How are you guys coping with the other C word?

SARS-CoV-2

Yes, we are coping with the event.

They named the virus causing the CoVid-19 disease as SARS-CoV-2, which provides a better clue of its malignancy. This is an aggressive bandit among the coronavirus family, causing the well known Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome that can lead to kidney failure.

In Portugal we got 80 cases confirmed, being 5 of them detected in people living in a town 25 Km far from my place. These belong to a group of people that visited Italy for the Carnival festivities. Yesterday I was in Lisbon and noticed nothing in special suggesting that the folks are worried. But saw that people is not educated enough in terms of public hygiene manners. I saw many coughing frequently without using a mask or using an handkerchief to hold the spread of their cold (which is another coronavirus). Easily this monster will spread in crowed places in my country.
Today here in the south, we found a rush to the supermarkets which follows yesterday's Prime Minister Speech informing about the closing of schools, museums, bars/disco and sport events, including the prohibition of cruise ships from approaching Portuguese ports. They have requested restaurants and shops to serve only 1/3 of the clientele to distant the people in closed ambient. For those that have to stay at home in quarantine to look for their children or due to the disease, the government has guaranteed 50% salary pay to help the employers.

I am not so concerned but more careful. My wife and I are visiting Madeira island next week, staying ten days, however, we may become stranded in the island if the local governor decides to prohibit planes from getting there, which action has been implemented by the Acores island governor (closer to Madeira) to avoid any contagious from outside. They are clean at the moment.

Closing the country like the Americans did is on the list too. It wouldn't surprise me if Boris Johnson decides to close the the whole UK instead of closing the schools and football events.

Best

Not good

Just outside of San Francisco and it's getting really ugly people are in a full-blown panic UCSF came out with an article that scared the but Jesus out of everybody warning everybody is going to be worse than the Spanish flu this and that it's definitely not good businesses are closing all the schools are closed all the high schools are closed all the colleges are closed all the sports or shut down it's definitely not good We shall see what happens next personally just washing my hands and we are staying home a lot not going to any place that has crowd that's all we can do right now

Stockpile

Hi there,

At my wife's insistence I have bought 72 rolls of toilet paper and 50 litres of cat litter, this is now stocked up in the loo.
There is still plenty of loo roll and cat litter at the supermarket!
If things get bad there is plenty of sand on the beach for the cat and we have some old newspapers we could cut up for us.
I was planning on taking the wife and cat on a special holiday this summe, it looks like that plan is dead in the water.
Lots of things like football and rugby matches are being cancelled, some of the clubs are going to lose a lot of money.
The most devastating effect will be on the economy linked to tourism, hotels and restaurants are going to go bust by the thousand.

Best wishes,

Georges

I am scheduled to have my

I am scheduled to have my robotic surgery on March 28.  Nervous about having my prostate surgery at the peak of coronavirus outbreak in the USA. Hopefully if the hosptials get filed with sick people, I will even be able to have my surgery. UGH  

Outdoors

Hi Vasco,

I went for a drive on Sunday afternoon and there were large numbers of Bretons walking in the countryside.
Finistére is large and we do not have a lot of people, outside Rennes and Brest, there are no large conurbations.
Quimper where we live is very small, although it has a huge cathedral which is a testament to Catholic piety but pilgrimage was a very poular activity until quite recently so it was a money making enterprise!
Macron will be on the television tonight so I guess we might be banned from walking in the park, etc, maybe even banned from leaving our homes except for essentials.
We have a technician coming round today to upgrade us from ADSL to fibre but we cannot go and buy a can of paint from the hardware shop but we can buy it in the supermarket so go figure.
The commerces will be screaming soon about the unfairness of the situation and in France they have a habit of making their voices heard.

Best wishes,

Georges

La Peste

La Peste aka The Plague by Albert Camus is enjoying a modest revival!
It is also a book by a Nobel Laureate so it is no light read

Spanish flu; another Corona virus

Yes, the Stand. It's raison d'être is still used as the means to justify virus outbreaks including the CoVid-19.

However, one shouldn't forget about the Spanish flu (another Corona virus pandemic) that killed over 50 million at the beginning of the last century. This sort of virus behind seasonal flus still leads to the death of many every year, even though it is well known. CoVid-19 could be compared to the Spanish flu as it involves a virus little known. For the moment one may just wonder how many are going to die for the wide spread in almost 150 countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/09/spanish-flu-pandemic-centenary-first-world-war

Hi there,

Here are are in full lock down in France, each time we want to go outside for a range of permitted shopping, doctor's visits, etc we have to fill in one of these forms and take it with us.
https://mobile.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Attestation-de-deplacement-derogatoire-et-justificatif-de-deplacement-professionnel

Best wishes,

Georges

State of Emergency

Three days ago the Portuguese President declared Portugal in a state of emergency giving the power to the government to apply strict measures to hold the CoVid-19 disease.

Now people has restrictions in movement or even have to work to keep the economy going at 30% and to provide the essential services and supplies. Factories, supermarkets, banks and pharmacies are to be kept open. Shops and restaurants should be closed but can serve customers by takeaway. People older than 70 and those with chronic diseases must stay in their residences (I can't tend my orchard). Sick people should call a CoVid-19 number or be attended at their local health center instead of the local main hospitals.

No people is allowed to be on the streets unless those commuting to work, for shopping or walking the dogs. Flights were cut to less than 2% and traveling by road became prohibited in certain areas.

Portugal has become a ghost country and will be like that for a period of 15 days that can be extended by the President if out-of-laws arise.

Meanwhile the Chinese have produced already a vaccine and the Japanese managed some success in holding the SARS-CoV-2 with a modified flu drug.

Hope is in the air but so are the bad news, miss information or lay opinions (as above).