I am now into month two of self-isolation due to the threat of CoVID-19 here in the UAE. I am fortunate enough that my company has been able to put together a business continuity plan in preparation of a possible lockdown since mid-January this year. As early as 8 March 2020, we have been given the option to work from home, and a week later, way ahead of the UAE sterilization program, the work from home policy has become mandatory for our company.
Since I live alone, this meant that I have been on self-isolation since at least 15 March 2020. Even before this, though, I have minimized any trips outside of my apartment block, save for the occasional grocery run. I am immune-compromised with a weak lung and hypertension, not to mention my hypochondria and borderline agoraphobia. Needless to mention, just the threat of any virus has rendered me in a state already, let alone these talks of a pandemic.
This feels like Hong Kong circa 2002-2003 all over again, and boy was I glad I survived that. I avoided the thing like the plague, or so to speak, like SARS. You get what I mean. Living with a weak lung all my life, and in denial about it, mind you, you can just imagine the lengths I had to go through just to ensure I dif not catch SARS then. I still have PTSD over the whole ordeal, and to this date, even before the whole outbreak, I always have a bottle of sanitizers and a pack of tissues in my bag. This served me well now, as I hear there’s a shortage of this worldwide.
It’s funny though, as here in Dubai, there does not seem to be a shortage for alcohol and sanitizers. While the western brands have disappeared from the shelves, there’s a lot of local/Arabic brands that have showed up in the grocery shelves. I suspect, the government has had a hand in this. Maybe they have asked the local perfume distilleries to shift their production to alcogels. In any case, I am just deeply impressed at the swift response of the health authorities and the government in general regarding this outbreak-turned-pandemic.
Over the next couple of days I will be posting more here mainly to save my sanity during this period of isolation.
Til next post,
Stay Wild, Moon Child!
XXOO
Ella
EllaLand 