Living with the virus

I’m spending my first and much needed break of the year in my village in central France. There are no cases now, the peak is gone, the cumulative covid19 cases show 100/100’000 population which is much lower than the national mean. As many places in France, there are a lot of old people but there were no casualties in the nursing homes. The antibodies “immunity” is unknown but looking at antibodies elsewhere where the cases per population has been much bigger, it must be very low. This means that the virus will return, one new case can generate a growing cluster as currently in Toulouse or in a meat factory in Germany. It can grow fast again and eventually the virus will come back. I just saw a well-informed VOX documentary series on coronavirus. Episode 2 is about vaccine and it shows clearly why it will take a lot of time to develop, test for safety, produce, distribute a vaccine, with no guarantee that the vaccine will be protective, how protective would it be or that the protection will last long. So my way forward is living life while coronavirus, which does entail keeping distance, ventilating and preferring outdoors than indoors, wearing a mask when distance is not possible, washing hands, all this while going out, doing things, meeting people. I had a post about dose and time that, that I will copy in the comment. I got a great washable cloth mask. It has three layers, as per the book. Between the external and internal layer there is a pocket to put a filter material, which I add (there are instructions and specification in the WHO covid-19 site) . This one has a clip for the nose which makes it easier to use with glasses. I prefer this to the medical masks because there is less waste pollution and because while not working in the hospital, at the level of community the mask is more to protect the others from me than to protect me. I appreciate when others put on masks when they cannot keep distance or in closed settings. Otherwise I spend my time trying to maximize distance from them and reduce exposure. I have 3 cloth masks because when I take it off (as by the book) I wash it (tap water and soap, basta) and having three allows me always to have one dry in the pocket. All in all, that allows a sort of normal life. At the town's open market, almost all sellers and older people wear a mask, most other people don’t, some do, more should, but you can see they all try to keep distance. Meals with other family members or friends are in small group, outdoors and keeping distance. No masks when seated at the table. No mask when it is easy to keep distance. Masks and extra distance when older people are around, to shield them. I have not been yet in a restaurant yet but I will soon, outdoor table for sure. Alcohol gel always in the pocket and washing hands when back at home but no obsession, the risk by surfaces exists but we now know that it is comparatively small. No air condition, only open windows and fans. I expect this type of life for a couple of years with longer term changes in living and working conditions.

I might post something later about how my workplace is changing and adapting. The principles are similar, so to keep the density low only a fraction of staff can be in the office at a given time, with lots of practical consequences.

P.S. 26.07.20 where there is loud music, such as a disco or a bar, even outdoors, people are obliged to come close and project their voice to be able to communicate. Sounds risky.

31.08.20 Prefer external air to cooling or heating systems. For air cooling or heating, set the air intake to outdoor and not from indoor and add HEPA filters.