USA Today's Michael Stern on the side effects of home isolation

Moving into the third month of home isolation, the toll on each of us is different. Some face financial hardship. Some have seen their education thrown into limbo. For me, the longer I’m home alone, the more my obsessive-compulsive disorder flares. I didn’t realize this until a phone call in which a friend asked whether I was staying safe.

I explained that I had found a way to test myself for coronavirus: Loss of taste is one of the first signs of infection, so I bought a 5 pound tub of jelly beans with 49 flavors. I eat several handfuls daily, one bean at a time. If I recognize each of the different flavors, I figure that I’m safe.

The dead silence on the line convinced me it was time to book a Zoom therapy session.

~ Michael J. Stern, "Coronavirus: I was in the stay-at-home-until-it's-safe camp. But I just can't take it anymore," USA Today, May 26, 2020