Thank you all for the lovely comments on the Covid-19 presentation at this week's meeting. We are in an unprecedented time in recent history. My heart goes out to the 1830 people who lost their lives this past week as a result of the virus, and their families. Our grandparents were being asked by their country to make difficult decisions to send their children into a war. By contrast we're being asked to stay home and watch Netflix for a few weeks. I think we're up to the task.

We are seeing a spectrum of reactions which are clearly evident in social media. 

1) Denial (It’s just the flu)
2) Anger (I said it’s the flu! Stop telling me about this!)
3) Bargaining (I’ll wear gloves and take vitamin C)
4) Fear (I’d better run and get food and toilet paper. Everything is going to collapse)
5) Depression (There’s no hope. We’re doomed). 
6) Acceptance (I'm prepared. Let’s do our best and help each other).

I've discovered that people don't believe what they see. They see what they believe. Once they have an entrenched belief, they go looking for the evidence to confirm their belief. It's called confirmation bias. Since there's such a broad spectrum of information and mis-information, they don't have to look far to find what they want. Very little critical thinking happening.

We at OREIO are concerned for everyone's well-being. This means there's a good chance next month's face to face meeting may be cancelled. We will take guidance from our public health officials as the date draws nearer and communicate the status no later than a week prior to the meeting. 

Be safe.

Much love.