It feels like normal global operations are about to cease. Or is that just reading the news? It’s a little hard to tell from here.

The news is definitely getting more dramatic. And this is the news, so that’s a stretch in of itself. Still, I’m not going to stop reading it, well the headlines anyhow. I read in between writing. It’s a habit I’ve always had. I don’t necessarily like it (getting sucked in to Kim Kardashian’s kitchen like everyone else – what do you mean you don’t??), but I’ve given up trying not to. For me when I write, I need to step away from writing, take a break and step back in. My terrible concentration has to flit around. I’ve stopped trying to be mad at it.

Only the news is getting harder and harder to dismiss as other worldly. Is this just me?

In terms of the Caribbean, I’ve heard there’s been one case of coronavirus up in St. Barths already. Another in the Dominican Republic. A couple of cruise ships have been denied entry onto Barbados in the last few weeks, but I’m not sure how common that practice is. Apparently too, they were for cases of enterogastritis and not suspected COVID-19.

So do I need to go to Eddie’s supermarket in Speightstown and buy a month’s worth of noodles? I don’t think I’ll find a face mask there. Yesterday, I was walking around its aisles as the radio presenter was gravely explaining how the practice of mass will be changed. No touching for now. Phew.

Meanwhile, sailing memes are becoming all smug about the ease of boating self-isolation. Posts such as: ‘Want to avoid coronavirus? Have sex with a sailor’ have showed up. This feels suspiciously like bad karma. Though Quest would probably be an appropriate place to self-isolate. And back in the UK, it seems InterHigh might receive a surge of student numbers. Face masks not necessary. Is everyone really wearing them? Or have I been self-isolating too long?

Perhaps we’re all going to get this strain. Under the principle that if it’s gonna to move, it’s gonna move. Experts predict an eventual, unchecked 60-80% spread – unless of course a vaccination is created speedy gonzalez or the virus fizzles out through the rise of spring temperatures in Europe or hits a heat barrier in the tropics. I’ve read somewhere this virus doesn’t like extremes of temperature.

Meanwhile, no anti-viral flu medication will work and neither will antibiotics. Hmm. Hasn’t stopped us taking antibiotics before. The amount of times I’ve been in the doc’s surgery with the girls. Told that Delph’s cough or Lu’s ear was likely to be viral… but here’s a prescription of antibiotics ready to take… just in case. Pneumonia is scary.

And the idea of having it on Quest is even scarier. For me, home looks like a tempting place for medical treatment. Even if you’re being treated by people wearing hazmat suits. That has to be one of the scariest things about it, no? I wonder if there are hazmat suits in Barbados. In the meantime, consider eating lots of raw garlic. May the garlic be with us.