Saturday 28th March 2020 - Covid-19......what else?

The virus, Covid-19, remains the main topic of conversations and media reports. The number of cases increases day on day, as do the number of deaths. Currently there are 17,089 confirmed cases in the UK of which 70 are in Norfolk. Of the 17,089, 1,019 have died. This may not sound like a high number, especially percentage wise, out of the UK’s population of over 67 million but that does not mean there is room for complacency. Initially, it was said older people were most at risk, more so for those with underlying health problems. This was probably the wrong thing to say because as a result many of the younger generation thought they could carry on as normal, partying and socialising. But now we are hearing they too are contracting the virus and one formerly healthy twenty-one year old has died. The virus was termed the other day, as a plague rather than a pandemic.

Although we are allowed to take exercise each day in the vicinity of our homes, self-isolation for the rest of the day for those who live on their own, is not a prospect to be relished. A couple of widowed ladies I have spoken to seem quite despondent about carrying on like this for weeks, if not months. We are lucky here in Overstrand in that we can take a walk and if we meet anyone we can keep to the recommended two metres distancing. But what about those who live in towns and cities and worse still for those who live in flats with no outside personal space i.e. a garden? That can’t be living, only existing.

We may be just a small village but on Thursday evening, clapping could be heard as residents came out at 8 p.m. to ‘Clap for Carers’. This was a nationwide gesture to show appreciation for carers, in particular those working for the NHS who are risking contracting the virus in order to help others.

It was cold and grey this morning when we took Barney for his walk. The photos of the Sea Marge, gated and closed, and Fishermen’s Green reflect the dismal start (we did get some sun later) and the general mood of the population.