Very
rapidly, mostly because of the insistence of a few ignorant people, formal restrictive
measures are being instituted. There is a (hopefully) small group that seems to
think they cannot catch Covid-19, at least if they are out-of-doors. In their
persistence to gather in large groups in parks, on beaches, in cafes (that
remain open in some areas) and elsewhere, they defy the proper and intelligent
conduct of maintaining physical distancing (no longer being referred to a
social distancing).
At
this point, we are losing track of how many people have actually contracted the
Covid-19 virus. We do know that, worldwide, the numbers are still growing very
quickly. There is not much use in quoting numbers published in newspapers or on
website as full testing is not being done anywhere. In many places even those
with mild symptoms, who may or may not be in self-isolation, are not being
counted. We can be sure the real number is much larger than reports indicate.
All the more reason to keep a physical distance from others!
The
World Health Organization says the rate of infection is accelerating. Countries
around the world are enacting more rules to restrict movement and contact
between people. Over 1.4 billion people are now living under lockdown.
The
numbers affecting certain age groups is a little different than I had thought,
according to a summary published today in our newspaper. The most confirmed
cases appear to be in the 50-59-year old age group, with very large numbers in
the 20-29, 30-39 and 60-69 groups. We don’t yet know where the most deaths may
occur, but the graph suggests anyone can become ill with the disease.
One
hears on TV and reads in the newspapers question from people about what are the
symptoms of the disease? I found this list online of what are the typical symptoms
and their prevalence:
Fever 87.9%
Dry cough 67.7%
Fatigue 38.1%
Sputum production 33.4%
Loss of smell 30-66%
Shortness of breath 18.6%
Sore throat 13.9%
Headache 13.6%
Chills 11.4%
Nausea or vomiting 5.0%
Nasal congestion 4.8%
Diarrhoea 3.7%
Coughing up blood 0.9%
Congestion of eyes 0.8%
OK,
I admit it, I have become a wine gum stockpiler! Not admitting to full-blown hoarding
yet. Well, when you are home almost all the time, and depend on TV for most of
your entertainment, you need comfort food. In my grocery shopping trip this
morning I thought I would pick up a couple of bags of candy. And then I came
across a separate display with all kinds of bags of Maynard wine gums. I
couldn’t resist and now we should have a week’s supply.
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