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| The Case of the Fit Bookworm of Brooklyn | The Case of the Fit Bookworm of Brooklyn |
| (1 day later) | |
| While out for some air near Prospect Park in Brooklyn, I looked down at the sidewalk and discovered a lost set of keys. Lockdown in a pandemic was not a time to lose your keys. I wondered how this would disrupt the already disrupted life of the owner. Did they have a roommate or family to let them in? Are locksmiths considered essential workers? | While out for some air near Prospect Park in Brooklyn, I looked down at the sidewalk and discovered a lost set of keys. Lockdown in a pandemic was not a time to lose your keys. I wondered how this would disrupt the already disrupted life of the owner. Did they have a roommate or family to let them in? Are locksmiths considered essential workers? |
| In comparison to the unfathomable suffering in our midst, this set of keys was small potatoes. But I decided that if there was ever a time to be a returner of things, now was the time. | In comparison to the unfathomable suffering in our midst, this set of keys was small potatoes. But I decided that if there was ever a time to be a returner of things, now was the time. |
| Admittedly, I was grasping for any shred of humanity in our ravaged city. Watching the news made our family’s home isolation — with the privileges of still having our health and a paying job — seem like a picnic. I was doing my best to work from home while the kids did online classes and celebrated virtual birthdays. We had the trappings of “doing fine,” yet our emotions were as fragile as our chronically unstable internet connection. I tried not to lose it with my fifth grader during repeated failed login attempts for her online class. There were just too many passwords to keep track of. | Admittedly, I was grasping for any shred of humanity in our ravaged city. Watching the news made our family’s home isolation — with the privileges of still having our health and a paying job — seem like a picnic. I was doing my best to work from home while the kids did online classes and celebrated virtual birthdays. We had the trappings of “doing fine,” yet our emotions were as fragile as our chronically unstable internet connection. I tried not to lose it with my fifth grader during repeated failed login attempts for her online class. There were just too many passwords to keep track of. |
| Making a point to “enjoy family time” did not always work out. I was constantly shooing my daughters out of the room during work calls. We tried making DIY face masks when that became a thing. The kids soon lost interest and our output of one mask per day was not going to make a dent in the need. Our thermometer was now a permanent fixture on the bathroom counter. My husband and I jumped at any hint of a cough and anxiously checked the kids’ temps every day. No one was feverish, but a feeling of helplessness had set in. | Making a point to “enjoy family time” did not always work out. I was constantly shooing my daughters out of the room during work calls. We tried making DIY face masks when that became a thing. The kids soon lost interest and our output of one mask per day was not going to make a dent in the need. Our thermometer was now a permanent fixture on the bathroom counter. My husband and I jumped at any hint of a cough and anxiously checked the kids’ temps every day. No one was feverish, but a feeling of helplessness had set in. |
| I took the keys home and immediately did the one thing that does help quell feelings of dread — a good old Clorox rage clean. The lemony disinfectant aroma had become my calming essential oil of choice. I sanitized the keys and set out to go full Carrie Mathison on finding the owner. | I took the keys home and immediately did the one thing that does help quell feelings of dread — a good old Clorox rage clean. The lemony disinfectant aroma had become my calming essential oil of choice. I sanitized the keys and set out to go full Carrie Mathison on finding the owner. |
| The key ring contained three membership cards from the Amagansett Free Library, the Blue Hill Public Library in Maine, and the Dodge YMCA in Brooklyn. None of the cards had the owner’s name, only a bar code. | The key ring contained three membership cards from the Amagansett Free Library, the Blue Hill Public Library in Maine, and the Dodge YMCA in Brooklyn. None of the cards had the owner’s name, only a bar code. |
| Based on the key ring clues, there was a good chance we were dealing with a pandemic productive type here. Not the type hiding in the pantry for alone time with peanut butter cups. (That type I could relate to.) This may well be the sort of person who comes out of lockdown fluent in Italian, skilled at sourdough baking and flaunting eight-pack abs. The Fit Bookworm, as I nicknamed the owner of the keys, appeared in my mind to embody the opposite of my lockdown self, but I was determined to find them. | Based on the key ring clues, there was a good chance we were dealing with a pandemic productive type here. Not the type hiding in the pantry for alone time with peanut butter cups. (That type I could relate to.) This may well be the sort of person who comes out of lockdown fluent in Italian, skilled at sourdough baking and flaunting eight-pack abs. The Fit Bookworm, as I nicknamed the owner of the keys, appeared in my mind to embody the opposite of my lockdown self, but I was determined to find them. |
| I channeled the gusto of a seasoned home-school parent (which I am not) and declared that we had a mystery to solve. Today’s assignment was to find the Fit Bookworm of Brooklyn. | I channeled the gusto of a seasoned home-school parent (which I am not) and declared that we had a mystery to solve. Today’s assignment was to find the Fit Bookworm of Brooklyn. |
| “Huh?” My daughters asked. | “Huh?” My daughters asked. |
| “Why?” | “Why?” |
| “It’s the right thing to do. And right now is a really bad time to be locked out of your house.” | “It’s the right thing to do. And right now is a really bad time to be locked out of your house.” |
| We called all three locations on the keychain. Each had a similar outgoing message explaining an indefinite closure because of the coronavirus. The cynical New Yorkers in us thought there was a slim chance of ever getting a call back, but nonetheless we left voice mail messages for each one. | We called all three locations on the keychain. Each had a similar outgoing message explaining an indefinite closure because of the coronavirus. The cynical New Yorkers in us thought there was a slim chance of ever getting a call back, but nonetheless we left voice mail messages for each one. |
| A day went by with no word from any of the Fit Bookworm’s associates. The thought that this person could be going through something terrible bothered me every time I passed the keys sitting on the mantel. But soon, part of me began to think: “Let it go. The world is a dumpster fire right now. People lose keys all the time. Worry about getting the kids to online school on-time.” Fair point. They had been tardy more than once and I couldn’t blame the subway. | A day went by with no word from any of the Fit Bookworm’s associates. The thought that this person could be going through something terrible bothered me every time I passed the keys sitting on the mantel. But soon, part of me began to think: “Let it go. The world is a dumpster fire right now. People lose keys all the time. Worry about getting the kids to online school on-time.” Fair point. They had been tardy more than once and I couldn’t blame the subway. |
| Another day went by, with my Carrie Mathison vibes fading fast, when my daughter asked: “Mom, did we find the person with the keys yet?” It was as if she was saying, it is possible, we just hadn’t found them yet. | Another day went by, with my Carrie Mathison vibes fading fast, when my daughter asked: “Mom, did we find the person with the keys yet?” It was as if she was saying, it is possible, we just hadn’t found them yet. |
| Her optimism prompted me to take the search to the social media posts of the institutions on the key ring tags, which revealed endearing signs of resilience. One library offered quarantine bingo, the other posted local history trivia, while the Y shared videos of family-friendly exercises featuring a peppy instructor named Victoria who did frog jumps in a small yard. Their buildings were locked down, but their commitment to community support was not. I sent each a short direct message and included the respective card bar codes. | Her optimism prompted me to take the search to the social media posts of the institutions on the key ring tags, which revealed endearing signs of resilience. One library offered quarantine bingo, the other posted local history trivia, while the Y shared videos of family-friendly exercises featuring a peppy instructor named Victoria who did frog jumps in a small yard. Their buildings were locked down, but their commitment to community support was not. I sent each a short direct message and included the respective card bar codes. |
| Literally two minutes later, I was on the phone with the Blue Hill Public Library. A cheerful employee offered to share my contact information with the Fit Bookworm. Within minutes of that call, both the Amagansett Free Library and the Dodge YMCA had also messaged back offering to help. | Literally two minutes later, I was on the phone with the Blue Hill Public Library. A cheerful employee offered to share my contact information with the Fit Bookworm. Within minutes of that call, both the Amagansett Free Library and the Dodge YMCA had also messaged back offering to help. |
| Updated June 2, 2020 | |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said. | More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said. |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| Three shuttered community-based institutions replied in a span of about 20 minutes. This was arguably faster than the amount of time it takes my own homebound friends to respond to a DM. | Three shuttered community-based institutions replied in a span of about 20 minutes. This was arguably faster than the amount of time it takes my own homebound friends to respond to a DM. |
| Soon after, I got a call from Fit Bookworm himself. He was a man named David who lived not far from me. He explained that he had not been locked out, was using a spare set of keys, and from what I could tell was doing OK. David was glad the keys were found and made a plan to pick them up. | Soon after, I got a call from Fit Bookworm himself. He was a man named David who lived not far from me. He explained that he had not been locked out, was using a spare set of keys, and from what I could tell was doing OK. David was glad the keys were found and made a plan to pick them up. |
| “The case of the Fit Bookworm of Brooklyn has been solved!” My daughters and I high-fived. | “The case of the Fit Bookworm of Brooklyn has been solved!” My daughters and I high-fived. |
| “Wow, I thought that would have been harder, Mom,” one of them said. She was right. Part of me wanted us to stay on this coping quest a little longer. | “Wow, I thought that would have been harder, Mom,” one of them said. She was right. Part of me wanted us to stay on this coping quest a little longer. |
| In keeping with social distancing, I placed a bag over my front gate and left the keys inside for David to pick up. He arrived and kindly swapped out the keys with a bottle of wine, making for a lovely surprise. We never saw each other, but afterward, David sent this text: | In keeping with social distancing, I placed a bag over my front gate and left the keys inside for David to pick up. He arrived and kindly swapped out the keys with a bottle of wine, making for a lovely surprise. We never saw each other, but afterward, David sent this text: |
| “Thank you! What a funny exchange! Take Care. ~DB.” | “Thank you! What a funny exchange! Take Care. ~DB.” |
| Perhaps I’ll reach out to DB one day to learn his true back story. Maybe he’s given up exercise, sworn off books and is bingeing “The Tiger King.” Could he be somewhere losing his patience over fifth-grade math? How has the virus affected him? His family? Did the staff so quick to spring into action share the need to grasp a tiny shred of hope by finding him? | Perhaps I’ll reach out to DB one day to learn his true back story. Maybe he’s given up exercise, sworn off books and is bingeing “The Tiger King.” Could he be somewhere losing his patience over fifth-grade math? How has the virus affected him? His family? Did the staff so quick to spring into action share the need to grasp a tiny shred of hope by finding him? |
| As our city suffers, there is much to cherish in the small ways that we support one another. My family has been reminded that from our heroic essential workers, to our neighbors banging on pots and pans, to the staff returning calls from home, people have each other’s backs — even when the doors are locked. | As our city suffers, there is much to cherish in the small ways that we support one another. My family has been reminded that from our heroic essential workers, to our neighbors banging on pots and pans, to the staff returning calls from home, people have each other’s backs — even when the doors are locked. |
| As we await our return to the new normal, here’s to seeking hope in finding the things we have lost — together. | As we await our return to the new normal, here’s to seeking hope in finding the things we have lost — together. |
| Micaéla Birmingham is an Emmy Award-winning writer-director and executive producer at Scary Mommy. | Micaéla Birmingham is an Emmy Award-winning writer-director and executive producer at Scary Mommy. |