Thursday, April 2, 2020, Day 18, Week 3, of Self Isolation.

Global Cases 1,018,920
Global Deaths 53,292
UK Cases 33,718
UK Deaths 569

Today the number of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 globally crossed the 1 million mark. The real number of infected is almost certainly many, many more.

The USA is seeing the biggest surge in numbers now, with the situation stabilising in Italy and Spain. Absolute numbers are obviously related to population size, and if we look at death rates per million population it gives a more accurate picture of how hard each country has been hit.

Deaths per million population:

Italy 230

Spain 221

Belgium 87

France 83

UK 43

Iran 38

Sweden 30

USA 18

Germany 13

China 2

I’ll just leave that there … lots of questions spring to mind …

We didn’t have a great nights sleep because M’s chest was bad. We’re learning the hard way that he must exercise vigorously every single day. The day before, we didn’t go out for a bike ride. I was resting my knee and M just didn’t get around to it.

As a result of being awake in the night we slept in late.

I rang my Mum, who is anxious about the fact that there is a case in their building. It’s one of those retirement, warden controlled apartment blocks and so it’s full of elderly people. It could be a disaster if the virus took hold in there.

Face-Timed my daughter, who is struggling to entertain a bored toddler. They did some painting yesterday for the new Nightingale emergency hospital in London. A request had gone out on social media for some rainbow paintings to brighten the place up. The rainbow has become the kids symbol of the virus. Painted pictures of rainbows are on display in windows all over the village and beyond (I presume). The local doctor’s surgery even asked for some to display in their windows. It turns out though, that the Nightingale request is some sort of scam and they don’t want them after all. What is wrong with some people ?!?

Also Face-Timed my son in Sweden who was out SHOPPING! How very weird.

Mike did a work-out with James Haskell on You Tube. Lots of moaning and groaning and huffing and puffing.

My excitement about being on the Ocado Priority Access list was short-lived. I got a text about substitutes in my delivery and when I went online to see the details I was told I am no longer on the priority list. I am very confused. I have emailed them again to ask what is going on.

Anyway, our delivery arrived today and we are fine for a couple of weeks now, so hopefully it will be sorted out by the next time we need anything.

I went through a complicated rigmarole to cleanse our shopping, cleaning everything with disinfectant spray and taking anything I could out of its external packaging. Everything I ordered arrived except flour and red wine. Oops sorry M!

It was another lovely day and we went out on another bike ride. My knee is still sore but not as bad as it was. It’s so lovely to get out in the fresh air. Never have exercise induced endorphins been more important! We always feel good when we are out there and GREAT when we get back.

There is a house we pass, on the route we have been taking this week, that has a small army of gnomes lined up facing the road. It’s really quite bizarre. I don’t know if they’re always there or whether its just a Covid thing. I have seen gnomes in that garden before but never lined up in rows, facing the road, as they are now! Weird and a little bit wonderful!

I’ve got a slight sore throat and headache. Pretty sure it’s nothing, and is fueled by Covid paranoia and hypochondria!

Still heard nothing from M’s consultant so we rang the GP. They had received a letter, dated the 2nd of March, explaining why his 3rd of March appointment had been cancelled, and that he would not be seen again until June. We should have received a copy but never did. It must have got “lost in the post”. Doesn’t really matter in the great scheme of things. Anyway, the GP has faxed a letter through to the consultant, saying that they would be willing to prescribe the prophylactic Azithromycin if she just gives them the go ahead. We’ve done all we can now. Just need to wait and hope it eventually gets sorted out before he gets another infection.

The daily briefing was delivered by the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, who is back from his Covid isolation. He looks well. No sign of Boris though, maybe he’s not faring so well. The briefing was a litany of excuses and explanations as to why the testing thing has gone so badly wrong and their plans to address this. Talk is cheap, so we will see …

M took some sausages out of the freezer a couple of days ago that needed to be eaten, so we had a very “naughty but nice” dinner of sausages, potato wedges, egg and beans for him, and the same for me minus the sausages – I hate sausages, especially the smooth pale ones when you can’t tell what meat is inside them.

We went out at 8pm again for the “Clap for Carers” event. This time, as the clocks have changed, it was still light and it was lovely to see everybody. Our neighbours on the right came out too this time, loudly banging a couple of pots and pans.

We watched a movie called The Decline and gave in to a couple of tots of rum! It is Thursday after all!