New coronavirus in/from China

careful_eugene · Post by **careful_eugene** » 20 Mar 2020, 11:34

Vortex2 wrote:It's very quite here ... what's everyone doing?

Stopped going to the gym in the morning, started spending more time at the allotment. I've ordered a delivery of manure for tomorrow morning but need to get a wheelbarrow to shift it as mine was stolen last year so will probably fetch one from screwfix later.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 20 Mar 2020, 11:35

Vortex2 wrote:It's very quite here ... what's everyone doing?

At present my morning routine of checking the news and posts here along with my first morning coffee and a bite of breakfast. I'll watch both sides of TV news and perhaps last nights late shows then do some chores around the house and perhaps outside if it stops raining. Just muddling through day by day.

Mean Mr Mustard II · Post by **Mean Mr Mustard II** » 20 Mar 2020, 11:37

Vortex2 wrote:It's very quite here ... what's everyone doing?

Emailing friends with varied COVID chitchat and organising a 70 mile distant supply drop to one in Essex (long term unemployed) who I knew prepped a bit - for justified fear of unreasonable sanctions. But it's more to relieve their anxiety and offer a bit of solidarity. We'll chat through their window, as they can't fully isolate. Gonna do this soon, as I suspect there may be a roads closedown fairly soon. All because they let large events and social mixing carry on.

If you read that Guardian long read I linked earlier, where it was only slowly dawning and DOCTORS recently had informal meetings in pubs...! And how the reality was racing ahead of the official numbers. I now see we were so ahead of the rest, even professionals. In common with many here, I'd started ramping up preps back on page 8 here - 27 January.

That was a full week after another friend (BSc (Hons) in Microbiology) sent me this on the 20th - which got my full attention...

Speaking of infestations, the 'new' coronavirus in China seems worth keeping an eye on for a while. The published numbers do not really make sense unless someone is 'mistaken' about them, and the Lunar New Year migration offers a very effective dispersal mechanism..
Not SARS scale, IF one believes the figures.So I'm not convinced, yet.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51168333

Post by **clv101** » 20 Mar 2020, 11:43

Vortex2 wrote:It's very quite here ... what's everyone doing?

Mostly looking after, entertaining, educating small children and gardening. This afternoon we're dispatching a turkey for a week's worth of food.

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 20 Mar 2020, 11:51

Today's activities include ...

* writing letters to banks to activate phone and web banking (I have blocked these until now as I used to work in bank computer security and realised how risky these services are)

* stacking large amount of brash along our road edge to put off chicken thieves from hopping over the fence.

* setting up an alarm system on the farm gate.

* moving my tractor nearer the gate and chickens so I can power a wifi camera from its battery.

* finishing off anti-rabbit fencing around our greenhouse and growing area.

* checking out local farm shop

* setting up a Skype account so the family can 'meet up' on Mothering Sunday

Also a bigger drive out to:

* buy some egg boxes - we sell from the farm gate

* fuel one car plus jerrycans

* buy some big nails if poss

* buy a stack of huge cable ties to be used with fencing

Post by **mikepepler** » 20 Mar 2020, 11:53

Vortex2 wrote:It's very quite here ... what's everyone doing?

A mixture of working from home and helping with the local mutual aid group which has exploded into life this week.

Bedrock Barney · Post by **Bedrock Barney** » 20 Mar 2020, 12:03

Still working flat out in our office. Plenty of ongoing admin to attend to and all of our construction projects are still on site. Consultant meetings now all via Skype or Microsoft team. I will be valuing works using photos provided by the builder and probably no longer visiting sites (I'm having interesting thoughts about professional indemnity etc!)

Just been to the dentist. Christian fundamentalist on the street on the way telling everyone they were sinners and were going to hell.......which was nice.

Overheard a couple of old ladies (probably 70/80 in age) talking. "Yes, but it's not airborne you see...". "I know..."

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 20 Mar 2020, 12:05

If countries behave like Iran, with people ignoring the lock-down rules, then they will be through this in a few weeks.

BAU by Summer.

No Grandpa or Grandmas left 'tho.

fuzzy · Post by **fuzzy** » 20 Mar 2020, 12:22

Sleeping after working last night. Funny how the gov won't let us all off..?

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 20 Mar 2020, 12:32

HMG evidence now available

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coro ... t-response

I certainly hope that they made no errors ... plenty of people out there will be tearing these reports apart ...

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 20 Mar 2020, 12:45

Vortex2 wrote:It's very quite here ... what's everyone doing?

Going out foraging for dandelions. Have quite a few recipes to experiment with.

fuzzy · Post by **fuzzy** » 20 Mar 2020, 12:58

It will be ground elder soon, I quite like that.

Dandelion leaves are about the same as the boutique salad that the supermarkets want you to buy. Hawthorn leaves are fairly edible and medicinal IIR

Mean Mr Mustard II · Post by **Mean Mr Mustard II** » 20 Mar 2020, 13:10

Kati Morton - Psych pep talk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMOhYAubXG0

I think I was feeling better while prepping, but now that's done, having difficulty adjusting back to DIY, tidying, hobbies and the other trivial stuff. That's the usual demotivation 'meh' of anhedonia/dysthymia, or 'nothing's very much fun anymore'.

Interesting in the comments that the regular disorder sufferers are coping better now, being accustomed to this extreme environment. Germaphobes watching for vectors. The anxious being 'always on'. The OCD types' constant handwashing, the agoraphobics staying indoors, the depressed socially avoidant. Yeah... I've had no problem at all with going back to avoiding people, unless they think the same defensive way I do.

Also working well now for those with fear of flying.

Vortex2 · Post by **Vortex2** » 20 Mar 2020, 13:15

It looks like we will be having a year of pulsed lock-down on/off periods, according to the BBC news.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 20 Mar 2020, 13:30

It has to be that strategy

Letting it blow through unimpeded is politically unthinkable

Locking down forever is economically impossible

Calibrating a partial lockdown at all times is technically impossible

That only leaves a pulsed lockdown left in terms of being both economically and politically viable. Or, rather, the least impossible. The economic consequences are going to be extreme in any event. But, politics might just about survive it.