{"id":2075,"date":"2020-08-30T13:49:42","date_gmt":"2020-08-30T13:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/?p=2075"},"modified":"2021-06-03T10:43:08","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T10:43:08","slug":"on-the-crest-of-the-covid-wave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/on-the-crest-of-the-covid-wave\/","title":{"rendered":"On the crest of the Covid wave"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 169 [30 August 2020]<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye …<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As we get set to wave goodbye to summer, and goodbye to the waves as they roll along the golden sands, the question that seems to be foremost in almost everybody\u2019s mind is are we about to say hello to second-wave coronavirus? The simple answer to that is, that there isn\u2019t one. As with everything concerning this modern pandemic, the information\/disinformation is so muddled and contradictory that should second-wave coronavirus arrive it will possibly be lost beneath a triple-figure coronavirus conspiracy wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am reading social media responses that have  gone from conspiracy theory to conspiracy conviction, the favourite expressions of which are \u2018on purpose\u2019, \u2018crash the global economy\u2019, \u2018they <\/em>want people to distrust one another\u2019 and the valedictory \u2018the damage has been done\u2019. In this mindset the only wave that it is credible is that we have already waved goodbye to life as we knew it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous articles:<\/strong>
Article 1: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 1 [20 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 2: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 6 [25 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 3: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 7 [26 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 4: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 9 [28 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 5: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 10 [29 March 2020]<\/a>
Article 6: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 16 [4 April 2020]<\/a>
Article 7: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 19 [7 April 2020]<\/a>
Article 8: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 35 [23 April 2020]<\/a>
Article 9: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 52 [10 May 2020]<\/a>
Article 10: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 54 [12 May 2020]<\/a>
Article 11: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 65 [23 May 2020]<\/a>
Article 12: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 74 [1 June 2020]<\/a>
Article 13: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 84 [11 June 2020]<\/a>
Article 14: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 98 [25 June 2020]<\/a>
Article 15: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 106 [3 July 2020]<\/a>
Article 16: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 115 [12 July 2020]<\/a>
Article 17: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 138 [30 July 2020]<\/a>
Article 18: Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 141 [2 August 2020]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, in Russia, I quote from InfoRos: <\/em>\u201cThere will be no second wave of the coronavirus infection in Russia, Russia\u2019s former chief sanitary doctor and now a member of the lower parliament house, Gennady Onishchenko, said on Tuesday.\u201d [https:\/\/inforos.ru\/en\/?module=news&action=view&id=112523<\/a> : published 29 July 2020; accessed 30 August 2020]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Severity of COVID-19 cases may increase in second wave, scientist says<\/strong>
\u201cAccording to the scientist, the novel coronavirus infection is likely to have three waves and it will be possible to return to the accustomed way of living only by the summer 2021\u201d [TASS Russian News Agency: https:\/\/tass.com\/society\/1193965<\/a> : published 26 August 2020; accessed 30 August 2020]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile in the UK, the situation as reported is markedly different, as this 28 August 2020 headline from The Telegraph<\/em> shows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highest UK virus total in three months adds to second wave fears<\/strong>
\u201cTotal of 1,522 new infections in one day is the biggest since June 12\u201d [https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2020\/08\/27\/highest-uk-virus-total-three-months-adds-second-wave-fears\/<\/a> : accessed 30 August 2020].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But just look at this conflicting array of UK headlines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coronavirus: Hospital staff prepare for possible second wave<\/strong> (BBC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NO SECOND WAVE More coronavirus outbreaks will come this winter, but Europe will avoid \u2018horror\u2019 of a second wave<\/strong> (The Sun<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will there be a second wave of coronavirus in the UK? If cases of Covid-19 could surge again in UK<\/strong>
\u201cWith lockdown restrictions eased across the UK to varying degrees, concerns amongst experts are growing in regard to the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus cases if social distancing guidelines are not adhered to\u201d [Edinburgh Evening News<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UK researchers warn of much worse 2nd virus wave<\/strong> (Anodolu Agency)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going on the headline sample above, for the first time in my life I am tempted to stay with The Sun<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it is not only the \u2018will there be, or won\u2019t there be a second wave\u2019, it is should we all be wearing masks? Does social distancing work or is it counter-productive to herd immunity? Are we supposed to be exercising some kind of self-imposed isolation? If it is alright to go to work, why is it not alright for children to go to school? If masks have to be worn on public transport and in shops, how come it is still alright to go to cafes, bars and restaurants? How many \u2018spikes\u2019 in Covid-19 resulted from non-social distancing during the BLM riots? How many Covid-19 cases have resulted from holiday-period hotel stays and crowded seaside resorts?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, in the midst of all this confusion, I have not yet mentioned ~ although I am just about to ~ when does the vaccine cometh and, as sure as night follows day, when it does have you decided which camp you belong in? In other words, are you an opt-in vaxxer, an anti-vaxxer or a resist-at-all-costs vaxxer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I read this really amusing article ~ it was not meant to be ~ published by The Conversation<\/em>. Never heard of them? Neither have I. You will find the article here: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/should-a-covid-19-vaccine-be-compulsory-and-what-would-this-mean-for-anti-vaxxers-143742<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This \u2018know your rights\u2019 article strikes me as funny as it contains the sort of tautology that Ronnie Barker would have been at home with, and it would not look out of place in Jonathan Swift\u2019s biting satire, Gulliver\u2019s Travels, <\/em>in which Swift sends up political and bureaucratic aggrandisement as so much windbag waffle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The polemics of compulsory vaccination can be overcome by self-isolating where nobody can get at you ~ I would suggest asking Mrs Doctor Who if you can jump into her box ~ or by inventing the first social-distancing personal force-field, guaranteed to prevent anyone entering your personal space inside the one-metre limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I contemplate these options, I will continue with the second phase trial of my unique vaccine against confused messages, which is to see all, believe nothing and to take heed of Frank Sinatra singing ‘I did it My Way’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"On
VACCINATE! VACCINATE!!<\/strong>
(Photo credit: <\/strong>https:\/\/www.needpix.com\/photo\/download\/449638\/dalek-robot-white-science-fiction-future-fun-alien-futuristic<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Copyright \u00a9 2018-2021 Mick Hart. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 169 [30 August 2020] Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye … As we get set to wave goodbye to summer, and goodbye to the waves as they roll along the golden sands, the question that seems to be foremost in almost everybody\u2019s mind is are we about to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[75,6],"tags":[531,392,409,293,231,390,554,553,451],"class_list":["post-2075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diary-2019-2020","category-kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary","tag-covid-19-vaccine-race","tag-covid-19-masks-in-russia","tag-covid-19-vaccine-is-it-a-myth","tag-diary-of-a-self-isolator-in-kaliningrad","tag-diary-of-self-isolating-kaliningrad","tag-do-masks-stop-covid-19","tag-englishman-on-covid-in-russia","tag-mick-hart-self-isolating-in-russia","tag-will-rioters-catch-covid-19"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1882,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/second-wave-coronavirus-a-new-east-west-divide\/","url_meta":{"origin":2075,"position":0},"title":"Second Wave Coronavirus a New East West Divide","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"30 \u0438\u044e\u043b\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 138 [30 July 2020] It will all be over by Christmas ... As the world\u2019s media focuses upon the race to see which country can get the first Covid-19 vaccine off the starting blocks, amidst wild accusations of vaccine poaching and dramatic speculation that the\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2019\/2020"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2019\/2020","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2019-2020\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Upeended-boat-Rz.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Upeended-boat-Rz.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Upeended-boat-Rz.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Upeended-boat-Rz.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3018,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/no-lockdown-in-kaliningrad-russia\/","url_meta":{"origin":2075,"position":1},"title":"No Lockdown in Kaliningrad Russia","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"18 \u044f\u043d\u0432\u0430\u0440\u044f, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 310 [18 January 2021]or Business as Usual Published: 18 January 2021 There is no lockdown in Kaliningrad, Russia. In fact, I think I am right in saying, and I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, that there is no lockdown across\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2021"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2021","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2021\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Bottle-with-mask-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3180,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/russia-aims-for-pre-covid-near-normality\/","url_meta":{"origin":2075,"position":2},"title":"Russia aims for pre-Covid Near Normality","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"10 \u0444\u0435\u0432\u0440\u0430\u043b\u044f, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 333 [10 February 2021]or Russia's Near Normal vs the West's New Normal Published: 10 February 2021 ~ Russia aims for pre-Covid Near Normality There are a few weeks to go yet before I can legitimately celebrate my first Covid self-isolation anniversary, but as that peculiar\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2021"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2021","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2021\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Russia aims for pre-Covid Near Normality","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/zulmaury-saavedra-zh0J32MrJfA-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=674%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/zulmaury-saavedra-zh0J32MrJfA-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=674%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/zulmaury-saavedra-zh0J32MrJfA-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=674%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2828,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/2020-memories-are-made-of-this\/","url_meta":{"origin":2075,"position":3},"title":"2020 Memories are made of this","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"31 \u0434\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0431\u0440\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 292 [31 December 2020]or Goodbye 2020, if I never see you again will it be too soon? Published: 31 December 2020 ~ 2020 Memories are made of this The End is Nigh! Well, you would think so from the aggregated hype bubbling furiously over the\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "Diary 2019\/2020"","block_context":{"text":"Diary 2019\/2020","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/kaliningrad-mick-harts-diary\/diary-2019-2020\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Happy 2021 from Zelenogradsk Russia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Happy-New-Year-FROM-ZELENOGRADSK-russia-2021.png?fit=554%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Happy-New-Year-FROM-ZELENOGRADSK-russia-2021.png?fit=554%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Happy-New-Year-FROM-ZELENOGRADSK-russia-2021.png?fit=554%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1294,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/isolation-restrictions-change-in-kaliningrad\/","url_meta":{"origin":2075,"position":4},"title":"Isolation Restrictions Change in Kaliningrad","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"12 \u043c\u0430\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Diary of a Self-isolator: Day 54 [12 May 2020] Published: 12 May 2020 A round-up of coronavirus news in Kaliningrad It is official: \u2018universal self-isolation\u2019 in the Kaliningrad region is no longer operational1 and many people are back to work. 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What are they? Think Vaccination Passports in the UK and you are on the right track. 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