This morning I awoke to an email from my wonderfully efficient tax person -, a woman in Rochester NY. She spoke of her family and their altered plans, the result of the pandemic. She spoke of the second wave – something I had vaguely heard about. So, of course I googled found this from JAMA (American Medical Association:
Will sunshine and warm weather bring an end to face masks, physical distancing and offer pandemic mitigation tactics? Several states may be easing stay-at-home orders, but the joy of the release of COVID -19 restrictions may be short-lived. Summer may slow the spread of the coronavirus a bit, but it will be back by fall with a second wave that looks a lot like the first wave, said a leading epidemiology researcher. And the immunity that will bring a real end to the pandemic may be a long long time coming. Marc Marc Lipsitch is professor of epidemiololgy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dymanics discussed the prospects for mitigating a second eave and the potential approaches to fasted development of a vaccine..”
I am not sure how I feel about this. It will not have a major impact on my own life as I have no vacation plans, no plans to go anywhere at Christmas and my retirement income will keep drifting in. But it has major impact on the lives of many people I know and care about. My computer guru has been, in a way devastated by this pandemic. His livelihood was providing sound for major events – he said it was unlikely that any events would be taking place for at least a year – and that was before knowledge of the second wave. He will be looking for alternative employment at a time when many others will be doing the same. We discussed ways and means of making money from my writing but this conversation is in its infancy.
I do admit to feeling very puzzled about the hope of a vaccine. Last time I checked there was no vaccine against the common cold – which is a virus. There is a flu shot one can get every year, and I do, but it does guarantee immunity, symptoms may be less severe but it is no guarantee of good health. Did read, but cannot retrieve, a statement by an epidemiologist predicting that from now on there would be a cold, few and COVID – 19 season. I am somewhat on pins and needles awaiting the results of the antibody test but it seem like it will not make a big difference. Oh well. I guess i better go find a man really quickly so I have someone to quarantine with before the second wave strikes. I laugh, I am so funny!
This is unbelievable but true. Yesterday I received a text, from a known man who has my telephone number. I have met him. He texted to say that if I gave him 5 k he would come and make love to me all night, promising much activity resulting in an inability to “walk normal”.
He: I should be there in two weeks.
Me: I thought you lived nearby? I have never paid for sex and I am not going to start now.
He said something about my 79 year old vagina, it curves perfectly for a 79 year old vagina were his exact words.
Me: Excuse me! I am only 77.
Believe me, no plans were made!!! None whatsoever. I had not heard from him in a long time so it was a bit bewildering and MOST amusing. Men can be such a strange sort, particularly some I meet up with, seem to have a special talent in that regard. When I did see him, a couple of times, he would come up with these fantastically funny ideas but they never came to fruition, so to speak. But they certainly produced laughter.
Although the prospect of a second wave is rather alarming, my situation is rather ideal. Small apartment centrally located, excellent doctors and medical care and Personal Driver willing and able to serve – grocery shopping, hair appointments (if that ever happens), medical appointments. etc, etc,
If you do not want to be offended – do not read paragraph. If one is tested and is found infected with the virus, public health personal interview the infected one, ask about their contacts and then interview the contacts. It is my understanding that it is the protocol. That is a massive job but not if home sheltering is taking place. I have contact with no one – except Personal Driver, for example. So this shut down, this isolation makes the job of public health people much simpler, very easy. No wonder they want to keep it in place. It is not necessarily for the public good, it is to make their life easier. This is not a criticism of the wonderful responders and individuals who serve in hospitals, clinics, offices but it is a criticism of the horrible effects that these stay-at-home orders have on the population as a whole. There needs to be a careful examination of the need for such draconian measures in light of the low mortality rate and the mild symptoms encountered by most of the population. They has never been a stay-at-home order during cold season, nor flue season to my knowledge during my seventy-seven years on this earth.
The photograph is sleepy me. The rash on my face is from wearing a face mask, this according to my doctor.
