2506 cases
Recovered: 410
Deceased: 34

Today I am knocked for a 6. The whole day was centered around The Trump’s withdrawal of US funding for the WHO (which amounted to about $400 million last year – funds badly needed right now), and The Trump’s committee of covidiots (his so-called expert doctors and expert businessmen who is helping decide to re-open the US completely). Fortunately it seems as if some of his “absolute decision-making power” is curtailed, as he high-tailed it back from his stance on “I make the call” to “No guys, it is in the hands of the state governors”.

We breached the 2500 count today, with 34 people deceased. Still there are people criticising our government’s decision on lockdown. It is early days to tell whether our early lockdown has had an impact on our infection numbers, but yet it does seem as if the curve is flatter on the SA stats. Is this due to lower infection numbers, or not enough tests yet? Too early to tell.

We have winter on the way, and soon. Our medical teams are racing against the clock to contain the virus as much as possible. It thrives in colder temperatures, and this winter might be our undoing.

Professor Salim Abdool Karim, the chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group, did a full presentation which was shared by the media. This is insightful, and scary. The part I found that summed everything up for me was this:

By 18th April, will know if community transmission interpretation accurate (~67 cases/day; CI: 45 – 89)

Epidemiological (Ro ) criterion for lockdown – if average daily cases (- active screening) from 10 – 16 April is: • 90+, then continue lockdown • 45 – 89 AND CHW rate is >0.1% then continue lockdown • 45 – 89 AND CHW rate is <0.1% then ease lockdown • < 44, then ease lockdown

Right now, I try my best not to worry. In 1948 Dale Carnegie wrote a book: How To Stop Worrying and Start Living. Every word of this book is as applicable today as it was back then. I read this book first in my twenties, and make an effort to reread it at least once a year. I found a little YouTube video illustrating some of the points. This might be helpful to someone who doesn’t enjoy reading as much.

Daily reminder: I can do absolutely nothing about Covid-19. I can do nothing about how it affects our community, our town, our businesses, our country, our world. I can do nothing about the people out there who still go about as if this is nothing serious at all. I can do something about how I react, and today I choose to not react with fear. I react with hope. It is hard, and it is a choice, but hope it is.