Day 17 of rollback-California Covid 19 spike-Governor shuts us down
Our room at the Cosmo…
The following article ran in the Los Angeles Times on 7/30/20:
“Men are less likely to wear masks. They are also dying of corona virus at higher rates in LA County.” The article goes on to say that men are dirty and won’t wear masks (I’m paraphrasing…but not really). Here’s a direct quote: “Testicles may actually increase the risk of longer, more severe illness” AND “Men more than women agree that wearing a face covering is shameful, not cool, a sign of weakness, and a stigma.”
So, can we just quarantine men?
7/29/20. Wednesday
7:30-10:00- I planned on sleeping in, but the dog is barking so I go downstairs and take her outside. No poop today! I give her cheese and a few pieces of chicken I cut up a few days ago. I grab my coffee, go upstairs, and take out my braids. Shower. Lotion. I put on a summer dress then pack the rest of my toiletries and make-up. I bring my duffel bag/suitcase and beach bag downstairs then pack my lunch bag with the salads I made last night, along with some sliced apples and almond butter for the drive to Vegas. I listen to The Daily, What a Day, Up First - NPR, and ABC World News Tonight.
10:00-10:45 - I excessively water my plants to tide them over for the next three days.
11:30 - 12:30 - L. drives me to Enterprise to pick up the rental car. Staff and customers are masking and the sales associate, David, who happens to be black, tells me that his wife, who was a Zales sales associate, had Covid-19 in December. At the time, she felt a little under the weather but not sick enough to stay home from work. I suspect she didn’t have sick days and couldn’t afford to stay home, but I didn’t ask David this. As the days went by, his wife became more and more ill, until she was unable to walk up and down the stairs because she couldn’t breathe.
David’s wife was off work for four months, but not before infecting her supervisor and several co-workers; her supervisor almost died. David took his wife to one doctor after another, but she remained undiagnosed - nobody could figure out what this strange illness was. Remember, Covid-19 wasn’t on our radar in December the way it is now. Eventually, David had to take a month off work to care for his wife. He was with her 24/7, holding her, sitting with her, making her meals, and helping her shower and dress and yet..he never got sick.
At the same time, David’s brother lost his next-door neighbor to Covid-19. David said his brother and his brother’s neighbor were best friends and saw each other almost daily, as they lived across the street from each other. His brother’s neighbor fell ill and his brother checked in on him constantly until…he died. His brother was devastated at the loss of his friend and also afraid since he had been exposed to his neighbor for many months. And yet…he, too, never got sick.
David believes that he and his brother have some sort of genetic immunity against Covid-19, but is quick to add it’s probably an immunity against the FIRST mutation. David has no idea how many times Covid-19 has mutated or how he and his brother would fare if they were similarly exposed to Covid-19’s current mutation. His wife is doing much better but is still not completely recovered.
So, this is what I’m told an hour before I leave for Las Vegas, one of the hottest Covid-19 spots in the country. Do you think it’s an omen?
I leave Enterprise in a Mercedes. Is this is an omen?
1:00-5:30 - L. and I drive to the Cosmopolitan, in Vegas. Traffic is incredibly light - then, again, it’s a Wednesday. We listen to The Accused - Season 3 along the way. Once in Vegas, I notice immediately that there are almost no cars on the strip and I am shocked. There are zero crowds of people walking around. I count, en total, 10 people at various points along the strip. That’s it.
5:30 - Valet parking still exists, except now it’s free and no longer $15 per day. My N95 is on and L. is wearing a standard surgical mask. We step inside the Cosmo…
There are signs posted informing all guests that masks are MANDATORY. At first glance, everyone is masking…except, they’re not. Follow my gaze. At my 9:00…there’s a 40-something husband and wife checking into the hotel, but his mask is a chinstrap because he has pulled it completely down. His wife, however, remains masked. They walk to the elevators, the man’s mask still off. At my 11:00 are three black frat boys. One of them is wearing his mask below his nose. The other one takes his mask off, picks his nose, then puts his mask back on.
Customers are socially distanced and waiting to check in. Hotel staff are surrounded by pexi-glass, with small inserts at the bottom to pass drivers’ licenses and credit cards through. Hotel staff spray the desk on the customer side of the pexi-glass after each guest is finished with their transaction. A man at my 3:00 pulls his mask down to speak to the woman behind the counter, thereby defeating the purpose of wearing a mask.
Because I’m a Marriott member, I get an automatic upgrade that includes a terrace. L. and I stand in line for the elevator. When the elevator doors open, a 30+ male steps off the elevator, no mask in sight. Hotel staff say nothing-they do not correct bad behavior at all. L. and I grab an empty elevator and ride up to the 32nd floor. I’m grateful for my N95.
The room is very chic and very clean. From the balcony are stunning views of an empty Vegas - no cars, no people. As usual, there are huge, neon, Time-Square signs on the strip, but they are advertising…nothing. There are no shows running anywhere. L. is hungry and calls the various restaurants at the Cosmo, but they are all closed on Wednesdays (unheard of during normal times), except one - Zuma, a Japanese restaurant. The hostess says we don’t need reservations because nobody is there.
7:00-9:00 - The restaurant is Japanese-inspired and beautiful, but there are actually quite a few customers here. Since inside-dining is prohibited in California, it is shocking to see it happening here. Yes, everyone is social distancing via appropriate placement of tables, but we now know that Covid-19 wafts and drifts like smoke within interior spaces so, in theory, social distancing inside a restaurant doesn’t help. Also, nobody is masking in the restaurant because they’re eating and drinking. Like with so many other things, I find all of this overwhelming.
L. and I are placed at the sushi bar, completely alone, which would have been an impossibility in Vegas, BC. Although we are removed from everyone, I’m afraid to take my mask off because Covid-19 floats. I feel so uncomfortable, but I eventually take it off so I can eat and drink. Dinner is exceptional and I have a $25 glass of champagne - L. and I split the meal. This is one of the highlights of the trip.
9:30-11:30 - We put on our masks, then leave and walk to the Cosmo elevator - everyone who walks past us are also masked. The Chandelier Bar is actually OPEN, unheard of in California, and there are a few scattered customers inside, unmasked and having drinks. It is hard not to stare. L. and I grab an elevator and make our way to the 32nd floor and back to our hotel room. I sit outside on the balcony for a long time, breathing outdoor air.
We watch Forensic Files - this is our go-to show every time we travel - and I finally get ready for bed, but can’t sleep. I have some champagne I brought from home and eventually fall asleep, but I have nightmares about being infected, and wake-up constantly, almost every hour. I’m developing a post-nasal drip and wonder if it’s Covid-19.