Darnell, a good friend for over 40 years, shows up to deliver a gift to our newborn granddaughter. David realizes that the “Egg Club” protocol provides a safe way to extend hospitality in this and other situations.
Deborah reads a news feed from the Canadian Health Service reporting on the practice of “double bubbling” as a way to safely increase social contact during COVID-19. We decide to give it a try.
Babak has rented a car and is getting ready for a cross-country trek to his new job in Las Cruces, NM. Deborah and David plan a small dinner at New Fadum Farm to say “good-bye”.
As the time approaches for the spring sheep shearing, Deborah and David ponder how best to conduct this mandatory event in the COVID-19 era.
David is seeking to find a safe way that a trusted group of good friends can sit to chat face-to-face and maybe even take a garden or barn tour while picking up a dozen spare eggs from New Fadum Farm.
Today David is feeling particularly angry at all the protocols, restrictions and tests being imposed by the COVID-19 situation. Why do we have to pay attention to all this?
David is feeling conflicted about rescheduling a COVID-19 delayed construction project. He proposes six principles to guide the reopening of that project. The first principle is for David himself to take personal responsibility for project safety.
In a moment of whimsy, David imagines what the COVID-19 pandemic might look like from the virus’ point of view.
David searches for good analogies and images for visualizing how to respond to a problem that threatens to grow exponentially in order to keep it from going out of control. Deborah suggests he describe how the Onesquethaw Volunteer Fire Company controls track fires.
Using Our Mental Models to Make Sense of the Data
David and Deborah have been watching the Netflix series “Victoria” and encountered Florence Nightingale, who worked to eradicate urban epidemics in Victorian England. David reflects on the role of political leaders and technical experts in fighting the pandemic.
Ali’s model is a global template for thinking about COVID-19. In overview, there are 6 major themes. The important trick is to shift this global thinking into local action to figure out when to open businesses, how to get the church back to worship, and how to re-open universities next fall.
Returning to “normal” church services may be far in the future, up to 2-4 years even. This relatively long time frame gives us time to plan for positive transforming changes. We do not have to think only about returning to a pre-COVID-19 “Normal”.
When he hears about Ali’s model and its policies to use widespread testing to protect the whole population, Uncle Ted tries to figure out if he can make this plan work within his company.
Plans to rent a tent, hire a DJ and caterer, and then hold a party to celebrate getting through this current COVID-19 crisis are put off for a while. Ali’s model explains why a second wave is quite likely and having a big party this summer is just the wrong thing to do.
David and Deborah feel awkward, even silly wearing their face masks on a quick trip to buy ice cream. Babak builds a simpler model than the one Ali briefed us on. The results are stunning and clear. There is nothing at all silly about social distancing and wearing face masks.
Early on Easter morning, before the egg hunt, David ponders what it means to be a Christian in the midst of the COVID19 Pandemic.
A long planned trip to Norway this summer is being threatened by the pandemic. Looking at formal math-based simulation models clarifies how to think over time about this pandemic.
Ali calls from Tehran with news of a system dynamics model of the COVID-19 pandemic that he has built. David contacts Dan, Babak, and Andrada. The “Diaries During Lockdown” is born during a Zoom call on Palm Sunday.
