Pandemic diary – weeks 40 & 41

Monday, 14 December 2020
After the final weekend of Szlachetna Paczka, I will redirect you to another post, where I dedicate a separate paragraph to how it was handled amid the epidemic.

Tuesday, 15 December 2020
I met my former workmate. She and her family went through COVID-19 (and were tested) in October. Fortunately, none of them suffered from complication. Now she proudly holds antibodies and lives with all inconveniences of the daily grind, but without a fear of getting infected nor infecting somebody for a while.

Wednesday, 16 December 2020
Looking at how people are relaxed about the sanitary regime, I fear Christmas gatherings will result in excess funerals in January. After my exposure to around ten of my volunteers without face masks during the Szlachetna Paczka final weekend, I decide to get myself tested (PCR test) before visiting my parents.

Thursday, 17 December 2020
All of a sudden, the government announces a Narodowa Kwarantanna (by no means a legal term) in effect from 28 December to 17 January. Worth noting that:
- scope of restrictions differs from the one set forth in early November, in particular no limitations in moving about, except for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, are envisaged,
- the full lockdown was to be introduced if seven-day trailing average number of daily new infections was in excess of 27,000, while today it officially runs at 11,000,
- all restrictions are illegally imposed with a decree (rozporządzenie) rather than with a bill (ustawa).

Friday, 18 December 2020
Over the recent days one could hear rumours that doctors and medical staff do not rush to sign up for vaccinations against COVID-19, which are due to start before the end of the year. Three of my primary-school or high-school friends declare they will aim to get vaccinated possibly soon.

Saturday, 19 December 2020
I grow tired of hearing of deaths from COVID-19, not of people I have personally known, but of my friends’ friends, my family’s relatives etc. But I must not escape it mentally. The virus is around, it continues to be a deadly peril, one must not shrug it off.

Sunday, 20 December 2020
The “new variant” of the virus which has been detected in the UK and transmits more rapidly emerges as a yet another reason for concern. Is another, far more horrific phase in the offing?

Monday, 21 December 2020
Despite markedly lower number of new infections, death toll remains high (only some 25% lower than 3 weeks ago, while new infections declined by 60%). Doctors say people report to doctors with symptoms of COVID-19 too late, are not tested (which accelerates admission to hospitals), land in hospital ward too late, which decreases their chances to survive.

Tuesday, 22 December 2020
I get myself tested voluntarily, to ensure safe Christmas, especially after the final weekend of Szlachetna Paczka. The experience of being examined by people looking like astronauts is somewhat quirky. The very process of swabbing (for a genetic, reliable test, preceded by six days of nearly full self-isolation) is not as unpleasant as some people describe, yet I immediately came into tears and felt like throwing up.

Wednesday, 23 December 2020
Those who meet at Christmas tables (hopefully in possibly small circles) will have yet another reason for quarrelling – approach to the virus and preventive measures taken has emerged as another divide line in the society. With a negative results of the test performed yesterday, I set off to my parents. Since early October I met with them two times only, to protect them.

Thursday, 24 December 2020 – Saturday, 26 December 2020
The time of peace, serenity, scant testing and not thinking about the virus. Hopefully after Christmas we will turn over a new leaf in our fight against the pandemic.

Szlachetna Paczka - a bitter coverage

I first hatched the idea of becoming a volunteer around June and followed it out in July. Worth noting that was the time the virus was retreating and I admit not to have predicted the epidemic would go in overdrive until late autumn as it did.

I was one of the first volunteers to have signed an agreement with Stowarzyszenie Wiosna (which runs Szlachetna Paczka) and to have gone through an online onboarding. Back at that stage I noticed poor organisation (my online training was called off and put back two times) and general deficiency of people. It seems even while the number of daily new infections was three-digit, some volunteers have decided not to sign up this year, to protect their or their family members’ health.

Beginning of my area taking shape also were sluggish. Recruiting volunteers was not an easy task. On top, even while more than ten volunteers were lined up, we could not kick off with first tasks, due to moor management skills of our area leader.

I have moaned about her a lot while talking to my girlfriend, parents or friends and don’t feel like going on about her again. She lacked managerial skills, failed in delegating tasks, even if she assigned tasks, did not enforce their completion. She did not keep a grip on all stuff she should have had control over as a leader.

Moreover, she and several area leaders from Warsaw gathered in early October to party hard and have infected one another with coronavirus (not a joke, a confirmed story from a person who decline to attend the party).

Consequently, we lagged behind with collecting histories of families which could have become beneficiaries of the initiative. Pandemic did not facilitate the task, as potential beneficiaries had so sign personally consent for transfer of their sensitive personal information to Szlachetna Paczka, which was impeded by the general social distancing. Finally, we got consents from around 35 families, short of our target of 75 families.

The next stage, visiting families, also was pursued behind schedule. Visits at people’s dwellings paid in the first half of November, coincided with the peak of new infections. With hindsight, I am asking myself what had prompted me to risk my health by visiting families which have eventually not been taken on.

The mechanism of verification whether a family deserves a wise aid does work well. For such reason around two third of families visited are turned away. I interviewed four families and have not decided to take on any of them. The first one in terms of approach to life was exemplary, but had a discretionary income of PLN 1,500 per person in a household, far too much to receive help. The second one was a mother bringing up a son, working, yet doing absolutely nothing to improve her life and waiting until somebody else comes and gives them gifts. The third one was a pure pathological family with little motivation to work, but with two TV sets in their council flat and a Netflix subscription. The fourth one was another mother raising two sons on her own, living off social care allowances, as she was jobless for too long to be eligible for a dole and took little effort to find a job.

A week before the final weekend everything was falling apart. We were in process of arranging our warehouse, lacked sponsors to provide us with food, lacked a lorry to transport bigger items and lacked a logistics plan. I was responsible for logistics and after a week of sleeping five hours a day and getting behind with work (home office facilitated sharing time between work and the Paczka) everything, except catering (closed restaurants are not that eager to get involved in sponsorship) was straightened out.

These days sanitary regime is a must. Szlachetna Paczka had procedures in place and allegedly had some contingency plans for the final weekend to be pursued in case of full lockdown. Procedures fortunately were obeyed at least when donators came to deliver parcels, but as no guests were around and volunteers were in the warehouse (indoors) masks were off. I kept away from the group of over ten people staging a covid party indoors, so when I was not carrying parcels or driving them to families, I stayed outdoors with two other volunteers who, like me, were afraid of keep company to our unmasked fellows (the shivered for two days). The day after the weekend I have purchased a genetic test at Medicover and I will be tested the day after tomorrow, long enough after exposure to the virus so that it is detected. Until now I feel fine, but I have not been in touch with any of the volunteers, so I do not know how participants of the covid party are feeling.

From what I heard from my workmate who was a volunteer at another district in Warsaw, sanitary regime was a theory out there was well, her common sense also told her to stay away from frivolous volunteers

Just like a year ago and two years ago, I was involved as a donator for families from Płońsk area. Yesterday I learnt in comparison to what went on in Płońsk, sanitary regime in Warsaw was exemplary. In Płońsk volunteers had no face masks, were keen on kissing and hugging donators, drink tea and treat them with a soup. Representatives of donators rushed to offload parcels, sign documents and hurriedly escaped the scene, outraged with gross irresponsibility of volunteers.

My general impression on what I was involved in is shaped mainly by the pandemic, which has taken away the entire joy of the initiative and brought in an element of fear. I am currently quite sensitive about how people abide by sanitary regime. I am fucking angry and frustrated with reckless behaviour of volunteers, who I call a bunch of brainless, f**king irresponsible morons (banda bezmózgich, j**anych, nieodpowiedzialnych debili). They helped some people, while put at risk life and health of others. I still can’t get over it. I am still livid at the mere memory of that carelessness, hazardous especially less than two weeks before Christmas, ahead of family gatherings. Ku**wsko wściekły jestem. Besides, I feel not comfortable about posting a coverage on facebook, on which everything looked out perfectly. Yet my intention was to propagate the initiative, not to spread bad word about the dark side of it.

It is too early for me to take a decision whether I get involved next year. For sure I will continue to be a donator, but if the pandemic does not wane considerably, participation as a volunteer is out of question. I am generally distasted after seeing the backstage of it, though still find the concept of the initiative and the wise aid commendable and worth being supported.

Have a healthy, responsibly lived through Christmas!

Pandemic diary – weeks 38 & 39

Monday, 30 November 2020
The number of new infections declines below 10,000 (and even below 6,000) after 25.1 thousand tests performed on Sunday. This is enough for the prime minister to announce victory in Poland’s struggle against the pandemic.
My mother’s uncle dies, aged 84. He is the first fatal victim of COVID-19 I have known personally.

Tuesday, 1 December 2020
I post on my facebook a graph showing the number of death per 1 million citizens from COVID-19 in October and November only in selected European countries. It shows only Czech Republic (711), Belgium (564) and Hungary (421) fare worse than Poland (387).

Wednesday, 2 December 2020
Official number of infections hits 1,000,000 in Poland. This sparks a justified debate how big the actual number of people who got through it is. Experts speak of four to five millions and the figures appears to be a fair estimation, yet far from herd immunity.

Thursday, 3 December 2020
Number of hospital beds and ventilators occupied by patients down with COVID-19 are declining. This brings palpable good news, despite still high number of daily deaths (6 at the front still).

Friday, 4 December 2020
Number of deaths per 1 million citizens exceeds 500 in Poland. In other words, 0.05% of Poland’s population died from COVID over last 9 months, majority over the last 2 months.

Saturday, 5 December 2020
My mother’s uncle (he was a well-known priest in Konstancin-Jeziorna) turns out to be a veritable COVID-party. I decide not to attend it and make use of +10C and sunshine, while my parents do not turn up to the church and make their way to the cemetery only and keep their distance which is not easy.

Sunday, 6 December 2020
I do not want to be a prophet of doom in terms of widespread vaccination plans in Poland, but wish to stress that if doctors are busy giving vaccinations to people, they will not be able to provide medical aid to patients in need at that time.

Monday, 7 December 2020
After sparse testing on Sunday, the number of new infections drops below 5,000. How come that every Monday some idiots claim the virus is retreating?

Tuesday, 8 December 2020
The vaccination programme is launched in the UK. In Poland the government unveils the national (I have allergy to that word) vaccination strategy. If 180,000 citizen are vaccinated weekly, it means in one year just less than 30% of population will have immunity. On top of that another 30% will have had the infection. The herd immunity is realistic in Poland in 2022, provided enough citizens will be willing to get vaccine, in which I doubt.

Wednesday, 9 December 2020
Number of deceases from COVID-19 hits 0.10% of population in Italy and Spain and 0.15% in Belgium. In Poland it nears 0.06%.

Thursday, 10 December 2020
A thought for today – I am in two minds there those who get vaccinated receive privileges, while those who do not, are stigmatised. This smacks of Orwell’s “some animals are more equal than others”.

Friday, 11 December 2020
I thought wearing a face mask outdoors in colder period of the year would not be a nuisance. I did predict that temperature difference between air outside and air breathed out of my mouth would make my spectacles mist over even if I ensure no gap between the mask and my chin or nose. I still believe unless you are in a crowded place and cannot keep a 1.5-metre distance, this obligation makes little sense, but discourages people from physical activity outdoors

Saturday, 12 December 2020
Szlachetna Paczka final weekend ensues. I don’t feel like writing much about that. People are irresponsible, so I shun them as much as possible. Participation in the noble initiative in the time of pandemic has not given me much joy.

November 2020, for the record

Back in mid-November I though I would write up a summary of the warmest November after WW2 in Warsaw, which on top would be snow-free and nearly frost free. The advent of pre-winter in the last days of the month has put paid to my plans. With hindsight, I believe we shall first see a frost-free April in Warsaw (no such month in the history of weather measurements so far) than a frost-free November (even with the ongoing global warming, this is a matter of decades rather than years).

November 2020 was warm. Average temperature in Warsaw was +5.8C (vs. long-term average of +3.2C and Met Office forecast of +3.6C). Stats:
- month-time high: +16.0C on 3 November 2020,
- month-time low: –4.9C on 26 November 2020,
- the warmest day: 3 November 2020 (daily average of +12.4C),
- the coldest day: 30 November 2020 (daily average of +0.1C),
- number of days with snow cover: 1
- the highest snow depth: less than 1 centimetre on 30 November 2020.

Nevertheless, a photo round-up of the month is due anyway. To the right, morning jogging on the third day of November. Temperature: +12C at 8 a.m., as warm as on a brisk summer morning. Pic taken by the Moczydło pond on the edge of Las Kabacki. To the left, a track connecting Warsaw underground with the rest of the world.

Same day, two minutes later. Trees were still in leaf, most in the fiery colours in autumn. After a rainy and warm October leaves were turning yellow and falling later than usual this year.

Saturday,
14 November, afternoon, temperature: +9C. The photo taken during a cycling trip to oversee the progress of Warsaw’s southern bypass construction. Note – the section east of ul. Przyczółkowa is to be opened on 22 December! Clouds are rolling in over Wilanów. More than an hour later, while approach home, I was caught out by the rain.

Sunday,
15 November, morning, temperature: +7C. I was waiting for a pal to indulge in cycling in a forest. Most trees had shed their leaves. Note plenty of vehicles parked on both sides of ul. Moczydłowska. Scores of people in forests are the side effect of a decree which exempts forest areas from the face-covering obligation.

Thursday,
19 November, morning, temperature: +7C. That was the last day with double-digit day-time high in November, but not this year (yesterday temperature topped +11C). A pre-work stroll through green areas, of course without a face mask (I have no remorse about not wearing a face mask when walking through sparsely populated places).

Thursday,
26 November, morning, temperature: -2C, yet three hours earlier temperature had bottomed out at -5C. Natolin was covered by the hoar frost and lit by a rising sun. That was the second morning when winter was felt in the air.

A hint for motorists not lucky enough to keep their car in a garage. Unless buildings or tall trees block out sunrays, park your car facing south-east. Thanks to this sunray will melt frost on your windshield quickly, as it did to the black BMW and was doing to grey Kia and red Mazda.

Sunday,
29 November, afternoon, temperature: +1C. For the record – poplar (to the right), birch (to the left) and willow (in the background, behind the road sign) had not shed their leaves by then. Today, after 3 days of thermal winter (mean temperature below 0C), including one with day-time high below freezing and 2 days with gusty winds, nearly all leaves are gone.

Monday,
30 November, morning, temperature: 0C. A view from my girlfriend’s living room in Targówek. A light dusting of snow which had fallen overnight was melting. By midday there was no trace of it.

Currently, judging by long-term forecasts, no winter is in sight, at least by the end of December.