Do NOT disturb (please)!

Daisy loves to curl up in a newly changed bed, especially when she is wet. It has rained on and off all day, interspersed with bright sunshine. I, of course, have been at home, apart from taking the recycling bin out and bringing it back!! I took in deep gulps of fresh air and walked around the garden. It was very windy, hence the indoor blip.

It's been very busy today. I was up in good time and did ironing before and after the Zoom meeting with the photo group. Good crack as always.

I had a short sleep and was woken by my old friend Kathy. We were at grammar school together, many moons ago. There are some people you just take up with immediately after a gap. We have not spoken for a few months and it was great to hear her. We decided that we are both surviving .

Then it was a highlight of the week/month with a symposium on Coronavirus from the Royal Society of Medicine. This was an international event with (I think) 8000 attending (can that be correct)?  I now feel I am much more up to date with the virus and its effects.

The respiratory physicians kicked off, but they were unfocused and I didn't learn anything. They mainly talked about how they prepared their hospitals for the pandemic.

The cardiologists were superb. Each one, with just a few minutes in which to speak, had a prepared talk and spoke clearly and well. (I did wonder how the translation into Russian was going!)

The neurologists and psychologists were also very good. Then we had a panel speaking about future treatments and vaccines.

The sponsor of the event was Dr Moshe Kantor of the Kantor Foundation. I had not heard of this charitable foundation before. He planned to make the opening remarks but technology failed and he joined part way through. I was impressed by what he said about the widespread effects of the pandemic, not just affecting physical and mental health but communities and governments. I want to hear him again to take in what he said about Europe after the Spanish 'flu of 1918 and the unrest and extremism that sprang up in different countries.

Somehow I managed to cook Mum's evening meal while listening to the closing remarks. I'm particularly interested in the psychological and neurological effects of the virus. Simon Wessely reminded us of the encephalitis lethargica that followed the Spanish 'flu and the devastating consequences.

Tonight we were just about ready to watch University Challenge when Anthony phoned. He is my cousin Maureen's younger son. He and the family are in the UK from Austria on holiday and hoped to come to see us this week on their way to the ferry home. Sadly it's not possible because I am isolating. Great chat with him but it would have been brilliant to see the four of them.

University Challenge will wait until another day, so no spoilers please!!

I never quite finished the ironing today. What a surprise!