![thumbcovid.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmS9q848dfE5JkicTY7kn2muinF6CYw3RcGqpR8e13XLxK/thumbcovid.JPG)

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I’ve recently uploaded my first video documenting [my experience during the COVID-19 pandemic](https://youtu.be/XeRVBc-1g_w). It almost feels like a short film. I certainly made a conscientious effort to make it sound a bit ominous with the music choice, long fades and seconds of blackness between text at the start of the video. But in reality, all cinematic nonsense aside, what’s my experience been like?
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If you haven’t been watching the news or knew what was going on, as of last week, things felt pretty normal. Maybe just a bit more quiet. Today feels far different. I had casual days at school booked in for the rest of term. As of today, they’ve been canned. Schools are _still_ open (don’t ask me why), but student numbers are miniscule as parents voluntarily keep their children at home. Classes of 28 were down to 5. Others had just 1 and were collapsed into other classes. On a positive note, those children who came to school were possibly the safest they had been for weeks. As a teacher, I was far more able to separate children, ensure better hand washing techniques and give students more time from an educational perspective. If anything, this pandemic has proven to me how class size directly impacts quality of schooling.
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# Hayley’s now working from home. 
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Hayley went to work this morning and returned just before lunchtime. I don’t see her going back to work any time soon. She’s expressed feeling pretty powerless and she’s worried that her work will dry up and that eventually, she’ll lose her job. I’m not convinced we’ll be in any financial difficulty whether she and I work or not in the coming weeks and months as we have developed an aggressive savings habit over the last five years. Sadly, an enormous number of people across the world are not in the position we are and are scrambling for government issued financial assistance. Considering the loss of one income in our household, we maybe even eligible for assistance ourselves. 
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# Toilet paper, oats and methylated spirits.
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It seems that toilet paper was the first consumer product that was purchased in excess over the last few weeks. People continue to buy it faster than it is replenished on store shelves. Initially, I laughed at much of what I considered irrational, stupid behaviour. Now, it’s become more problematic, extending to other foods and supplies causing even methylated spirits, a solvent, disinfectant and camping fuel to fly off the shelves. This isn’t normal demand. It’s people buying more than they need, which isn’t unusual in a society rife with consumerist behaviour. Before COVID-19 blew up, I was in the process of minimising all of my possessions. I’d ditched a lot of LEGO and toys I’d collected. The result was a fatter stack of cash and a barer cupboard. I was in the process of selling my Biolite campstove when I realised that all the metho was being snapped up. It made me think more about self-sufficiency and the ability to heat food and water if, for some reason, we had power outages. The Biolite doesn’t require store-bought fuel. I just need twigs and matches – of which I can obtain and have in abundance respectively. I feel like I shouldn’t even be thinking this way, and in reality I just don’t feel that it’s going to come to that. But Hayley said, 
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# “It’s not as if we need the $100. We may as well just keep it.”
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I’m speculating, but I feel like all that metho wasn’t snapped up by people who wanted fuel for the apocalypse. They were just making cleaning agents. 
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# What’s worse – the cause or the symptoms?
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Just yesterday, I mentioned to Hayley that I wasn’t sure what bothered me more – getting the virus itself (of which I’d most likely recover) or having to struggle to live in a city where goods essential to normal life were harder and harder to get. The cause of the upheaval is the virus itself. The symptoms are hits to the economy, job losses, fearful and irrational people and an artificial shortage of supplies. To be honest, I think it’s all the disruption that has me frustrated. The cinemas are closed, as is the library and restaurants. While we didn’t partake in a lot of these things before, they’re all now practically out of reach except for takeaway or Netflix.
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We’re living in a time where the closest precedent was the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918. It was singly responsible for the death of 50 million people. And that was in an age of steam locomotives.
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Now, go and wash your hands!
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<hr>

# Become a Patron [here](www.patreon.com/nickmorphew).

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As you all know, none of this gets paid for aside from your generous upvotes. I have created a [Patreon account](www.patreon.com/nickmorphew) to fund the publishing of my manuscript, but all Patrons will gain access to a [range of exclusive benefits including early access to Steemit content](www.patreon.com/nickmorphew). If you like what I do here and could spare as little as a couple of bucks a month, it would make the world of difference to me to keep bringing you my best work, week in, week out.
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All the best,

Nick.  

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_All content is original and belongs to @nickmorphew [25 March 2020]._

_**Disclosure: This article was not a paid promotion.**_

<hr>

**I’m currently working on my debut fantasy novel based on my early work, [Adventures in Elowyn Glade](https://steemit.com/story/@nickmorphew/high-priests-and-high-prices-adventures-in-elowyn-glade-continues-in-issue-ii). Click the [link](https://steemit.com/story/@nickmorphew/high-priests-and-high-prices-adventures-in-elowyn-glade-continues-in-issue-ii) to get an idea of where my first novel is headed!**

<hr>

**You didn’t think you’d leave here without me shamelessly plugging my other work, right?**
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# Check out my YouTube channel [here](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7WUE3coJ7m27rfLscKnu_g)
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![20190718_181107.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTKa8c9np7ciKkdC7GVPCT5BNmfEE1tKyFZvjsDMfwFkL/20190718_181107.jpg)
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# Recent Articles.
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[Harry’s New Vortex!](https://steemit.com/dtube/@nickmorphew/ltc01c1ain8)
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[Japan Adventure 2020|Day 2| We ate fried maple leaves!?](https://steemit.com/dtube/@nickmorphew/5kdkwa55s5c)
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[Japan Adventure 2020|Day 1| Nick and Hayley Travel!](https://steemit.com/dtube/@nickmorphew/irj1gmb09fd)
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[Vegan Blood Test Examination; A Voyage into My Arteries.](https://steemit.com/life/@nickmorphew/vegan-blood-test-examination-a-voyage-into-my-arteries)
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# Vegan Recipes for the Converted and Uninitiated Alike.
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![20180509_150243.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZPWCo4fAzhVftWChqQASLenuT1qWZzq6k8Z1iewz6tBA/20180509_150243.jpg)

[Vegan “Matcha-Monsta” [Green, Nutty Icecream]. A Decidedly Delicious Dessert.](https://steemit.com/food/@nickmorphew/vegan-matcha-monsta-green-nutty-icecream-a-decidedly-delicious-dessert)
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![20180506_082319.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWTpJTodP1vek4tgrcEgkWmoUVxagk8h8Z6cjcuiDBeui/20180506_082319.jpg)

[Vegan Blueberry Pancakes: Breakfast Made Super Easy!](https://steemit.com/life/@nickmorphew/vegan-blueberry-pancakes-breakfast-made-super-easy)
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![20180513_153507.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdNmrEtx6qRHdvPNktHb7TprfMySDXwff1QEfAmwruW7Y/20180513_153507.jpg)

[Pumpkin and Kale Vegan Soup [An Unpredictable Love Story].](https://steemit.com/food/@nickmorphew/pumpkin-and-kale-vegan-soup-an-unpredictable-love-story)
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![DSC00484.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQGHoQ7ybPSiAWXA9Zq9DsEowgPSnssKjEHtZ5HW9V85n/DSC00484.JPG)

[How to Bake Scones; VEGAN STYLE! Cruelty-Free Living Made Easy.](https://steemit.com/food/@nickmorphew/how-to-bake-scones-vegan-style-cruelty-free-living-made-easy)
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![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVG3KtRMNDzEJyE2trc1eaaY4FMiXN4aatZL9e1pH6ygL/image.png)

[Cancer Treatment With food – The Daily Brown Smoothie: Looks like Filth. Battles Cancer to the DEATH.](https://steemit.com/health/@nickmorphew/cancer-treatment-with-food-the-daily-brown-smoothie-looks-like-filth-battles-cancer-to-the-death)

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# Restaurant Reviews (and Tesla Showroom)
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[100% VEGAN] [Shift Eatery, Surry Hills](https://steemit.com/travel/@nickmorphew/shift-eatery-in-surry-hills-challenges-the-relevance-of-meat-in-2018-restaurant-review-nick-s-vegan-travels)

[100% VEGAN] [Matcha Mylkbar, St. Kilda](https://steemit.com/melbourne/@nickmorphew/matcha-mylkbar-vegan-restaurant-the-vegans-visit-melbourne)

[100% VEGAN] [Lentil as Anything, Newtown](https://steemit.com/travel/@nickmorphew/the-story-of-a-sunken-colossus-and-discovering-heroes-among-us-the-titanic-exhibition-and-lunch-in-newtown-australia)

[Da Orlando Wood Fire Pizzeria, Wollongong](https://steemit.com/travel/@nickmorphew/da-orlando-wood-fire-pizzeria-wollongong-local-vegan-travels-steemitworldmap)

[Kürtősh, Wollongong](https://steemit.com/travel/@nickmorphew/kuertosh-a-vegan-twist-on-pastry-cafe-review)

[Nan Tien Temple, Wollongong](https://steemit.com/travel/@nickmorphew/nan-tien-temple-wollongong-steemitworldmap)

[Blank Canvas, Batemans Bay](https://steemit.com/travel/@nickmorphew/blank-canvas-batemans-bay-and-your-guide-to-coffee-four-ways-cafe-review-steemitworldmap)

[Tesla Motors, Martin Place](https://steemit.com/ocd-resteem/@nickmorphew/tesla-motors-showroom-martin-place-sydney-who-killed-the-electric-i-miev-steemitworldmap)
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# Do you enjoy gory mystery-thrillers?
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_**Two devious, psychopathic minds go head-to-head trying to out-kill one another. Who will die at the hands of the two and how far will it go until the entire state is on the hunt for the duplicitous duo?**_
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**Check out _The Coroner_. [Part 1](https://steemit.com/fiction/@nickmorphew/the-coroner-part-one-meet-trudi-mature-fiction-mystery-thriller) and [Part 2](https://steemit.com/fiction/@nickmorphew/the-coroner-part-two-douchey-mcknife-fail-mature-mystery-thriller) are linked.**
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# So, you're a Star Wars fan? I almost wasn't.
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_**In a two part micro series, learn of the devious practical joke my uncles played on me as a child. You'll never think of Darth Vader the same way again.**_

[Part 1](https://steemit.com/story/@nickmorphew/how-my-uncles-almost-scared-star-wars-out-of-me-their-idea-of-a-practical-joke--part-1-1516413978-6912189)

[Part 2](https://steemit.com/story/@nickmorphew/how-my-uncles-almost-scared-star-wars-out-of-me-their-idea-of-a-practical-joke-part-2)