The Day the Virus Came

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We will never forget the year 2020.Countries shut down, children were pulled from schools, the stock market crashed, and unemployment hit a record high of 14.7%, the highest it has been since 1948 (Thompson 2020). 

With this new world, birthed by a foreign virus, so too, came a surge in mental health and domestic violence crises. The global death toll is currently at 382,412 (Worldometer 3 June 2020) but the true statistics are likely much higher. The forgotten numbers are found in suicides of isolated depression sufferers, murdered children and partners forcibly quarantined in violent homes, and people with chronic illnesses, too afraid to attend critical medical appointments for fear of contracting the deadly Coronavirus. 

Additionally, drug overdoses from relapses that may never have occurred had the addicts had access to their support networks and meetings, would further inflate the tally. Indeed, we will never forget the year 2020; the year the COVID-19 pandemic came.


Overnight, I became a primary school teacher, albeit one who wore pyjamas almost daily, was usually late to class, and sometimes cussed out loud, instead of under her breath. Home-schooling 3 children under 10, while studying at university myself was tough, but it wasn't as difficult as I initially thought, and my children's resilience shone through as they adapted to their new learning environment. 

We grew and connected so much as a family, and I watched my special needs son blossom and bloom in the most wonderful of ways. I'm not sure that could have happened if we weren't placed in the situation we were. Though I do wish it could have occurred in a way which didn't involve sickness, death, and financial strain on a worldwide scale, or the still looming threat of economic collapse.


Being immunocompromised myself, I rarely left the house throughout Queensland's drastic lock-down measures. With ample time on my hands and a wardrobe full of costumes, I did something I rarely do and joined in on a trend that was sweeping the world: the Bin Isolation Outing (Askew 2020) group on Facebook.  

Bin day became the highlight of the week for our household and the kids were always so excited to see what I dressed up as. Owing to their enthusiasm, I decided to keep the tradition alive and involve them too. 

While our town is no longer quarantined or isolated, some restrictions remain and our family must continue to be cautious because of my health issues. And while Australia is fairing well in our efforts to flatten the curve, other countries remain under threat. 

I feel continuing this bin day tradition is a way to reflect solidarity with those nations. It also serves as a small way of honouring and remembering the victims of COVID-19 and their families; those included in the official death toll and those who tragically died as a result of the run-on effects. The more we draw awareness to these issues, the more we bring them out of the darkness, enabling help and hope to be delivered, where it is desperately needed.  

~

There are group members from all over the world in the Bin Isolation Outing group, many of whom are still quarantined and enjoy seeing the creativity uploaded to the page each day. Kindness and making people smile costs nothing, and the joy we are all capable of spreading is priceless. ❤

~

Here is a chronological recap of my Bin Isolation Outings so far:

       
Week #1: Quarantine Compliance Cop



Week #2: Alice taking the bin out in Wonderland



Week #3: With Disneyland closed, Minnie Mouse's only public appearance was on bin day


And Borat, due to restrictions halting his documentary travels, was spotted that same week, sun-baking in his backyard, in the infamous mankini:



Week #4: A time travelling throwback to bin day in the 80's 



Week #5: Wonderland Wanderess VS Bin



Week #6: Where the Wild Things Are



Week #7: My 31st birthday, spent in quarantine with two of my closest friends- Jimmy and Jacob



Week #8: The Mad Hatter's Bin Party



Week #9: The Boy in the Dress couldn't play soccer with restrictions in place, so he settled for taking the bin out with his sister



Week #10: Teenage Mutant Binja Turtles; heroes on a trash bin!



~
What will we be and where will we travel to next week? Keep an eye on the Wonderland Wanderess Facebook page or Danielle Askew's, Bin Isolation Outing group to find out!

Until then, stay safe. ☮


References:


Askew, D. (2020). Bin Isolation Outing. Facebook group.


Heart Foundation. (2020). COVID-19 & cardiovascular disease. Heart Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/covid-19/for-professionals-covid-19-cardiovascular-disease


Pierre, S.D. (2020) South Dakota schools close for a week due to COVID-19, Keven/Kota TV, Retrieved from https://www.kotatv.com/content/news/South-Dakota-schools-close-for-a-week-due-to-COVID-19-568775131.html


Thompson, D. (8 May, 2020). It's the pandemic, stupid. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/611398/


Worldometer. (3 June, 2020). Coronavirus Death Toll. Retrieved on 3 June, 2020 from http://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/


Wormington, C. (2018). Wonderland Wanderess. Facebook page.


 
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