Right now I am sitting here in my quiet hotel, about to move to a more long-term place a few blocks away, and the cable tv network Deutsche Welle just aired a 30-minute-long program about Germany's 46 WHSs, with detailed segments on some of them.

The phrase "rubbing salt in the wound" comes to mind.

@nfmungard: comparing the US health "system" to 3rd world equivalents is a little insulting... to the 3rd world systems ;-)

@mrayers hope you are feeling well, having had an unknown fever last week and being in (additional) isolation has been hard work, and I'm at home with my family. So you have my sympathy for doing it solo, in a hotel. Hope it improves for you and DW don't schedule anymore programs to further exacerbate things.

Stay safe all, looking forward to a meet up at the end of this. Until then let's go to the Winchester, have a pint and wait for this all to blow over.

(I tried to insert an image there, but it seems to be beyond my technical skills somehow)

Coronavirus Covid-19: Gorillas at risk from deadly disease

Congo's Virunga National Park conservationists are warning of the risk to another vulnerable species: Africa's endangered mountain gorilla.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12318951

Thanks a lot meltwaterfalls! That sound you just heard was our virtual glasses clinking together. Cheers!

I hope you are feeling well, too. I have been better for about two weeks, so hopefully everything is now in the past. In any case, I am anxiously waiting the ability to buy and take a covid antibody test for piece of mind, but also to be able to donate blood plasma, or help out in other ways, should the situation deteriorate around here.

Here's some WHS news:



This interesting (not WHS-related) video was made by a man from the UK living in Shanghai, and it explains some of the restrictions and policies in place there:

https://youtu.be/0W0B2Qg3r2k

Somewhat paradoxically, if someone were determined to travel right now (I am not recommending this, nor will I be doing it myself,) China might, in fact, be a reasonable destination. Of course, there would still be many difficulties, like finding transport to get there, onward travel restrictions still in place, and who knows what the visa situation is at the moment... Slightly insane travelers should only attempt (for the time being!)

Could also be a virtual whatsapp call with a real cheers. Have beer and time if you are bored ;)


Were you officially diagnosed? I don't think they will give you an officially antibody test. Tests are in short supply.


I think you will lose plenty of time at the border. They had a 2w mandatory quarantine and not sure how much they have relaxed this. Especailly seeing the most new cases are coming in from outside from China.

No, my symptoms were never severe enough to warrant that. Also, the timing was off, I likely got it in Paris on 16-17 February (possibly at one of the two WHS, since there were big crowds at both sites ;-) ), but there was no "community spread" being reported anywhere in France at that time (but obviously it was really happening already.) I was almost over the disease by the time the number of cases around France exploded, and testing began in earnest.

The antibody test will be something completely different from the current test, which is in short supply. There is one company in the US planning on delivering it to the health services on 1 April, and fast-tracking approval for direct to consumer sales. It would be a fast at-home test similar to a home pregnancy test, but done with a drop of blood instead. This is presumably the same type of thing that Boris in the UK was talking about the other day, and I imagine the German system is working on it too. Eventually, the WHO, or a similar group, will want to do that test around the globe, perhaps numbering in the millions, because that will be the only way we will ever know exactly how many people were infected overall. So, I will eventually take it one way or another, but I don't know how long it will take before I can get one.


I think it's still 14 days, but, for such a hypothetical traveler, 14 days locked inside in Beijing is not really all that different from the lockdowns we are all experiencing elsewhere at the moment. ;-)

I'm going to get a t-shirt that says:
"I went to Paris, Banks of the Seine, and all I brought back was Covid-19"
;-)

Victoria Falls closed indefinitely (April 1)
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-04/01/c_138938408.htm

Brazil confirms first indigenous case of coronavirus in Amazon

virus could devastate remote communities :(

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/apr/02/brazil-confirms-first-indigenous-case-of-coronavirus-in-amazon

Thousands flock to China's Yellow Mountain after coronavirus lockdown is lifted

https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/china-yellow-mountain-crowd-gathers-coronavirus-lockdown-lifted-photos-604669