I think many people are sick of hearing about the Covid virus, so I really wanted to write about something else but, I also think it would be odd if I didn’t have anything on my blog about how it is affecting us. So with the intention of keeping it brief, here goes.

Brazil had its first official case recorded in São Paulo on the 25th of February. I live in the Northeastern state of Ceará, a region that relies heavily on international tourism and therefore, it was no surprise that cases were soon being reported in the capital city of Fortaleza, spreading out to virtually all the municipalities by mid-March. The state government reacted quite quickly, closing shops and schools and we were soon told to stay at home.

The numbers of Covid cases in this municipality are still thankfully low, with none in the village so far. We are relatively isolated and, if we could remain that way it should protect us but, our isolation also makes us more vulnerable as health care is so much harder to access. Normally the health service provision in the village can be best described as precarious and now, as virtually non-existent. The service isn’t much better in the nearest towns or even in the city, where the hospitals are already very stretched and we are not yet anywhere near the peak.

Initially, the department of transport put up a roadblock on the way into the village, but as amenities in the village are limited to a few small food shops, there is a constant flow of people going in and out to the local towns for shopping and medical or banking needs. The crews on the roadblock couldn’t possibly judge who had a right to be entering and who should not, so the block was removed and consequently, the numbers of people coming here have gone up. Some of the people are city dwellers who have illegally built holiday homes in the village and are escaping the situation there. Others, with whom I have more sympathy, are those who moved away from the village in search of work and now, finding themselves without an income, are coming back to live with their families. Unfortunately, Covid-19 does not discriminate and anyone could bring the virus here and this constant movement of people means it’s probably more a matter of when we get a case, rather than if.

As my husband is a dialysis patient he is within the at-risk group and so is staying at home as much as possible. Like it or not, he has to travel to his dialysis clinic 3 or 4 times a week and while the clinic is taking measures to protect the patients once they arrive, they can’t do anything about the way the patients get there. Every day, large numbers of people are coming into the clinic from the outlying areas, being collected on route and travelling together in minivans and cars. Whilst I don’t see how things could be done differently, the potential for the virus to spread through this transport system is huge, and it undermines any social distancing efforts within the clinic as well as the individual patient’s attempt to follow the stay at home and isolate advice during the rest of the week.

Unfortunately, a lot of people in the village seem to think the lockdown rules don’t apply here and are going about their business as normal, getting together in groups and visiting friends and family. In fact, crazy as it may seem, we can often hear full-blown parties going on, particularly at the weekends. Perhaps people believe that as we don’t yet have a case in the village there is no need for concern but they cannot say they haven’t been warned. As a friend said to me earlier in the week, every year the government warns about the risk of Dengue and Zica, both killer illnesses spread by mosquitos, these are not new illnesses by any means, yet still, people dump rubbish or leave containers where water can collect and become a breeding ground for the mosquitos, then those same people throw their hands up in horror when someone is infected.

Having said all that, we are incredibly lucky to live where we do, especially now. Our house is nothing fancy but it is spacious, with a garden all around. We are on the edge of the village, so can take the dogs out for a walk onto the vast expanse of the dunes without meeting anyone else on route. Many years ago in London, I lived on the 4th floor of a complex of hard to let council flats. Our flat was tiny, we had no private outdoor space and the communal areas were dirty and smelly. Some of our neighbours had mental health issues and/or were drug addicts, life there was often unpredictable and I hated it. Being able to get out to the local park saved my sanity and I spent as much time as I could with my young son, out walking our dogs. Had I been told I would have to stay indoors for an indefinite period, I don’t know how I would have coped and my heart truly goes out to anyone suffering the lockdown in those sorts of circumstances.
I am keeping in mind that life will return to something more normal at some point and meanwhile, am trying to make the best of what I have because really, I have a lot to be grateful for.