The Coronavirus Diaries #1

Since January, we've all been watching with a mixture of interest, worry and frustration since we first hears of the coronavirus from Wuhan in China. Every day, we watched and waited for that first case in our own countries, with Chuckles trying not to think of all the scary pandemic prepper novels that I've read that kill everyone or turn the population into zombies! We've seen conflicting opinions from so called experts, the media trying to scare everyone with scary death headlines and constant questions about what our government is or isn't doing or should be doing etc. It's all very confusing.

The UK was in a good position when we stopped the flights from China, chased up contacts of those infected and isolated those rescued from Wuhan. We escaped a disaster when the Diamond Princess saga began and a few cases related to that hotel in Tenerife and a case connected to Iran. However the real problem began with a tide of Brits returning back from breaks in northern Italy and our cases here exploded. Lots of the rich people and kids from private schools take breaks at Italian ski resorts so quite a few came back infected. As I write the UK has 590 confirmed cases with 60 of them in Scotland and ten of those cases in my region. There have been ten deaths across the UK.

OK I'm mad about one thing. My region is Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which has a large population and geographical area. We've been told there are ten cases in GG&C. Right, so WHERE? Renfrewshire? East Renfrewshire? Inverclyde? Glasgow? East Dunbartonshire? West Dunbartonshire? North Lanarkshire? South Lanarkshire? It is quite important information to know if it is in my direct area or many miles away! It is so frustrating for them not to tell you. If the cases were at a doctor's surgery in South Lanarkshire or Inverclyde, it wouldn't affect me at all but if it is an Asda worker at my local store which my dad visits weekly, I need to bloody know so I can make better decisions! in 2019, 611 748 people lived in Glasgow alone so they surely need to tell us where the cases are!!! RARG! Feeling a bit agitated this morning.

Chuckles Stress Level 10am:

My dad and I went out before his horse racing today at 1pm to go to Asda. I added a bit more bottled water to our supply as I like to get the fizzy water and add soda stream concentrate to it for a refreshing carbonated drink. My actual soda stream machine barely adds any fizz to the water so I go through a lot of bottled water. I also bought a few sandwich spreads, some Ben & Jerry ice cream, Chicken Bovril, Monster Munch crisps multipacks and pizza. Essentials of course! It was a madhouse! The shelves with tinned meat were stripped bare, the water and toilet rolls had taken a serious hit as had the bread and milk. Everyone was rushing around like the Doomsday Clock was ready to expire and I found the panic kind of contagious! By the time I got home I was in a state of mild panic!

Chuckles Stress Level 2pm

I'm now watching our PM Boris Johnson with the decisions made in his latest government emergency COBRA meeting. The Chief Scientific Officer has said that the UK in reality has between 5000 and 10000 cases of coronavirus but not all have been identified yet. We are about four weeks behind the crisis in Italy, it seems but disruption is coming. School trips cancelled, anyone with cold type symptoms to stay at home for a week, so that is me indoors from now on as I have the persistant sniffles. In the next few weeks there are big changes coming with potential social isolation, cancelling all events and closing schools. I'm still feeling a bit uptight but it could be weeks before the worst comes.

Chuckles Stress Level 6pm: 

I'll be keeping my 'diaries' updated as the weeks go by and things change!