) to make sure that I stay indoor or wear masks if I have to go outside. But then she read news somewhere that people will be discriminated (or even attacked) if one is wearing masks on the street in US, so she hesitated don't go out. At least we reduced the frequency of talking to daily, but everyday she asked me if I went out or not. Even when I said I saved a trip to San Francisco by going to USPS and a bank and wearing a powerful mask (notice how I structure my message to emphasize the advantage of this event: not going to airports and sitting in an airplane), she still freaked out and suggested me to come back to China. I half joked that I'll lose my job if I just stay in China, she said then find another one, I was speechless after that (that basically means I will lose work visa, green card, and move out of US within a month, etc.). In my mom's opinion, my life is the most important. I completely agree with this, just that her suggested way to reach that goal is out of a mother who constantly worries about her child (no matter the child is 30 years old or 100 years old) and it's an extreme way. On the other hand, my aunt in Texas also worries so much that on top of sending me the news about Seattle updates and asking me how I am, she also wishes that she can work from home instead of going to office. Moving on, I'm in a Chinese-in-Seattle group that has people posting hourly about donations, worries, rages, etc. Most of my Chinese friends are just quietly stocking up, staying at home, and waiting for it's all gone. I turned off news feed from Chinese social media.
Taking a deep breath on day 4 of working from home, I looked out of the window, warm sunshine hugs our cherry tree in blossom in our front yard, four chubby pretty birds are sitting around the branches and happily chewing something from the flowers and dumping those whole flowers on the stairs, ground, and everywhere. They are so proud and cheerful, never gives a glimpse of us on the other side of the window mentally protesting the improper eating activity of those flowers. Life goes on. Roads are emptier these days due to WFH policy from crazy-traffic-contributor companies (Amazon, Google, Facebook, etc.), still American people go out as usual. We take a walk in a random park every now and then, people are running, walking (with or without dogs), and cycling. Okay maybe I haven't seen an Asian face among these, maybe it wasn't a significant parameter and parks are just usually empty. Most of American friends and colleagues are super chill. Chinese social media applied a 2019-popular slang to how Washington state (where the most severe virus situation in US) reacts to the virus as "Buddha Like", which is used to describe someone being extremely chill. My 60+ year old friends are opposed to canceling toastmaster meetings, and they are following the same routine everyday just like usual days. Someone from toastmaster area reached out to ask about speech contest, and when he heard about we canceled the meeting, he suggested to follow toastmaster district guidance to not cancel but just reduce body contacts like shaking hands. I found it again amusing that a voluntary public speaking organization giving guidance on reaction to virus and health.
I'm not in favor of either approach or viewpoints. Both of them are too extreme in my opinion. Based on the current practice of local people, I almost immediately gave up the thought that the spread can be effectively stopped at any point. Many more people probably will get infected (and yes I believe how easily it spreads), and most people will choose to deal with it at home and recover and will not be included in the reported confirmed cases (and they are not eligible for hospitals or clinics any way...) from the beginning, so the fatality rate will stay high due to the not-rare-at-all severe cases. The Chinese approach of quarantine, free test, free treatment, free hotel/food will stay as a Chinese miracle. I'm just hoping for the cure to be out soon. In the meantime, it is nice to enjoy some private moments that are scarce in crowded and rushed daily routines.
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