I’ve been taking Improv to Sketch with Norm Holly at the iO Theater and only 2 classes into my second term, the PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN happened. A few of my classmates and I put together a sketch.
FIGHT THE VIRUS!
Something I whipped up. We can do it together! But not close together.
COVID-19, This Feels Surreal
Right now at this very moment is when we are all getting actually worried about Coronavirus COVID-19. I got home from a long drive last night and took a rare after work nap to wake up to the news that:
- The NBA postponed all games
- Tom Hanks has the virus
- The NCAA will play to empty stadiums
- Flights from the US to Europe are suspended
- Dow futures are tanking
- More and more events all over the country are being canceled
In Illinois, we have primary elections coming up on March 17th and I really don’t know if I will make it to the polling place. My company is allowing anyone to work remotely if they are sick or not.
Why Now?
I feel like everyone has been thinking about the virus and what is happening globally and just kept it in the back of our minds. Now it is here in the US with more cases confirmed each day and we have mentally clicked into a mode of, “THIS IS REAL. WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THIS!” I have a few people very close to me with medical issues who would almost certainly have severe complications if they were to get sick with this. I am genuinely worried now for the people I care about the most.
Pritzker Demands More Testing Kits for Illinois as Coronavirus Cases Rise
In the US and Illinois there is not enough testing being done and our confirmed cases must be very low compared to reality. Speaking of reality, I also have to tell myself that overall the chances of my family getting sick are still very low, at least for the time being. In a pandemic, there is an inflection point when the virus spreads exponentially and we would not know we have hit it because we only have trailing indicators.
What Now?
I am going to avoid public spaces as much as humanly possible. I have been washing my hands much more often and weighing each decision to go out with a heavy bias toward staying in. I have two improv classes a week now in Chicago and I am on the fence about going next week at all. I also have two acting gigs this weekend in Chicago and I don’t want to go. I will keep the commitments this weekend because I can travel by car and the spaces are not going to be crowded. These are going to be an interesting few weeks. Stay well.