COVID-19 aka Corona Virus Update
As of 3/16/20:
Over 100 people in Georgia have the corona virus. The World Health Organization has characterized it as a pandemic. We are in a national emergency to contain the spread of this highly contagious disease. As far as we know, according to the CDC, “spread is thought to occur mostly from person-to-person via respiratory droplets” (source).
So what?
As a healthcare professional, I always take necessary measures to sanitize myself, my equipment, and my environment to protect each of my clients from possible contagions. I treat each client as though they may have a contagious disease. It would be unethical for me to act any differently. Some people may be contagious without even knowing it themselves, so I always err on the side of caution. The CDC recommends health professionals to follow standard protocol of sanitation when handling patients with COVID-19, with minor changes.
We don't know enough
We are navigating uncharted territory with COVID-19. Our healthcare system doesn’t have the capacity to handle the amount of our population likely to get ill. It appears to be far more contagious than other flu strains. One change I would need to make to my practice would be requiring clients to wear face masks upon entering the building, but our country has a shortage of masks.
Furthermore, many cities are shutting down businesses where more than 25 people gather – gyms, restaurants, etc. From my personal interactions with people, it appears most of them don’t know that it is specifically regarding large groups of people inhaling and exhaling the same air.
Regardless of how small and sanitary my business is, the fact remains we don’t know enough about COVID-19. None of us should be taking risks with this deadly virus or adding more pressure to our healthcare system if we can avoid it.
How does this affect me?
Unfortunately, my income is entirely dependent on massage clients scheduling appointments.
However, I had been entertaining this idea of providing online sessions for quite a while and I never had the nerve to go for it! So I finally created the option of booking an online guided meditation, ASMR, or a relaxing session of watching me massage my dog or cat. Hey, I don’t know what people might want! If you have a suggestion, let me know.
Another option for supporting me is to check out my photos of silkworms in dollhouses and ordering a print, or even a framed piece.
I have been working on silkworm and moth art as it relates to my band and silk road smuggling. As of today, I have one digital photo available for sale on my Etsy page. I’m not sure how I would pack and ship anything yet, but I spent 5 hours at the craft store today to get enough supplies to make art for the next 2 weeks while I’m out of massage work.
I also play the flute, and my band is called Silkworm Smugglers. You can hire me for a meditative flute session, or my band for a more upbeat experience. Here’s a video of our music. You can get us cheap. We are not only a new band, but we are all dependent on this crumbling gig economy right now. Our one upcoming gig for the Entomological Society (!) was canceled, and our AMAZING cellist is struggling with dozens of cancellations as well.
Donate
If you don’t see anything you would pay me for, I will accept straight-up donations on Venmo. My username is @silkwormsmugglers.
Please stay safe and don’t inhale air from other people. Don’t touch your face. Wash your hands frequently with soap (any soap! It breaks down the virus itself). When you can’t get soap, use a sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.
Have a great introverted and soapy couple of weeks, everyone. I care about you.