Fergus is better. Asymptomatic, indeed. So: was that
COVID-19, in which case the whole family, except for Fergus, needs to stay in
strict quarantine for a fortnight? Or was it not, in which case they can revert
to the practice of careful lockdown? I haven’t spoken to any of them today.
I watched the Pope’s blessing urbi et orbi. It was rather impressive, that solitary white
figure in the rain in the empty piazza. The Queen is said to be about to speak
to us. If so, she might as well get on with it. I woke up frightened this
morning, and remain so, as if this were all happening in a rubbishy disaster
book about the end of Civilisation as We Know It, and we had reached roughly
Chapter Three. And then we heard that Boris Johnson and his Health Secretary both have it, which pitches us
into the middle of Chapter Four at least. My friend G. thinks that the Queen will die in
Chapter Nine.
Nurhanne, I cannot tell you the pleasure your comment gave
me, with its news that the Anglo-Saxon “an-genga” persists in modern Danish.
The Professor of History at Oberlin told us once of how he felt, on a visit to
England, finding a street sign that said “Watling Street”. And I remember talking
to a man on a train in the mid-‘50’s, in the dark days of the “back end”, and
he told me that where he came from, people observed the “old New Year”, and I
realised he was talking about the Gregorian calendar. (That’s still true, as I
trust there are still road signs that say “Watling Street”.)
I’ve done row 25 of the borders of the Cameron Shawl, indeed
am halfway through row 24. AND I’ve finished a ball of yarn, and attached the
next one. That means I’ve done as much knitting on this shawl as I had on the
Spring Shawl when it disappeared. I don’t suppose that signifies much.
I hovered over the Brooklyn Tweed website for a while today,
and discovered that there’re all out of “Vintner” in Arbor for the moment.
The govt website makes it clear. The individual with symptoms which "might" be coronavirus stays home 7 days from first showing symptoms, no outings of any kind (except to doc if gets worse), the rest
ReplyDeleteof the household stays home for 14 days to await developments. Last week those waiting to see could have solitary exercise but no social contact ie no shopping, errands etc. It's crucial to stick to the rules and not attempt to decide that one does not need to bother.
In that situation, where one member of the family must stay at home 7 days (or until fully recovered? 7 days seems rather short) and other household members for 14 days, how are food and pharmacy shopping supposed to be handled? We have laid in some food supplies, but I can see how that sort of thing could go on for weeks on end, if the infection works its way through a family sequentially. Could outstrip the provisions we have on hand; then what? (I'm asking out of curiosity, as I am in the States. We've got a patchwork of regulations/suggestions that may or may not do any good to flatten the curve, as people move about eg lots of people leaving New York city for Florida and taking the coronavirus with them, presumably. Without mass testing, we unfortunately have no idea what's really going on.)
DeleteIn our village, in Essex UK, a community initiative has been set up with a team of volunteers running errands for those in isolation. Nationally, there are now over 700,000 volunteers signed up to assist those who have to stay shielded for twelve weeks. And, of course, many people did stockpile food with a view to riding out a long quarantine.
DeleteThat is wonderful organization, Shandy. Here's hoping the volunteers stay healthy--this virus seems pretty tricky.
DeleteWas your Fergus tested for COVID19 or flu? Our son had it - he was tested for flu and they were supposed to wait for those results. If negative for flu, do a COVID19 test. The nurse at the ER tested him for COVID19 accidentally, so he got his results more quickly - positive:(. Luckily, he's young and in much better shape than we are and he pulled through fine. He's done with his 14-day quarantine, but a work friend told me he was supposed to have gotten two additional negative tests before he returned home. Oh well, he's home.
ReplyDeleteI understand Germany is doing very well because they are testing people by the thousands, thereby identifying who may infect others and avoiding contact earlier on. Of course to hear our Prez, you'd think we her in the USA have it nailed. Not with today's news: we have the highest number of cases in the world and New York (where our son caught it) is the epicenter. All it took really was one man who decided he was well enough to go to work and took mass transit to do so, thereby infecting potentially thousands. I agree with Anonymous: it is best to stick to the rules. No one wants to be the cause of another's illness and possible death. Be well and please take care of yourself!
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ReplyDeleteThe "old new year" - did you mean that he meant the Julian calendar? In the corner of rural Saskatchewan where I grew up, we talked about "Ukrainian Christmas" and "Ukrainian Easter", and were sad when a community dance fell before the latter, as the cute Ukrainian-Canadian boys, not noticeably religious in any other way, wouldn't dance while it was still Lent for them. Local TV had Ukrainian-language ads related to "their" Christmas well into the 1960s but stopped sometime soon after I grew up and moved away.
ReplyDeleteYou have me seriously considering Foldlines. I think it would be fine in my beloved Rowan Felted Tweed, although the beautiful pattern wouldn't be so defined. But that wouldn't be knitting from stash..
Yes, Russians still celebrate Old New Year (stary novyj god) on Jan. 13. And my Orthodox Christian friends, not Russian, here in the U.S. celebrate Old Calendar Christmas.
DeleteI think it is the waiting and watching and the careful thinking that is so wearing. We've reached day 14 after a visit from my daughter who subsequently discovered that her driving instructor might have covid19. She's got a few more days to go. My son self-isolated for 7 days as he felt 'bleah' but is better now. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteI'm making the most of this weather as the forecast for next week isn't so good. I've just discovered how to do 'zoom' meetings, so may even follow the urgings of 'the office' and try some online piano lessons; they are desperate not to have to refund 100s of lessons that were paid for in advance. Plus the students might actually like to have a lesson. But I'm not going to waste any sunshine.
A week is an absurdly short time. A British couple who put videos on Youtube of their experience were kept in strict quarantine (in a Japanese hospital) until they tested clear of virus four times in a row - which wasn't until 30 days after first symptoms. They felt perfectly well for at least a week before they were clear of virus.
ReplyDeletePS you have me also thinking of Foldlines....
ReplyDelete