Covid schmovid

Let’s start with social distancing. Suddenly we have been given much more space to move around in by the limits imposed on the numbers of people in certain places.

Since March, I’ve mainly been working from home so I rarely use public transport, but when I do so, I actually feel very comfortable. There’s far more room on the trams, buses and trains and you can easily find a place to sit. You can also see that they are being cleaned better and more often. And that’s not all – the passengers are far cleaner too and because they keep such a distance from each other you can, for example, talk over the telephone without disturbing anyone. In restaurants and bars you also feel more free and easy. The tables have been moved so far apart that you feel far more comfortable, both literally and metaphorically – you can talk, laugh and cry without worrying that someone on a neighbouring table is going to hear every word. There’s also nothing stopping you from leaning back and stretching your legs or hanging your bag on the back of the chair. You don’t have to worry that someone will knock it off spilling all your things over the floor whenever they get up.

More emphasis is also being given to hygiene and safety in the more exclusive establishments. Using the toilet in a restaurant no longer – or at least not as often – involves holding your breath and then drying your hands by shaking them in the air. Hand wash, disinfectant, paper towels and hand dryers are all laid on as part of the service. And because the use of sanitisers dries out your skin, more establishments are now providing hand moisturiser – another big plus!

A while ago I went for a weekend break with my sister to Łódź. In the hotel next to the Manufaktura centre where we stayed, we had access to the pool on the top floor. Under the current regulations only twelve people are allowed to use it at one time. I love swimming and any time messing about in the water for me is pure relaxation; but when there are crowds on the beach or at public pools, it makes my nerves jangle, especially in these times. But we occasionally even had the hotel swimming pool to ourselves with.

Another gift the pandemic has given me is time. I really like to spend my free time in great company – and, as everyone knows, the team at Eurobuild is the best in the world. But the fact that I now don’t have to travel to work or rush from one conference to another (since many now take place online), means that I have another two hours each day for other things. I really appreciate the extra time I can have with my daughter, but I also have more opportunity for reading and looking after the dog and the houseplants.

2020 is set to be remembered as the year of Covid-19. Many people have fallen ill or even died. Many companies have gone under and employees laid off, leaving them without the means to make ends meet. None of this should be forgotten. But by writing this column my hope is to encourage you to look at the epidemic from a different perspective – compiling this list of the positives has really lifted my spirits, so, as you read it, hopefully yours will have been lifted too. Maybe you could try writing such a list for yourself? In a moment mine is going to grow even longer: I’m just finishing work and I’m about to set off for a little-known lake in the Lublin region, where I will have lots of water just for myself once again!