Benefits Coronavirus Brings To Us
/HJ Lee

April 6, 2020, 11:53 AM, Monday,
It is raining outside my window.
Thought I'll catch this quiet moment
out of so many every hour of days and weeks
of isolation, "social distancing"
thankst  to the world wide war against coronavirus.

As a physician,
I couldn't help thinking about the medical benefits 
this virus brought to seniors like me.
Thanks to the widespread mandatory practice of
social distancing 
seniors are protected not only from Covid-19
but also from the seasonal flu, common colds,
community acquired pneumonia, shingles and
other respiratory infections.

Coronavirus certainly is doing an excellent job cleaning out
the earth's dirty atmosphere and other pollution as clearly 
shown from the satellite.
For the first time in 7 years since I moved in here,
California place near congested I-5, 
I turned off my two air purifiers yesterday.
My wife has been saying to me the air feels fresh and clean
last several days whenever we are taking a walk outside.

As a physician,
I couldn't help thinking of all those asthma patients including 
one of my grandchildren and 
COPD patients and heart failure patients,
who will benefit from the clean air.

As a physician,
I couldn't help thinking of the preventive medicine that
requires discipline and overcoming the constant temptation 
in regard to diet, exercise, alcohol, smoking, etc.
I couldn't help being reminded of 
all those undisciplined patients, young and old,
I struggled with daily for decades of medical practice.
Thanks to this scary virus,
all of sudden everybody, or practically everybody,
is forced to or voluntarily tries to practice a good, good
preventive medicine to avoid going to the hospital or
doctor's office in the middle of the Pandemic.

Obviously, as a physician,
I couldn't help thinking of all those patients with the virus
Suffering and dying in the hospitals around the world,
Perhaps millions of them.
I couldn't help thinking of all those patients with the virus
Who died all by themselves, all alone, 
Without having seen any of their loved ones, days and weeks,
Perhaps tens of thousands or a lot more.
This is truly heartbreaking and
Must make every one of us cry.

As a physician, though,
In spite of all the tragedies this virus heaped upon us
That are too painful to bear, and
To this elderly physician whose liftime attitude 
Has been to live by the positive things in life
I couldn't help looking for the positive things,
The good things, benefits this scary virus brought to us.

As a member of the species, Homo Sapiens, 
Versus coronavirus, though,
I couldn't help thinking of the greatest benefit
Among all the benefits, namely,
This scary virus is helping to bring down
All the man-made walls, borders and boundaries 
Reminding all of us that we belong to one species
With the same fate and
Helping man unite with the common purpose,

Survival,

Perhaps for whose sake or whatever,
Finally and prayerfully,

learn to love your neighbor 
Just as you love yourself.