Monday, March 30, 2020

Day 14 of self-isolation.


Last night I went to bed at 10:30, got up twice during the night, waking at 5:30 and finally getting up at 6:30.


One of my readers mentioned another good coronavirus tracking website:

https://ncov2019.live/?fbclid=IwAR3sKzytaZLX2iIMTk6qM0uZZjCqHwE154yPFJcK44oJTGntTNn7QDJ75hU

Per the “daily increase” on the Johns Hopkins dashboard it looks like the US has been averaging 18,000-20,000 new cases each of the past 5 days for a total of about 163,000.  Scary!


I heard the governor of Rhode Island issued an order requiring anyone visiting from out-of-state has to self-quarantine for 14 days.  That isn’t exactly closing their borders but the result is close to the same.  Their National Guard are doing house-to-house searches to find people from New York to force them to quarantine?  Wow, that sure sounds like its abridging someone’s rights.


Florida has set up highway checkpoints to screen drivers from New York and Louisiana, telling them to self-quarantine for two weeks.  Really, it’s voluntary?


Some days ago a Colombian town started staggering the time customers could use the metroplus.  Now they are also checking their temperature before they are allowed entry.  I understand anything above 38 degrees Celsius is cause for concern.


Well, this self-isolation is quickly getting boring and the longer it takes others to accept quarantining and social distancing the longer it will take to control the virus and the longer I will be stranded in my apt.  Even when this virus is “finished” here I can’t imagine Colombia would be in a hurry to open their borders to foreign tourists.


For lunch Teresa said she was going to make lasagna, only this time replacing the pasta with potatoes.  Hmmm, interesting.  She said lunch would be a little late and finally she changed her mind and said it would take too long so she’s going to make something else.  For lunch we had meatballs, cooked vegetables and, for the first time, mashed potatoes with gravy.  She’s made mashed potatoes before and gravy before but today was the first time she managed to make them together.  Lol.


I watched the next episode of Dirty Money – Cartel Bank: A trail of suspicious transactions led to startling revelations about banking giant HSBC and its ties to Mexico’s deadliest drug cartels.


Per the evening news there are 798 coronavirus cases in Colombia most of which are in Bogota (350) with 96 in Antioquia.  Here is the case breakdown by age:

Minors under 20: 35

20-40 years of age: 350

40-60 years of age: 269

Older than 60: 144.


I’m reading some conflicting information about virus transmission and wearing masks.  I’m afraid if I went out without a mask here I might get stopped from police.  I guess I’ll find out on Wednesday when I have to go pay for the apt, etc.


My ex- sent me an audio recording of a doctor reporting that in every death he has seen the bodies had Ibuprofen (aka Advil) in their system so tell everyone not to take it.  Sorry, that’s all I know and my ex- watches some pretty questionable videos.


The following is a quote from Time magazine (hoping now I won’t get sued): “Dr. Laura Mulvey, 33, practices emergency medicine at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.  We realized that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for testing were missing the mark.  Early on, when we had people coming in concerned that they had coronavirus, they had to have a fever, and a cough, and have traveled from Wuhan.  If you’re testing for that, the likelihood that they have COVID is close to 100%.  By those guidelines, we were incapable of testing.  Nobody had the tests.  You had to call the Department of Health to get permission to send a swab.  Early on, you’re crippled by your public health response.”  That’s taken slightly out of context but I hope some of you will be able to read the entire article.


I received the following US embassy email today:

There are 798 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Colombia. There are 14 COVID-19 related deaths reported as of March 30, 2020.  Please check https://co.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/ for updates on the status of entry-exit information, quarantine, and important links regarding COVID-19 resources in Colombia.

COVID-19 in Colombia:

On March 23, the President of Colombia grounded international flights for a period of 30 days.  The Government of Colombia also declared a national quarantine to last until April 13 that requires everyone to shelter in place.  The U.S. Embassy remains available to offer 24/7 emergency services to U.S. citizens. We are exploring additional flight options to the United States and will disseminate information once available.

Quarantine Information:

While in Colombia, U.S. citizens should expect to comply with the nationwide "stay at home" mandatory preventative isolation announced by the government.  The quarantine will continue until 12 a.m. Monday, April 13.  All individuals in Colombia are required to shelter in place and remain inside.  Most public locations are closed.  Individuals over the age of 70 are expected to self quarantine through May 2020.  The national decree allows for exit under certain circumstances, including:

1.    One member of the household to purchase groceries or medicine.

2.    Transport for emergency medical care.

3.    Pet relief for no more than 20 minutes by one family member in the immediate area of your home.

Joke of the day

One day, while doing door-to-door market research, this guy knocks on a door and is greeted by a beautiful young housewife.

He's inquiring about a particular petroleum jelly product to see how it's being used, and by whom.

"Hello," he starts, "I'm doing some research for a petroleum jelly manufacturer. Have you ever used the product?"

"Yes. My husband and I use it during intercourse," she answers.

The researcher is stunned by the blunt reply but quickly regains his composure.  

"Um, er... I admire you for your honesty," he continues.  "Can you tell me exactly how you use it?"

"Sure, we put it on the doorknob so the kids can't get in."