Yeah I know I’m (quite) late to the party on this, but I just got this cute mini CO2 detector. Because as much as I try to be careful about sitting next to open doors or windows when I’m out in bars, etc, it’s not always possible, especially when I’m working. Anyhow, this little guy will clip onto my kipling bag and at a glance I’ll be able to see, well, if I should actually be there. Again, not super helpful if I’m in the middle of a sherry tasting, but in other circumstances I would be able to just get up and leave.

Meanwhile, masking for me has now been extended (or re-extended) to include supermarkets and pharmacies. I don’t know why I let those slide. Possibly because my neighbourhood farmacía always has the door open and I’m seldom in there more than five minutes. And I am never at the supermarket when it’s super busy, but it’s another public place that hundreds of people pass through daily and we all know that aerosols linger for hours after they’ve gone. So now they are back to being included along with any public transport (taxis, buses, trains, planes), crowded public places like airports, train & bus stations, and any sort of hospital or health care centre. And that’s easy because I always carry a couple of masks in my bag.

But can I tell you? I actually hate it. Wearing a mask triggers all kinds of shit for me, feeling restricted or claustrophobic, not able to breathe, all that. The last time I was on a 5-hour train ride to Barcelona I got hit with quite a panic attack because of the mask that I COULDN’T TAKE OFF. But I sucked it up because in the end it’s a minor inconvenience, all things considered. And because I am not just protecting myself… I am protecting you too.

I still require that anyone signing up for my food tours and sherry tastings be up to date on their Covid boosters. I mean, it’s just another layer of protection, because if the people I’ll be sitting across from for 2-3 hours at least cared enough to get boosted maybe they also wore masks on their flight over. The other day someone wrote back saying they assumed this was a “leftover message” from the Covid era as it was no longer applicable today. The Covid Era. Like it’s something from the past. Honestly, sometimes I despair.

So far I’ve been lucky that I’ve “only” had Covid once, well that I know of, in October 2022. Though it is possible that the “cold” I picked up in March 2020 was Covid, but of course there were no tests available then.  Meanwhile flatmate Peter has had it twice, but we never caught it from each other while infected because we wore masks at home, stayed away from each other as much as possible and kept the windows open. Also… WE STAYED HOME. For at least ten days, or until we got two negative test results in a row.

For some time there has been a hepa filter in the living room at Casa Azahar and more recently a baby hepa in each of our bedrooms. There are a stack of Covid-Flu tests on the living room bookshelf, plus boxes of both surgical and N95 masks in the hallway. Nothing is perfect, nor does it have to be. Whatever mitigations you take, it will all help. Mine are to wear a mask in the aforementioned situations, test when I am sick (3-4 times at least) and stay home until I am sure I won’t be infecting others. This does not impact my life in any serious way other than to keep me aware that we still need to be looking out for each other. A few minor inconveniences, yes. But you know what? I think you guys are worth it. xx