What an interesting week to be a new employee at a company. I got a new job. My first assignment at a diverse and big organization. It’s both exciting and frightening. That’s it for the good news for now. This week Kenya announced three confirmed cases of COVID-19. Additional cases are being confirmed with time. Safety measures have to be taken by everyone.
Before that, I must confess that I tried ignoring the stories on social media and stats of global infections. I stopped watching TV some time ago, so I have been living in a bubble of sorts. Now it has hit home. Here’s where the fright comes. I observed how people were following the protocols to the letter.
At the gate, I was welcomed by guards and instructed to sanitize my hands before proceeding to the building. I constantly have to remind myself not to shake hands. At least this is not such a big problem for me because I greet people with the left hand, and usually avoid doing so if I can.
Yesterday a colleague was assuring me that the team is not usually so distant. That the circumstances have forced them to practice social distancing. Of course, I understand. They are doing so for everyone’s safety. Even mine!
Presently, all classes have been cancelled or taken online. Several employers, including mine, are testing remote working.
Featured image credits. COVID-19 Data pack
Habits to change
The problem is reminding myself not to touch my face. Every time I remember the instructions not to touch my face, an itch develops, either on my nose or eyes. It seems that I am not the only one who is experiencing this phenomenon. A friend said that it is called murphy’s law. This is the flippant proposition that if something can go wrong, it will.
For those of us using public transportation, and we are the majority, it is a struggle not to touch the rails and surfaces. I try not to and only do so when necessary. I should be careful not to fall inside a bus.
Which reminds me of an incidence this past Friday. The bus I was travelling in from town, nearly caused an accident. There was a young man who fell off while he was alighting, and the bus kept on moving. We had to shout at the driver to stop. When it was my time to alight, I told the conductor not to let me fall. I had to firmly remind him that he was the one who assisted me to carry my luggage into the bus, so he should not hurry me when alighting. Having a disability that’s not so obvious comes with its challenges, I tell you.
Hoarding supplies
Back to COVID-19. Who knew that hand sanitizers would be flying off the shelves at the rate we are witnessing? There’s a shortage, artificial or otherwise. Human beings are interesting. People who had the purchasing power rushed to supermarkets to stock supplies. Others in a panic decided to clear everything, not thinking that everyone needs to be safe. Maybe I would have fallen in this category if I had the money too. I did some introspection after calling the people ‘selfish’.
Safety measures
Safety measures to protect yourself: wash your hands with soap and water, maintain social distancing, avoid crowded spaces, practice respiratory hygiene. If you feel sick or suspect a case, stay at home and call the Ministry of Health Toll Free helpline: 0800 721, if you suspect you might have the symptoms of COVID-19.
A Tale of Two Cities: A Story of the French Revolution by Charles Dickens, starts with this excerpt:
It was the best of times,
It was the worst of times.
It was the age of wisdom,
It was the age of foolishness,
It was the epoch of belief,
It was the epoch of incredulity,
It was the season of Light,
It was the season of Darkness,
It was the spring of hope,
It was the winter of despair,
We are living in interesting times all over again.