Corona Virus in London

*flashback to 6th March 2020* Myself and a couple of friends have come out for a walk in the unexpected early March sunshine (no doubt an effect of global warming, but not a wholly unwelcome one after a very long and bleak winter). As we’re walking, I happen to mention that compared to last year, my 2020 is going pretty well so far - not to boast or anything. At this, my friend turns to me, baffled, and says “how can you say this year is better? So far we’ve had the finalisation of Brexit, ongoing bombings in Syria, the Australian Bush Fires, floods, and now the threat of the Corona Virus”. Ok he makes a fair point, I just meant on a personal level, things could be worse, you know. Sometimes when life gives you lemons, it happens to give the rest of the world a whole basket of mouldy, decaying fruit. That doesn’t mean I can’t still make some pretty sweet lemonade.

*flashforward to now, 17th March 2020* Constant news reports about the most recent global pandemic play on every screen. The streets of London are almost as empty of people as the supermarket shelves are of pasta and loo roll. Even on another beautiful yet rare March day on which the sky is blue and cloudless, the crowds would normally be insufferable. Today though, sun shines onto bare pavements, as if defiant against the latest crisis. The people that have ventured from their homes are wearing surgical masks, giving the appearance of slightly intimidating passers by who look like they could whip out a scalpel and start operating on you any minute. Hand washing is being encouraged like it’s a new trend rather than something that we should all have been doing frequently already. Shouldn’t we? And people have begun to fear the sound of a stranger’s cough, as if the plague has resurfaced. 

The Corona Virus has very quickly seemed to have caused some sort of global meltdown. There’s even talk of closing the pubs throughout Britain following other country’s examples. You know it’s serious when people’s ability to have a quick pint after work is infringed. That would be if anyone was still going to work, many people choosing or being instructed instead to work from home so as to prevent spread of infection. Of course, Britain is treating the issue the way we handle most things, irresponsibly and with delayed reactions. It is only occurring to the government now that maybe there ought to be some sort of major lockdown after basically every other country in Europe has closed their institutions and put in place travel restrictions. Similarities can be drawn between Britain’s handling of this virus and the way in which they tackled the first world war, with cowardice masked as a patriotic sense of resilience that is ultimately ineffective and will probably result in more negative consequences for Brits throughout the country. Nice one government.

 It’s strange because although it can be traced, technically, Corona really does seem to be something that at first didn’t seem very serious,  springing up out of nowhere, but which has very speedily interrupted everything. I still can’t decide how real of an issue it is, but then again, I’m one of the lucky ones. I’m pretty fit and healthy, I have a relatively good immune system and no respiratory problems. If I do get it, sure the self isolation will be inconvenient and drive me stir crazy but with a 97% survival rate, I’ll probably be ok. That being said, I will not be visiting any of my elderly relatives any time soon. Shockingly, some people are claiming the whole thing isn’t an issue “because it’s only elderly people and people with weak immune systems who are dying from it”. Ah yes, that’s assuring, I’ve never met anyone over 60 who I don’t want to die prematurely in my life. One of the funniest things to me is the people who had to self isolate whilst on a cruise ship, complaining that the virus had ruined their holiday. Yes of course Barbara sorry, I forgot your vacation was more important than human mortality. 

 My flatmates and other students in my university are dropping like flies, (only figuratively thank goodness); several international friends having boarded emergency booked flights, just in case the situations worsens and they end up stranded here. The most frustrating thing to me is the general sense of uncertainty. I don’t know where I’ll be from one day to the next. I’m not sure anyone does. 

I say this hypocritically of course in light of this particular ramble, but Corona Virus is apparently all anyone can talk about and honestly, it’s gotten a bit old already. Telephone conversations with my parents have become a daily occurrence.  They’re eager for me to return home to Newcastle as soon as possible; my mum’s convinced I’ll be stuck in London with no way home in the foreseeable future. She’s been sending me news reports about the 26 countries in Africa affected and asking whether I think she should have been stockpiling. I answer no to the latter; there’s nothing like an international pandemic to make you realise how selfish some people can be, clearing the shelves even of things like baby formula. As long as they’re alright. 

My mum is also concerned because most cases in England have been recorded in London. Of course they have, it’s the biggest and most highly populated city in the UK, that’s just probability. Generally speaking, Liz can be a bit of a drama queen, but even my Dad has started to say that it’s probably a good idea for me to the return to the North in the next few days or so. I know it must be serious when he says this, him being a man who has thus far discouraged me from coming home for frequent visits, living vicariously through me as I rinse London for all the culture it has to offer. 

As I’ve thus far not been infected *touch wood* and don’t know anyone personally who has been affected (that we know of) *rubs self against an entire tree*, I’m still quite optimistic, even if I do end up in self isolation, that I can make the most out of this situation. My uni has closed eventually, moving everything online, but even before this, due to strikes I’d not been there in a month so I’ve gotten pretty good at methods of entertaining myself - if I do say so myself. On the one hand, in the fitness classes I’ve still been able to attend, I’ve had so much room you wouldn’t believe. I’ve not had to worry about finding a seat on the tube, and I already drank plant milk which is long life anyway. As for staying indoors, well this ramble has been a product of that for one thing. I’ve been tearing through some novels. I’ve had time to play piano again, and I actually eat breakfast in a morning now. I’ve had time to cook, organise my room and catch up on all the Ru Paul I’d missed.

 I say this only half jokingly, but everyone’s been complaining that they’re so busy and never get any time to themselves to relax. Here, now, take the time and enjoy it. London, once everyone just slows down a bit, is actually a really lovely place to be.