"I HAVE CORONAVIRUS"

This is what I heard on Wednesday from one of my team members.  She called in sick on Monday, got tested that afternoon and the results came back on Wednesday.  For me, that was very hard to hear.  I can’t imagine what that was like for her.  

Make no doubt about it...this is real...and it’s scary...the mortality rate in particular.  At a 2% mortality rate, that means 1 in 50 people with coronavirus will die.  That’s a sobering fact when our team is not far from being that big.  In Washington state, where COVID-19 has hit hardest, some have calculated mortality rates as high as 6.5%. It also appears this virus spreads far more easily than the flu, often by people who are asymptomatic.

It’s impossible to imagine what it’s like to lose someone you care about.  I’ve tried before.  You can’t recreate the feeling.  When you get news like this, though, it brings it all home.  

Fortunately, she took the appropriate measures and while her recovery hasn’t been easy, she’s on the mend. So far, no one else on our team has experienced symptoms or tested positive for the virus. 

The coronavirus outbreak has shaken all of us, dramatically changing our daily routines while creating anxiety and fear. 

We all hoped it was going to be different. 

Treat it with the seriousness it deserves.

The bottom line is that as much as Social Distancing and Sheltering in Place are terms we hoped we would never learn, this is no flu and it’s going to take a collective effort to beat it. 

We note all this not to add more concern, but to urge everyone to treat this outbreak seriously. Imagine if just a couple of people on your team got COVID-19. In an industry that depends on actuarial science, I don’t think I need to walk you through how that might play out. And how it would create serious challenges for your company. 

If people in your organization can work remotely, make it happen. Encourage social distancing and urge your employees to limit travel outside the home. It will be good for them and help all of us get back to business as usual. 

Going forward. 

Our first priority is the physical and emotional well-being of our people. But we also realize that we need to keep moving forward, and we are continuing to deliver the kind of service our users expect.

As a company, we were prepared for remote work. Before this outbreak, we already had many team members located in places outside of our New York offices, so the adjustment has not been a major one.  

While we may not be together in the same space, our developers are still adding new features to our platform, and our Customer Success team is continuing with training activities and issue resolution. Being productive feels pretty good right now. 

If you’re an agency struggling to work remotely, our software can help. And if you’re a current user, don’t be afraid to reach out to learn how you can get even more out of our platform and how it might help during these challenging times. 

Most importantly, stay vigilant and stay healthy. 

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Photo by Jusdevoyage on Unsplash