Friday the thirteenth day, no less... But nothing bad has happened, apart
from an epidemic. Today the news went round that the United States has the
largest number of cases of coronavirus infection in any country, 85 000. Known
cases, that is. At the same time, president Trump's approval rating has gone
up. It's good to know the American electorate can recognize forethought and
intelligence when they see it.
Australia
still has only a modest number of infections, a little over 3000 cases. But there
is an acute shortage of test kits (as well as other medical supplies), so
that's undoubtedly an under-count. State governments are cautiously thinking of
letting some imprisoned people out, to reduce the casualties when the virus gets
into the prisons. We can be sure that logic will not be applied to refugees,
who are the living (and dying) proof of how tough the national government is on
border protection.
Globally,
we are now over 500 000 cases of known coronavirus infection, and 24 000
deaths. India has hardly begun counting. Anyone who still thinks this is a media
scare, please put your hand up. Thank you, Mr Jones.
With
all this unfolding, it's hard to focus on other tasks. I've spent my Day 13
mostly online or on the phone, talking with family and friends, cancelling
meetings, and answering queries.
When
universities began to send their teaching staff and graduate students off-campus
to work at home, there was a wave of cheerful speculation about how much time
people would now have to write that thesis, finish that article, compose that
grant application. Often in fun, even ironic, but still, it seemed like a possibility.
Apart
from the huge increase in childcare when schools closed, and the sudden demand
to convert all face-to-face courses to online teaching, this happy idea missed
the quality of the time
available. When the time is overshadowed by a huge collective threat, and cross-hatched
and interrupted with setting up new routines of living, you can't easily churn
out high-quality intellectual work.
But
some things persuade me we are still, at least partly, in contact with
civilization. Yesterday I was listening to a jazz programme on a Sydney radio
station when the DJ put on Chet Baker doing "These Foolish Things".
Ah.