Some people are speculating that Trump’s illness is all fabrication, a publicity stunt. Well, on Sunday afternoon he went out in his armoured, hermetically sealed vehicle with some security guards so that he could do a surprise drive-by visit to supporters outside the hospital. Apart from an apparent total disregard for the health of his security guards, who will now have to self isolate having shared his infected air in the car, it certainly makes me wonder how very mild his symptoms must be. Other people I have heard about who needed to be in hospital with Covid have really not been in a fit state to go round in cars waving at people. Of course, it may be different if you just love to be the centre of attention all the time!
Here in the UK I read a report that the government has quietly changed its guidance on the number of days within which people with coronavirus symptoms should get tested. The government’s website used to say: “You need to get the test done in the first five days of having symptoms.” Now it says: “On day eight, you need to go to a test site”. Hmmm! Some experts think this makes the tests less accurate. Maybe it’s a move to release pressure on the demand for tests. Who knows? Will it lead to a faster spread of the virus? Who knows?
In fact, we still don’t know very much about this virus!
I find it hard enough to accept that some people in the media, people who should know better, seem to have difficulty with English pronunciation. On Radio 3 recently a presenter spoke about a philosopher from ancient times, by the name of So Crates - Socrates to some of us. On another programme, an American spoke of someone called Ply Nee - Pliny to some of us. If these people got to pilates classes, do they call the exercise system Pie Lates? News readers have problems with the noun “estimate” and the verb “to estimate”, apparently unsure where the stress should fall in each case. English is a difficult language but I really thought the BBC and other such broadcasters has pronunciation experts to help them out! The trouble is that it brings out my inner intellectual snob.
So it goes.
Yesterday we took advantage of reasonably fine weather to go up the hill to Dobcross with our daughter and the small people, down the other side of the hill and back along the Donkey Line, stopping along the way to play in the park at Dobcross. On such outings I am obliged to play as well, usually in the role of Bess the dog to accompany Fauna the Fancy Cat played by the four year old granddaughter. I once came across another grandmother involved in a similar game. When she expressed some embarrassment I reassured her that it’s really perfectly normal behaviour. I suppose such activities keep young. Anyway, here are some pictures of autumn scenes from yesterday’s outing.
Today we venture out to the local doctors’ surgery for flu vaccinations.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well everyone.
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