Saturday 29
February, 2020
T minus one
week and I am packing my case for Sri Lanka. The virus panic is spreading by
the minute – Iran, South Korea, Italy, USA – but Sri Lanka has only one reported
case (and he recovered). The England cricket team has decided it is safe to go there for the tour,
and if it’s good enough for them (and their no doubt uber-cautious insurance company)
then it’s good enough for us.
UK press headlines
are roiling with accusations against the government for not being prepared –
which is not completely fair as there are only 20-odd cases here so far. When
you think of how much the Brits travel, that is not many at all. I do fear,
however, that the NHS is not prepared for an onslaught of people needing hospitalization.
For some obscure reason, they hospitalize flu patients each winter, leading to
a shortage of beds every year. Hospitals are 87% full at the moment.
Our friends
in Thailand have been alternatively excited and panicked. Unless Thais are confined to base, he (an intrepid Brit) will come with us but his Thai wife will not. The news there is even more hyped than in the West, and she is very nervous of catching the virus.
Living in London, there are a million viruses flying around the tube, the theatres, the pubs every day. I do not intend to seal myself away at home in hopes of not catching something. Sri Lanka, here we come.
This will be our first stop: http://nationalzoo.gov.lk/elephantorphanage/about_us/
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