We are very lucky. Unlike so many American families today, we are well insulated from this. We have a retirement income and savings, no debt, and good insurance. So many of our countrymen don’t. And its not because they are lazy, or stupid, or lack ambition. Think about that.

Knock on wood, “There but for fortune…”.

I will offer only one piece of medical advice- multiple studies have shown vitamin D deficiency is associated with worse outcomes from COVID, so taking some might not be a bad idea.

Both my wife and I have been trying to avoid hospitals and doctor’s offices as much as possible, but we have both ended up needing to go to the hospital – we wore masks and so far never caught anything- for the most part hospitals are taking this seriously.

No, its not due to any sort of marital pressure, moral rectitude or any fear of addiction. Mme Reclus enjoys a snort every now and then too. But I realize now that I pretty much quit the sauce after I got married. I used to prowl the bars looking for the ladies when I was single. Nowadays, there just doesn’t seem to be any need for that; I can see now that I was just a social drinker, I never used it to self-medicate. When I was working, and was out of town at a conference or meeting, I would sometimes wander into the hotel lounge and knock back a few, just for nostalgia’s sake. I never went looking for the ladies, but it was kind of sad that they didn’t seem to be very interested in me, either. Besides, honky tonk wimmen….etc, etc.

As for the hospital virus hazard, I have calculated the odds pretty much the same way you have. Still, I don’t like being forced into putting myself under threat, even if it is a slight one.

But seriously, I feel comfortable with a bit of humor because the odds are overwhelmingly in your (and your wife’s) favor regarding covid. I don’t know of any reports of non-covid patients and visitors contracting the virus in a hospital. It’s the health care workers treating covid patients who are the ones at risk.

I visited a health care facility a couple of weeks ago for an echocardiogram. The precautions were the standard ones of required mask use and (casually-observed) distancing. They took my temperature at the front door and asked me if I’d experienced any symptoms. I know those aren’t airtight precautions, but they’re reasonable, in line with guidelines, and the personnel I encountered seemed calm and not at all worried about being in a (non-covid) health care facility.

If your hospital took those precautions, I’m very sure you’ll be OK. Try not to stress out about it, if you can.

Alcohol helps. Externally, too.