Day Seventy-One - Insular, Somerset and Doing Without

Dreadful news today that a hospital in Somerset has had to close to new patients because of a spike in Covid cases. It has stopped taking admissions including A&E. I couldn't find a reason as to why this specific area has an influx of cases but social media suggests it is a result of people flocking to beaches and beauty spots in the warm weather. If that is the case then other places would have similar spikes?

My friend is worried that I will be so conditioned by the lockdown that I will become very insular when it is all over. I think I will. In some ways it is easier! I am quite worried that I will prefer to stay in isolation and not go anywhere. Emotionally it is harder and I know that I really want to see my brother and sister. I have a theory that lockdown has done my back good. I haven't taken ANY painkillers this week! I think it's because I am only sitting in my own curated chairs for reasonable lengths of time. I'm not going to venues where I sit for a couple of hours in a seat that I know is bad for my back. I wouldn't like to go back to the levels of pain I was experiencing before. When I think back to this time last year it's like I have a different body. And I prefer it this way.

We also discussed what we had actually missed during this lockdown. I miss going to the library and the freedom to come and go as I please. But I can mange perfectly well without these things. I'm not sure if I miss my Tai Chi and yoga classes or not!! But I don't miss things like pubs. I used to enjoy popping out for a lunch or a coffee with friends, mooching round the charity shops. I wonder what the future of charity shops will be? Will people trust the goods in them to be virus free? Sanitising shopping was a also a topic for discussion. I wipe everything that comes into the house. My friend doesn't think that all shopping needs to be wiped. I looked online but couldn't find anything conclusive. All the information conflicts as to how long the virus can stay alive on various surfaces. But better safe than sorry?

The Dominic Cummings row continues and there are fears that it has undermined the whole coronavirus and lockdown strategy. People who are angry and resent that he did what he did are sticking two fingers up at the lockdown and doing what they want. It's a sort of 'if he can do what he likes then so can I' type attitude. These people miss the point completely! It's about slowing down the spread of the virus!!

I despair of the human race.

In unrelated news I have found a freesia blooming in my garden. I didn't plant it. It isn't fragrant. I think it must have been left in the compost I used in that bed.  A rogue corm that survived this mild winter.  Lots of things are blooming in the garden now. The nigella, the lampranthus, the loose strife and the fried egg plants. If I feel so disposed I might take some photos. But it's not really to do with the intent of this blog. They'd bloom anyway, virus or no virus. And I'd  still be pleased with them.