Getting all fluffy
I cringe every time I hear the term Covid-19.
For a start, why do they always have to tack on the -19? How many fucking pandemics are there at the moment? Half the population are even calling it Covert-19 which is understandable I suppose. And Pandemic is another one [Endemic would be preferable if you really have to talk about it at all].
Then there are those that talk about the Coronavirus, or even worse, the Corona-19-Coronavirus.
There is only one virus in the news these days, so for God’s sake let’s all combine and give it a proper name, in the same way they now have to name storms.
I would suggest something fluffy like [for example] Fluff. People wouldn’t panic so much if they discovered they had contracted Fluff? I can just hear the nightly bulletin announcing sombrely that another 430 cases of Fluff have been discovered. It’s not a name to strike terror into the hearts of the easily scared?
Or even better, why not give it a name that we can have a bit of fun with?
Just imagine the White House announcing that The President has been confirmed positive with Galloping Knob Rot?
I could live with that.
Fluff is as good a name as anything although some would probably call it fluff-19 ('19' is the year it was supposedly discovered but I'm sure you know that.) Anyway, this SARS-CoV-2 thing isn't a patch on what we went through on the submarine as far as sickness was concerned.
Note: Nothing ever heals or clears up once the boat is under the water and underway. Strange but true.
For example, the boat was based in Norfolk, VA. It's late November, it's 40 degrees and sleeting. Boat gets underway, reaches the diving point, closes all hatches and submerges. 1 to 2 weeks later (there's always something to do that takes up time) the boat makes port at Fort Lauderdale, FL, it's 85 degrees, sunny and humid. Spend three days there in the fun and the sun (and women of a somewhat commercial nature) then back aboard the boat and off for a six week operation–underwater the whole time.
Everyone gets sick. Sometimes passing out sick although that only happened to me once. Makes this covid-19 thing look like the sniffles.
We could always call it. Phlegm-19?
I would imagine that a submarine isn't quite the healthiest place to stay healthy? I'm trying to picture a scenario where half the crew has to "self isolate" for two weeks!
"We could always call it. Phlegm-19?" That would confuse people who would probably pronounce it "pledge-m"? Call it Flem-19 instead……
Self isolate on a submarine? Now that's a concept. I just read an article that stated all bubbleheads have to wear a mask onboard the sub if they can't maintain 6 feet etc and so-on. Right. There's never 6 feet between sailors on a sub and the air is treated (CO2 and CO removed, and scrubbed by electrostatic filters) then recirculated once underway anyway. There would be a whole lot of additional problems if masks had to be worn but it gives me a headache to think of it. The crew has to be under quarantine onboard for 14 days before they go on deployment as well? That's just insane.
Flem-19? The Flemish might take offense?