We All Fall Down

 

This is what it must have been like during the Black Death’s early stages

This is what it must have been like one hundred and three years ago with the Spanish Flu

Or may be not?

At least bubonic plague is a bacterial infection

Rat to flea to human

From the Steppes to Turkey to Europe

Now, it’s from the wet markets to the cruise ships to the guy in New Rochelle who wandered the canyons of Manhattan

Hysteria

Paranoia

As long as I take that immune boosting silver, I’ll be fine

As long as I don’t travel, I’ll be fine

As long as I read The Masque of the Red Death, I’ll be fine

Our own personal Decamaron 

Scientists at the University of Chicago have isolated that protein pictured above, the Nsp15

Isolated to deconstruct and interrupt

One of the steps in creating a vaccine

That school can do no wrong

But, yet, still, in spite of this good news, there is so much hype

So much panic

So much pandemic

Pan was a nasty goat footed deity

Or was he? See, e.g., Jitterbug Perfume

You might want to read it during your quarantine

The Great Plague gave us nursery rhymes children recite to this day

Ashes ashes, we all fall down

Urge caution

Ease fear

“I basically feel like I’m sending my child to his death,” said the father in Seattle

“Months not weeks,” said Mayor DeBlasio

“You don’t need a mask; wash your hands,” said the Surgeon General

Can’t wait to fly in a few weeks

Plane might be empty

I’m going to have to say something to Beth Emhoff when I see her next time

Seriously

I’m going to say something

 

In the meantime, I will keep washing my hands

In the meantime, I will keep turning off the press-credentialed purveyors of pandemonium

In the meantime, I will keep about the daily routine

In the meantime, I will keep asking y’all to quit hoarding toilet paper

Really

Quit hoarding toilet paper