3.18.20

I can’t help but feel I’m getting closer and closer to a firsthand exposure to COVID as I continue to interact with people day after day at work.

Today I was in an exam room with an owner when she coughed, and then looked mortified and quickly tried to explain “I don’t have Corona, it’s allergies,” which immediately put me at ease (regardless of her actual status) because I think a feature of this new reality is an abject fear of clearing your throat, or choking on water, or sneezing in a public place. She was kind and explained when I asked her to sign her electronic discharge document that she didn’t want to put me at risk, after asking me to step back a pace. There’s beauty in this tragedy.

It’s got me in a different mindset all of the sudden, one I’m glad for, and one I’m ashamed not to have held from the beginning: we’re all feeling out this terrifying moment together. We’re all just trying to do the right thing. Before it had started to feel like strangers were a danger or a hazard. I was angry when people stepped too close to me. I was upset when people brought their “trivial” pet concerns into our clinic, risking my health and theirs. That’s the thing, though. They’re risking their health too. And working in a veterinary emergency room, people are coming in for a really valid and real reason, even if their concerns end up being minor in terms of health: they’re worried about, and want what’s best for their animal companions.

That’s why I’m proud we’re still open even if, yes, I’m afraid.