Love in the Time of Coronavirus.

You Still Alive and Kicking? I checked in with my precious older sister Esme and my brother-in-law Ray last night. It was morning in Blighty and evening in Oz. And guess what popped into the conversation? The friggin’ Black Death! Like the rest of the world, I didn’t see COVID19 coming. Or for that matter, the Black Death being a topic of conversation for my elderly, kith and kin to happily chat about! Obviously, being in their late 70s and early 80s, they didn’t actually remember first-hand the bubonic plague but it was a surreal experience non-the-less. 'Which is worse, Coronavirus or the plague?' Search me? I was just phoning to see if you were alright! They’re both in the sweet-spot, demographic for the virus to have its evil way, so you can understand my concern.

A Short History of Virus. As a life-long student of history, it got me thinking about the similarities between the two. Both spread rapidly between countries around the globe, catching governments all over the world with their metaphorical pants down. Thought to have started in Wuhan, China in December of 2019, Coronavirus has infected nearly 500,000 people, with nearly 20,000 deaths worldwide. (As of 25.03.2020) Declared a pandemic by The World Health Organisation, earlier this month. It had previously been classified as a mere epidemic, COVID19’s worldwide reach, in the age of easy air travel, was given an upgrade. Both COVID 19 and the Black Death, unfortunately look like they’re going to leave an indelible mark in our children’s history books, as two of the most deadly outbreaks the human race has ever seen.

An epidemic, not a pandemic! Sweeping through 14th Century Europe, The Black Death, an epidemic of the plague, is thought to have originated in China as well. It took a tour of the Middle East first, before crossing over into mainland Europe, courtesy of Italian trade routes. The plague ravaged Europe’s population, with estimates of up to 60% wiped out! The bacteria, wonderfully named ‘Yersinia Pestis’, can cause a number of plagues and is usually spread to humans by fleas living on small animals, like rats and mice. Worryingly, (if we didn’t have enough to worry about), the plague isn’t a thing of the past, as it still exists to this day. But thankfully, things have moved on somewhat from the Middle Ages and we now have a better understanding of how to deal effectively with it. With most modern-day cases occurring in African countries like the Congo and Madagascar.

As Serial Killers go, which one’s worse? Mercifully, COVID-19’s fatality rate appears to be much lower than the plague’s 14th Century head count, of upward of 50 million. Bubonic plague, it’s most common form, would torture its victims with horribly swollen lymph nodes or ‘buboes’. Infected souls had just a 50/50 chance of cheating the grim reaper. Although extremely worrying if you contract it, COVID19 seems to be a much less vicious killer. Other, more recent outbreaks like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), seem to have a much higher mortality rate. Which is great news but only if we continue to follow the rules. Frequently washing our hands, maintaining social distancing, while religiously practicing respiratory hygiene. As well as seeking medical care early, if we have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing.

Social Media: The biggest carrier? The only good thing about the Black Death, was that it wasn’t plagued with Social Media and the instant spread of numerous conspiracy theories. Lots of them have been doing the rounds and spreading like wildfire. Is Coronavirus an elaborate distraction from something THEY don’t want us to focus on? Was COVID19 constructed in test-tubes by shady scientists in lab coats? Are the plots of films like '28 Days Later', ‘Outbreak’ and 'Pandemic’, simply downloads from Nostradamus? Did Aliens land on the White House lawn, see that President Trump tested negatively and got the f*** out at warp speed? Are we being systematically culled by members of a faceless Illuminati? Or are these theories viruses in themselves? They certainly spread quicker than COVID19! In the days before conspiracy theories, we had good old-fashioned rumours. Little snippets of facts, Chinese-whispered over a million garden fences or while queuing at the butchers. Like Coronavirus, you can’t see a rumour or its cousin, the conspiracy theory but like COVID19, it can starve you of the oxygen you need to think clearly in a time of crisis.

Love in the Time of Coronavirus. Apart from referencing the Black Death, my sister Esme and her husband Ray, mentioned a recurring, occurrence that highlights how much our lives have changed, in a very short time. Although living within walking distance to their daughter Marion and their grandchildren, they were strictly practicing social distancing. They hadn’t physically seen their loved ones, for weeks. The only contact was on FaceTime or through the front windows of their home. Marion and the kids would walk past and knock on a windowpane to say ‘hi’ to Nanny and Grandad. It was one of the saddest things I’d ever heard. Like Gabriel García Márquez’s novel, ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’, all our lives are now set in a time where an unborn author, might set an epic tale of unrequited love. Hopefully, in six months or so, we can all come out safely from behind the glass to embrace our kids and grandkids again. An elbow-bump just doesn’t cut it like a full on human hug. But in these crazy days it just might save a life. Either yours or more importantly theirs.