First Sight

March 10, 2020: For the past five days, my husband Doug and I visited our daughter Angela and her husband Harry at their home in San Francisco. Over the weekend, each received instructions from their workplaces that starting Monday, March 9, they were to work from home. 

Doug and I made ourselves scarce on Monday so "the kids" could get their work done. We drove to the north end of the city under blue skies, for a walk along the Yacht Harbor. As we arrived, we noticed that several people were taking pictures of a cruise ship passing under the Golden Gate Bridge.

On any beautiful sunny day like this one, the bridge is a stunning backdrop for ships sailing below. It would not be unusual to see people snapping photos. This time it was different. People made detours from the walking path to take their photos. The moment we parked nearby, we realized this was not just any ship. It was the Grand Princess cruise ship we had heard about - the one carrying 21 passengers who had tested positive for COVID-19. We heard one passenger had died.

Having returned from the Mexican Riviera and Hawaii, the ship was to dock in Oakland at noon. Upon arrival, all the passengers would be tested for the virus, then all would be sent to military bases to quarantine themselves for 14 days. 

We felt we had watched the virus arrive on our shores.

How did you first become aware of COVID-19? 


I live in Seattle and have time to think. Muse, even. Retired from research consulting and report writing, I now write about family history and life around me.

Comments

  1. AngelaSeptember 6, 2020 at 10:22 AM

    This feels like so long ago. Looking forward to reading more!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen BrattesaniSeptember 13, 2020 at 11:47 AM

      Doesn't it? Our sense of time changes with our new normal.

      Delete
  2. UnknownSeptember 10, 2020 at 10:14 AM

    We were at our cabin in Mammoth Lakes all of February and the first week of March. We, especially Bob, followed the news of COVID daily. By the time we left, ~ March 7, we were concerned about our route home. We spent one night in Alturas, NE California, in an area not yet hit, so far as we or anyone knew. Nevertheless, when we went out to dinner, we were acutely aware of the possibility of transmission, especially because there was a large party at another table where several people were coughing (I doubt that it was COVID). Before we left Mammoth, we bought quite a bit of TP and sanitizer, and the cashier wondered why. It definitely had not sunk in there yet. We safely made our way back home to Seattle, near the COVID epicenter, and have been staying at home. Carolyn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen BrattesaniSeptember 13, 2020 at 11:46 AM

      Awareness of the danger seemed to spread in waves from Seattle outward and from other disease hotspots. Glad you arrived home safely.

      Delete
  3. UnknownSeptember 10, 2020 at 12:42 PM

    The Covid-19 warning bells started distantly sounding in January. News of the virus taking hold in northern Italy was extremely worrying because I was scheduled to take a trip to the most severely affected areas. It was a relief when the tour company suspended all scheduled trips and issued vouchers for future travel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen BrattesaniSeptember 13, 2020 at 11:44 AM

      Our travel plans have changed tremendously. On the way back from California in early March, as we walked down the airplane aisle to our seats, we passed one woman who sprayed and scrubbed all the plastic surfaces near her seat and those of her family. She was the only one, but I wondered if I should be doing the same.

      Delete

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