As Coronavirus gripped the world in March, I went back to my personal diary and am documenting my personal thoughts and experience from the UK as Coronavirus, COVID-19, ravages across the globe. I’m starting just a few weeks ago in February, although it feels like years ago!
Wednesday 26th February 2020 | The one where we go out for an Italian
Busy day, work, errands and out for dinner tonight with friends. An invite to get together from my dear friend and another of my best friends, will be round the table. A gathering of girls age 40+, our children all go to different schools, only myself and one other work, another is a volunteer counsellor but round the table is mostly ladies of leisure from all over the world. It can be a curious melting pot of opinions.
One topic dominated the conversation. Coronavirus.
In my world of marketing my client had cancelled their attendance at a major international biannual conference seeing a significant project disappear overnight.
Those with family members visiting from overseas are cancelling, postponing or questioning trips.
On the pharmacy front line things were changing but calm. Calmly prepping for a storm, dusting off the procedures and protocols last seen when previous pandemic concerns mounted for bird and swine flu along with stockpiles of Tamiflu.
The stay at homes around the table brought us up to speed with the latest status of shop shelves, hand gel stockpiling and rubbish that had been shared “from a friend in China” who critically is NOT a medical professional that includes sipping water regularly.
And so it begins, poor misinformed information with no basis in fact starts to be spouted and shared as fact. Copied and pasted they arrive on my phone, my social feeds and my inbox. You’re reading this so you can’t hear my sighs or see my eye rolls of disdain but be assured they’re happening! This is exactly what the mute and unfollow button are for and I am using it. I’ll take my medical advice from medical professionals and bona fide sources not “from a friend of a friend in China” thanks very much.
I have made a plan to make the two hour trip to the North to Darlington to celebrate my grandad’s 97th birthday and make sure he has plenty of food and provisions to hunker down safely with.
Time will tell, lets just see what happens.
