Dear readers, my Mom, sister and I arrived in the US ( from the Philippines , amidst a Corona virus outbreak in Asia ) on Feb.29. I have to admit I’ve been rather flippant about the danger of us visiting the country, stupidly feeling invulnerable and immune to any disease, not realizing we could have contracted the virus there, and passed it on to my friends, family and co-workers here in the US. I’m sorry.
We only realized this when my sister who works in LA was requested not to go to work for 3 days. Then , we got a memo and email at work advising workers who have been to countries with outbreak of the virus to take a 14 – day “paid ” quarantine leave. It just so happens that I’ve been back at work for 7 days already, so I asked my supervisor if I still needed to go on a 14 day quarantine. I don’t know why my super thought it wasn’t needed. She just said, ” too late, Ren. ” and she smiled sadly.
That’s when I started stressing out . My sister has been calling us everyday, and we can sense she feels quite appehensive about our health, especially Mom’s. Her age, you know.
Today is the 14th day.
No symptoms.
You cannot imagine how relieved I am. Dang ! !
In fact, today, at work, someone sneezed, and I was the one who visibly freaked out. He laughingly told me ” it’s allergy season, Ren ! ! ! Don’t look at me that way ! ! ! ”
Hmmph ! I gave you a bottle of fancy- looking Tanduay Rhum 15 Years Old from the Philippines. So, don’t give me that ” As if ! ” look, okay ? ?
” sigh”
Anyway,
All’s well that ends well.
Bye !
Am a Molecular Microbiology student, love to read books, and I play the violin. 
dreamsending
renxkyoko
renxkyoko's space 
Posted by SCLMRose on March 14, 2020 at 12:48 pm
Stay healthy. My son lives in Orange County and I worry about him over there.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 14, 2020 at 1:18 pm
We were fortunate we left the Philippines days before the full-blown outbreak. The latest news is that Metro-Manila is now on lockdown mode.
I don’t think there’s a virus case in Orange County. All I know is there’s a danger of an outbreak in San Francisco , and in my city’s vicinity, prompting at least 2 schools to close temporarily.
Posted by edomar on March 14, 2020 at 1:45 pm
Tanduay cures everything…here in Italy we’ve got total lockdown, the whole country… pretty scary
Posted by renxkyoko on March 14, 2020 at 2:03 pm
Yes, terrifying news, indeed. I hope you’re okay. Metro-Manila is on lockdown, too.
Posted by edomar on March 14, 2020 at 2:07 pm
I am fine. We are attentively listening to all the news and updates from the Philippines hoping for the best. Take care and thanks for your concern
Posted by renxkyoko on March 14, 2020 at 2:38 pm
Oh, Tanduay cures everything ? * smiles * I think it’s Ginebra San Miguel, Marca Demonio. He he he So cheap, like 50 cents a bottle. Do you know the Phlippines is the lbiggest consumer of gin in the world ? Because it’s so cheap ?
Posted by edomar on March 14, 2020 at 2:44 pm
I know it very well. Gin is pampatunaw, pampainit, pampagana and pampatulog: the best cure-all after Omega Pain Killer!
Posted by renxkyoko on March 14, 2020 at 2:47 pm
Ahahaha ! !
Posted by renxkyoko on March 15, 2020 at 12:27 am
Third cure -all in the Philippines——- Vicks Vaporub.
Posted by edomar on March 15, 2020 at 5:29 am
And Efficascent Oil!!!!
Posted by renxkyoko on March 15, 2020 at 10:25 pm
Oil of Wintergreen !
And Salonpas for those aching muscles !
Not to mention Tiger Balm ( though my mom never liked the smell )
Posted by edomar on March 16, 2020 at 4:06 am
Salonpas gives you that warm sensation
Posted by edomar on March 15, 2020 at 5:32 am
…Red Horse Oil, Cuatro Cantos Oil….there is no shortage of cure-all things in the Philippines. Mabuhay!
Posted by renxkyoko on March 15, 2020 at 9:42 pm
LOL ! Our house in the Philippines has a covered rooftop . Every night while we were there, we hang out at the rooftop and ” cured ” ourselves with Red Horse Oil , he he , and yes, Cuatro Canto. Also San Mig Oil, and a newly discovered medicine, a blend of Smirnoff / ginger beer/ lemon flavor. It tastes awesome.
Posted by edomar on March 16, 2020 at 4:04 am
And I guess you were singing “nanay, tatay, gusto kong tinapay at….isang tagay”…..there is no shortage of the good stuff in the Philippines hehe
Posted by j matthew waters on March 14, 2020 at 2:30 pm
so glad to hear you’re well !
Posted by renxkyoko on March 14, 2020 at 2:46 pm
Thank you ! ! I’m so happy .
Posted by Becky on March 14, 2020 at 3:44 pm
That is a relief! Ugh panic hit my town here! No TP here no sanitizer. I have lots of sanitizer.
Yet when I was leaving work a mother let her kid run around in a public place in bare feet 🤢🤮
I always get stressed out about that when I work lobby.
But come on townsfolk are freaking out about the coronavirus yet the kids go bare feet in public place? Ooh yes they are so health conscious 🤦♀️😂
Posted by renxkyoko on March 14, 2020 at 6:41 pm
Over here, no sanitizers, no rubbing alcohol. Becky, washing with plain soap is enough. For some reason, children do not get infected. But the elderly, especially those with underlying health issues are in great danger of getting the virus. There are now 5 deaths in the Philippines, all of them over 60.
Posted by Jim on March 14, 2020 at 6:09 pm
I’m more concerned about you civilians panicking versus the virus. it looked like a plague of locusts descended on my market when I went to get some groceries today. I’m laughing at people lunacy right now but I’ve upped my threatcon.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 14, 2020 at 6:35 pm
Where I live, we can’t find rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizers , but toilet papers and tissues are still aplenty. I guess stores cannot stock up fast enough. Panic buying is laughable, you’re right, but, I can understand the behavior. People are afraid of a China -like lockdown .
Posted by Jim on March 15, 2020 at 5:37 pm
pack away what TP you can find while you still can. warsh you hands with antibacterial soap. it works just as well and that’s what we did before that hand sanitizer was ever marketed.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 15, 2020 at 7:41 pm
In Filipino culture, every Filipino household has a tabo or dipper in the toilet. This is used to wash the butt with sweet smelling soap after doing the business. We have that here even in the US. He he he
Posted by Dracul Van Helsing on March 14, 2020 at 11:57 pm
Good to hear you don’t have the Coronavirus.
The idea that Tanduay cures eveything reminds me of a true story that my dad a historian told of when the Spanish flu epidemic of 1919 hit the coal mining town of Drumheller, Alberta, Canada.
Some coal miners who came down with the flu went to a hospital run by the town’s doctors.
Others went to the town brothel where the brothel’s owner the town Madame had closed her regular line of business during the epidemic and had turned the brothel into a makeshift hospital.
At the doctors’ hospital, they gave the patients various types of regular medicines.
At the brothel turned makeshift hospital, patients were given the Madame’s homemade moonshine brew.
The doctors’ hospital lost every single Spanish flu patient.
At the brothel turned makeshift hospital, every one of the Madame’s moonshine imbibing patients survived the Spanish flu.
True story.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 15, 2020 at 2:04 am
That’s…………. !
I believe that. Truly I do.
Posted by The Hook on March 15, 2020 at 2:09 am
Hang in there, young lady!
We’re going to get thru this.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 15, 2020 at 10:22 pm
Thanks, Mr. Hook ! !
I just bought 20 lbs of orange, and made fresh orange juice !
Mr. Hook, there’s no cure , and that’s a fact. Our only weapon is to be healthy…. and lots of sleep !
Posted by Amielle on March 15, 2020 at 3:51 am
It actually makes everyone paranoid! Haha stay safe, Ren!
Posted by renxkyoko on March 15, 2020 at 8:56 pm
Hey, you’re in the Philippines. Heard Metro-Manila has been on lockdown mode. I saw on YouTube Plaza Lawton on a Sunday with practically zero people. I’m glad they are somehow following instructions , and that is a big surprise ! !
Posted by disperser on March 15, 2020 at 3:51 am
Glad you’re OK and I don’t want you to freak out but . . . 14 days is not a magic number. That’s a suggestion. Some incubation periods have been longer.
Also, you could have the virus and not show symptoms but still be contagious.
If you have the opportunity to be tested (based on travel to and possible contact with infected individuals), you should do so.
Otherwise, as others have said, be careful and be safe.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 15, 2020 at 9:22 pm
I’m very much aware of that, disperser. I’m still on personal code red alert and paying close attention to people I’ve been in close contact with since Day One. So far, none of them has shown any signs , like coughing.
21 days , they say, is the magic number. But who can tell in these interesting times. I heard the virus has mutated into a more virulent form. The virus in Italy is different from that from China. It is the one more virulent, unfortunately.
Sadly, my mother is my gauge. She’s over 60 , therefore , very vulnerable. So far, she’s still in good form, no coughing, etc. Also, she hasn’t gone out of the house since Feb.29. The only time she steps out of the door is to water the plants , 3x times since then.
There’s nothing else I can do. I keep myself healthy, taking vitamins , and getting more hours of sleep. I do social distancing , even in our small laboratory. My co-workers in the lab have not shown any signs, either.
And I hope it stays that way.
Posted by Bebekoh on March 15, 2020 at 3:52 am
nice to know you’re okay. Stay healthy! 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on March 15, 2020 at 9:26 pm
Thank you. I do everything to make myself very healthy. That’s is in fact the only weapon against the virus. Sleep, sleep, sleep .
Posted by Bebekoh on March 16, 2020 at 1:44 am
That’s good. One really needs to be well rested.
Posted by Graham Stephen on March 15, 2020 at 8:59 am
Stay safe my friend ☮
Posted by renxkyoko on March 15, 2020 at 7:24 pm
Thank you ! I’m doing my best to stay safe , and to keep others safe by doing everything to prevent any transmission if , heaven forbid, I’m not 100%. T-T”
Posted by Will Of Heart on March 18, 2020 at 10:57 am
Stay safe dear and the entire family, here in the Philippines we are in enhanced community quarantine, tough times for Filipinos but the government doing their best to attend the needs of everybody.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 19, 2020 at 7:17 pm
I’ve been watching news from the Philippines on YouTube. It looks like social distancing will be difficult to achieve , especially in “depressed ” areas . I hope the barangay officials can go around to enforce this very important precaution.
Posted by Will Of Heart on March 20, 2020 at 12:16 pm
As of the moment National and local government work hand in hand to ensure public follow the social distancing. It is truly a tough times here, hoping it will end soon.
Posted by heatherjo on March 18, 2020 at 2:27 pm
Glad you passed the 14 days without symptoms. The price gauging on hand sanitizer and alcohol is ridiculous. The stores near me are ravaged. Ironically, all of the hand sanitizer is gone but there’s plenty of soap. Also, all of the paper towels were gone. I don’t understand that thinking. But I got plenty of soap and some other things to make my own sanitizer. Unfortunately, I believe things will get a lot worse before they get better. We just have to isolate, sanitize, and pray! May Jehovah God be with us all.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 19, 2020 at 7:02 pm
Sanitizers are for when hand washing is not possible. If we can DIY a sanitizer, that’d be great. I checked out a recipe for one…. alas, we need 99% alcohol to make it.
I go out everyday to work, so I practice all the precautions to keep me and my parents who are over 60 years old safe and healthy. ( I still live with them.) I’m almost ridiculously careful. ^__^
Posted by loujen haxm'Yor on March 19, 2020 at 5:32 pm
Just be safe, Renxkyoko.
Art
Posted by renxkyoko on March 19, 2020 at 6:52 pm
Thanks, loujen haxm’Yor. Am doing everything to be safe.
Posted by Holistic Wayfarer on March 20, 2020 at 5:52 am
Glad you’re well. Stress weakens the body.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 20, 2020 at 8:35 pm
Yes, it does. I try to relax by reading , but I think we do need to pay attention to the latest. news everyday. My city has been locked down today, and there:s a $ 1, 000 fine for going out , except for emergency reasons. Because I work at a dairy company, the company issued a printed memo for all its workers which we have to bring everyday in case we get pulled over.
Posted by Holistic Wayfarer on March 20, 2020 at 9:47 pm
What city are you in or near, if you don’t want to be specific?
Posted by renxkyoko on March 21, 2020 at 5:16 am
Northern California, close to San Francisco.
Posted by Holistic Wayfarer on March 21, 2020 at 6:11 am
That’s what I thought. Wow, they’re fining people. Do you have toilet paper and the staples?
Posted by renxkyoko on March 21, 2020 at 11:19 pm
Yes, ha ha. My dad is a toilet paper hoarder since before, decades before, he he. However, we brought a lot of TP to the Philippines , not because they lack TP there, but to fill up the spaces in our luggages without adding to the weight. But, we still have a lot ! !
Posted by Holistic Wayfarer on March 22, 2020 at 12:37 am
LOL.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 21, 2020 at 11:27 pm
By the way, I’m not sure anymore if the county is actually fining people, but I heard it at work,. I’ve been checking out any news about this on TV , But there’s no news about this on our local news . Fining people is supposed to be big news….. but nada. I don’t like to spread false news, ha ha.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 21, 2020 at 11:10 pm
Northern California, close to San Francisco.
Posted by Jenny Graves on March 21, 2020 at 8:17 am
It’s scary for everyone, I got put in isolation too and wasn’t sick, but doesn’t mean I still won’t get it. Try not to stress and stay safe ❤
Posted by renxkyoko on March 27, 2020 at 7:53 pm
It’s sad that my parents already feel they’re like housebound zombies. This virus needs to disappear, like polio, or else, all people when they reach a certain age might have to be put in isolation. It’s a scary future. It’s like a sci-fi plotline.
Posted by usfman on March 23, 2020 at 7:40 pm
My wife and I returned from India 15 days ago. It’s all about the perception not the actual fact that we remain a Corona threat. I think If you wrote more blogs, you might find some emotional therapy from your current situation. Writing is therapeutic. Stay well.
Posted by barkinginthedark on March 24, 2020 at 8:49 pm
Just be careful…and cautious. gloves, mask, Purell, alcohol (rubbing and drinking) cook some wonderful meals, watch some good TV, play word games with others on-line, have food from markets and restaurants delivered, and only go out when absolutely necessary. continue…
Posted by renxkyoko on March 27, 2020 at 7:58 pm
What if this virus establishes itself in the environment, like a common flu, seasonal and all that ? What will happen to the vulnerable population ? This is like a sci-fi plotline Unthinkable.
Posted by equinoxio21 on March 25, 2020 at 8:13 pm
Glad you seem to have passed the “non-test”. You all should be all right by now. Just make sure your parents stay home. In Mexico we’re 10 days into semi-lockdown, and I know the sh.t will hit the fan soon.
Stay safe.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 27, 2020 at 7:37 pm
Yes, I’m pretty sure the number of infection in Mexico will increase once more people are tested. Yegads, I hope not !
Reminds me of a movie where people die when they reach a certain age. This possibility is not far-fetched. Already, my parents are starting to feel like housebound zombies.
Posted by equinoxio21 on March 27, 2020 at 7:51 pm
Let’s hope for the best…
Your parents need to stay put. I think it’s all right to take a walk around the corner, to avoid cabin fever, but stay at home is their best option… (I think we might do that here in the afternoon. Weather is gorgeous)
Stay safe, “Refugio”. 😉
Posted by Ankur Mithal on March 27, 2020 at 1:28 pm
Lucky you made it back in time. I know some people are caught out because of travel restrictions. A friend of mine who lives in Shanghai is stuck in Delhi because of flight cancellations.
Posted by renxkyoko on March 27, 2020 at 7:29 pm
Oh, that’s true ! Less than a week after our departure, Metro-Manila was quarantined and the flight schedules were in total chaos due to rescheduling. Another problem was that our airline was Korea Air….. we were so worried we might get quarantined upon our arrival in the US.
Posted by thelonelyauthorblog on March 30, 2020 at 3:04 am
Please try not to get too stressed. Take all precautions. Stay indoors as much as you can.
Wishing you and yours the best of health