Second Wave Scaremongering?

Heyy, 

Last week I wrote about the benefits of having to postpone our wedding and cramming in more holidays and living our even better lives, however, after some not-so-good news regarding a new opportunity I write in the same way I always do every week - Trying to look on the positive side of things. 

Week number thirteen and it honestly seems as though this will never end. Facemask for this. Queue for that. Cant go here and not allowed in there. It is getting boring and I am well and truly fed up with it all. Despite how tiresome I and many others are starting to or already finding lockdown and quarantine, I don't think we are near to the end as yet, especially so when figures from the BBC released today (Monday 10 August 2020) confirm that the number of new cases of coronavirus is rising and the death rate, though still in the low number in comparison to previous months, today is more than double last weeks reported nine. 

But is this scaremongering as the papers and media would have us believe or is it all comparative and respectful of one another? If you test more then you find more, ergo meaning the more that you test and trace this horrible virus, the more people will come back with having contracted it or be known to be infected, asymptomatic or not. It is a statistic that the more cases of detected COVID-19 the more deaths there will be as the Government grapple with the science and the research as we learn new things about it day by day and as the months go one we will be sure to learn even more. 

Is a second wave likely to happen? Well if the media outlets and news channels will have you believe, its definitive, and Mr Warehouse agrees. A keyworker himself, Mr Warehouse has some key insider information that makes us a little happier we postponed the wedding, although begrudging that an end is not in sight for no facemasks. BBC News confirms that whilst some countries are still dealing with large epidemics, but even those currently controlling the virus fear "the second wave" and that health experts in the UK are warning ministers to prepare for one following the decision to further ease restrictions in England from early July.

A conversation last weekend with my uncle over a much-needed coffee and break from the house we discussed this and the possibility that, much like the second phase of Spanish flu a century ago, the second wave was far deadlier than the first. 

Seeing a wave is simple - It is a prolonged period that rather than going down, cases and deaths continue to rise, hit a peak and then come down with each cycle being one "wave" of coronavirus. Yet there is no formal definition. "It's not particularly scientific: how you define a wave is arbitrary," Dr Mike Tildesley, from the University of Warwick, told the BBC News. For the scientists and virologists, the answer lies almost entirely with the decisions we make as members of the public and what our Government impose in terms of restrictions or easing thereof, so it could go either way. The potential is clearly there - the virus is still around and it is no less deadly or infectious than at the start of 2020. Only around 5% of people in the UK are thought to have been infected and there is no guarantee they are all immune.

Lifting lockdowns too soon and localised outbreaks not being dealt with in a serious and prompt manner could cause a second wave to start and ultimately if not dealt with swiftly can even help the steep rise in that wave. 

This all being said though, a news article from the express details quite the opposite, and that was released only just today. The risk of a second wave hitting the UK this winter has been quashed by a top doctor as the UK may soon have herd immunity he claims to the express. 

Official data from NHS England points to a huge drop in the number of coronavirus patients being treated in hospitals compared to during the height of the pandemic with one top doctor, Dr Ron Daniels, in Birmingham (one of the country's hardest-hit areas) noted last Thursday there were only three critically ill coronavirus patients across three hospitals which serve half of Birmingham's one million residents. "Comparing this with a couple of months ago, when we had almost 200 patients ventilated at any one given time, and this is a huge downturn," Dr Daniels says positively. 

Stating later on in the article that Britain is "almost reaching herd immunity" it is certainly some better news. And what he speaks makes sense. The pubs and restaurants and shops have been open well over a month now and as such the virus historically from records is that if you contract the virus and you’re going to end up in hospital, it is more than likely that this will happen within 15 days of contracting it initially. The drop of 96% since the peak of the UK's epidemic should ease fears of a deadly second round of the crisis details the express report, with some hospitals last week marking a huge milestone, declaring there was not a single COVID-19 patient on their wards. Hopefully, soon we can have more of that so we can all get back to fucking normal!

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx

The Comedown is Hard!

Olaa!

Driving Mr. Warehouse to his doctor's appointment on Friday morning I could feel the blues setting in already and it has not even been twenty-four hours yet. As the chill of autumn crept into my bones and the spitting rain settled on the windscreen of my car only to be wiped away with my automatic windscreen wipers. I remember the comedowns from the other holidays that I had, and on recalling just how bad coming back to reality after Las Vegas, I knew that I would soon change my tune. Besides, the leaves are now falling and Halloween is well on its way. Fireworks will soon be in the shops and cold winter nights will replace the long summer days. And then before you know it it will be Christmas!!! 

But enough about what the next few months entail, I know that you really want to know what the rest of our holiday in Tenerife was like you nosey-beggers! So the last time we spoke Mr Warehouse had become exceedingly drunk, and to what I recount, ate a family sized bar of chocolate only to vomit it back up moments later. After we cleaned up (and when I say we I actually just mean me) and awoke the next morning, Mr. Warehouse feeling a little bit worse for wear, we decided on a relaxing day by the pool. Now you may think that lounging  by the pool all day would sound like a blissful dream, however there are always those aforementioned parents that do not think their children need to start school at the same time as everyone else and as a result are encroaching on my holiday space, taking up sun beds and generally being a annoyance when trying to catch some rays! 

On said afternoon as I was lounging by the pool on a bed which can only be described as made from flimsy plastic, barely able to hold up my posterior. Enjoying the sunshine and enjoying exactly how hot it was in comparison to what was previously a very cold office on a Monday afternoon. Thinking about the constant ringing of the telephone and customers calling in with problems and issues put a smile on my face all in the knowledge that I did not have to deal with it for another week (and as wonderful as that may have seemed I think I was more than happy to get back to the daily Grind today). Plugging in my headphones I was loving life jamming away with my toes to Dizzee Rascal or something by Calvin Harris pretending I was at a cool party in my head, all the while covering my head and face with my large beach hat so as not to burn my forehead and nose again. 

Suddenly I felt a large drip on my belly. "Surely it can't be rain, its barely clouded over all week" I thought, "probably one of those annoying kids spraying water at me whilst their parents try to ignore them as much as everyone else" I questioned as I prepared to sit up and check. Looking around there was no children in my vicinity and not a water gun to be seen. "Hmmm" I pondered as I lay back down to crisp up. But just as I laid my head back under my massive sombrero I felt a splash of cold water hit me on the stomach and legs. There was only one person that could be. Gasping for air as the shock hit me just as much as the water had done, I whipped off my shades to look up and see Mr. Warehouse standing on the balcony clutching in empty glass and looking fairly pleased with himself. Angry, cooled-down and humoured all at the same time I dashed in and wrestled Mr. Warehouse into a tickle fight. I suppose that this is what holidays are meant for the silly occasions where you are able to be yourself and have fun. 

Tuesday Mr. Warehouse and I headed out early to get one of the first buses to the local water Park. Obviously when I say local water park it probably brings to mind silly little rides for kids, dodgy plasters floating around in the pools and nearly slipping over at every turn. But this was different. This was Siam Park. Siam Park is the best Water park in the entire world, at least according to TripAdvisor anyway. Spending most of our day on the lazy river getting burnt further, Mr. Warehouse and I did venture into the Beach area where we were knocked head over heels in a man-made tidal wave which is every combination of emotions from hearing the horrified screams of people waiting to be hit by the wave, to the excited squeals of children (OK and me as an adult) as they watch it hurtling towards them, ready to sweep them away. Mr. Warehouse braved a few rides with me as well including a dreaded "red ride". The Park as a whole follows a very simple traffic light system whereby the rides are labelled from Green which is very plain and simple family friendly rides, all the way up to read which is death-defying, exciting and wet all at the same time. I attempted a few videos of some of the rides and experiences we had in the park as well as the other things we did about the week, however despite being on the continent where buying drugs on the street is seemingly readily available they still take health and safety very seriously and as a result I was not allowed to film on most of the rides in Siam Park. 

Our last full day on the island I planned to spend in Paradise on mine and Mr. Warehouse's little private beach we found, however the boyfriend thought that it would be a good idea to gain some cultural knowledge about the island and Discover some of the delights surrounding the resorts. In a last ditch attempt to find something to do we booked ourselves on an excursion to tour the volcanic mountain range of Teide national park as well as visiting the mountains it's self. As beautiful as it was it was nothing in comparison to the Grand Canyon, for I am afraid to say that once you have seen one rock you have seen them all. When you look at the fact that Mount Teide national park could fit into the Grand Canyon national park over thirty-times, it certainly gives you a bit of scale. Travelling across the mountain range we headed to some little seaside towns where we got to have a spot of lunch before soaking in the beautiful island of Tenerife in all its tropical glory. Tackling the treacherous roads that lead up and down of the mountain range I was certainly glad of getting a coach and not hiring a car as I am not sure that I would have been able to hold my nerves whilst going round some of the hairpin turns we had to manoeuvre. 

Alas though our holiday had to come to an end at some point. We had our pooch to come back to and our lovely little flat which Miss Tweedle-Dee had been looking after the both of them whilst Mr. Warehouse and I were away. Since being back I think people are accustomed now to thinking that Mr. Warehouse and I are constantly holidaying and are planning next years already. Whilst I would love to have a job of simply writing reviews and going on trips to just write and blog and vlog all the time, that is not reality and thus I need to return back to my normal office job in order to save up for the next time we go away. Where Mr. Warehouse and I will go nobody knows;; Prague, Budapest, Krakow, Bratislava. But one thing is for sure that the next few weeks I will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for a good deal through one of the budget Airlines. 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx