WHEN COVID-19 CAME TO TOWN

HOW ONE FAMILY DEALT WITH SELF-QUARANTINE

- SEAN CURTIS

Twenty-two years into a law enforcement career, I’ve seen some strange occurrences and often lamented the “luck” of the draw. The terrible wheel of chance sometimes presented the worst calls when I was on shift.

Now, in the latter part of my professional experience, I’ve taken to a suit and tie and banging on a keyboard as an investigator.

While I sometimes miss those crazy moments of misfortune out on the road, I was all too happy to let things break my way for once when the coronavirus came over the horizon. I had no idea COVID-19 would impose its will so sternly nor that my family and I would have been so prepared to deal with its consequences. Some of it was luck, some of it was planned, and the rest we learned in the moment.

Our experience probably started like that of many other people. We were hearing news about the looming spread and, depending on the source, it was going to be bad or it was going to be more or less like the seasonal flu. This theme continued for a while, but when the deaths from China started reaching the thousands, more people took notice.

THE CLOSING THREAT

Next, Italy took it on the chin, while the pandemic was just breaking in America. The death toll was around 700 people per day, and then, inexplicably, toilet paper was being bought up in droves.

My work had continued its course as usual. But, things then took a turn, and people started really taking COVID-19 seriously. My last normal day in the office was March (Friday the) 13th. After that, things changed dramatically.