Day 5: Tuesday
This morning I went southwards, rather than northwards, for my morning walk. I saw about five other people, most of whom were walking without dogs, and a few cars. Then came stretching exercises, which I think are important at my age, and best done with muscles that have warmed up. I also do some push-ups; not very many, because I can't do very many, but working on that. Even with exercise, I don't have a colossal appetite for breakfast. So get down to work.
New guidance from my employer on working at home suggests dressing as if to go the office --- nonsense, say I -- and actually turning the video feed on during meetings so that we can see each other's ugly faces, which I agree with. Much though I'd rather see beautiful or handsome faces, it does me good to see and hear that the people I've spent so much time with are still there and still human; to gossip a bit. The one who was the undisputed clown of the team has, unfortunately, been shifted to another project.
Minor panic in mid-afternoon when our second son tells us that the little airport he planned to use tomorrow is reducing its operations because some of the air traffic controllers have tested positive. In the end my wife gets him booked on a flight from a larger airport, still within reach for him. Number one son has taken off from that same little airport less than three hours ago; he arrives on schedule. The University was not too quick in adjusting to reality either, to hear him tell it. Our city has been doing its planning and deciding what services are inessential, which includes the Library. Darn.
We are told that even Fox News has finally conceded that CoViD-19 is more than just a conspiracy against their idol. Myanmar's leader says there are no cases in that country ... come on, pull the other one, Lady! I also see some informed, OK, sorta-informed, explanation of why the US CDC and FDA were so abysmally slow off the mark in testing people. Her Majesty's Gov't at home seems to be rather unconcerned about testing, which puzzles me. And an Israeli with a Nobel prize in what may be a relevant field reads the tea leaves to say that quite a large fraction of us must have natural immunity to SARS-CoV-2, judging by the way it seemed to saturate. Well, when I think about that, a large fraction of Hubei province may have it; I don't think there are enough data to say that about any other population. There soon will be plenty of data about Italians, especially the northerners.
I still don't get why toilet paper is suddenly so precious. This isn't a diarrhoea epidemic. There is nothing to suggest that we're going to be prevented from getting supplies delivered, and nobody in Wuhan ran out.
In broad strokes, it has to be fear, and the wrong fear, at that. Toilet paper won't save you if your lungs get inflamed by a cytokine and storm start to fill with liquid. I suppose it can save you from feeling like a fool when, or if, you run out. What else can it do? And why would you run out?
I also hear of people stockpiling [bottled] water. Ptah. Let 'em. More importantly, someone wrote a hefty donation to his local hospital (details are unclear) so it could afford a testing machine.
New guidance from my employer on working at home suggests dressing as if to go the office --- nonsense, say I -- and actually turning the video feed on during meetings so that we can see each other's ugly faces, which I agree with. Much though I'd rather see beautiful or handsome faces, it does me good to see and hear that the people I've spent so much time with are still there and still human; to gossip a bit. The one who was the undisputed clown of the team has, unfortunately, been shifted to another project.
Minor panic in mid-afternoon when our second son tells us that the little airport he planned to use tomorrow is reducing its operations because some of the air traffic controllers have tested positive. In the end my wife gets him booked on a flight from a larger airport, still within reach for him. Number one son has taken off from that same little airport less than three hours ago; he arrives on schedule. The University was not too quick in adjusting to reality either, to hear him tell it. Our city has been doing its planning and deciding what services are inessential, which includes the Library. Darn.
We are told that even Fox News has finally conceded that CoViD-19 is more than just a conspiracy against their idol. Myanmar's leader says there are no cases in that country ... come on, pull the other one, Lady! I also see some informed, OK, sorta-informed, explanation of why the US CDC and FDA were so abysmally slow off the mark in testing people. Her Majesty's Gov't at home seems to be rather unconcerned about testing, which puzzles me. And an Israeli with a Nobel prize in what may be a relevant field reads the tea leaves to say that quite a large fraction of us must have natural immunity to SARS-CoV-2, judging by the way it seemed to saturate. Well, when I think about that, a large fraction of Hubei province may have it; I don't think there are enough data to say that about any other population. There soon will be plenty of data about Italians, especially the northerners.
I still don't get why toilet paper is suddenly so precious. This isn't a diarrhoea epidemic. There is nothing to suggest that we're going to be prevented from getting supplies delivered, and nobody in Wuhan ran out.
In broad strokes, it has to be fear, and the wrong fear, at that. Toilet paper won't save you if your lungs get inflamed by a cytokine and storm start to fill with liquid. I suppose it can save you from feeling like a fool when, or if, you run out. What else can it do? And why would you run out?
I also hear of people stockpiling [bottled] water. Ptah. Let 'em. More importantly, someone wrote a hefty donation to his local hospital (details are unclear) so it could afford a testing machine.
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