Paul, an adult living with CVID and the original inspiration for Folia, shares how the self-quarantine has brought him opportunity for connection.

If the coronavirus doesn’t get you, the cabin fever will – or so I joked to a friend via text the other day. In all honesty, however, it’s day six of self-quarantine for this CVID young adult, and I’m pleasantly surprised by how social distancing has actually brought me closer to friends across the world. The six-foot rule has cleared my schedule, and in the absence of the back-to-back meetings and events that were of paramount importance only a week ago, I’m filling my schedule with video chats and phone calls with folks I haven’t really spoken to in months or even years.

Yesterday, a friend completing her PhD on the Panama Canal reached out for help accessing digital copies of books she can no longer physically access because of the virus. Now, we have a video chat scheduled for Saturday afternoon. In the meantime, I’ll be catching up with friends locked down in Italy, California, and Michigan to hear about their experiences during this uncertain time.

Moreover, I have been touched by the outpouring of concern from those who know about my condition and want me to keep safe. How-are-you-holding-up texts, spontaneous google chats, and even handwritten letters have all come my way over these last few days. Nice as it is to feel loved, I have to say, it’s also a little stifling. I never want to admit that my CVID requires special notice or accommodation, and frankly, I’m a little glad that this pandemic is forcing everyone to rearrange their lives so that it’s not just me feeling weak or excluded. When friends have to drive cross-country to be with their families or cannot leave their house without breaking the law, I feel like I got off easy with an extra week of break at home playing with my cats.

That said, this crisis is proving the value of the community I built around my condition over the last few years. It took a while, but as I grew comfortable sharing my experience with others, I became more comfortable accepting the role CVID plays in my own life. Instead of taking stupid risks in defiance of the virus, I find myself taking extra precautions, knowing that I am not only caring for myself but for all those who care about me.

With that in mind, I was particularly happy to find a new tip waiting for me in my Folia notifications the other day. It’s more important than ever to stay on top of my routine, but it’s just as important to stay informed, and I’m glad to see Folia stepping up to fill that need. By helping me stay healthy, Folia allows me to focus on how I can step up for others in the coming weeks, whether that means being a bit more patient with my family as the walls start closing in, cooking dinner for my mom as she coordinates my sister’s travel logistics from afar, or just sending a text to a friend to let them know I’m thinking about them.

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