Life in the Age of Corona
A Daily Diary
Friday, December 18th, 2020
Freedom
It is by no means clear that pre and post departure testing will make flying safe or bring travel back. Based on all that I have read pre- and post departure testing only works in combination with self-isolation before and after travel as a test on the day of the trip will not show any virusinfection contracted over three to five days prior travel.
Today is day five of our quarantine and we were permited to leave our confinement and go for a COVID test. Because we had tested negative upon arrival, we were allowed inside the doctors’ offices. Strangely they take the sample for the test in the throat in Germany which I find infinitely more unpleasant than the nose swipe. It came back negative, so we were free to go wherever we pleased.
We started off by a stroll through Brunsbuettel city. First, we went to an optician to have passport photos taken. These people were incredibly friendly. They not only took the pictures they also printed EM’s visa application and gave us two envelops. From there we made our way to the post office and posted EM’s passport, the visa application, the pictures as well as the return envelope, before clearing out of our quarantine home and heading to mum’s. So glad to be back in real life!
One of the things we did was raid a supermarket. EM and I have been looking forward to German food! I think we did excessive food buying. It is so nice to be able to move freely, mask and all. Just to see and hear other people, cars, just normal life was wonderful.
I think that very few people are as ridged as us and while officially one is required to register with the local health authorities, test upon arrival, quarantine and test again, I doubt anyone does so. I also do not believe the authorities enforce such a policy.
As USA reports 17.8million infected, adding 238k yesterday research shows that most people get infected in their own homes! This is followed by religious and social gatherings, gyms, restaurant, bars and shops. No real surprises. The Chinese isolated anyone with Corona away from their families to reduce the spread within peoples houses, but that of course requires a level of organization few countries have, except for all the ones which are basically virus fee ow like Taiwan, Australia, Vietnam, New Zealand and so on.
As the virus rages across the US the super wealthy are trying to buy their way to the front of the vaccine line through “donations” to hospitals and such likes. In my view they are the last people ho need to get the vaccine as they do not need to go to work to keep the economy going. They most certainly are also not essential or particularly vulnerable. They are simply self centered and greedy.
