Morning sickness and the Coronavirus

When there’s a problem in life, we want to find a solution. That’s natural. Part of what makes us human.

We sometimes joke about the American way: Give me 3 (or 5 at the most) easy steps to deal with whatever ails me. And make it quick.

So it’s no wonder that we want to find a cure for Covid-19. Right now. Because it’s upended life as we know it. And we just want back to normal. The way things used to be.

But what if in the rush to find a solution, the cure turns out to be as bad as the problem or even worse?

Where does that put us?

Meet the Müllers

(This is a real family’s story — their names have been changed.)

Germany, 1955.

Erika Müller was pregnant with her first baby. She was newly married to Dieter, who was quite a bit older than her. Which was not unusual at that time, given that many men had been lost in the war.

They were both thrilled to start their family. The country was rebuilding and the future looked bright.

Excitement soon turned into frustration. Erika had morning sickness. Not just a little. But debilitating nausea. Many days she was unable to function at all.