Alaska was one of the last states to report a case, but, considering how widespread it is and how highly contagious--and how so many people can apparently be asymptomatic carriers--I think it's only a matter of time before we see more. This case number one was in Anchorage, a
cargo plane pilot who arrived feeling ill, and then checked himself into a hotel and then tested positive. In Fairbanks, we had over the weekend a local firefighter/EMT check into the hospital with flu symptoms and get tested. All of his shiftmates were sent home into self-quarantine, but then his test results came back negative. But again, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before some real cases show up.
We are very fortunate to have been one of the last states, because we were able to proactively adopt the isolation measures that other states only enacted after the virus had swept through. The Universities and K12 schools, city buildings and services (such as the library and public swimming pools), and all public gatherings, are being closed/cancelled. We University employees were told to extend spring break by one week to allow for some transition time, but then resume classes online only. University employees are no longer allowed to travel for University work, and those who travel or have traveled outside of the state for personal reasons are not allowed to return to work until they have quarantined for 14 days and been cleared by their supervisors.
All of this would sound very draconian in a state with a single confirmed case of infection, had it not been for the high prices paid and harsh lessons learned by the rest of the world. I, for one, am somberly grateful to those who learned and passed on their bitter lessons to us.
As for what life is like here, let me think... In general, Alaskans are better stocked on essential goods than the rest of Americans. We are at the end of long and complex supply chains, and I sometimes go to the store in the middle of winter and find that I can get fresh kiwis, seven kinds of carrots, but not a single green vegetable. Sometimes we have gone weeks without being able to buy some very specific thing, like a popular brand of potato chip, because the one truck got delayed. Sometimes we go to the store and find some rare and delicious wonder--like organic honeycrisp apples or perfectly soft avocados or pears at the peak of ripeness--on sale for a ridiculous discount because they need to sell
immediately. So the only shortages I have seen that I can 100% attribute to covid-19 are (like the rest of the country) toilet paper and tissue. Milk, eggs, and fresh fruits and veggies are still plentiful (and wonderful!). I have been unable to buy store-brand dental floss (having to pay like 40 cents more for REACH brand, ugh!), but I'm not sure whether that is covid-19-related. Mid last week, I noticed that Tillamook 2-pound cheese bricks were on sale, marked down $2 each, so I bought three, and today I noticed that ALL of the Tillamook cheese was gone! See, had I not known about the sale, I'd have attributed it to covid-19, but I know it's just Fairbanks people being Fairbanks people. We stock up!
I generally put things on my grocery list when we are down to a certain amount, not when we are empty. So we have about a month's worth of food in the pantry and a year's worth of fish in the freezer anyway. All told, I merely doubled our stock of the most commonly used items--pasta, canned tomatoes, beans, rice, flour, masa flour, oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, that sort of thing.
Daily life is pretty unchanged for me. We don't have a crowd-oriented social life--no restaurant gatherings, no concerts, no pubs, etc. The only big change is online classes, and to be honest, at first I didn't bat an eye. UAF recently purchased a campus-wide
zoom license, which is by far my favorite online meeting interface, so I'm just planning to host classes on that. I am more than a little concerned about a lot of other things--that my nerdier students will no longer be forced to interact with other human beings and develop much needed social skills, that children who normally get free or reduced price lunches at school will likely go hungry, that people suffering from depression and/or anxiety will get worse--but I understand that this is all for the greater good, and that lives will be saved.
Now, here are some dog photos.
Do you think Cricket is comfy? I sure hope she is comfy.
Do you think Thistle is comfy? I sure hope she is comfy.
Tandem fang cleaning!
Other Exciting News: Cricket passed her temperament screening to be a therapy dog! Here she is wearing Roo's vest, but it's a bit big on her. I'll need to order one for her own. Does she not look proud?
I'm sure Roo is smiling down on her sister and is Very Proud!
One of the things we did to prepare for her screening is take her for a Canine Good Citizen test. At 8/10, she failed:
She passed Sitting, Walking Nicely on a Leash (that's a tough one for sled dogs!), Waiting Patiently if Left With Stranger, Politely Greeting Stranger, and Politely Greeting Strange Dog. She failed Remain in Place While Owner Walks Away. She wants to follow me, of course! Then we didn't even get to try Comes When Called because of course I never got away from her.
Apparently those are the two specific ones she is allowed to fail and still be a therapy dog, because therapy dogs are always on leashes!
We will not be doing visits any time soon, since the hospital is closed to visitors, but we'll be ready to go when this covid-19 situation is under control. Cricket loves to cuddle!
Well, I sure hope they are comfy!
