Virus Protection - Day One

The breaking news on Thursday evening that some footballers had been isolated because they may have contracted the virus, predictably, resulted in a full-scale response by the football authorities who have now cancelled all major games until April at the earliest.  Government advice or not, it appears that we shall now be swept up in a spiral of cancellations with each authority terrified as being branded as complacent.  The next stage for Mushroom, being elderly, appears to be being instructed to stay at home and avoid socialising for up to 3 months during the summer.  This is a bleak prospect but, apparently, necessary given that peak infection will occur in 10 to 14 weeks and could probably recur later in the year.

I have no intention of joining the rapidly swelling ranks of armchair experts but, reading my newspaper, it seems that the Government strategy is to keep the numbers requiring medical care within the surge capability of the NHS resources.  We hear, from Italy, that doctors are having to make life or death decisions, like a battlefield dressing station, because of limited resources.  Thus, the government strategy seems sensible and would be consistent with an overall aim of minimising fatal casualties. 

 

Being locked down and taking protective measures was a feature of my Cold War service in the RAF.  We knew that the Warsaw Pact could deploy chemical and biological weapons which were designed to either kill or incapacitate NATO forces. At the very least, such attacks could overwhelm medical resources and reduce the will to fight.  At their worst some substances would kill quickly and horribly (like Salisbury).  We wore protective clothing and took elaborate measures to operate in a clean environment accordingly.  Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) protection was a fundamental element of our fighting posture and was exercised regularly.  Tactical evaluations of fighting efficiency were always made under the threat of NBC attack.  Unfortunately, NBC protection came at a huge cost to fighting efficiency.  Working outside on aircraft, refuelling and rearming, for example, required all personnel to wear protective clothing – charcoal over suits, rubber gloves and a claustrophobic respirator face-mask.  Such clothing was cumbersome and very hot and greatly limited the amount that could be done.  When the outside shift was finished, personnel would have to discard their “dirty” clothing before decontamination and rest in a “clean” area.  All time consuming and frustrating for those waiting in line for entry.  Flying the aircraft was similarly complicated.  Additional to charcoal suits worn over normal flying clothing, aircrew would wear an AR5 breathing apparatus and carry portable filtration devices which would be discarded after plugging in to the aircraft oxygen system.  After flying the mission both the pilot and the aircraft would be considered “dirty” and handled accordingly.  On the aircraft I flew I was not aware of anyone flying even a practice mission in full NBC kit and AR5 but we practiced it in the flight simulator.  It was a steaming hot, physically demanding and disorientating experience.  All things considered, it was wise for commanders at all levels to match the level of protection to the actual threat and not jump the gun in anticipation.  There was no point in going about one’s business fully suited up if there was no immediate threat of attack – this sort of procedure came under the category of “practice bleeding.”  Yet, despite the scrutiny of the exercise evaluators, personnel would short cut and cheat, anything to minimise the discomfort.

So I think the Prime Minister must face a similar dilemma.  Implementing immediate draconian isolation measures and lockdown, which do not come without considerable economic and social cost, but as freely advocated by some armchair experts, could backfire if they lost  public support.  The best way through this crisis is through firm leadership and public discipline – I do not envy those who must make some very big decisions on our behalf.

At a practical level we propose to spend most of the forthcoming weeks at Mushroom Cottage.  The football match at Newcastle tomorrow has been cancelled so that saves me the anguish of a decision. Pity, despite Sheffield United's lofty position, I thought we would win this one. The England cricket team are flying home from Sri Lanka having left the field in mid-session and all other sport and mass entertainment is being systematically cancelled.  Otherwise, it could have been good news for people like me who, as BT customers, finally got rid of the capriciously selective Sky Sports Main Event in favour of their Big Sport package which includes all the sports channels and is a lot cheaper.  Except, that there will be no live sport to watch so we must brace ourselves for a diet of great sporting moment repeats.  The Bridge Club remains open for the time being but I doubt if it can continue – the prospect of forty or fifty mainly old people in a stuffy room together for about 3 hours and all touching the same playing cards seems a rather risky health venture, despite its social good.

Which leaves the garden - soaking wet and resplendent from winter neglect.  This morning I dug over the vegetable patch.  Tomorrow for tomato seed planting and I may make a start on scarifying the lawn, if its dry enough.  There is plenty to keep me busy over the next few weeks and when I tire of physical labour I can enjoy the newspaper online, various periodical delivered by post, and Adam Bede on my Kindle.  To mitigate the enforced separation, we have the internet and WhatsApp for video calls to the Grandson.  And, of course, I have this Blog to write!  On Day One, morale is reasonably high.