While there were rumblings as early as the end of last year, the COVID-19 Pandemic really hit home for a lot of folks as the quarantine - or "Stay at Home" orders - started hitting around the middle of March.  Suddenly we were awash with information and knowledge both about the virus and how to keep from getting (or spreading) it.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) quickly issued guidelines that people needed to follow - including washing hands (frequently and often), avoid close contact, wear cloth masks to avoid "shedding" the virus to others, don't touch your face, etc.   While these were tactics we should all have been doing anyway (I mean, who doesn't wash their hands?), some of these efforts made us all pause to change things that had become everyday actions for many.

So - what are you doing differently since the COVID-19 Pandemic started?  Have you changed some of the habits you used to have - in the effort to prevent getting sick (or getting others sick)?

On a quick reflection, I haven't changed much about my hygiene routine. I've always been a hand washer; in fact, I probably have always "over-washed" my hands - if that's a thing.  But - I have made some conscious changes to my daily routine that I guess I would have to chalk up to the COVID-19 response.

As part of my daily schedule, I still drive in to work at the radio station.  However, there are less of us in the office on a daily basis as our staff has "checker-boarded" to avoid large numbers of people - so many of the staff is working remotely for the time being.

The two things that I guess I have changed are (1) I no longer take a lunch-time walk in the Skywalk system that connects our building to the rest of the office buildings in downtown Duluth.  Even before the Skywalk closed due to the Governer's orders, I made a conscious decision to skip my lunch-time walks:  why purposely surround myself with people for no essential reason.  (2) I have broken my habit of holding on to a pen in my mouth.  While I have never been a "pen chewer", I often subconsciously place a pen in my mouth to hold it while typing/working at work - as I alternate between a computer keyboard and writing as part of my workflow.  I should point out that I am possessive of my pens - so I've only done this to my own pens - not community pens.  However, post-COVID-19, I've been conscious of the fact that this pen - MY pen - is still not the cleanest item around and I shouldn't hold on to it in that manner.

They say that major events can alter not only history and life-as-we-knew it but also our own habits.  In what ways has COVID-19 changed you?

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