Suddenly, *poof* your life can change for the worse in an instant. Live like you expect it tomorrow
My wife and I have a friend who we have known since 1974. He is/was a doctor, one of a vanishing breed of GP doctors here in Germany. He had a small practice in the Ruhr town of Gelsenkirchen. He donated a few weeks of his time every year to work for free for Doctors Without Borders in rural parts of Africa. He was married to an ambitious woman with whom he had two children. She suddenly (no warning) left him a little less than 20 years ago for a man 20 years her junior, worked her way up to chief administrator for several local hospitals, and now rakes in a ton of money, something our friend never did, or tried to do, and she acts as if he had never existed. When their son got diagnosed with a glioblastoma (same brain tumor that killed McCain and Teddy Kennedy) around the same time as his strokes, her brother, who made a fortune in international real estate, sprang for an experimental therapy--so far successful--costing €130,000 that insurance refuses to cover here. She has not pitched in a cent. Maybe her brother, who is far richer, told her not to bother, we don't know.
About 15 years ago, he re-married to a wonderful woman that my wife and I both like, and they were very happy until about a year ago. He was having some chest pain, went in for an exam, and sent to the operating table. They put in some stents, but it wasn't enough, and he was sent to surgery for a bypass. Within hours after being delivered to the ICU, he suffered two debilitating strokes. He was a total basket case. Though mentally conscious, he couldn't move or speak. The most he could do was blink once for yes and twice for no. He entered an intense program of physical therapy and rehab, buying recommended devices and therapy not covered by medical insurance, and reducing the modest savings he had accumulated to practically zero. His wife's pension is €1000 ($1180) a month, and his disability is maybe a little more. If he hadn't fully paid for his apartment years ago, he would have been left penniless.
His PT and rehab were extremely strenuous, and his wife said she had several sleepless months. But they have borne fruit. He can now speak again, and move about their apartment with several mechanical devices. Since a few weeks, he can even take a few steps on his own, although he is cautious, since a bad fall would set him back months. He misses his practice, is always greeted by former patients on the rare occasions he ventures outside, something he can't do much of. His will is still strong, and this photo is one he insisted his wife take without his mechanical help. I am my usual 68 year old mess, he looks a surprisingly good 70 for what he has been through, and my wife looks her usual "no way she is 68!" self.
Over the last day, I heard that three people from my Dutch office have been infected with Covid-19. They were the boss, who is 50, and two young women in their 20s. After a week in Paris, they got restless. In Holland, in their small town near Utrecht, there were practically no Corona cases, and they weren't in the habit of wearing masks. They were in Paris from Sep. 28 through October 4th. They were very careful until Friday, October 2nd, when the two of them went out to a bar for a drink. No masks. Two days later, the three of them drove the six hours back to Utrecht, and three days later, after coughing spells and fever, they tested positive for Covid-19. We are all hoping for mild cases. I haven't been there since they got back from Paris, so I am in no danger, but it will throw a monkey wrench into the working of that office for a few weeks. All three of them are pretty much essential to the smooth working of that office.
Never let down your guard, don't take off the mask in public, and don't go out to bars, especially if you're in a country where the president has just said to stay away from bars!
And never assume nothing will ever happen to you, because like our doctor friend found out, oh yes, it can.
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So I imagine Martha must be too... birds of a feather, and all. 
I'm happy to hear that your friend is on a slow road to recovery from bypass surgery. It's hard to believe how many of us - in the past 30 or so years - have benefitted from this revolutionary procedure. Bypass surgery has added as much as 10 years onto our life, for some of us. It's commonly available and almost-routine in most major hospitals - what a miracle it is for our generation! Bypass surgery still has risks involved as your friend the doctor has experienced. But the alternative to surgery would surely have been much worse.
It's unfortunate that your co-workers were infected with the virus, but it's good that they recognize the mistake they made by not wearing masks in public. Hopefully it will reinforce the message to everyone they know, "Wear masks always and keep your distance."
A pair of stories from you today, with strong, important messages. Thank you for the important and vital reminders.
And my best to your doctor friend and his wife! I hope he will continue to heal. And for your friends in the Dutch office, the same! It's truly hard to be patient and stay safe when the end is not in sight. LM and I have always lived quietly and so social distancing is not a problem. We always wear masks when we do go out and we are otherwise careful. It suits us.
Please tell your beautiful wife hello from us!
