Nowβ could you please try to list,
As many people as possible…
Whom you’ve had close contact with,
Over the last few days?
Well,
I usually work from home,
You see,
So I rarely see anyone,
But yesterdayβ
I was in this giant snaking queue for masks,
βThere were hundreds of people in it…
You should’ve seen it!
πͺ
π»πππππ
π πΆπ πͺππππ πͺ 
It sounds like you are getting very concerned about the Corona virus. Well, there is some cause for concern, but at the moment, the UK is a relatively safe place to be. Also, you are young and healthy, apart from your arthritis, and you are highly unlikely to be at risk. I hope it’s helpful to say this, but if you want to talk more about your concerns, Robin, feel free. I am happy to listen. I am not complacent about this virus, but I think it can be contained. I had a similar conversation with my husband last night with my husband because he always gets very worried about viruses. You are not alone!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Ember, I’m not actually, I’m less worried now than previously! It was more expressing my confusion at the counter-productive idea of spending so long in close proximity to other people, for the sake of getting a maskβ when the benefits of wearing a mask don’t seem that great. Everything I’ve read has said there’s not much evidence for them helping. I haven’t seen anything describing how effective they are at reducing transmission though, as opposed to protecting the wearer against infection.
I’ve actually stopped looking at the news again. This was one of the few reasons I’d started again, but I’ve ran completely out of patience and trust now. It’s actually dangerous how much they over-exaggerate everything, completely crying wolf.
Covid-19 itself isn’t that dangerousβ the apparent death rate reduces all the timeβ because early detections are biased towards the worst cases. Most people infected with it just have mild symptomsβ like a cold. The main concern I see currentlyβ is trying to prevent it becoming a fifth general endemic virus alongside the common cold. And it’s unknown how long your body retains its defence against it once you’ve had it.
I’ve been following the outbreak using this site:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
βIt’s extremely informative! I’ve been pleased to see over the last week, the infection curve flattening out. If you look at the death rate outside of China, it’s tiny.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This page in particular:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-cases/#daily-cases
LikeLike
Ah, thanks so much for clarifying, Robin. I did wonder if you were being tongue in cheek. I should have noticed the dark humour tag. All the same, I’m glad to hear it’s not a major concern for you. And thank you for the graphs. Interesting and reassuring. Incidentally, I haven’t had a cold for two years since I started using hand sanitiser before and after going to the shops, etc. It definitely helps with reducing the likelihood of picking up an infection. I’ll just stick with that habit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha :). Yeah besides the irrational OCD anxieties, I’m generally very laidback on normal things, lol. Contradiction.
That’s interesting about the hand sanitiser. I actually only get a cold every 2-3 years anyway lol. Apparently hand sanitiser is selling out, even here! I should get some, as it’s easy on my skin compared to soap.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gosh, I guess shares in medical products will be going up while airline stocks plummet. Time to rearrange the portfolio, ha ha. π Glad to hear you get colds so rarely. I used to get at least one a year and sometimes two or three. I am off to the shops soon. I think I’ll pick up some hand sanitiser while I am there. If soap is hard on your hands, would the totally neutral brand help? You mentioned getting eczema a while ago. That was a real problem for my daughter when she was younger. Lemon grass moisturiser was more helpful than the medical petroleum based products. Also, I still do all the washing with Fairy Snow as all the other brands seem to exacerbate it. I remember having eczema on my fingers when I was young so I know how painful and annoying it is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Lemon grass moisturiser” βthanks, haven’t heard of that? Better than the medical ones, that’s interesting! I do find the medical ones very helpful for me. I used coconut oil for a while actually, which also worked well! But in the winter I find it not enough, and Epaderm does really trap in the moisture. I use dermol lotion for washing my hands and in the showerβ it’s the only thing that’s totally neutral on my skin. And I get that prescribed by the Dr and don’t have to pay π. Thanks so much for the tips!
I started getting eczema in 2016, opposite to my brothers who started out with it when younger then lost it as they got older. There’s no obvious reason why I started getting it, and I had a couple of terrible winters with it, totally ruining my sleep and unbearable. That really helped precipitate my entire mental health crisis, adding to existing issues. Last year in the car was pretty bad too, but thankfully nowhere near the previous 2 winters.
Eczema had a big part in my lowest and significant crisis pointsβ with everything else, driving me to total despair, which caused so much damage at home with my parents not being able to respond with genuine compassion or able to talk about it. Well I am f***ing lucky and proud to be here, remembering all of that! Thank you π.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Man I can’t even describe how overwhelming the endless list of issues I was facing was, at times! And how gut-wrenching it was, and all the while having no genuine compassion from anyone around me. I was thinking with anger again about this earlierβ the absolute preposterousness of it! π
LikeLiked by 1 person
If the recommended stuff works for you, Robin, that’s great. But the eczema sounds awful if it was preventing you from sleeping. You have been through so much difficult stuff and I’m glad you are proud of yourself for enduring . You deserve to feel really proud. You are clearly a very worthwhile person with great integrity. Thank you so much for all your responses to my comments. It’s been a pleasure to read them today. π
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much Ember π. Yes, I definitely felt like I was suffering worse than most from the eczema. Some nights it was just my hands itching, keeping me awake. Was really horrible, and the patches kept spreading up and down my legs all winter :|.
I wasn’t really getting any sympathy from anyone like my brothers when I told them, was very confusing. It was also intensely itchy even at times when it didn’t visibly look bad, too, so I think people just didn’t believe me. Same with the sleep deprivation. So honestly it’s fantastic to see such explicit sympathy for it now! It does help to make up for it π.
You’re really rightβ that I’ve been through a lot. I think as each day goes by, the more I realise that. I’m thinking daily about the fact that this time last year I was living in the car. This time last year I was sleeping in my tent, too, before I gave up on the tent and just slept in my car!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Robin, I’m very happy that my comment was helpful. Really, I’m stunned by how much you have been through and how little compassion you have received. I hope you start receiving far more. I see some other lovely comments on your blog sometimes and I am glad for you. π
LikeLike