An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . Z

Z

Zombies

It is traditional for folk doing the A to Z to end with a swarm of Zombies and it’s a tradition I plan to continue. Now you may say well that’s not right the Coronavirus might be dangerous but it does not turn folk into Zombies. Well that is true but the fact is it is not the virus that will turn you into a Zombie it is the precautions we take to social distance and isolate under lockdown. 

Many can cope OK . . .  I do, I just pretend every day is Sunday, but others don’t? (that's others dont cope rather than others dont pretend everyday is Sunday) I noticed a certain designer fashion business had changed its target market and was doing well selling hoodies and tracksuit bottoms.  This is a slippery road to self-abandonment. I mean who shuffles about aimlessly wearing hoodies and tracksuit bottoms wondering what to do and forming huge queues outside supermarkets. . . . . . . . Well Zombies do. And don’t think I’ll be OK I won’t slide down this slipper road; because this is the new normal. In a years’ time we will have all succumbed to it as our mental resistance is slowly broken down. It is a terrible fate and one that as time passes becomes more likely as the powers that be talk more and more about how things may need to change for many years.

Maybe it’s a diabolical plan by those in power to finally supresses the masses. And on that cheery note it is time to End the A to Z of 2020 . . . . . . Thank you for reading

It wont get Me

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . Y

Y

Youth and the Young

Well one of the things that seems to be the case with Covid-19 is that you are likely to deal with the Coronavirus much better physically if you are younger. This may seem fairly logic but viruses can be fickle things and there have been some where the young are more vulnerable. In this case it is probably for the best that they do cope better physically as younger folk tend to think of themselves as invincible which they are not.

The problem though is that although the young cope with Covid-19 better than the old they do not cope with social distancing and lockdown as well.  I mean when I was young I had the whole world out there at my fingertips.  OK I started an apprenticeship in Engineering when I left school and swotted a bit which ironically was something I did not do at school. But this was a life choice by me; someone in the same position now finds themselves confined to home with few options. Even going to school or college is not an option at present so being young in lockdown I suspect for many is extremely stressful mentally. For younger children, well a lot of them just dont understand whats happening or why they cant see their pals. . . . (I may include myself in that, because at some point we will have to abandon lockdown and take our chances) 

Well I noticed on the news tonight that there is concern for young children as several in recent days have been having severe symptoms that may be linked to Covid-19 which has resulted in them being in hospital and in a fairly poorly way. This appears to be a new twist in the continuing story of this virus.  

Folk thought I was a bit odd in my youth.

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . X

X

Factor X

Yes I bet you were all wondering how I was going to deal with X  . . . . So was I…

Factor X you see refers to all those odd thoughts and anomalies that have cropped up since Britain and indeed most of the world have had to cope with Covid-19 and Lockdown. As there are little things that crop up from time to time that make me ponder; sometimes a bit and sometimes a lot. From the irrational panic buying of toilet tissue at the start of our journey; I notice toilet rolls are now quite common again. To the way some TV shows have tried to cope with the fact they have to undertake them from the disadvantage of having half the folk trapped at home in lockdown.

And that brings me to my own first and rather curious observation. You see on TV right now if you watch news or interviews or even at times the weather you find as a result of isolation you see someone in their own home in front of the wall of their home office, Kitchen, living or dining room and rather than listen to what they say I find myself thinking stuff like. . . . . . What a boring room or what a terrible picture or as I thought only the other night that’s an odd way to hang your pictures.

I was also slightly curious that we have been told vitamin D is good for us however sitting out in the sun which is the natural way to obtain vitamin D has always been frowned upon in the past because of the risk of skin cancer. Only it seems this is now a good thing, but because of lockdown we are not allowed to sit in the sun. . . . .

There are many anomalies and curious things that crop up in connection with Covid-19. I still find it curious that ethnic minorities appear to be suffering badly and as yet there are no obvious reasons for this.

It is also interesting that some folk seen to be driving like mad looneys on the roads I noticed that one was recorded at over 130mph in a 40mph limit the other day . . . . . Why? That’s madness. 

And folk are home baking like mad and also knitting a lot more, even I have made flat bread recently

A hat in a different light can be a grand hat

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . W

W

What Next and the World Wide Web

Yes indeed What Next. There are so many things we just don’t know that anticipating what will happen next is far from easy. After all if a vaccine is found quickly and we all get it and the virus vanishes overnight the world could look exactly like it did back at the end of 2019. And by Christmas 2020 most will have forgotten all about it as we complain about the crowds in the shops and folk panic buy toilet rolls because it’s Christmas and the shops might close for two days.  . . . But let’s not be that pessimistic.

The thing is What Happens Next is a big issue as there is already talk of partial lockdowns being maintained until next year with events and businesses where large groups of people meet possibly having to be wait even longer before they can operate normally again. The economic repercussions of Covid-19 could and almost certainly will last for years.

There is one of man’s discoveries though that has made a huge difference in a positive way and that is the World Wide Web (The Internet). It has enabled us to stay in touch with family, buy things we need online, continue to teach our kids, do our banking, continue working, stay sane by keeping our minds active, and write our blogs. OK all this was being done before the Coronavirus struck but we can truly appreciate the internet and its associated technology now. Imagine how isolated many would be if it was not there and how out of date our news of the virus, family and world events would be day to day. Although we possibly would not be scared into panic buying as most of us would be unaware that others were panic buying. And by the time we discovered folk were panic buying it would be too late as everything will have vanished . . . . . .Mmmmmmmmmm as it happened that is what happened to me even with the internet . . . . . . . DAMN.

Life inside on Lockdown 

I am lucky enough to have a nice house with a large garden so can stay sane . . . . . . . sort of.

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . V

V

The Virus and the Vaccine

One of the most worrying aspects of Covid-19 is the fact that there is as yet no vaccine. This is the reason that so many of us are in lockdown. Although tonight (at the time of writing as I try to maintain a slight buffer on my A to Z journey) I noticed that a government spokesman has said that the first human trials of a vaccine will start in a couple of days in the UK.  This is good and we have to hope that the vaccine proves to be effective. Normally these sorts of trials take years, but it is extremely hard to maintain the sort of lockdown we are currently experiencing for any length of time without folk getting rebellious. A bit like folk in the USA; they have become rebellious after just a week or so and they are much scarier than us British folk as many are armed with weapons and can be a bit trigger happy.  

I have to say it is certainly surprising how fast Covid-19 can move through a population. Here in the UK almost every care home has had a least one incident of the virus and the death toll is rising rapidly as most of the folk in the care homes are those at most risk. Hopefully if a vaccine is found quickly these people and key workers will be first in line to get the vaccine . . . . . Well probably second after the members of the government who will no doubt insist they should be at the front of the queue. . . . . not that I’m cynical but.  

A Government Spokesman 

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . U

U

USA

The USA has sadly become the place that is suffering the most from Covid-19. Although statistically Mr Trump has been keen to tell us that based on the population it is not as bad as some other countries.  Now I have to admit I am not a fan of Mr Trump, but to be fair he is the sort of President that folk either love or hate. I personally feel he is leading the USA down a dangerous path in his keenness to get the US economy back on track. I suspect (as other do) that with a presidential election looming he wants to show the country is doing well. The risk of course is that it potentially may lead to an even greater surge in Covid-19 cases.

One of the virtues and weaknesses of the American people is their stubbornness and maverick attitude to life. Mr Trump has an almost fanatical following among some and they believe that they have the right to be free to roam where and when they want. To them the individual is king and master of his own destiny. Unfortunately there are few ways to stop Covid-19 spreading at present without everyone being in Lockdown, and that is something unacceptable to many in the US. They would argue it is not the states place to tell folk they can’t go out and do the things they would normally do.

The result I fear is that these conflicts between state and the individual and Mr Trump’s own mixed messages at times will result in many many more US citizens dying. I hope I am wrong but I don’t think I am.

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . T

T

Testing

One of the big issues that keeps coming up in Britain is testing folk for Covid-19. The government seem to be missing their own goals on testing people and as a result then get quite a lot of hassle from the media. As far as I can tell this is to some degree the government’s own fault. Had they early on said there were going to be problems in testing large numbers of people, in particular front line health workers such as nurses and doctors them maybe they would be under less pressure.  I think they failed to realise that the worldwide demand for tests was so high that they suddenly found themselves at the back of the queue. They also said they were hoping to have a test to show who had built up antibody immunity and have paid for three million tests. It was to be the way to get everyone back to work quickly. The problem though is that this test has turned out to be unreliable when it itself was tested. So it sort of scuppered the government’s plans forcing them to fall back on the same test as used by the vast majority of the rest of the world.

Anyway the result of all this is the number of tests on people to see if they have Covid-19 in the UK is low compared to many other countries. And it appears that the countries that manage to undertake high levels of testing are also the ones that have the lowest numbers of Covid-19 cases and in turn lower numbers of deaths. It has been speculated by some that the UK’s number of deaths could possibly end up the highest in Europe. If this proves to be true then it may well be the government who will be blamed by both the media and public . . . . . We will see.

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . S

S

Symptoms and stuff . . .

Yes indeed what are the symptoms of Covid-19. There is much talk of it and how many have died or the numbers known to have had it but you don’t hear a huge amount now about exactly what the symptoms are. So this is a little reminder

It generally takes about five days to start showing the symptoms, but some people will get them much later. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the incubation period can last up to 14 days and it is possible to pass on the virus before you are aware you have it

Coronavirus fundamentally infects the lungs. And the two main symptoms are a fever or a dry cough; this in turn could lead to breathing problems.

 Coughs

Now the cough you need to keep an eye out for is a new, continuous cough. This means coughing a lot, probably for more than an hour; or having three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours. Which is quite a lot of coughing and if you usually have a cough (some folk do, like smokers), then it may be worse than usual. And it can be quite bad and sore.

Fever

You have a fever if your temperature is above 37.8C. This can make you feel warm, cold or shivery.

Other stuff

You may also have a sore throat, headache and diarrhoea and the loss of smell and taste seems to be a common symptom.

The thing is with some folk the symptoms can be very mild and then with others they can be extremely bad leading to a life and death struggle in a hospital. But do remember most people recover because I’m sure it must be a bit spooky to realise you may be showing symptoms of Covid-19 regardless of whether you are considered vulnerable or not even if the symptoms are mild.

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . R

R

Restaurants and Cafes

Well I don’t go out much (OK not at all now) I am rather a unsociable and grumpy sort of a chap. . . Although in a nice way (honest). There was a time many moons ago when I would venture to a music festival and almost look cheery if it was a really good band. However as time has passed I find I am much happier going out for a quiet meal in a decent restaurant or at my favourite location known to all (OK just me) as Big Bills Greasy Fur Ball Café. A place where food is of a quality far beyond the price you pay for it. I think partly because the chap who owns it and cooks all the food is also a very grumpy chap.

But all that has changed now I can’t go out to eat and nor can most folk on the planet at present.  This is sad and for those whose business is a restaurant or café potentially catastrophic. You see under lockdown we are unable to visit to eat, but it is likely that even when lockdown restrictions start to be lifted the chances are places where people go to sit down for a nice meal with friends may remain closed. This is because despite the desire of many governments to get businesses up and running again; those at the back of the queue will be the ones where folk meet socially in groups. Many small cafes and restaurants just do not have the financial resources to survive being shut for any time as most live a hand to mouth existence (no pun intended).  I suspect it will be the end of the road for Big Bills Greasy Fur Ball Café and he and me will both be a bit grumpier.

There will be many changes after Covid-19  . . .  A lot more than people realise

.

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . Q

Q

Queues

Here in Britain and I suspect in most parts of the world an interesting effect has occurred. Queues have become incredibly long, but may not necessary actually contain more people. This is due to the new two metre (6ft 6 inches) social distancing that most people now observe. This is fine when there is no pressure on space and people can move about in such a way as to remain at the required distance. Where it all goes wrong is where space is limited and the numbers of people trying to get into the space make social distancing impossible. It’s like driving on the motorway; easy to keep your distance when it’s quiet, but scary and dangerous when busy or it all grinds to a complete halt.  So waiting 2 hrs to get into a supermarket was starting to be the norm.

Early on when we all seemed to be in the middle of a panic buying frenzy, I made the decision to avoid supermarkets and the like if it looked manic and rely on the local market and shop and avoid the early rush. It has proved to the right thing to do. We never actually ran out of stuff and some degree of normal is returning to shopping now . . . Well at least for those items we are allowed to shop for. In fact by going to a large supermarket late yesterday afternoon it was quieter than it would have been before all this started and there was plenty of food and the like so it was very relaxed indeed. But will it stay like this who can tell

The cat does not care as long as it has its favourite food

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . P

P

Premonitions and Predictions  . . .

It’s a funny thing but back on the 13^th January of this year . . .2020 I wrote the following on my trusty blog, at the time it was raining loads and on most days too . . . . . . .

Anyway I was not wrong
 . . . . . . . . . . 

There is a tiny leak in the workshop and also the summerhouse, the result of a rather wet winter, but these can’t be fixed until the rain stops. I have a feeling that it will not be long until something rather profound happens on the planet that will have folk saying . . . . . . . WHAT . . . . How did that happen . . . .

I don’t know what this will be or when but I do think it will be sooner rather than later. However as I have already said I am just a chap and know nothing.

Right that’s it I’m off now. Not sure when I will return, but if something profound happens I’ll be here saying    . . . . I told you so and being all snug while fending off an Alien, Zombie or squid with a pointy stick.

 . . . . . . . . . .

Anyway my comment on impending doom of some sort did not really help much partly because I did not know the nature of the impending doom. And in part because my advice on previous occasions to the powers that be in China have had absolutely no effect whatsoever. I have warned them that not to listen to me is an error of judgement but they seldom listen to anyone but themselves; so a mad old grumpy chap in rural Britain who has little influence an anything stands no chance of being heard. . . . . .

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . O

O

Going Out

Well certainly here in Britain and in fact most countries around the world Going Out is something to be done only when necessary. So here; we are allowed out to buy food and essentials. Essentials I must admit is slightly open to interpretation as one person’s essential is another person’s Flibbertigibbet as the old saying sort of goes. And we are allowed out to exercise and take a walk which is also open to interpretation; so jogging around the block or in the park on your own is OK. Taking your family 200 miles to go on a fishing trip is not as the family who tried it found out when they were fined and told to go home. In Britain in general folk are being fairly good about the limited access to the world beyond their front door, but then being out in the big wide world does put you at a higher risk of both getting and in turn passing on Covid-19. It is not something any one of us wants either is can kill folk seriously dead.

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . N

N

Numbers

OK I am not really a numbers sort of chap but if there is one thing that Covid-19 has created in abundance it is numbers and lots of them. Now I will admit numbers can be both interesting and also very dull. I guess the numbers involved in Covid-19 are a bit of a combination but also generally quite important, so I am kind of keeping track of them. After all this virus is one event that could impact all of us in some way and in almost every case not for the better.

Anyway I thought I would give a few examples of the kind of stats and numbers that are announced or are reported in some form most days . . . . . . 

Grocery sales of flour were up 92% in the four weeks to 22 March compared to the same period last year,

………………….

The US as a whole has recorded 462,000 cases and nearly 16,500 deaths. Globally there are 1.6 million cases and 95,000 deaths.

………………….

The US has over 475,000 confirmed cases and nearly 18,000 deaths so far

…………………

Examining the final outcome for patients admitted to critical care, for the 133 aged 16-39, 76.7% were discharged alive, and 23.3% died. For the 484 aged 60-69, 43.6% were discharged alive, and 56.4% died. For the 434 aged 70-79, 31.3% were discharged alive, and 68.7% died. And for the 107 aged over 80, 27.1% were discharged alive, and 72.9% died.

…………………

The data paints a bleak picture for European countries.

The top three countries with the most deaths per 100,000 people are Spain (35.5%), Italy (32.2%) and Belgium (29.2%), the university says.

Conversely, the top three countries with the most deaths per 100 confirmed virus cases are Italy (12.8%), the UK (12.4%) and Belgium (11.9%), it says.

…………….

So there you have it most days there are all sorts of facts and figures that can be found about Covid-19 and I suspect that there are many more numbers and statistics to go yet.

It is worth pointing out also these numbers and facts are already out of date as I try to keep ahead on my 2020 A to Z challenge. 

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . M

M

Managing Your Time

If you are classed as a Key Worker then you are either working normally or find yourself under huge pressure trying to do your job. Folk like nurses and doctors for example are not only struggling with the sheer numbers of people they have now got to deal with, but also find they are at a much higher risk than most at catching Covid-19.  Most Key Workers are brave and should and are getting much credit for everything they are doing.

There are many though like me who are as I have said in a state of Lockdown. It initially sounds great sat at home chilling and enjoying all this free time. Only it has a dark side because not being able to travel means that a life at home could become a nightmare as the daily routine fades and laziness and malaise creep in. To avoid this some time management and discipline is needed. You need to get up in the morning, wash, dress, shave, eat breakfast and ponder the days tasks. If you don’t have a task then contemplate one, a new skill or one of those jobs that you planned to do three years ago.

Don’t find yourself wrapped in a sweaty duvet covered in tea stains thinking I just don’t care as you realise that you have spent most of the day in bed and have squashed the canary. And the remains of your last meal are stuck to your foot.  OK if you have teenage children then this is their natural state, but it is not normal for the rest of us. So you will feel better in the long run if you do stuff or learn new stills even if it’s only juggling or as I did the first couple of days repot all the succulents and cactus, yes all 100-ish of them.

OK you may not be allowed to do this

unless you have a huge garden

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . L

L

Lockdown

Yes we are in a state of Lockdown. In Britain it is less extreme than in many countries which is why folk are still sneaking out as they re-enact The Great Escape with their kids. It probably also explains why there were so many motorbikes about over the weekend too.

Us British generally are expected to do the right thing and not escape and run off to the beach so the government are reluctance to use too much force to persuade us.  It is unlikely that we would ever find the army pointing weapons at us even if the end of the world was just around the corner. Such action would be regarded as unacceptable; and folk would certainly complain a bit.  

Anyway where you live has rather a major impact on how you are coping with the lockdown. As I have said previously I live in a very rural community and us folk who live out in the sticks generally are coping much better than city folk. In fact the appeal of country life right now is so strong that many of those city folk are coming to see us. However we are melting into the background particularly as we have all seen the film ‘The Great Escape’ and we know it does not end well for many of them.

We have had several lovely warm days over Easter and I do feel for those who find they are unable to take advantage of it if they do not have an outside space of their own. I wonder if there will be a desire to buy houses with gardens after all this has been resolved.

Lockdown in the garden

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . K

K

Keep Calm and being Kind

If there is one thing folk should try and do as the world tries to battle with Covid-19 it is Keep Calm. Sure we could panic and run about in circles while waving our hands in the air. Or as many have done rush to the supermarket and buy stuff. Although buying huge piles of fresh food which you then throw out two weeks later is not logical. Sadly that has been happening; not only is it a waste of food but also a waste of money, and not the actions of someone trying to keep calm.  I do have a major advantage over many as I live in a rural location with a large garden so the present Lockdown here in Britain does not feel like I’m in prison (I have not been in prison by the way as I’m an honest nice chap).

One further important thing to consider is Kindness. Now it may not actually mean you are at less risk of getting Cocid-19, although if we were all kinder to each other and respected each other’s space and needs it would help. The main thing though will be after all this is done and dusted and a degree of normal life returns. We can then all reflect on what we did and how we interacted with those around us. If you find the spare bedroom is still half full of toilet rolls, beans and pasta because you were determined to beat that little old lady or nurse to the items, then you are probably not going to think well of yourself. And those that know you will probably think you’re just not nice, but may well not say that, but will avoid you at parties a bit more.

I have been making Bread

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . J

J

Journalists 

Journalists and news reporters are always looking for that next big story to report on and there is not one much bigger than a pandemic causing chaos across the planet. However it could be argued that in their enthusiasm to chase the story and grab the headlines they may have caused some of the mass panic by the public. Early on in the first few days when some were going mad in supermarkets it certainly did not calm folk down by reporting it on television, radio and social media telling us all the shelves are being stripped bare.  That is the best way to ensure even more folk rush out to buy even more stuff to avoid the risk that they might run out of food and essentials. This then gets reported and we end of in a cycle of fear and uncertainty as several people fight to the death over the last pack of toilet rolls or hand sanitizer on prime time television.

I don’t want to appear critical of the journalists are they try to report the latest news on Covid-19 because that is what they are paid to do. Just at present the world has become a single issue news story, let’s face it as time passes the news media are desperate to chase every possible angle to catch the public’s eye. Sadly the public tend to be attracted to the more doomsday and sensational stuff. Which is why if a car crashes everyone stops; gets out their smartphones and video’s it, not really what we are meant to do.

I guess the one thing that journalists will have to be aware of is that the masses can only take so much news about a single issue for so long before they get weary and their minds start to wander. I have noticed this myself, I have a look at the BBC news site for an update and that’s fine. But then the news on the radio or TV will cover the same things for hours. Still these are strange times and things are not going to change for a while yet.

As I’m writing slightly ahead I can now add that the Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved to ITU so I suspect the news will be rather focused on that for a few days now. I am not a fan but I hope he is OK.

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . I

I

Immunisation and Isolation

Well the powers that be are working hard to create a vaccine to protect the masses from Covid-19. So something along the lines of the seasonal flu jab that those classed as at risk get; or are offered each year as winter arrives. After all seasonal flu and colds are all part of the coronavirus family ( I think). Normally this would take rather a long time, after all get it wrong and the vaccine could cause as many issues as the virus and that would not go down well with folk. I did have the flu vaccine once a few years ago and it did not go well I felt rough for months so now I have an alternative solution which seems to work (touch wood as the old saying goes). Not sure how I would feel if I am offered a Covid-19 vaccine, but at present that is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Isolation, OOOoooooo that’s an odd thing. Because of all this Social Distancing and advice to not leave home those whose live on their own may well be finding themselves in a state of isolation. There are those who will cope but it is much harder to deal with long term. However it should also be remembered that for some very elderly, disabled or those with mental health issues, isolation can be a way of life. So maybe when this is all over we could think about them and try to help. Particularly if you find that after a few weeks you have gone as mad as a box of frogs. Luckily my wife and the garden as keeping me sane and I have re-potted all the house plant now. I had been talking about doing this for ages; it’s a bigger job than you might think too as there are about 100 of them roughly. I am now moving shrubs in the garden while the weather is good.

  I am much luckier than many because of where I am; often we take such things for granted. I suspect we may all end up reassessing what is important once life returns to some sort of normal.

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . H

H

Hands

Folk might say to you

“Here exactly how do I catch this Coronavirus thing called Covid-19”

Well just reply to them “Hands” if the answer is “My names not Hans” best to just explain that it comes from Mars or Venus or something. And tin foil wrapped around their head is useful.

However if they say “Hands?” then you can explain the following

You see this virus prefers to be inside the human body rather than out of it. Once inside, it then has a battle with the body’s own immune system and all being well the body wins and the virus is defeated. The tricky bit for the virus is being a virus it lacks stuff like legs or wings. The best it can do is float about in the air for a bit and then end up on some sort of surface for a while hoping to catch a ride on a new victim.

It can get out of the body fairly easily as we cough sneeze poke at our nose and stuff like that. So the virus takes a sort of leap of faith so to speak. Now you might breathe it in if you are right next to the person when this happens which is why we all need to keep a decent space between us all. But much of the time the virus will end up on things like doors, hands. Money, cups, plates, the cat, in fact anything but it prefers hard surfaces rather than stuff like wool or cotton because it can survive a bit longer.

So the issue is if you touch a surface that has been contaminated by Covid-19 and then touch you face, eyes or nose then you are at risk. And we touch our faces subconsciously a lot. No seriously we do it far more than we realize, particularly if you are wearing one of those masks. They may help if you are in close proximity to someone with the virus, but out and about it is your hands that are the dodgy thing so . . . . . . WASH YOUR HANDS . . . . Yep if you go somewhere wash them as soon as you can after touching things and try and avoid touching your face before washing your hands. . . . It is important. Lots of folk are wearing gloves but remember the virus will happily sit on the outside of those gloves and if you consequently touch the outside and you then touch your face you gain nothing.

Wearing masks by the way out in the world while you are mingling about are useful if you have the virus as it will help stop it leaping about a bit. But on the other hand you should not be out if you suspect you have it as you could potentially  make a lot of folk very poorly.



Since writing this the question of the importance of masks has cropped up again. Some are now saying the public should use them. However personally I tend to think wearing a mask will make folk a bit more complacent and realistically you should wear a new one each time you go out. And they are not easy to buy unless you pay silly blackmarket prices to dodgy folk and I am not doing that. 

An A to Z Coronavirus observational guide. . . G

G

Going Stir Crazy and Going Solo.

We are not allowed out unless we need to go out to get stuff like food, food for pets, medications or stuff that is classed as jolly important. So a trip to the beach with the kids will now be frowned on and you will be told off and possibly fined. Although that may vary depending on which country you live in. So if you do need to go out the best way to do this is alone, keep your head down, as in the well-known saying. You don’t physically need to keep your head down. I mean driving would be very tricky. Anyway back to the point. Yes keep your head down and don’t talk to folk unless you need to and keep some distance between yourself and, to put it bluntly Everyone.

It is still early days in the world lockdown where everyone would prefer it if everyone else stayed at home. However everyone staying at home is making everyone go stir crazy. And folk are doing all sort of things to avoid going mad. If you are lucky enough to have a garden as I do then it may well end up as a show garden unless you have kids and dogs then it will be trashed. Making stuff is good and folk will be writing that novel they have been planning to do for the last twenty years or making cakes the shapes of popular building and the like.

Snail Racing is fun on a warm evening. Stick a number on half a dozen snails and put them in the centre of a circle marked out on the ground. Pick your favourite and make a small bet with either the family or the dog. If you’re really keen do live racing online and make your fortune. Just remember if you do make your fortune I helped with the idea and a small gift (no too small and in cash not snails) would not be refused.