Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain: 19.4.20

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.   

- Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain*

COVID-19 ROUNDUP

General

o A leading German virologist has said, “There is no significant risk of catching the disease when you go shopping. Staying inside for a longer time can lead to weakening of our immune system.”  

o The drug remdesivir is being tested at 15 NHS centres and results are expected within weeks

Leaked reports have suggested it works rapidly.

o A US trial suggests the percentage of people without symptoms but with antibodies is much higher than previously thought. If this is confirmed by other trials, it will have significant positive implications for the strategy of dealing with the virus.

Spain: The government says it'll ease the harshest lockdown in the world, to allow children under 12 to go outside, albeit briefly. But not the rest of us yet, unless we're going to a (police) approved shop or pharmacy, for a (police) approved variety of products.

Germany: 

o Germany's health minister says the month-long lockdown has brought his country's coronavirus outbreak under control.

o Worryingly, one expert has said that the country's early successes could well lead to successive waves and a higher than currently expected number of deaths.

The USA: Says one observer:  The police in the US know it’s suicide to enforce stay-at-home lockdowns like those in Italy or Spain. Says a lot about the country, I guess.

Sweden: Domestic criticism of the government - said to be unusual in this consensus-biased country - is reported to be growing in respect of the herd immunity strategy which has put Sweden below the worst-affected countries but well above its neighbours in the deaths per million of population.

The UK:  

o Modeling shows that any route out of the coronavirus crisis requires widespread testing, to allow a choreographed end to the lockdown and economies to come back to life.  In Britain, the ongoing shortage of tests means a return to any semblance of normal life could be far slower than other countries.

o To be positive . . . The 99-year-old World War II veteran, captain Tom Moore, has now raised over £25m for the NHS. Against an initial target of just 1,000.

China: A new study published last week of China’s outbreaks in January and February lends credence to the concern that the strategy of locking people in their homes is actually spreading more cases among families while also preventing herd immunity from developing among the broader population. It turns out that keeping people inside and shutting down everything except mass transit might be the most counterproductive epidemiology strategy imaginable.   

Life in the Time of Something Like Cholera

• The New York Times reports here on the awful plight of Spain's kids during the last 5 weeks, and the damage it might cause them.
• Maria's Day 35.
• Another query answered: Residents on urbanisations or in apartment blocks are not allowed to use communal facilities such as swimming pools, gardens or terraces. The football-playing kids and youths in my community don't seem to have got this message. 
• And another: Vans with only front seats are allowed to carry one passenger as well as the driver, as long as they sit at opposite ends. Unlike the police and Guardia Civil officers who never drive alone but always sit closely together in pairs. And don't wear masks. IGIMSTS
• Rule breaking: Mariano Rajoy, the former prime minister has been going out for a walk around the block every morning. I agree with María that - unlike the rest of us - he's unlikely to be fined for this.
• Which type of citizen are you? See the article below for the categories.

Normal Life in Spain

Not much of this right now . . 

• Some wine recommendations.
• Believe it or believe it not this is bad news for me. I'm fed up of crap corks and wish producers would move to the screw tops of the New World. Certainly no corking with these. But it ain't going to happen in conservative Iberia.
• A Day in the Life
• At least some animals are out and about.
• Environmentalists claim that the poisoning of a bear thought to have attacked livestock and horses is being covered up by officials. Up in Cataluña,  5-year-old male was pronounced dead a day after wildlife officials had been testing a 'bear repellent'.  

The USA  

Spanish

• Words of the Day:- 

1. Tercio: Unit of the Spanish army.
2. Paradero: Posting; Whereabouts. 

Finally . . .

• The podcast on the Civil War I'm currently enjoying always starts with a stirring Republican song called Si me quieres escribir. To which I've finally worked out all the words:-

Si me quieres escribir

Ya sabes mi paradero

Tercera Brigada Mixta [Alternative version: En le frente de Gandesa]

Primera línea de fuego

Aunque me tiren el puente

Y también la pasarela

Me verás pasar el Ebro

En un barquito de vela

Diez mil veces que los tiren

Diez mil veces los haremos

Tenemos cabeza dura

Los del Cuerpo de Ingenieros.

There are several versions of this on Youtube but I think this is the one of the podcast. Enjoy.

THE ARTICLE    

Troublemaker or realist: coronavirus lockdown tribes

Are you a TikTok fanatic or a classic film buff? Do you prefer the cut of the suits at Zara or at M&S? Your answers to questions like these could give a clue as to what kind of social-distancer you are, according to research that has tracked behavioral responses to the nationwide lockdown. The study, which surveyed 2,000 British adults, has broken the population down into five broad groups based on their reaction to life under quarantine and the personality traits that they are most associated with.

The survey, conducted online, found that the largest group - 33% - was made up of “pragmatic realists”, who support the government and are complying with its measures. Those in the group are typically better educated and from a higher socio-economic background than other types. They are typically older, watch more television and shop at Marks & Spencer.

“Nervous dependants” comprise the second largest category, around a quarter of interviewees. These people are most scared by the pandemic and are pessimistic about the future, believing the lockdown will go on for at least another 6 months. They are more likely to trust accepted scientific authority figures, and are very supportive of the NHS. This category is the most left-leaning and those within it typically work in teaching, the arts and healthcare. They cite Zara and Primark as their favourite clothing brands.

“Resentful pessimists” make up just 20%  of the population. These people hold a negative perspective on the future as shaped by the virus but feel aggrieved at losing their freedoms and view most government interventions as unacceptable They consume less news than other groups.

Around 14% of people fall into the category of “deluded optimists”. Typically male and from a poorer background, they are least afraid of the virus or the toll that it will take. Accordingly, they have moderated their behaviour less than others, and are more likely to continue doing as they please. They watch less television than others but are more frequent visitors to YouTube and online chat forums.

Just over 10% of respondents fell into the “sceptical troublemakers” group. These people are also not scared by the pandemic and are the most likely to actively go against public health guidance. They are more likely to be young, male and comfortable. They name Audi and BMW as their favourite car brands.

Mark Turnbull, chief executive of the research company said that the results are a warning to the government that any new measures will have different effects on different people, due to the population’s varied responses to the crisis. “With the lockdown of British life set to continue for another 3 weeks, it’s worth considering that we all have different emotional responses to this situation, as our analysis shows,” he said. “Although the simple universal message ‘Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives’ has been effective, managing expectations on more sensitive issues like lifting the lockdown may require a more nuanced approach.”

 *A terrible book, by the way. Don't be tempted to buy it, unless you're a very religious Protestant.