20th March 2020

Since returning from the Amazon on the 20th of February, the world has become a very different place from the one we knew before boarding the Magellan at the beginning of January. As we were cruising, we had been following, out of idle curiosity, the plight of the unfortunate passengers quarantined on cruise ships in Japan, little realising that this was merely the tip of the iceberg. We never imagined that transport systems across the globe would be effectively shut down within a few short weeks.

Yes, we were aware that serious events were unfolding in China, but at the time, it felt distant, China’s problem, not ours. How wrong we were! Now, cruising, flying, or taking any form of public transport is strongly discouraged, and even socialising with our fellow citizens is to be avoided.

“With infinite complacency, men went to and fro across this globe, preoccupied with their small affairs, serene in their assurance of their dominion over matter.” ,  H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds.

Enlightened by the media, new phrases and words have entered our vocabulary, and most conversations now seem (Brexit-like) to revolve around what is known, believed, disbelieved, or supposedly understood and advised. One thing is certain: this minute creature called a virus is dangerous, whether we refer to it as coronavirus, Wuhan virus, COVID-19, or SARS-CoV-2.

“Slain by the putrefactive and disease bacteria against which their systems were unprepared; slain as the red weed was being slain; slain, after all man’s devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth.” — H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds

It is believed that this virus likely originated from a horseshoe bat coronavirus, given its close genetic similarity, and may have had a reservoir in pangolins before infecting humans. However, nothing is certain. In some, the effect is mild; in others, it proves tragically fatal. As a species, we are no strangers to disease. Over millennia, we have developed an immune system capable of fending off most microbial infections, and for those we cannot, either due to frailty or dysfunction, we rely on our doctors and chemists to provide relief and solutions. And so we do again.

“For so it had come about, as indeed I and many men might have foreseen had not terror and disaster blinded our minds. These germs of disease have taken a toll on humanity since the beginning of things, taken a toll on our prehuman ancestors since life began here. But by virtue of this natural selection of our kind, we have developed resisting power; to no germs do we succumb without a struggle, and to many, those that cause putrefaction in dead matter, for instance, our living frames are altogether immune.” — H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds.

The earliest known case of infection was recorded on 17th November 2019. By 19th March 2020, there were 236,926 confirmed cases worldwide, with 80,928 in mainland China. The virus had claimed 9,834 lives, while 86,675 people had recovered. I have no doubt that this human-made pandemic will eventually be brought under control. Unlike The War of the Worlds, where the Martians were utterly defeated by one of our planet’s smallest life forms, we will not be. But as the narrator surmised at the end of Wells’ classic tale, we must be prepared for the Martians’ possible return. This pandemic is a wake-up call, greater even than the 1918 flu pandemic (Spanish Flu), which claimed between 20 and 50 million lives worldwide.

When this blight is finally overcome, governments, organisations, and individuals must learn from this terrifying global episode. We must fully acknowledge that there is only one planet on which we are adapted to live. We have no choice in who or what we share it with. Life is precious. As the most advanced species to inhabit Earth (so far), we have a moral duty to care for this ‘third rock from the sun’, and by doing so, we safeguard our survival. The Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg once said, “I don’t want you to be hopeful, I want you to panic.” Her obvious truths about global warming have gained her international recognition, though they seem to have made little impression on those who could truly make a difference. Perhaps a bout of COVID-19 will serve as a reality check for our political leaders, religious radicals, and the heads of mega-corporations, forcing them to realise that we are all in this together. If we fail to learn from this coronavirus pandemic, there will be another, and we only need to lose that battle once.

We had planned to visit Joan and Phil at the end of February, but with growing concerns about flying to Italy, we fortuitously decided to wait and see. After exchanging emails, Joan advised that it would not be wise to visit at present; the situation in Italy was far more advanced than in the rest of Europe. They had planned to travel to the UK at Easter, but their plans were cancelled when the Italian government suspended all flights. Worryingly, Joan informed us that Phil was not in the best of health and had been making several hospital visits in recent months. As Italy descended into lockdown, any travel required official authorisation and paperwork, without which individuals faced heavy fines. A complication one could do without when unwell! Joan’s last email contained a stark warning: “All I can say to the UK and to you and your family is, do not take this virus lightly. It is serious and has killed many people here. The feeling is that there is a long way to go.” We are certainly heeding her advice.

A couple of days after our return to the UK, I received a phone call from Jim in Cyprus. I had considered visiting Jim and Brigitte instead of virus-ridden Italy, but his news put an end to that plan. They had just sold their house to a Russian couple, and the exchange was proceeding rapidly. Brigitte flew to the UK a few days later to look for a new home in Market Harborough, while their two dogs, Harby and Shoby, followed the week after. She stayed with her daughter’s family in nearby Oadby while Jim remained in Cyprus to finalise the sale. Then everything went wrong.

Brigitte found the perfect home, and her offer was accepted. The property required some work but was vacant and habitable in an ideal location. She was due to return to Cyprus to finalise the documents, but when all flights between the UK and Cyprus were cancelled indefinitely, she was stuck, and so was Jim. Depressingly, Jim heard that flights might not resume until mid-July. Meanwhile, although the legal paperwork could be completed electronically, physical movement was impossible. Everything was in limbo. What a mess a tiny little bug can create!

Earlier this year, I had booked return flights for my New Zealand friend Peter to attend his mother’s 80th birthday and his niece’s wedding near Christchurch. He was due to return on 16th May after six months in New Zealand. I received an email from Qantas this week suggesting he might wish to transfer the booking to a later date, as they will not be flying until at least 31st May. That is now a problem. As a New Zealand citizen travelling on an NZ passport, he now faces increased post-Brexit regulations at the UK border. I suspect he will require a visa to re-enter the UK, as the six-month limit for re-entry is approaching, which could jeopardise his British residency. What a mess.

Sue’s sister Philippa and her husband Paul have had to cancel their grand tour of South America due to Philippa’s weakened immune system. Later this year, they had planned a cruise up the Norwegian fjords to the Arctic Circle, but that too is now in doubt. What a mess.

Jamie and Ruth had also planned to travel, eagerly anticipating their upcoming trip to Berlin, which they have now had to cancel.

It seems the Palmer clan will not be indulging their wanderlust for foreign travel any time soon. Damn and blast this virus; a cure is coming your way. It may take time, but good riddance to you when it does.

Because of our ages, the rest of the family seems very concerned that we are particularly vulnerable and are mostly keeping their distance or only visiting briefly. No more kissing goodbye, now we touch elbows! Sarah is isolating until the baby arrives, and both she and Lee are working from home, filling their leisure time with jigsaws. Charlotte was fortunate to have her spinal injections a few days before hospitals stopped all urgent procedures. Suraj is also working from home, as his NHS role involves securing their IT systems.

Jamie and Ruth seem closer than ever, having spent the past two weekends away in Brighton and London, respectively. While they were away, Sue and I had the pleasure of looking after Ruth’s little Jack Russell. The coronavirus has turned Jamie into something of a hypochondriac. Every few days, he convinces himself he’s been infected and floods the family Messenger group with pleas for sympathy. He spends much of his time up in Bottesford with Ruth and, unfortunately, picked up a speeding ticket the other day, no doubt under the misconception that the virus would be too slow to catch him. A shame the speed camera wasn’t!

Earlier in March, Jamie and I fixed a leaking radiator, and his central heating is now working properly. Ironically, a few days later, Charlotte’s central heating broke down, and it took a plumber a week to fix it. My birthday fell on 4th March, but plans to travel abroad had to be shelved, so for once, I celebrated at home. Sue and I dined at a Nepalese restaurant in Harborough, and the children clubbed together to buy me a DNA kit, which has now been sent off for analysis. No doubt it will confirm my royal lineage, or not. Watch this space, you peasants!