Helena Schlam, 78, usually spends her time going to concerts, book club meetings, exercise classes, and lunch with friends. Right now, however, she is trying to be reasonable and is self-isolating in her Clintonville home to avoid the novel coronavirus.
Rebecca Tien lives across the street from Helena and called to check on her, which made Helena’s day.
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Tien offered to have her children, 9-year-old Taran and 6-year-old Calliope, play their cellos for Helena. She said:
“I was looking at Helena’s long porch and I figured she could sit on one side and we could sit on the other and still be together,” Tien said.
Helena cheered “Bravo! Bravo!” as the two aspiring musicians finished their front porch performance. Rebecca Tien added:
“We had a great time too. It helps us fill our day so it’s mutually beneficial, for sure.”
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Health experts caution that the fear and anxiety over the spread of the virus combined with isolation can lead to feelings of hopelessness and depression. Dr. Joseph Gastaldo, an infectious disease expert at OhioHealth, said:
“We’re all social people. We need social interaction and when we don’t see people face to face and we do it in a more sterile environment, that can lead to depression.”
