Quirky thoughts from an old man.
Today I feel fine again. So I’m starting the three day count down to the end of my quarantine. Of course the state is on lock down so I won’t be able to go far even then.
Photo is of an Ocotillo in the Table Mountain Wilderness with the morning light bringing out the redness of the new leaves.
I am mostly a libertarian but even I see that in our interconnected world we need institutions that prepare for “Black Swan” events. Unfortunately that doesn’t mean just being better prepared for the next virus pandemic. We need to be prepared for the next black swan. How can we be prepared for an unknown and unforeseen event? I suggest that having surplus is the key and the path to surplus is through prosperity. I have written about this quite often on my blog.
It is too early to judge which countries and strategies were best at handling the COVID-19 Pandemic. Lots of PhD’s will be earned analyzing the data and recommending future strategies. We will get through this one and at some time in the future there will be another one.
The good news is there is not much to report. My head is a little fuzzy, I tire easily and as I improve my anxiety about the situation in the world grows. Stay far apart and wash your hands now.
Wine Cork Henge was made in November 2018. I think I have enough corks to try again.
I’m feeling less fatigue this morning. I do feel a little bit achy but I’m old and some is expected. I may be a day or two from being symptom free.
The photo this morning is of an open pit copper mine in Bisbee AZ.
On day six of the suspected Corona Virus I am still experiencing some fatigue but I don’t have a temperature and the achy feeling has gone. This morning I unloaded the dishwasher and it tired me out so I had to rest for a while before I got breakfast. I woke once in the night with a racing pulse. After a little worrying it slowed down and I went back to sleep. I have lost some weight.
I’ve read reports of three other people who have been through it and my case is definitely on the milder side. I have been in the condo for a week now quarantining and Nurit is taking excellent care of me and is also quarantining as much as possible.
The photo is of a flowering cacti on Piestewa Peak. I think it has a remote resemblance to the closeup illustrations of the corona virus.
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet
COVID-19, Corona Virus, COVID19, Coronavirus. As a new thing needs to be talked about for a moment what it is going to be called is in flux. I prefer Coronavirus but it sounds (more appropriate than looks) like COVID-19 is going to win the day.
When cell phones were young I liked the term hand phone which was popular in Singapore. It lost. Mobile phone and smart phone are still contenders. I suspect it will end up as phone. And if you have a wired phone it will be called a land phone.
My friend from Hong Kong entered this into the debate: Ebola was named after the Ebola river where it was discovered. Zika was named after Zika Forest where it was discovered. Lyme Disease was named after Lyme, Connecticut, where it was discovered. West Nile Virus was named after, you guessed it. COVID-19 was named by a committee afraid of offending a superpower.
Photo is of the rocks and stones (what is the difference) that I collected along the trails in three years of hiking in Arizona. I’m a catch and release rockhound so I’ll take most of them back to the trails. First I’m going to see if there is a henge in there somewhere.
Yesterday afternoon I had a couple of times when I felt extreme fatigue and perhaps had a temperature. Our electronic thermometer has a low battery so we are using the hand on the forehead method. This morning I feel lousy but not terrible. If I had CV it was an extremely mild case.
Photo is from our last road trip BC (Before Corona) in Burro Canyon in Marana AZ we found these petroglyphs.
Corona Virus day four. Not much new to report. I’m not worse but I’m not 100%. Take an occasional deep breath to see if my lungs still work. They do and they don’t hurt.
My brain isn’t working perfectly. I unloaded the dishwasher with gloves and then had to rest because it wore me out.
Tomorrow I want to discuss this question of the naming of viruses.
The photo is from my last hike BC (Before Corona) on the Barnhardt Trail in the Mazatzal Wilderness.
Every cloud has a silver lining. Here are three positives that might come out of the Coronavirus pandemic.
On Day Three I feel better again. If I had a job and I wasn’t contagious I’d go to work. I’m not 100% but I feel okay. I had a Telemedicine call with my doctor yesterday and it was reassuring. He recommended not trying to get a test since it wouldn’t change the treatment. There is a chance that in the next few days the virus will infect my lungs in which case I will experience trouble breathing and if that happens I should go to the emergency room. If I start to cough up green phlegm call his office.
There is an excellent article in the WSJ this morning titled How the Coronavirus Attacks Your Body you may need a subscription to get past the firewall. Basically it confirms what Dr Nebelsieck told me: 80% of people recover after the mild flu symptoms I’ve experienced so far. I expect to be in that group.
Photo is from Art Plaza Park on Central Avenue opposite the Phoenix Art Museum. Yes it is a sculpture.