Coronavirus blog: Adjusting to new lifestyle

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Coronavirus blog: Adjusting to new lifestyle

ABC7 Meteorologist Sandhya Patel opens up about how her family is getting through the novel coronavirus pandemic and making adjustments to their routine.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- I thought life was already hectic with a full-time career and three kids but I had no idea it was about to get crazier when the novel coronavirus pandemic hit. We are all being impacted by this crisis and I have been hearing from everyone from family to friends to parents of kids that go to the same schools as mine to complete strangers when I have gone out for essential services. I felt a strong urge to start this blog because it has been therapeutic for me to put my feelings on paper. I wanted to give other people the opportunity to do the same in the hopes that it would help them. I would love to hear how you're feeling and coping so please feel free to share.

CORONAVIRUS BLOG: ABC7 Meteorologist Sandhya Patel opens up about navigating life during COVID-19 crisis

Shelter-in-Place

Our measures to shelter-in-place and keep social distance is saving lives. Remember, it could be your grandmother, father, sister, friend that could have been exposed to the virus if you had not taken the steps to help slow the spread.

There is no doubt that some of you may be getting cabin fever! No one ever said it was easy but, you have to try your best to cope. This week is "spring break" for my kids and we have been painting, dancing to music in our living room with the kids, playing Wii, board games and just making the most of the situation considering public schools will not reopen for the rest of the school year and we will be sheltering in place longer.

I feel blessed to be healthy right now and you should also be thankful for that because things could be far worse!

COVID-19 Peak

The coronavirus has spiraled out of control! I remember reading one article several weeks ago where the writer talked about the exponential growth in the coming weeks. That certainly has been playing out.

The president recently announced that the peak of the pandemic is expected in about two weeks and things will get worse.

My husband who works in biotech told me this just a few days ago. He also added that we will continue to see disturbing rises in the number of cases in the coming days. While many of us may not want to hear this, I think it is inevitable.

Now that people are really staying in and limiting exposure, hopefully we will see a turnaround in the coming months. That is my hope. Keep doing your part to flatten this curve everyone hopefully, we will see a difference!

First Responders

Many thanks to the first responders on the front lines! They deserve all the credit for the tough work they are doing treating patients under stressful circumstances.

We have friends and family who are nurses and doctors and some of them are very concerned about their loved ones and possible exposure. However, it was great to hear that they have their PPEs (personal protective equipment) as a line of defense. I know that there is a shortage of masks, gloves and ventilators in some of the hospitals around the country.

If you think you have it hard, think again. A friend of mine has been battling advanced cancer and had to go in for surgery recently. She is one tough woman who was in great hands at one of the best hospitals but, even she was very worried about getting the virus. I can't even imagine how unsettling that was for her! Fortunately, the surgery went well.

Broadcasting From Home

I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would one day broadcast the forecast from home! Desperate times call for desperate measures, many of us are just playing it safe to limit exposure.

As you know, I have been bringing you the forecast live for the evening news and usually ask the kids to play downstairs to limit any possible interruptions. So far, they have been terrific!

Thank God my kids sleep through the 11 p.m. broadcast! I think that training them when they were babies paid off! We didn't always put them in quiet rooms for naps because our family get togethers were quite lively to say the least!

Air Quality

There is a silver lining to the dark cloud. COVID-19 has forced many of us inside our homes and with fewer people on the roads, the air quality has improved! Have you noticed this? There is less pollution so we can breathe easier.

It has gotten better in Europe as well as indicated in recent reports. The shelter-in-place has been beneficial from a global climate change perspective.

I would love to hear from you so feel free to share your thoughts on my social media pages. Follow on Facebook and Twitter for the latest on weather in the Bay Area and so much more!

Go here for the latest news, information and videos about the coronavirus.

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