Chronicles of COVID-19

Title

Diarmuid, West Cork

Contributor

Diarmuid

Subject

COVID-19 (Disease)

Coverage

Ireland; Cork; 2020s:

Date

12 April 2020

Language

English

Creator

Cork Folklore Project

Rights

Cork Folklore Project

Description

GENERAL PHYSICAL LOCATION RIGHT NOW

Clonakilty district, rural, about 3 miles from town.

USUAL LOCATION

Same

Q. 1 STAGES

I recall reading about this new virus found in China early in the year in January and February and medical experts warning that it could have the potential to be worse than Sars and Swine flu. I well recall the Swine flu of about a decade ago - I thought I would never get over it. My wife (retired nurse) and myself (retired farmer) have underlying medical problems- I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and she is an asthmatic - both of us agreed if this new virus was as bad as the Swine flu, neither of us would survive it. I strongly suspect that the Chinese authorities tried to cover up the extent of the casualties initially until they had no option but to disclose the numbers. Here in Ireland, I think we were to the forefront of European countries in recognising the dangers of Covid -19 and heeding the advice of our medical experts. In this regard it probably helped that our caretaker Taoiseach was himself an ex-doctor.

Q. 2 EVERYDAY ROUTINE

Since both my wife and myself are over 70, we are obliged to cocoon. We haven't stirred outside of our driveway with three weeks. It was our regular practice several times a week to drive into town, pick up a few groceries and have our lunch out. Afterwards we would go for a drive - nearly always around the coast. We miss this a lot. But we have put a new routine in place. Now we get up around 9 o’clock, have breakfast, watch a TV programme, usually a quiz show with Ann Robinson on TG4. Next go online, lookup latest news, weather and deaths. Missing funerals of relatives and friends is especially hard. Also missing birthdays of grandchildren. We are fortunate our youngest daughter lives near us with her husband and 3 children, aged 6, 8 and 9 years. Every so often they would cross the lawn to the front of our house and we would talk with them through the window. My wife is a bridge player so she would go online and could stay playing for hours on end while I could do a bit of reading.

Q. 3 GROUPS

Since we cannot go out and our nearest neighbour is our daughter who lives about 200 yards away we have not been able to observe other people. We know from her that she and family go for regular walks and cycles up to the 2km limit. They are very fortunate they have their own large well equipped playground next to their house. They built a new house out here in the country two years ago, prior to that they were in a rented house in the town in a cramped estate.

Q. 4 WAYS WE TALK

My mobile conversations revolve around local news, i.e. who has picked up the virus: there is a whole ward of patients in the Community hospital affected including nurses and care staff. I would generally make 2 or 3 calls to the same friends every day or vice versa.

Q. 5 COMMUNITY RESPONSE

We have a dedicated community number if we need anything delivered. Also the Gardaí Siochana have supplied us with their community alert number. As well, one can ring in your order to the Co-Op store and they will deliver to your door free of charge.

Q. 6 THOUGHTS AND PREOCCUPATIONS

No Response.

Q. 7 SIMILARITY TO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

No Response.

Q. 8 CHALLENGES AND COPING

No Response.

Q. 9 THE FUTURE

A realisation that a pandemic like COVID-19 can occur anytime with no known antidote or cure. I can see another recession heading our way.

Q. 10 IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT SPRINGS TO MIND?

We are lucky both my wife and myself are well able to occupy ourselves. We have friends that separated shortly before the outbreak of the virus. They too were lucky. We dread to think what could or would have happened if the pair of them had they been cooped up together for weeks on end. Maybe address mental health issues a bit more i.e. do you get bored? Fed up? Anxiety attack? How did you combat/handle this?

Q. 11 IN A NUTSHELL

It brings to mind the vulnerability of certain groups in society i.e. the aged, those living alone, the less well-off, immigrants, addicts, those with mental health issues. This most certainly will not be the last pandemic to hit the world.

age

70+

gender

Male