Saturday 7 March 2020
Men are not so good at bathroom hygiene (Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels)
With all catastrophes, for that is what this virus is proving to be, there are many who see the amusing side, too. I have received several spoof videos from friends around the world, each to do with Covid-19. I have already described the one where doctors shoot victims of Covid-19 at home. There is another where a man has locked himself in a car, covered both himself and his mobile telephone with masks, turned up the car heating to kill the virus, and now regards himself as safe. There is another where instead of shaking hands, the French have suggested holding a woman’s breasts, or touching each other’s crotch, or simply tapping a bottom as a means of saying hello. These videos are all funny, yet not funny, if that makes vague sense.
The Chinese are making great capital about how they have begun to control the virus and many commentators are also saying the same. Many also say that it seems to be down to the people, as much as authority. Although Governments are supposedly in authority, they do lag slightly behind the public, and certainly the virus. Meanwhile the WHO continues to say that some countries, even now, are unprepared for what is happening. China is being more positive and says it hopes to lift some of its quarantine regulations by early April.
Never cough in London these days (Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels)
The last thing you should do in London at the moment is cough. The very second you do, everyone within a hundred metres will stare at you in alarm. I saw it for myself in Marylebone’s Prêt à Manger today, when I was buying a Caesar salad sandwich. Another server, thankfully not mine, gave a single cough. Instantly the entire clientele of the shop, at least 20 of us, stared and looked at him. At least three walked out. The server did not look infected and was unaware of the alarm he had created but, these days, how can one tell.
Thirty minutes later, my daughter telephoned to say that she was holding a dinner party that evening. As she spoke, she started coughing. I was immediately on edge and asked, “Have you told your guests about the cough?”
“You’re not being helpful,” she replied. Clearly, I was not.
I kick myself for having a siege mentality as now I see Covid-19 around every corner. I am sure much of what I see is innocent. Yet as I look at the data, I sense I am doing the right thing. It may be that 80% of those infected have no or little symptomatology, but 15% will have severe disease and 5% will be critical. With a disease that is so easy to acquire, these figures do not make happy reading. It is better to be overcautious than be caught out. Especially as we know so little about the disease at the moment. I am sure there is plenty more to learn.
I went to a wedding showcase today, at a place called The Anthologist in London’s Gresham Street. My aim was to pen an article. A wedding showcase is where happy couples go to sort out their ceremony. Everything a wedding needs is on hand. My own view is that if you can survive a showcase, the marriage will be no problem at all. To keep life safe, I walked there and back, as the City of London on a Saturday is a truly quiet place to be. There were empty streets, no litter, little traffic. London was at its best. Sadly, but not unexpectedly, the showcase was not busy. The hosts had been expecting 150 couples to attend and received, at best, a total of 30.
The quiet streets of London on a Saturday with coronavirus about
It was my walk back to central London after the showcase that was the most revealing. The capital was unquestionably feeling different and was also busier. At one point, a woman walked towards me, although at least 50 metres away, coughed twice, openly and loudly, and without using her hand for protection. Slightly later on, a man ahead of me coughed once over his shoulder in my direction and without a hand held to his mouth. I was at least 30 metres away, so felt safe, but that was not the point. These were people who should have known better but were simply not bothering. Exasperated by my fellow nationals I headed onwards towards my central London flat. It did not take long to run into the next drama, another woman walking towards me. She looked like Rudolph, with the brightest, reddest, moistest nose. Whatever she had, she was suffering. By the time I had completed my return journey I was sure that London was suffering. It cannot be long before a full lockdown is demanded. Whatever the bigwigs might be saying, and they are always trying to appear optimistic, I am certain Covid-19 has arrived in full glory. It is all around us right now.
Overseas the situation is no better, and in many cases it is worse. Iran has confirmed nearly 6000 coronavirus infections, with 145 deaths. The worldwide figure is now more than 100,000. Italy is not doing well, with more than 50 deaths in the last 24 hours. The leader of the country’s Democratic Party, Nicola Zingaretti has also tested positive for Covid-19 and is now self-isolating. Being a true politician, he has broadcast a video on Facebook to show what he has decided to do. These bigwigs never miss a trick.
The family of the patient who died in Milton Keynes yesterday has said that they felt the hospital took too long to resolve things, although the hospital has denied this. Apparently, the patient spent two days on a ward before being isolated and tested for coronavirus. The family, being in self-isolation, cannot do much to arrange the victim’s funeral. That is clearly sad.
There are plenty of different angles being taken by the media at the moment. It is a long time since they have had so much opportunity. Reuters has reported, for example, that men are worse at bathroom hygiene than women. This was based on a scientific paper from Michigan and is clearly vital in an era when we are being encouraged to wash our hands at any opportunity. Apparently, 14.6% of men do not wash their hands after going to the toilet and 35.1% wet their hands but do not use soap. For women, these figures are 7.1% and 15.1% respectively. Ladies, I simply do not know what to say.
3M has been tapping regional suppliers to meet the soaring demand for masks. The numbers are truly incredible. For example, the US government is seeking an additional 35 million additional masks each month from 3M. I wager the 3M Board will be having sleepless nights with requests like that. Meanwhile, US insurersare working to ease out-of-pocket coronavirus expenses. Added to this, the US military has deployed its first kits of coronavirus testing, but its capacity is limited.
How could they cancel the marmalade festival? (marilyna)
The UK’s Guardian newspaper, which I consider to have brilliant journalism, has written a fantastic piece on how Covid-19 is a disease that thrives on human error. The article starts with the tale of a 75-year-old male Italian who had travelled to a city in Lombardy, where the outbreak was most severe, and had then returned to the opposite end of the country. He soon fell sick and died. The diagnosis of Covid-19 was only made after the victim’s body was released to his family. Why the body was released before the result was made available is unknown, but the end result was 70 people being placed in quarantine. The whole Covid-19 saga appears to be one of human error, probably from the very beginning. Well done The Guardian for highlighting this.
And the tragedy to beat all others, particularly if you are me? I today discovered that Covid-19 has resulted in the cancellation of Cumbria’s marmalade festival. The festival takes place in a country house called Dalemain, near Penrith, and receives as many as 3000 jars of marmalade from more than 40 countries. These include Canada, Japan, Hong Kong and Mexico. It has become a landmark culinary event and has been held in March each year, starting in 2005. They had better hold the festival in 2021. I simply adore marmalade.
