Last week, when I wrote that I was doing to New York City Sunday to visit the Bronx Zoo, several people wrote to me. They posted comments suggesting it would be irresponsible for me to visit the Mansion until I could be tested and be sure I didn’t pick up the virus there.

The warnings didn’t strike me as justified, given that no health or public official was suggesting people stay out of New York. Still, there is so much confusion and misinformation about the coronavirus coming from so many people; I thought I ought to make sure.

Maybe the people writing to me are correct.

We are all in unchartered waters, and the person I need to convince is me. I certainly don’t wish to be putting any of the Mansion residents in danger.

A local pharmacist contracted the disease; it turned out his wife had been at a conference in Philadelphia and sat next to a woman who had the coronavirus. The pharmacy was thoroughly cleaned and re-opened shortly. The pharmacy staff was quarantined at home.

So far, no one else in our county or immediate area has contracted the virus, insofar as is known.

I told my doctor, my pharmacist,  the Mansion executives, the people running Bishop Maginn High School about my trip to New York, and asked if there was any reason I ought to stay away from these places.

There is consensus about frequently washing, little about the value of unsealed masks.

The answer from all three was no; I did not need to stay away from the Mansion or Bishop Maginn.

And almost everyone said the person at the most risk was me – I am 72 and have two chronic diseases, diabetes and heart disease. The Mansion is not a nursing home; it’s an assisted care facility. And the virus is not severe for children.

There is a higher risk for people like me, but there is no certainty that I will die if I get the virus. My illnesses are both under control, and I have no severe kidney or liver issues.

If I feel or get sick, I will stay home and get tested as soon as I can. (The doctors in hospitals and private practice seem to be getting some test kits, finally.) And if the virus spreads to this area, I will reconsider.

If necessary, I can also help the residents without being physically present at the Mansion.

I can get them the things they need from a distance, if necessary. I plan to take this seriously but not to surrender my life to it, one way or another.

So I went into the Mansion with Zinnia yesterday and am returning today for my weekly reading at 1 p.m. Tonight, Maria and I are going to see Portrait Of A Lady On Fire for the second time, we both enjoyed it so much.

It’s the best movie we’ve seen in a long time.

So we go forward with our small acts of kindness.

If you can help, that would be a good thing. I think we need to do good nows as much as ever. It is genuinely grounding.

After the political upheaval, we took to this work to keep from descending into the storm.

I believe that the same ethos applies now, at least for me.

You can contribute via Paypal, [email protected] – I foresee a couple of bumpy months, but not the end of the world.

You can also contribute by check, Mansion/Refugee Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

Thanks so much. I think we are needed more than ever.