Everybody's sick. N says that in the VA Center where he lives, patients and caregivers alike are wearing masks and the sound of coughing comes from all the rooms and corridors. There are big signs posted in the elevators saying, in effect, if you have any of the following symptoms (listed) go home. Don't visit patients, don't care for patients.

I have had a mild case of whateveritis going around, mild thanks to the flu shot and the pneumonia vaccination, but some people are seriously ill, even to the point of hospitalization and IV antibiotics. You can smell it as you walk down the hallway past the rooms. No wonder doctors say that as soon as they encounter a patient they can often tell that he/she is sick right away.

When I called N to say that I was coming to visit today, he said I should stay home and not be exposed to it. That's a first for him. He's always been more concerned with his own situation than with anyone else's. I told him I appreciated his thoughtfulness, and that I would call in the afternoon and see how he is doing.

It's going around. Thankk heavens you can't get a virus via the internet. Wait....