COVID-19 Vulnerable People with Celiac Disease and Other Diseases Forced Back to Work Too Soon

I was diagnosed Celiac in 1961 time frame at Chicago Illinois Research....long before it was nationally recognized. I actually lived in the hospital because there was little to no knowledge of Celiac, and back in those days, they had to do a biopsy and there was a lot of hit or miss per se when I was being diagnosed.  I was severely ill and so emaciated by the time they got me from another hospital - that I could not stand up on my own. Chicago Illinois Research was a teaching hospital and I was visited often by physicians from all over the nation and world - very thankful to Pediatric Doctor Rosenthal back in the day.  He was my primary care physician, he was devoted, and I actually thought of him as a second father.  

The thing I remember most when I "lived" in the hospital in 1961 in the pediatrics critical care floor - none of us children were isolated from one another - there were two to a room - visitors allowed - if the weather was nice, the nurses would bring us outside in our wheelchairs for fresh air and sunshine.  Since that point-in-time I have lived through other pandemics, illnesses and disease with a lot of unknowns and never experienced isolation or shutdown.

I left corporate world in 2005, and went the self-employed house keeper route.  I temporarily closed my house cleaning business during the second week of March 2020.  My plans are a soft reopen in June, and then, get completely back on track with my clients' cleaning schedules by July, (I clean four houses a week).  I provided a handout of safety protocols to my clients.  The safety protocols are designed for my clients, as well as, keeping my own health and welfare in mind.

We each have our own unique circumstances, and I was taught early on that the world does not revolve around my needs - it is up to me to take care of myself. 

Regarding death tolls and cases....it has been brought to our attention that these numbers include "probable's", and some deaths are counted as COVID19 when there were other original underlying causes of death.   Also, if the same person is tested positive more than once, each positive test that same person takes is a separate count versus a one time count.  Unfortunate, that accurate accounting is not occurring - hence, we do not know the true numbers.

Long-story-short, I am heading back to work - throughout my life I was taught to be clean, get fresh air and sunshine, eat good food (had dieticians), take my supplements and mingle with the world.  Trying to live a sterilized life will only backfire in the long run...it is impossible; at least that is what I believe and what I was taught as a child.

Kind regards, JoAnne

LOL "forced back to work too soon" i wish i got to isolate for months like all of these people. i got 2 weeks off, had to cut through red tape to get it, and i've been at work this whole time apart from that. my employers never really let me use celiac as an excuse for anything. I've been called into the office 3 separate times to "have a conversation about my attendance" where I explained my condition and was met by a vacant stare. I wake up 4 am each morning and dont get home until 7pm, I have to rely on other people to make my food at least to some degree and unless im missing some kind of disabilities benefit I can collect while i look for a more accommodating job I'm SOL