Turning a corner.
I feel like a new man. Today I was able to get a haircut, wear a short-sleeved shirt (high temp of 70ºF, wow) and get vaccinated against COVID-19! The vaccination center even gave me a sticker :-). I lucked into the J&J vaccine so, after a two-week waiting period, I’m good to go!
We’ll see how I feel tomorrow, however. 🙂
Zürich feels a bit more normal.
Last week, as restaurants around Zürich slowly reopened, one posted this sign out front… reminding Zurichers about past “crises overcome”, and “CoronaVirus 2020 nearly!!!” As I walked through the city yesterday, I saw many sidewalk restaurants open for business, with cheerful customers enjoying their lunch and the spring sunshine with a glass of wine… often separated by nearby tables with new plexiglass screens or spaced apart with potted plants. It feels a bit like old Europe should feel on a sunny late spring day.
For my part, I still stop by some of my favorite bakeries along my morning walk; it’s hard to resist a display case like this one!
My first encounter with the Swiss health system.
Switzerland is slowly reopening as the number of daily coronavirus cases declines. Museums, shops, and restaurants opened last week, as well as primary schools; barbershops and gyms opened two weeks earlier. Many restrictions still apply, though, and the goal is to remain cautious lest we trigger a large second wave of infections.
So on Wednesday when I started feeling mildly ill, with a slight difficulty breathing, I began to be concerned. It took more effort to speak, and my voice deepened. After two nights of difficult sleep while finding it hard to breathe, I decided to contact the university coronavirus testing center. It’s only a few blocks from here and I’d noticed its sign a few weeks ago. Read on to see how it all turned out.
David Kotz 