My preciousssssssssss.......

[benhall.1]

What has me wondering is how Nadia the Tigress got a positive. None of her caretakers have tested positive. Go figure.

This raises the ugly specter of the bugbear of airborne transmission. Problem is, the boffins haven't been able to pin it down, yet. For my part, I'm going to err on the side of caution and assume that like other coronaviruses, it'll be transmittable that way too.

All sources have said from the start that they believe that Nadia caught the virus from an asymptomatic keeper.

[an seanduine]

Ah, thank you Ben. I´d missed that.

Bob

[Nanohedron]

And let me clarify that any speculated airborne capacities of the virus are going to be highly limited to close proximity. These things aren't going to sail for miles on a breeze. Science has established that it doesn't work that way. Let's not allow our fears to override good sense.

[Nanohedron]

My understanding is that cats, catus domesticus, and the whole order of felis, share one immune system, the ACE system, with humans.

I've been looking for info on this in every way I can conceive, but I'm not coming up with anything on it. One would think I should be able to find confirmation of it in relatively short order, but lacking that, until I can get a scientifically reliable corroboration, for now I'll have to withhold my confidence in it. Even if it is true, the terminology alone doesn't necessarily imply that the system operates identically in each species. Here's where we need an expert, right?

Felis, by the way, is a genus, not an order, of small to medium-sized cats including the housecat. If you meant the entire family of cats - Felidae - I can't find anything on shared immune systems from that, either. The felids - that is to say, all cats - are of the order Carnivora, which covers four-legged placental mammals that are mainly meat eaters - dogs, otters, seals, cats, what have you.

Not to be nitpicky. Especially at this time we need to be sure we have our facts straight, but perhaps I'm getting a bit carried away with that at this juncture, with all the genera and families and orders and stuff.

[Mr.Gumby]

And let me clarify that any speculated airborne capacities of the virus are going to be highly limited to close proximity. These things aren't going to sail for miles on a breeze. Science has established that it doesn't work that way. Let's not allow our fears to override good sense.

The story of the virus is still unfolding though. The Latest has it:

Coronavirus has been detected on particles of air pollution by scientists investigating whether this could enable it to be carried over longer distances and increase the number of people infected.

The work is preliminary and it is not yet known if the virus remains viable on pollution particles and in sufficient quantity to cause disease.

The Italian scientists used standard techniques to collect outdoor air pollution samples at one urban and one industrial site in Bergamo province and identified a gene highly specific to Covid-19 in multiple samples. The detection was confirmed by blind testing at an independent laboratory.

[PB+J]

I'm not locked in quivering fear. I go for walks, I wear a mask, I ride a bike, I go to the grocery store.

But I don't think we know enough yet about this virus, and how easily it's transmitted, and under what conditions. Nor do we have a good sense of the mortality rate among the infected.

The famous analogy is you are outside and someone starts smoking. How far away can you be and still smell the smoke? I have no idea if a virus particle is heavier than the molecules of smoke, but since I have no idea I'm being very careful.

BBC news had a doctor on suggesting that humidity would slow the spread, because in humid conditions droplets of water tend to aggregate and fall to the ground. I hope that's true. He also said that higher humidity was like "slightly loading the dice in your favor." Does not seem to be working in Brazil

We just found out that it was in California three weeks earlier than was thought, and "community spread."

[benhall.1]

And let me clarify that any speculated airborne capacities of the virus are going to be highly limited to close proximity. These things aren't going to sail for miles on a breeze. Science has established that it doesn't work that way. Let's not allow our fears to override good sense.

The story of the virus is still unfolding though. The Latest has it:

Coronavirus has been detected on particles of air pollution by scientists investigating whether this could enable it to be carried over longer distances and increase the number of people infected.

The work is preliminary and it is not yet known if the virus remains viable on pollution particles and in sufficient quantity to cause disease.

The Italian scientists used standard techniques to collect outdoor air pollution samples at one urban and one industrial site in Bergamo province and identified a gene highly specific to Covid-19 in multiple samples. The detection was confirmed by blind testing at an independent laboratory.

Yes. The trouble with science is that nothing - ever - is certain. Everything is based on evidence; every conclusion and recommendation is based on probability, not certainty.

So, in this case, as the full article makes clear, it remains the case, at present, that there is no evidence for airborne transmission of this novel coronavirus. Even if there were, there is currently no evidence as to how far viable particles of the virus could, even in theory, travel on particles of pollution; it could be as little as a few extra metres, or perhaps no additional distance at all. There is, on the other hand, a huge amount of evidence that the usual method of transmission of this novel coronavirus is by people being in proximity with someone with the virus.

As I say, in science, nothing is certain. So no scientist can ever say that something is impossible. It's a difficulty for scientists, and creates many problems of comprehension in members of the public.

[ytliek]

Stay indoors... the built environment - air conditioning?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health ... spartandhp

[Mr.Gumby]

I'm not locked in quivering fear. I go for walks,

A bit of common sense and a caution when out goes a long way. I went to the baker's on Tuesday, crossed the street from the shop with my arms full of bread and pastries and health food stuff to get to the car when a couple across the street, on seeing me crossing to their side, immediately pulled bandannas over their faces, giving me somewhat dirty looks (I was never within five metres from them). I wear the mask inside the supermarket and disinfect my hands going in and coming out again but mostly things are pretty relaxed. During the week I don't see anybody, perhaps the postman. My wife went for a walk by the sea (which is outside the allowed 2 km zone), fed up after a day of working from home and online meetings and all that. She said there were people walking but keeping a safe distance.

The weather has been good so far, done a lot of work outside, painted the house, moved a large amount of building stone that we dumped at the side of the field a few years ago after taking down the old donkey and fuel sheds, graded/sorted the lot and stored it in a better, more accessible, place. Nice to be out, ravens and pheasants making loads of noise all around, the cuckoo arrived on the 17th and has been calling since. We walk a few miles up 'the mountain' every day. It's fine.

[PB+J]

As I say, in science, nothing is certain. So no scientist can ever say that something is impossible. It's a difficulty for scientists, and creates many problems of comprehension in members of the public.

It's not a problem of comprehension: I understand how scientific discourse proceeds and on what methods it's based. Given uncertainty, and fact that I'm responsible for other people, extra caution seems reasonable.

From looking a lot at reactions in the US, it seems to matter where people live. In rural areas they have lots of space, few cases, and fewer deaths, in urban and semi-urban areas, it's a different story, and in our densely populated neighborhood we know know people who've died of it. I'm making dinner tonight for a family who just lost their father: they can't leave the house because he died at home of the virus

[benhall.1]

Yes, I think where population density is higher, inevitably the virus finds it easier to spread. Hence the social distancing. But, of course, it's easier said than done.

[PB+J]

I just did my daily flute on the front porch. I try to mix it up from my extremely limited repertoire. People smile and wave. A women yelled "sounds like Ireland!" That's only if you don't know much. Somebody who knows Irish music would say "christ someone help that poor man, he's desperate!" I'll probably go out again at "happy hour." It's in the 50s today and damp, very Irish weather, so my fingers get a little stuff

Morrisons
Swallowtail
Garret Barry's
Banish Misfortune
Willy Clancy's
Rolling wave
Out on the Ocean
Tobin's favorite
The Kesh
Lilting Banshee
Kevin Moloney's
Ten penny bit


Hard road to Travel
Maid Behind the Bar
Michael Creamers
The Shaskeen
Drowsy Maggie
Peeler's Jacket
Sally Gardens
Dunmore lasses
The Congress
The Green Mountain
Cooley's

Red haired lad
O'Neill's favorite

The butterfly
rocky road to dublin

Tripping to the well
The Kerry dances
The Foggy Dew
Boolavogue
Si Begh Si Mohr
Tabhair dom do Lámh
Amhrán Na Leabhar
The Boys of wexford (in honor of my late father in law, a US marine whose grandfather hailed from Wexford and who loved that song)


I try to mix up the jigs and reels with a few other things. "The Kerry Dances" gets perilously close to Danny Boy territory. People walk around or ride by on bikes or push strollers and they smile and wave or clap. It's very nice.

Edit: a neighbor just emailed my wife to thank "the phantom flautist" he thought it was his imagination at first, he said, but then he got out his long lens.

To me this is indicating the power of music itself. Most of my neighbors no nothing whatsoever about Irish music, but they can hear that it's Irish, and I think the unfamiarity is pleasing. it's not "classic rock." Also that weird habit Irish music has of sitting betwixt joy and sorrow is appropriate

[Nanohedron]

Also that weird habit Irish music has of sitting betwixt joy and sorrow is appropriate

People will say they don't like airs because they're "depressing". What?? Try poignant instead. If someone doesn't have some room for a little pogniancy in their life, I think that's sticking to the shallow end of the pool.




Banksy got tagged. How meta is that?




Even the dog says, "What the...?"

[Nanohedron]

While I dislike my facemask because I always feel as if I'm suffocating, I found a reason to appreciate it: I can get away with skipping shaving. Stubble used to make me look raffish, but at my age, now it makes me look more like a bum.

[Mr.Gumby]

Looking scruffy is the order of the day. I needed a haircut weeks ago . Doing jobs around the house I am wearing stuff that I retrieved from the bag of clothes that was headed for the charity shop. That doesn't help either. Na Piobairi Uilleann has asked me to do a video for the 'Piping in the Parlour' series. I tried to put them off the scent (I hate making videos of myself and putting them on the internet) but they told me looking scruffy wouldn't be a problem.

The Taoiseach has given a timeline for easing of the lockdown, slowly, slowly, starting in a few weeks time. With the bankholiday upon us there are Garda checkpoint all over the place, to make sure people don't travel. Not sure it helps, lots of cars with English regs around and the odd group of French tourists, makes you wonder how they got through.

I have been out a bit further than lockdown usual for supplies, Ennis, Kilrush, people seem to be out to get stuff, queuing outside supermarkets, which I avoid by going early. The roads are pretty quiet. Gardai not too fussy, was waved through the checkpoints without too much hassle.

The weather has deteriorated a bit but not too much, it's mostly fine, the cuckoo is calling all the time and there are basking sharks circling the bays. I have a nice mix of old and newly learned tunes going.