Category Archives: covid

excessive?

16 Wednesday Feb 2022

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, home, sevilla

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excessive

Here is the weekly Wednesday antigen test. Once again looking good. But today someone told me that doing a test every week when I have no symptoms seemed excessive since there is no protocol in place for doing so. What do you think? I think most “official” protocols are politically-based, rather than science-based. I also think that taking a weekly test isn’t just about me feeling safer, it’s also about being responsible, for my clients and also for my flat mate, now that I am sharing my home again. And now that the price of a test has been government regulated to just under 3€ it’s not exactly a financial issue, and it only takes 15 minutes.

My feeling is that people so desperately wanting to get back to “normal” haven’t yet grasped the fact that that ship has sailed, and that “living with Covid” means that many things that were normal before are going to have to change and will probably be changed forever. I’m okay with that. Why wouldn’t I be? How about you?

masks off?

10 Thursday Feb 2022

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, sevilla, spain

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masks

Starting today the outdoor mask mandate has been lifted other than for when people are at crowded outdoor events (football matches, concerts) though to be honest it gets just as crowded at midday on Calle Sierpes here. The Ministry of Health still recommends the use of the mask outdoors when there are crowds in which it is not possible to maintain a distance of one and a half meters. Again, like most streets in the centre of Sevilla. But this is a recommendation, not a requirement. Getting mixed responses on Twitter. One guy on Twitter said he was going to wait and see what everyone else was doing… not usually the best indicator of how one should actually behave. Basically I agree with this guy…

masks (2)

I am just going to keep on the way I have been. Since I am usually going somewhere when I go out and will have to put a mask on before entering anyhow, why not just wear it? I mean, if I am walking outside and there is nobody around, I’ll pull the mask down to my chin so I can breathe more easily, and then if someone shows up I just have to pull it up again. Easy. There’s so much we still don’t know, especially about the new omicron variants… and now more reports are coming in about long covid and other ways the virus continues to affect our bodies after it’s supposedly gone.

Meanwhile, in Spain masks are still required everywhere indoors unless you are seated at a table in a restaurant. They are still required on all public transit, and in hospitals and schools. What’s it like where you are?

weekly update

27 Thursday Jan 2022

Posted by in casa azahar, coronavirus, covid, sevilla, spain

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weekly update

So almost a month to the day of my first ever antigen test, they have become a weekly thing. And so far so good! Some say they should be done more frequently, but as I hardly go anywhere I think that for now once a week is fine. The good news is that the government has set the maximum price for the tests at just under 3€, so that’s more reasonable. Less than half of what I was paying last month.

What is disturbing is that so many people I know have contracted Covid in the past few weeks, both here in Spain and abroad. This omicron variant seems to be getting to almost everyone. And while I had stopped my tours in December and January, I was hoping to get back to work in February. Now I’m not so sure. I mean, I am still working every day, out and about and then updating my websites and social media accounts, but none of this brings in any income. A gentle reminder that if you’d like to help support my non-profit (info-packed!) websites you can become a Patreon. Or you can just keep showing up here and there, because that is also very much appreciated. xx

another life changer

19 Wednesday Jan 2022

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shoes (2)

Since lockdown in March 2020 I started leaving my shoes outside my apartment door, because I didn’t want to bring Covid and other street ickyness into the house. And since there is only me and my downstairs neighbour here, and she never comes upstairs, I have kept on doing this. But now I have a flatmate again! And both of us have to take off our shoes before coming inside. So I have found this. It will fit snugly into a nook just outside the front door and looks like a perfect solution. The next thing will be to see if I manage to put it together (it’s being delivered this week)…

Question. Is it normal for you, where you live, to take off your shoes before entering someone’s home? It’s totally normal in Canada, not so much in Spain.

my first antigen test!

28 Tuesday Dec 2021

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, sevilla

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antigen test

So it’s been a crazy week. I was a bit sniffly with a sore throat the other day and then started thinking about the tapas tours I had booked over Christmas and then I started to get worried. Last week was when infection numbers started going through the roof again – we are back to level 3 – and the idea of being at close quarters with maskless strangers for 4 hours made me nervous not just for me but for them. Because I had no idea if I was infectious and antigen tests were (and still are) as rare as hen’s teeth. All the farmacias were sold out.

And so I cancelled the tours. And felt terrible about it because I have never cancelled a tour before this, not in twelve years. I mean, there were only 4 of them, but they were also my only source of income for December.  So aside from apologising profusely and returning all the deposits, I also spent a considerable amount of time with each client making sure they were set up by booking places for them, giving lots of recommendations, and in some cases even recommending what they should order at each tapas bar. I just didn’t want to leave them in the lurch, especially as the cancellations were quite last minute.
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