When the first reports of coronavirus first started coming out of China, the only pre-occupation I had was around whether a long planned cruise with friends to Asia would be affected. Short answer - yes. It was cancelled. So we booked a last minute break to Lanzarote instead where we endured a 3 day sandstorm, and heard of a coronavirus outbreak in neighbouring Tenerife.
Anyway, by now we all know this thing has blown up globally, and there's no end in sight - in fact it may only just be the beginning for us in the UK. So I thought I'd pen a few thoughts about how it's impacting me and my family. I might get fed up with this pretty quickly, but it helps pass the time.Me: I'm 60, retired (at the end of last year), and enjoying new found freedom. In reasonable health apart from an arthritic condition for which I take a drug that suppresses my immune system and requires regular blood tests. Not good if viruses are around....
I'm secretary of the local cricket club, play golf (a bit), and like walking & photography. I'm a volunteer dog walker at the local dogs home.
My wife: Semi-retired, is a nurse working 2 days a week in the local hospital and spends a lot of time caring for her 93 (soon to be 94) year old housebound mother who lives a few miles away.
Son: Still at home, works in Cardiff.
Daughter: Still at home, works in Cardiff
Cat: Does her own thing
Currently, we're all fit and healthy (not withstanding my arthritis, and a currently painful shoulder - cause unknown but not arthritis). Wife's work is understandably busy and making plans for what might come. Son is working from home for the foreseeable future, and his job makes that fairly easy. Daughter still working in Cardiff on shifts for a large insurance company. Talk of working from home, but no clear idea yet how that can be realistically achieved (she's a customer service agent in the call centre). She's perhaps understandably, fretting about it.
We haven't stockpiled anything - there's no reason to. Plenty of stuff in the shops if only other idiots would realise it. I'm not sure the media and social media publicising people panic buying helps or just makes the situation worse.
We have things in place to support my elderly, infirm mother-in-law, but clearly the idea of "social distancing" and the potential to require those over 70 to remain in social isolation for up to four months could become a major issue.
At the direction of the ECB (cricket's governing body) the cricket club has cancelled all activity including pre-season nets. The season won't start on time and may not happen at all.
Socially, our skittles league has been cancelled.
We have some short breaks and holidays booked. They're a little further ahead in time at the moment, so no need to worry about them just yet, but I'm thinking they won't happen. Myself, son and daughter are all Cardiff City season ticket holders, so that's gone, as has pretty much all sport. Cardiff's RHS Flower show in April has gone. And Boris has told us to stay away from the pub - although apparently he hasn't told his father!
As things stand and like most others, I'm very concerned about how all this will pan out in the end - and when will it be "safe" to resume anything like normal life and social activity? What will the high street look like in the coming months or next year? What businesses will go to the wall? In the short term, if we're all sensible and follow the advice we should be ok. It'll be hard no doubt but to be honest, as things stand at the very moment in time we're in a much better situation than many.
As for the cat, she couldn't care less so long as she's fed regularly, and spends most of her time sleeping.
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