Polio viruses only cause illness in 5 to 10 percent of infections — but the asymptomatic carriers can still spread it to others, who might get the full-blown disease. This is what happened to me in Jerusalem, and this is what is happening now across the planet. Before I could walk, the son of family friends was an unknown carrier and past the polio virus to my brother and I. With the full series of Salk vaccinations, my brother was not affected. As I had only one of the three shots, and no immunity, I contracted polio. The virus causes a high fever while it plays havoc with the host body’s ‘horn’ nerves, which transmit signals from the spinal column to motor nerves. Once the fever subsided and the damage was done, we picked up the pieces and carried on.

History repeats itself. As we brace for the impact of our current crisis, let us start with gratitude for all that we still have as we begin the slow patient process of carrying on.