Blog: My athletic friend is infected with coronavirus, he says it's brutal

Dubai - Don't believe every 'cure' that lands in your WhatsApp inbox. It's best to maintain social distancing.

The reality of the situation was rammed home to me yesterday when a friend caught Covid 19. Till now it had been a relatively abstract issue, taut and terrifying but far away, more a numbers game than anything profound. Had been going to work, sharing jokes, reading memes, some black humour, nice, happy camaraderie, look at poor Italy kind of stuff.

His video stresses one factor. Anyone can get it. This man is perhaps one of the most athletic persons in the country, a triathlon runner. He describes the Covid attack as brutal. One word.

It is amazing how the chemistry changes when you can put a face to the disease. Suddenly, the cloak of protectionism falls over your shoulders. You hunker down and suspect every knock, ever ring of the doorbell. Perhaps it is paranoia but it is this paranoia that might save our skins.

Even as you morbidly watch the global clock wind up the numbers now have new meaning. They are rising exponentially by the hour and yes, agreed in toto, the only way to flatten the assault is to separate and stay separate.

So do yourselves a favour. Stop reading and passing on cures. Going viral this morning is a video stating that bananas will kill the virus. Between gurus with magical powers and potions that are made of herbs to experts in white smocks and so-called researchers with corny assessments, we are being inundated with this rubbish and only hurting ourselves. True, reaching out for a tendril of hope is a natural reaction to survival and even the weakest straw becomes a rope, but if you want to really help the authorities and yourself then please stop passing on or reading and semi-believing these remedies.because they are not.

Remember last week the US President mentioned hydroxychloroquine as a possible preventive. A couple in the US had them. The husband is dead, the wife is in ICU. Do not experiment.