As I’d mentioned several times to readers of the coronavirus diaries, a few weeks after I started writing and posting weekly my daily thoughts, feelings, and observations in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, an editor at The Johns Hopkins Magazine, a publication of my undergraduate institution, e-mailed to see if I’d write an essay on the project for the Summer 2020 edition.

I wondered whether we’d all feel completely fed up with all things coronavirus by summer 2020 from the vantage point of early spring. However, when the magazine issue debuted, the COVID-19 problem still hadn’t resolved—in fact, it continued to rage (and in the United States, more strongly than ever).

My essay aside—though you can read it here—I recommend the overall issue of the magazine for its very insightful coverage of the crisis, including a behind-the-scenes article about the team that created and manages the Johns Hopkins University’s interactive COVID-19 tracking map, which became the go-to resource for COVID-19 case updates during the height of the international crisis (and thereafter). I even mention the map in my diaries a few times; I continued to reference it as a resource throughout the pandemic.

No matter where you are or when you read this post, go wash your hands.