waiting for nothing to happen; social distancing, more or less

I'm glad I got my MRI Wednesday and my drug infusion Thursday; MGH announced yesterday that they were cancelling all elective surgery and procedures for the next three weeks, and other local hospitals are likely to do the same. (The timing was sheer luck--I booked that infusion months ago, and on my way out they handed me my next appointment date, in September.)

We're waiting for nothing to happen in the sense that each of us individually can hope that this outbreak will pass us by, and that there's no defined endpoint: no point at which the experts, or the people making decisions, will announce that we can go back to our normal lives.

I went to adrian_turtle's last night, as usual. I stopped for groceries on the way there, and saw the Stop and Shop staff busily restocking shelves of canned goods. They were very low on root vegetables, but I found the yams, and there was plenty of cabbage.

Adrian and I had a good time, despite worrying about the coronavirus news. (There's no reason to think either of us is infected, this is a broader concern.) Before leaving her place this morning, I called Quebrada bakery and confirmed that they were open. I decided I could stretch social distancing as far as standing in front of a counter to order and pay for pastries. The buses were uncrowded and still on their relatively frequent schedule. Nonetheless, my plan is not to go anywhere beyond walking distance until Tuesday, when I have a doctor's appointment. (More routine follow-up stuff, but I do need to see her.)

I spoke to my mother just now; she has a ticket to fly back to London tomorrow, after which she will be self-isolating for two weeks. Given that she buried her sister two days ago, she probably wouldn't have wanted to do much even if the world had been proceeding as normal.

I guess I will be doing more Duolingo French. I can keep up with my exercises, since I do them at home anyhow, and it would do no harm to at least tidy my desk.

PSA: coronavirus and NSAIDs

The French minister of health is advising people who have, or think they have, coronavirus to avoid anti-inflammatory drugs because they can reduce the body's immune response. So, if you need/want to reduce a fever, he advises paracetemol (=acetominophen = Tylenol). What the article doesn't mention is that it's often better not to reduce a relatively mild fever, because the fever is part of how the body fights infections.

I tend to be a bit nervous about acetominophen, because it's relatively easy to take more than is safe while thinking you're following the package instructions. So, the standard warnings: watch out for pills with more than one active ingredient, and don't mix acetominophen and alcohol. And, if you're like me, keep a record of how much you take and when. And of course consult your doctor, pharmacist, or other qualified health care provider for advice.