Inspiring Women SUMMER 2020

This has been the slowest train-wreck I have ever witnessed. It was frustrating to watch the lack
of action on many sides, the misinformation and so many not taking it seriously enough.
The first concrete actions I personally took were (i) to stockpile food and supplies, months before
any shelves were empty, and (ii) to warn family and friends to take this seriously. This required
some courage, because while I used an education approach, I also purposefully generated fear
to get people to take immediate action. This worked better than I expected, likely because I
rarely use fear as a tool. My friends and family were forwarding my information to others, and I
have since heard several people claim that I may have saved their lives – I expect this isn’t
literally true, but many cancelled ill-advised trips
or returned home early, and thus avoided
being under lock-down in a foreign country
where the pandemic shortly thereafter went
out of control.
At work at J&J, I am part of the infectious
diseases unit, so this is a major topic of
discussion at our meetings. I wrote a document
for all the J&J expat employees in Belgium to
help them navigate the Belgian health care
system amidst COVID-19.
Since COVID-19 started, tell us about a typical
day for you. Working from and staying at home
means that most days are much alike, and
therefore “typical”. Weekdays start with coffee
in the hot tub, then I shower, dress in
comfortable clothes (no makeup) and “go to
work” in my home office. I have individual or
group Skype or Zoom meetings throughout the
day and evening (I work a lot with the US, so
the workday is long). In gaps between
meetings, I walk the dog, go for a bike ride or
have a swim. I often help my partner Mark
make lunch or dinner and the evening is spent
catching up on news (probably too much
COVID-19 news consumption, and am trying to
reduce it). I am surprised at how few movies I
am watching – somehow, I don’t have as much free time as I expected. On weekends, I try not
to work but exercise, read, cook and lose myself in my hobbies – especially painting which
allows my mind to empty of all else. Compared to before, much more of my time is spent
contacting family and friends, especially those who I know are home-isolating alone.
What has surprised you most about life dealing with COVID-19? Not too much has surprised me
in the scientific, medical, epidemiological and public health space, as I understand infectious
diseases and pandemics, and this is rolling our pretty much as I expected. However, the degree
of politicization of the situation has been surprising and terribly disappointing.
What is the most important thing you have discovered about yourself, and others through
COVID-19? I have discovered that I can be quite content with a life that never goes beyond my
neighbourhood. Before this, I was on a plane at least once a month, going to far-flung locations
to meet with a variety of culturally diverse and interesting people. I expected I would be bored
under these circumstances. I am not.
About others, I have discovered that a serious situation like a global pandemic polarizes people
in their behaviour. On one side, the many who sacrifice for the sake of all, especially those
essential workers (medical, police, grocery store clerks) who are true heroes, risking their own
lives to help others. And on the other side the (thankfully) few who try to profit from the situation
or take advantage of the situation to disrupt societies.
26
Ten years ago– at a ballroom dance competition in New
Orleans, in a Latin dress that I made.