I just finished climbing the stairs. I guess that beats climbing the walls, but it feels a bit like the same thing. Motivated by boredom, extended cold weather, and apocryphal warnings to stick close to home, I climb to generate energy and keep myself feeling human. Oh, and so I don't scream. There's that, too.

But you know how kids bottle up energy after extended periods of enforced sitting? At school they insert the free-for-all called "recess" into the midday schedule as an outlet. Well, this increase in hanging around the house reveals that things change with advancing age. Now, the longer I sit, the harder it is to get moving again. Lethargy creeps over me, and I have to force myself up and out of my chair into more productive activities than solving a crossword puzzle.

Sunday was my official day of rest, so Monday felt like a time to break out of the post-winter lazies; to stretch the limbs and seek out new adventures. Alas, pandemic alarm has closed down most venues and curtailed contact with other humans—especially those you might randomly bump into at, say, that cute little neighborhood coffee shop you keep meaning to re-visit.

At first I was baffled by the apparent hysterics surrounding COVID-19, remembering that the swine flu outbreak in 2009 seemed a more lethal threat with a less terrified response. Then a nurse friend reminded me that it’s the unknown nature of this new strain that has people spooked.

When the ripples of concern first began to pulse their way through society, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, advised, "I would like to see a dramatic diminution of personal interaction ... The virus is not a mathematical formula. There are going to be people who are young who are going to wind up getting seriously ill. So, protect yourself."

Dr. Fauci went on to calm the storm of panic, noting, "For most people, the corona virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. The vast majority of people recover. People with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three weeks to six weeks to recover."

Regarding what may seem like an exaggerated response, he added,  "What we're trying to do is to make sure [we] don't get to the worst-case scenario."

So, now I get it; individual isolation and social distancing help to retard the rate of infectious spread and allow more time to develop and ramp up medical-treatment protocols. The reality of mandated limitations has tempered my personal feelings of stir-craziness.

Well, my Fitbit just reminded me that I have 200 steps to get in before this hour rolls into the next. Back to stair climbing. And later, in lieu of the public treadmill at the Y—which closed several weeks ago for who knows how long—maybe a brisk outdoor walk. Fifty feet between me and the passing cars. Now that's social distancing!