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Tomorrow is Mother's Day, of course. My family has had a
yearly tradition of brunch every year for my entire married
life (almost 42 years). This year is complicated, like it is
for most of us. My daughter in NYC will FaceTime, my Nurse
Anesthetist will social-distance and come over separately
from my local daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. Yes, we
need to continue to social distance. There will be no
hugging or kissing, it will be different. COVID-19 has
deprived us of the human touch. Perhaps until now, we have
discounted the importance of this. Touch is healing; a hug,
or reassuring embrace, or a kiss on the cheek sends
immediate signals to our brain with a near-immediate release
of hormones (first oxytocin, followed by cortisol), it also
causes a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure by
activation of the vagus nerve.
Beyond the value of touch within a family, it's been shown
that when a teacher touches a student on the back of the
arm, it increases the likelihood of the student paying
attention. A high five during athletics improves
performance. A waitress who greets you and touches your
shoulder increases the likelihood of a larger tip. And in my
business, there are few things more uplifting than a
reassuring smile and a hand on a shoulder; it means I am
with you; we will work out a plan and everything will be
alright. And it will. In the big COVID picture, we are
making progress, things are different but doable. So, hold
the line.
And on this Mother's Day, I will be grateful for my wife, a
terrific mom, and our kids and grandson.
The numbers:
Maryland:
31,534 cases -/- 1,510 deaths -/- 4.78% fatality rate
Close to 2/3 of the deaths in Maryland are those over the
age of 70.
The Maryland Ro has not been updated since May 2 when it was
<1.0; the lower the better.
It's here - both as a paperback and Kindle e-book!
I have one request of you when you finish reading this
email, and that is, to please consider purchasing a copy or
copies of my book to help fund important COVID-19 research.
This book has been a labor of love for me, and in that
spirit, I am thrilled to announce that 100% of the profits
are being donated to The University of Maryland Medical
Center (UMMC) and COVID-19 research, headed by Greg Schrank,
MD, MPH. Dr. Schrank is an epidemiologist with the UMMC
Institute of Virology/Infectious Disease and co-chair of
their COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Committee.
Steve Schimpff, my co-author, and I have long-term ties with
UMMC and are deeply grateful to the opportunities our time
there has brought us. Now, more than ever, is an opportunity
to give back.
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On a lighter note:
I've often been told "stick to what you're good at!"
Unfortunately, gardening doesn't fit into that category. For
those of you who commented yesterday about how beautiful my
backyard is, the photos yesterday were a joke! Neither photo
was my backyard. To regain my credibility, below is a
legitimate picture my wife took over our house yesterday
afternoon of the Maryland National Guard Flyover as a salute
to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, military,
and other essential personnel, as well as those staying at
home to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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