Captain’s Log Stardate 202004.4
Day one of the official quarantine. Day 17 of the unofficial. Does this ship come with an escape hatch? Perhaps if Mr. Scott could tune the engines of the Enterprise for a sling shot journey around the sun, we could go backwards in time to Wuhan China and end this pandemic before it started.
Coronavirus – what an insidious name! How it allures and entices and traps. The name is derived from the fact that under electron microscopic examination, each virion, each infective form of the virus, is surrounded by a “corona,” or a halo. A halo. The symbol of holiness and deity. What a diabolical trick!
But to return to time warp. When the coronavirus began to spread, Mongolia took sensible precautions. It halted border crossings from China, and imposed travel bans on people from South Korea and Japan, the other epicenters of the pandemic at the time. Yet the virus found its way to Mongolia, where the “index case” – the first infected person – was a Frenchman who had met with 42 people. Another 120 individuals had close contact with him. And the halo was in Mongolia.
As of this Stardate, there are 1,138,646 known cases on Planet Earth. 61,142 have died. There are currently 841,319 infected patients. 236,185 have recovered. Without the option of time travel, quarantine seems to be the best option. We will get there. We will.
Captain out.
For the inspiration, thank you, Amy.
👉 When you go to Google to look up something, do you notice that the logo changes from day to day? And did you notice that if you point at it with the mouse, an explanation will pop up explaining the oft-times esoteric image? This one says: “Stay home. Save lives. Help stop coronavirus.”
👉 Maybe I watch too many cooking shows (but you gotta love The Great British Bake Off), however with grocery store shelves stocked with empty spaces instead of toilet paper, I found this amusing – a cake baked in the shape of a roll of TP, accompanied by suspicious looking cupcakes.
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| (Source: Kiss Me Cakes Bakery and Dessert Shop Photo) |
👉 A different story that is also sure to bring a smile to your face is the following from WPXI Channel 11 Pittsburgh. There is a potential vaccine for COVID-19, doctors and researchers from UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh announced April 2, 2020.
The potential vaccine is being called PittCoVacc, short for Pittsburgh Coronavirus Vaccine. The vaccine is delivered through a fingertip-sized patch, and produces what is thought to be enough antibodies to neutralize the virus.
The process of applying for an investigational new drug approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been fast tracked, with anticipation of starting a Phase 1 human clinical trial in the next few months.
👉 A reader of this blog told me that one of her children slept from 4 p.m. until the following morning at 7 a.m. I guess the youngster does not read “Family Circus” by Bil and Jeff Keane.
👉 There are at least three readers of this blog (counting the one who writes it) who noted that April 2 was scheduled to be the 134th home opener for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wisely, sports, like other non-essentials, are closed down for now. They may play later in the year, perhaps not until September with a season totally against the members of their division, and then the playoffs. Another plan, which I don’t look forward to seeing, is for the games to be played in stadiums empty of the fans. But regardless, as much as I like baseball, it is a non-essential.
👉 Our “You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me Department” notes (to paraphrase the late Paul Harvey) that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the central figure in Democrats’ impeachment of President Donald Trump, began circulating draft legislation to investigate the President’s response to the coronavirus. In his press release on April 3, Schiff claimed the investigation is “not an exercise in casting blame or scoring political points.” And I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.
👉 Well, it’s time to wrap this one up for today. In these uncertain times, when we look to government for protection and to science for deliverance – and good on both of them – we dare not forget God’s Word:
I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
(Psalm 18:1-3)
👉 If you have two minutes and five seconds, click on this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q1Ui1eMfx8 and enjoy Psalm 18 set to music.
👉 And finally, in response to the reader who asked if I am bored staying inside ...
TTFN
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