Day 5

Saturday, March 7th

Both off today…so got up late….no response from the PHE to our REPLY confirmed messages yesterday…A colleague contacts me on twitter to say that they have been self-isolating too…the only member of their profession and who works at our hospital….They are not in any WhatsApp group so I include them in ours…They have experienced similar issues to what the rest of us have been having.

I get another text from PHE like I did yesterday…in fact, I have now got 4! I “REPLY” to all of them…wondering if the system is working…I tweet a photo of the texts and tag in @PHE_uk with a message to confirm that I am OK and that I do not currently have any symptoms….I also find out from a colleague that the patient who tested positive is still ventilated with little change in their condition…Thoughts are with them and their family.

So today I had breakfast with Ann…. We were 2m apart off course…She wanted to sit out in the garden but I couldn’t…as technically I have to be self-isolating….although as this is day 4…and I am ok…surely I could go out? My conscience wouldn’t let me…..it was sunny outside….Ann was doing some university work….She takes a photo of me inside our house behind the glass doors…. I thought of my colleague who is residing in the conservatory whilst their kids are on the other side of the window…Their kids were really upset…I can only imagine how this feels…Mine are grown up…but memories about wanting to spend as much time with them whilst adhering to the challenging rota when they were young came flooding in…

Meanwhile, in the world of COVID19, it has been quiet, probably because its the weekend…Up to today, there are 206 cases now diagnosed as COVID 19+ve in the UK…whilst it seems that some online companies are charging up to £120 for hand gel…How terrible… Coronavirus crisis: Online profiteers sell hand gel for £120 and a pack of masks for £55. In Italy, the death toll from coronavirus is 197, whilst the World Health Organization says more than 101,000 people worldwide have contracted the coronavirus, and more than 3,000 people have died – the majority in China https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51777049 …The impact in Italy is that the Vatican has cancelled address in Italy and only providing Livestream services instead.

As it is the weekend…I thought I would steer clear of work…I had just worked 3 weekends in 4…I was due to to a BMX event this weekend but had to cancel, unfortunately…I was really looking forward to it but I totally understand…The good thing is its sports on TV…Liverpool are playing Bournemouth at home…can they remain unbeaten at home and overtake Bill Shankly’s league record from the 70’s? They have now lost three times in a row after playing some fabulous football…I am a red….so hoping we can finish the job…not won the league since 1990…so this is the one the fans want…..And true to form they win 1-0…25 points ahead of Man City…now requiring 9 points from their remaining 9 games…so technically they could get 9 draws and still win the league! Champions League next Wednesday…playing Athletico Madrid..and will have to overturn a 1-0 deficit…memories of last years semi-final come to mind when we beat Barcelona, overturning a 3-0 deficit…Rugby next…but exercise session first…

Exercise for the day included various body weight-related drills…with my new friend the kettlebell…It’s a big difference from the battle ropes, ski-erg, 20kg medicine ball, skipping rope, weight sled routine I do at the gym…but what I am doing as part of my #SelfIsolatedWorkOut regime was deffo what I needed especially with the way I am feeling about being stuck in the house

Rugby….Thought this game would be tight…but Twickenham was buzzing and England was on fire…doing really well early on…but Wales scored an early try in the second half and with two late tries from them again, England was pegged back to surviving 33-30.

We were going to have a Chinese meal last night but opted for the ‘meal for 2 for a tenner”…so it’s a Chinese tonight…..Normally we walk down the road to get it…but this time Ann has to do the walk on her own….I could go in disguise….as I am ok…but let’s face it….highly unprofessional of me…..anyhow…question is….what film do we watch tonight…I have to say I do not know what all the craze about Amazon and Netflix is….the box sets may be ok…that is if that’s your thing…but the film selection is not very good…Some of the titles they have are either unknown or are considered bloopers on Rotten Tomatoes…Don’t get me wrong there are some good ones like “the Irishman” or, “The Favourite”….but the rest??? One spends a great deal of time flicking through the library of what they have….And Sky Movies? Well, I am not sure that package is worth the money really…its the same movies on cycle for about a month…so once the self-isolated has been through what is interesting to them…I suppose there is the store but even then the selection is limited…well either that or I have become very fussy…Ann and I are avid moviegoers so the cinema is usually a destination at least once or twice a month….A bit difficult at the mo as cannot get my cinema fix….and to be honest I have never had to look through the film collection on the various TV outlets…as we are usually out doing things….This experience has really opened my eyes to what life might be like for people who have to stay at home all the time….Morning television is unbearable…and now this….I suppose I could always watch re-runs of Only Fools and Horses, Red Dwarf…or even Laurel and Hardy…you know stuff I used to watch as a kid.

So…instead we watch a program on the history of Royal doctors throughout the reign of the monarchy….which I thought would have been interesting as I am interested in history…however, sadly there was not much historical content….it mainly covered the medical issues of monarchy post 1970…so not impressed…. At this rate…I wonder if @C4Gogglebox would be interested in covering people’s television habits who are self-isolating??

Meanwhile back onto COVID issues… I got my 5th text from PHE at 1905hrs asking for a reply to whether I have a fever or not…I naturally replied “NO”…. let’s see what comes next…

What to watch next?…..The two Popes…with Anthony Hopkins!!….an intriguing film about a factually based drama about the relationship between Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and his successor, Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce)…both men differed in their theological beliefs and it traces the ascension of both men to becoming Pope.

A quick check of my phone and saw 171 messages on the #SelfIsolation WhatsApp group chat….yes that’s right, 171 messages in space of 2 hours!! Any about COVID etc?…no….now discussing the best chocolate on the market, nature, and subjects I am not at liberty to discuss publicly (confidentiality and all that). I think we might have cabin fever?…

Anyhow…good night…but before I go…I know you are wondering. Todays footy shirt on twitter? Lesotho (otherwise known as Likuena…Crocodiles), which is a country enclaved within the border of South Africa. Along with the Vatican City and San Marino, it is one of only three independent states completely surrounded by the territory of another country, and the only one outside of the Italian peninsula. Lesotho is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million….Well I didn’t know this experience has been good education for me in other ways.

…anyhow Good Night all