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[Rosemary (grooving with the Picts)]

Thanks Patti. My finger was itching :)

How you doing?

[Patti (baconater)]

I've turfed him from the group.

Doing okay, all things considered.

Officially, still no virus here, which means no protocols in place, whatsoever.

Completely inept school leadership isn't helping.

Be glad you're there, folks.

[Alicia]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "I've turfed him from the group.

Doing okay, all things considered.

Officially, still no virus here, which means no protocols in place, whatsoever.

Completely inept school leadership isn't helpin..."

Sounds grim. The 'authorities' here have wasted the 6 weeks prior NOT doing what they should have done. You can do it as much as you can by your selves - social distancing, washing hands, not touching face, cleaning surfaces - but eventually the country needs to respond.

Worrying about you.

[Kath]

How do. I'd already blocked that bloke. He kept sending me chunks of his writing, to correct the English. It was so poor it needed re-writing. I just didn't have the time.

Off out to the garden. It should be excellent this year as we won't be able to go anywhere else.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Tooth better than it was, but still worse than it was the other week when I made the initial app, and now I know taking the crown off will stop it, think I will get it taken back off rather than wait 5 weeks till my app, esp as the jaw on the other side is still painful, could barely get my spoon of porridge in my mouth this morning. Builder is supposed to be coming after 5, will see if that happens. More people working from home today, but those of us who are here are being lighthearted about the situation, even though two have had holidays cancelled. The rescue Lucy is from have been affected, they have decided to cancel their Easter fair, and some of the volunteers were going to take part in the Manchester Marathon to raise money, but that has now been postponed. I was going to offer to do some fundraising in Pets at Home to help them out, but not sure things like that are going to be allowed.

Hope you can find something to do R. Sorry that things aren’t great over there Patti, although at least officially you have no virus, you’d have thought they would have tried putting protocols in place to keep it that way! He sent me a friend request, but I ignored him.

[Jim]

There is a growing suspicion round here that we have people who have had the virus already, perhaps a month ago. Looking at the timeline it was in Wuhan on 17th November according to Chinese official figures.
This country had three direct flights a week to Wuhan. I know people who had a bit of a fever, a bit of a cough and a bit of a sore throat after being in London in early February (staying in youth hostels)

[Alicia]

Jim wrote: "There is a growing suspicion round here that we have people who have had the virus already, perhaps a month ago. Looking at the timeline it was in Wuhan on 17th November according to Chinese offici..."

Do you know of people who were unwell?

We are about to find out, over the next few months, what is the result of distancing - or not distancing. US version vs. UK version.

I'm concerned for the aftermath, after the curve starts dropping, and before the vaccine is developed.

I now have no excuse for not getting around to my writing - let's see how that goes.

[Alicia]

Jim wrote: "There is a growing suspicion round here that we have people who have had the virus already, perhaps a month ago. Looking at the timeline it was in Wuhan on 17th November according to Chinese offici..."

Do you know of people who were unwell?

We are about to find out, over the next few months, what is the result of distancing - or not distancing. US version vs. UK version.

I'm concerned for the aftermath, after the curve starts dropping, and before the vaccine is developed.

I now have no excuse for not getting around to my writing - let's see how that goes.

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

I’m not on the bandwagon but I came back from France in November and my neighbour and I were both ill. She had pneumonia she was travelling to Menton on the train regularly helping her sister move house. That rail line goes to Italy and takes the many Italians to work in France in the hospitality industry.
I’m open minded about this.

[Jim]

Same here Lynne
Also there is a growing suspicion that a proportion of people suffering from upper respiratory tract infections in January and February actually had Coronavirus.

[✿Claire✿]

Evening everyone. Just dropping in to check how everyone's doing.

I've managed to get home for a few days, Mum didn't know I was coming which was a brilliant surprise as we're feeling the distance at the moment. Back north by the end of the week and then back to work next week. I think this week off will have done me some good, I've had a lot of night shifts and tough jobs lately and with everything else going on, I needed a break. Being a paramedic is rather stressful it seems!

I hope everyone takes care, I will be trying to drop in here more often :)

[Michael]

Welcome back, Claire.

A common problem seems to be with parents not taking this seriously.

Yesterday my mother convinced herself that she caught the coronavirus back in November when it first started, because she had a fever or something around that time.

"What, so it's just a coincidence that I was ill when it first started?"

I pointed out that it started in China, that she's never been to China, and doesn't know anyone who has ever been to China.

"But someone on the bus might have gone there"

Riiiiiiiight. Maybe she should phone the NHS and tell them about this mysterious person who teleported in from China, sat next to her on the 423 bus, then teleported back.

[Alicia]

Our retirement community has just gone on full lockdown. We are not to leave our apartments if possible - and they will be bringing us food and leaving it on the ledge by our doors!

My singing group of fewer than 10 people has been canceled.

California's governor wants all those 65 and older to self-quarantine - everybody here is over 65.

They are determined to flatten the curve. I wonder what will happen AFTER the peak passes.

I don't understand what you are doing in the UK - we'll see how the older folk do under the different systems. I'm afraid Italy and Japan are going to lose a LOT of their older citizens - their demographics are heavily skewed toward older people.

Mexico, where most of my side of the family lives, is going to have real problems, too.

Stay well, all.

[Alicia]

I'm smiling - someone has read almost all of Pride's Children on KU today. That always cheers me up.

The lockdown conditions are ideal for getting writing done.

[Will]

I now have 2 grandchildren home with a bad cough. But just that. Keeping them off for a few days so as not to spread panic, really.

We are so rural here that in practice we've pretty much self isolated anyway

[M.T.]

Jim wrote: "Same here Lynne
Also there is a growing suspicion that a proportion of people suffering from upper respiratory tract infections in January and February actually had Coronavirus."

I'm wondering this, myself. If a lot of people are only having it mildly and haven't been tested, or reported it, how do we really know what the death rate is? And if that is the case, the herd immunity argument looks like the best of three very grim options.

All three of us were hoping to catch it early so we could get it over with. Although I doubt I will have a mild dose because ... sod's law rules my chuffing life. But if I'd sneaked in before the ICUs got too busy it would have been good.

To be honest, I have a healthy respect for flu anyway. I had something vile last year that went on for about a month and a half - got it mid Feb and was still wheezing at the end of May ... still a bit wheezy now, to be honest. I remember there was a flu epidemic when I was a child, I was three or four. We lived in a school on top of a hill and because we had cases we had to isolate. No-one allowed in or out. I remember a sense of serious calm descended. Everything went on as normal but it was kind of muted and unreal, and we weren't allowed off site for two weeks.

Kids with flu were all put in the sanitorium, yes the school, literally, had a hospital with two wards. One boy died - although it turned out he had a weak heart anyway and his prognosis for longevity was not good so he decided to not tell anyone, to live a perfectly normal life and take his chances. I remember a friend of my Dad telling us how he was doing CPR but the lad's lips had gone blue and he knew he was gone but had to try, anyway.

It would be easier if I wasn't completely deaf in my right ear. Ugh.

Stay warm, dry and healthy everyone.

Cheers

MTM

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

We have now got a non-touch thermometer in the office, they tried it on me, but it couldn’t register anything higher than 34.5, so I’m dead! Luckily I have been checking mine twice a day. Neighbour asked me to nip to her chemist for her prescription, what a nightmare! The chemist have put up a load of signs asking you to stay 2 metres away, however they weren’t restricting how many people were in the place, so we couldn’t stand that far apart, and no one could work out who was in the queue or not! But it hadn’t been sent, so I had to go to her docs, which is attached, but you aren’t allowed in there without being questioned! Hadn’t been done, so I had to go back half an hour later, at least there were less people then. The woman on the counter was saying they had been hectic all day, even things that don’t normally sell like £50 thermometers had sold! The only consolation was that I got some numbing gel for my tooth. Still going to ring the dentist, although they have the same lunch break as me! The builder rang, unfortunately his daughter had been sent home from school with a high temperature, so they were all having to isolate for 14 days, so he will contact me again once they have got the all clear. Funnily enough I had said to a colleague that I’m not sure I really want my bathroom doing at this moment, if something had happened after he had started, I could have had a half done bathroom for weeks! Less people in today, and a lot more sombre.

That wouldn’t surprise me Jim, if they are saying some people will have it so mild they wouldn’t know. Do hope this helps your writing Alicia, and maybe even your sales. Hope you cope with the complete lockdown, I read your blog post – might be good for writing, but I’m concerned about the effect on people’s mental health. Glad you have managed to get home for a few days Claire, do hope you stay safe. That’s why I’m not overly concerned Michael, while I may have had flu like symptoms in Dec, I don’t know any Chinese people (unless you count the takeaway my neighbour uses) or anyone who had been. Do hope the cough is nothing serious Will.

[Jim]

M.T. wrote: "Jim wrote: "Same here Lynne
Also there is a growing suspicion that a proportion of people suffering from upper respiratory tract infections in January and February actually had Coronavirus."

I'm w..."

The modelling document is here, I'd recommend people read it

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/impe...

But it specifically states "Analyses of data from China as well as data from those returning on repatriation flights suggest that
40-50% of infections were not identified as cases. This may include asymptomatic infections, mild
disease and a level of under-ascertainment"

[M.T.]

Jim wrote: "M.T. wrote: "Jim wrote: "Same here Lynne
Also there is a growing suspicion that a proportion of people suffering from upper respiratory tract infections in January and February actually had Coronav..."

Thanks Jim. Liked your potted summary, too.

Cheers

MTM

[Jim]

M.T. wrote: "Thanks Jim. Liked your potted summary, too...."

I tried to avoid the, "We're all doomed" :-)

[Kath]

Eh up! Did our final shop today. Will no doubt try an online delivery eventually but the slots are three weeks hence at the moment. We can cope for a month, I reckon, though by then the combinations of ingredients will become increasingly bizarre.

[Jim]

Kath wrote: "Eh up! Did our final shop today. Will no doubt try an online delivery eventually but the slots are three weeks hence at the moment. We can cope for a month, I reckon, though by then the combination..."

Welcome to the fascinating world of freezer rubble :-)

[Alicia]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "We have now got a non-touch thermometer in the office, they tried it on me, but it couldn’t register anything higher than 34.5, so I’m dead! Luckily I have been checking mine twice a day. Neighbour..."

Best thing for mental health is al my online friends - and al the friends here. People make the world a better place, most of them, anyway.

Having a bath half-done would have been a disaster!

I have to figure out how to do some marketing, but at least one person got Pride's Children from KU - and read most of it in a day. It really cheers me up when that happens.

Worrying about the kids, and the lockdown, and the external world is taking a fair amount of time, but it is also not changing much - so I'm buckling down every day and blocking the internet to write - even if today it was only two sentences. :)

[Jim]

It looks like people are far too busy food shopping to worry much about books at the moment :-(

[Rosemary (grooving with the Picts)]

Yeah, or art Jim! The big Easter exhibition I do every year has of course been cancelled so that's 14 paintings - most of which would normally have sold (and are already framed at some expense) now somewhat surplus to requirements. I get my beach hut lease in a couple of weeks but don't suppose anyone will be visiting :(
I may have to look into setting up an online shop, which is the last think I want to do - paintings should be bought after being viewed in the flesh, and it's a lot of work to wrap them properly for delivery. And husband does a lot of design work for a company that builds stands for expos and trade fairs, so that's all off at the moment. Going to be a lean summer...

[M.T.]

On the books front, I think I’ve fluked it a little, with free box set by better, more established authors that happens to contain my first in series, and two free give aways on Kobo - of the first in series and the stand alone. The first in series was price matched by Amazon US during it’s Kobo run so I’m hoping the stand alone will be this week.

Someone joined my mailing list using a link that I haven’t put in a book since 2016 - which just goes to show that you should never throw anything away!

We have cancelled our ski-ing and road trip through France, School is open, just ... I’m going to see Mum today, probably for the last time in a couple of weeks, although I’ll try and keep going to see her unless they tell us we can’t. The town, and roads are very quiet, which is good because traffic should have been a nightmare this last couple of weeks. They are digging up most of the town and everyone was in arms about it! McOther is working from home which is very nice, and I’m listening to the audiobooks for a second go and trying to set up an amusing hello protocol for people joining my mailing list.

Looks like the 6 week trip of a life time McOther sabbatical to Australia this summer is off ...

Roe, sorry to hear that. I think this is pretty shit for most creative people. A friend of mine is married to an actor/musician. He has had 90% of his work for the next three months cancelled. Bury theatre is still open but it must be about the only one. The lovely fellow who is the Voice of K’Barth currently, is OK because he has some audio work (yay) and lives with his brother at the moment. But he tells me he has friends who are pretty much in the soup.

I think it will change a lot of things ... although if it means more people work from home, or even that they go to local cafes and work from there it might result in a shift in community from the workplace to those around us again, which mightn’t be so bad in the long run. We have two years, minimum, of this before we’re all immune and it becomes just ... flu.

My brother is a teacher at Shrewsbury and reckons it’ll close before the end of term but he’s not sure when. McMini’s school reckons the same thing ...

Stay warm, well and safe everyone ...

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Typically, as I'm off work, I've been wide awake since 6am! Currently raining, but due to stop. Unless neighbour suggests something when she gets up, my day off will be housework, TV, games and reading. As I won't be going round a market today or going for a meal at the weekend, I'm going to buy some books! Friend came round for her milk, and asked if I wanted to go to the shops with her, I didn't need anything, but went for a chat, Morrisons and Lidl had both been decimated, no one is getting the message to stop panic buying.

Funny you should say that Alicia, after us saying the other day it has been really quiet across GR, this week is completely different! Noticed a lot of places are now offering takeaway, including my local coffee shop. Yes, I think freezer rubble will be major part in a few weeks. I need to rearrange mine to get all my hot cross buns in, as I can't chew to eat them all! Sorry your paintings will be affected R. Such a range of things being affected.

[Jim]

Rosemary (grooving with the Picts) wrote: "Yeah, or art Jim! The big Easter exhibition I do every year has of course been cancelled so that's 14 paintings - most of which would normally have sold (and are already framed at some expense) now..."

That's a sod Rosemary
Hope things pick up, but this is going to drag on for a fair while.
Basically I think that we can assume this summer has been cancelled :-(

[Jim]

M.T. wrote: "My brother is a teacher at Shrewsbury and reckons it’ll close before the end of term but he’s not sure when. McMini’s school reckons the same thing ...
..."

I think schools are going to just fade into closure to be honest. A friend of mine who is the headmaster of a largest school was losing a teacher an hour yesterday

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

My neighbour in France is going to the maires office today to get permission to go and water the allotment garden 100 yards from her house. Her and two others rent it and they give the school children seeds and an area to plant and keep a bug house. You have to download a form each time you leave the house and it has to have name address and reason for being out. I don’t know how long they’ll put up with that.
Just done an on line shopping for delivery tomorrow. Everytime I look at it something is taken off and it’s not obvious unless you look at the confirmation email and that appears to show that I have removed it when I haven’t. good job I went to Lidl yesterday although that was a bit sparse e en at 9 am. anyone else hear Sean Bean saying ‘Bastards’ in their minis . I Think he’s my new hero. I seem to be quoting him a lot 😀.

[Will]

Our local primary is on the verge of closure as the staff drop out - over half the kids are in isolation anyway. They've just told Kay that the remaining staff are preparing work books for the children to last them a month. The secondary (the 13 year old is showing all the symptoms here now) has staff working on online tuition material, starting with the GCSE year and working down.

I reckon I can work for about 2 or 3 weeks now, with clients who operate online and have cloud based accounting systems, then I have problems.

[Kath]

Our freezer rubble consists largely of a lot of last year's damsons. Glut year. And the only sugar I have in the house is jam sugar! Ne'mind. Can you die of damson poisoning?

Tough about the art thing, Rosemary. You could try a delivery service? A lot of people will feel the pinch, I'm afraid. That Italian doctor who said it was a war was quite right.

[Karen]

We've had to cancel our Art Society's spring exhibition too, very disappointing, but hopefully the other exhibitions this year will be OK. Most of our members are of an age where they should now be social distancing - I am not calling it lockdown any more - thanks to Alicia, we are now enjoying our retreat.
On the plus side, if this weather ever decides to perk up, we might actually get some serious gardening done!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Well, a dull day off, weather didn't really seem good enough to go for a walk, spent most of the time chatting to neighbour and reading things on the internet, had to force myself about 3 to do some housework. Managed to get a dentist app on Fri which is good, can't wait to be able to eat proper food, can only eat a hot cross bun if it's cut in half and then in tiny squares, as I can't open my mouth wide enough! Checked the car status, at the top it says it should be back tomorrow, but they only started working on it this morning, so the tracker is showing at 6%. Really hope I get it back next week.

[Alicia]

General offer: if you haven't read Pride's Children, and need a nice long complex mainstream novel (first in trilogy - I'm hoping to finish the second now that I'm on a writer's retreat (hehe)) to hunker down with, email me at abehrhardt at gmail, telling me which electronic format you'd like to read, and I'll get it out to you.

It'll encourage me to keep my nose to the, ah, retreat equipment, and keep me writing.

[Alicia]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Managed to get a dentist app on Fri which is good, can't wait to be able to eat proper food.."

Hope it fixes things for you - food is going to be important as we lose some of our other pleasures.

[Alicia]

Karen wrote: "We've had to cancel our Art Society's spring exhibition too, very disappointing, but hopefully the other exhibitions this year will be OK. Most of our members are of an age where they should now be..."

Keep us posted on your lovely writer's retreat.

[Patti (baconater)]

Remote teaching from our apartment from Monday. I'd like to say I'll have plenty of time to swan about in the group then, but I doubt I will.

Stay well my lovelies!

[Rosemary (grooving with the Picts)]

Hi Patti, you too!

Sun is out and the wind isn't, so I shall be spending much of the day working in the garden and avoiding the news. I wouldn't trust Johnson with the fuzzy felt, let alone the country in a crisis.

[Will]

Jim wrote: "But let us assume they shut schools."

They have just announced that they're shutting the schools. They have (belatedly) asked us to work from home where possible. Stopping non essential travel. Social isolation. Stopping sports events.

All the stuff that other countries have been doing for days if not weeks.

So the $64,000 question is ... how many more people have become infected while waiting for this Government to do what the rest of the world has been doing?

[Kath]

Morning! We're calling it Gardening Leave and things are already shooting up. Salad greens through on the kitchen windowsill and lettuce and radishes in the greenhouse border. Look for the positive.

[Will]

It did look as if Boris had to be shoved in closing schools in England by the decisions in Wales and Scotland.

Despite my thorough political dislike of Boris and his works in general, it does look as though he is sensibly listening to the scientists. Which begs the question: is the Chief Medical Officer getting things right?

[Kelly]

How-do all,
Have been working from home since Monday and 75% of the office will be on WFH (don't ya just love a new acronym!) from the end of this week. The high-risk category to stay out of the office and the rest on a rota. I have Type 1 diabetes so our group policy is that I must work from home, a wee bit challenging as I run a large business unit but we'll manage and just use video more.

All a bit challenging this week but am sure it will get better. The only problem is I stumble to my desk at about 6am and lift my head hours later to realise I've not had breakfast or any exercise. Lunch was at 4pm yesterday. absolutely not good for me so I have given myself a stern talking to!

The virtual literary festival and event space I run with 2 partners has gone bananas!!! At least it takes my mind off the news!

[Kelly]

Kath wrote: "Morning! We're calling it Gardening Leave and things are already shooting up. Salad greens through on the kitchen windowsill and lettuce and radishes in the greenhouse border. Look for the positive."

I've bought loads of bits to plant and will use that as my early morning exercise!

[Jim]

Will wrote: "It did look as if Boris had to be shoved in closing schools in England by the decisions in Wales and Scotland.

Despite my thorough political dislike of Boris and his works in general, it does look..."

I think it's as much a case of the schools are running out of staff, a mate of mine was losing one an hour

[Jim]

Will wrote: "Jim wrote: "So the $64,000 question is ... how many more people have become infected while waiting for this Government to do what the rest of the world has been doing?..."

I think you've missed the point. The point of locking down isn't to stop people being infected, the point is to slow the rate of infection so that the acute health services can cope with those who need intensive care etc
It's not like FMD where we shoot and bury until we've destroyed the virus, the virus is here to stay so at some point everybody will get it, unless we get a vaccine first. And a safe vaccine that works and is available in the sort of quantity we need to inject millions of vulnerable people across the world is probably at least 18 months off

[Alicia]

Will wrote: "Jim wrote: "But let us assume they shut schools."

They have just announced that they're shutting the schools. They have (belatedly) asked us to work from home where possible. Stopping non essentia..."

Sad to know how badly our countries are handling a truly epic and worldwide event.

[Jim]

Alicia wrote: "Sad to know how badly our countries are handling a truly epic and worldwide event...."

Given that whilst they've had exercises, our countries have never actually had to deal with this situation before

The problem is one of success. Thirty years ago we'd have had a far smaller vulnerable population, but we've got good at helping people with autoimmune diseases etc

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Well, mixed day. Worked from home this morning. I have done this occasionally, but it has always felt like a novelty, although today there was that feeling that this might end up being the new normal for a while, and I didn't like that feeling. Turned out my boss didn't let any of my team go in today, I've just checked my work e-mail and have been asked to work from home tomorrow. Will pop in on my way back from the dentist to get some more work. Nipped to my local coffee shop for a hot choc once I finished, they are struggling, even with offering takeaway and deliveries, feel sorry for them, it has taken them 5 years to get a shop, they only moved in Nov. At least they have always done takeaway, so not had to incur expense to offer it. Went for the litter, they got the order wrong, but we didn't realise till we had got home! Nipped into Aldi, but they were a nightmare, they are restricting per customer, but even though I was buying for me and my neighbour, that classed as one customer, even though I was using two different bank cards! And despite all the signs saying 4 per customer, that didn't include the floor wipes I had been sent in for, they were restricted to 2! Then we did Co-op and Sainsbury's local to find paracetamol for one of the elderly neighbours, very little to be had in either, Co-op is having to close early to allow them to re-stock, Sainsbury's are allowing only elderly and vulnerable in at 8am. Very tired, not helped by a bad night sleep. One consolation is I did a really big yawn in the car, my mouth felt really painful, but I can open it better and it doesn't hurt when I touch my cheek, so my neighbour wonders if I slightly dislocated it, rather than stretched a ligament.

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

I used to run my business entirely from home. I loved it. All I needed was a desk, computer and telephone plus all the necessary for filing and records. I couldn’t see the point if renting an office when I had room at home and I’ve got photos of me at my desk with 6or 7 dogs all playing under my desk. 3 of mine, my daughter used to throw her two in the back door in the way to her early shift and the other two belonged to her fiancé as he was on holiday. I always kept to office hours but I do admit to doing the ironing and starting dinner in opportune moments during the day. It’s actually harder to stop working when you have something so accessible.
I’m ‘hibernating’. It’s too wet here for gardening leave.
I’ve got bluebells nearly out. That’s really early.