My sister and brother-in-law sold their house in north-end Toronto two years ago to move into more modest quarters. At 77 and 82 they no longer felt any need to be in possession of a house with four bedrooms, and instead bought a condominium apartment, easier to look after, equipped with common areas like meeting rooms, a gym and a large swimming pool. The meeting rooms, guy and pool are all now closed until further notice.

There are over 500 apartments in the complex, a quadrangle with walking path and gardens. It's beyond difficult in such circumstances to isolate oneself as could be done living in a house. There are so many common areas which residents, coming and going, share -- how to avoid picking up contact points of the novel coronavirus. The supermarket shelves are empty of many products in Toronto. It's a truly dismal overall scene that no one could conceivably have contemplated a month ago.

We, at least, have the comfort of being in our own home where it is possible to self-isolate, to see our neighbours at a distance, have conversations, acknowledge one another, yet keeping a safe gap between us; there are no elevators, no shared common areas, where the contagion can more easily spread. Urban living in large cities has its pluses but this situation is most certainly not one of them.

My husband can go into his workshop to continue his preoccupation with various projects he has initiated, satisfying his need to get things done, while I am able to go about the usual household cleaning, cooking and maintenance tasks that I've never minded doing and don't now, finding satisfaction in getting things done.

Jackie and Jillie, our two pups, have the option of following us about, offering recommendations, ensuring that we're behaving ourselves and occasionally taking us out to the backyard for rest breaks. They become expectant when they sense as the time passes, that we've completed our daily rounds and are on track to going out with them for a good vigorous tramp through the forest.

Where accumulated snow and ice has many weeks to go before it eventually disappears. The temperature rose to 4C today, with a light wind, and a sky alternating between cloudy and occasional clearing, so the sun could illuminate the landscape from time to time.

Off we went, descending and ascending hills with due care to ensure we remained upright while striding through the forest trails. Taking time to look about us at the slowly changing season, for in another few days' time the Spring Equinox will be upon us. We now enjoy so much more daylight hours than several months ago, it's astonishing to contemplate.

We've got to the place where we continue to have cold nights but longer daylight hours, a perfect winter balance, and it only took four months to arrive. Now that spring is on the cusp of arriving, there is little joy in the face of a public for whom the alarming rise of coronavirus cases threatens to overwhelm a health care system that we've always trusted and been grateful for.

The future holds untold mysteries; we can only hope that our tribulations and our fears will be soon alleviated, that scientists diligently working to find a solution in a safe vaccine that can be distributed widely will deliver us from this global nightmare scenario of dread and fear.