Update 3:
Theme of the Week: Love, fear, death, war, hope - and the blues.
London Calling: The London and Glasgow undergrounds have been closed, according to reports. So have public libraries, museums, and sports facilities. Authorities are requiring checkups and up-to-date indicators of health status on ID cards, which must be shown at randon spot checks. School closure, mandated by Assembly12, are now complete.
Green Over ReDS: Travel between England and Ireland has been halted to prevent the spread of ReDS into Ireland. Sinn Fein has seized this moment to declare the unification of the Irish State and the elimination of any British presence in Northern Ireland. British authorities could find it difficult to maintain control in the event of an organized revolt if they are unable to send additional armed forces.
Sad World: The World Health Organization has confirmed earlier rumors that clinical depression has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. While some antidepressants have proved helpful, others have been less so. In any case, 'reality-based depression' is especially resistant to pharmaceutical treatment.
Human Bombs: Long-held fears may have come true: Guerrilla groups are used ReDS-infected people as 'human bombs' in the India/Pakistan conflict. ReDS infected saboteurs are deliberately crossing the border to spread infection in remote areas previously unaffected by the disease. These attacks have spread massive fear and attacks on strangers within both countries, and military experts fear the tactic could spread to other regions.
Would You Like a Job With That? Massive layoffs have struck the food and food service industries. (Some estimate 80% labor reduction.) Fear of disease transmission is a primary reason for the drastic dropoff in restaurant attendance which is driving these layoff. Given the decade-long shift in the US workforce toward a service economy, this is a particularly devastating development.
Fear of spreading disease has even led to a sharp reduction in the sale and distribution of illegal drugs. Areas such as Humboldt County, California have been especially hard hit. Talk about a buzz kill ...
Come Together: The ReDS Collaborative Initiative, a coalition of leading international scientists and doctors, is collaborating to create a non-patented cure for ReDS.
Don't Drink the Water: Waterborne pathogens are creating a major public health problem in Poland, and are expected in other areas. Water is one of the most important ingredients in health delivery, affecting everything from sanitation to the delivery of medicines. If medical providers were forced to rely on bottled water, the expense could bring the health economy down even further.
Tell me everything: Some groups are calling for "radical medical transparency" in the face of widespread ReDS (and, in fact, Homeland Security/Health Services regulations have eroded much of the traditional safeguards of medical privacy).
Masques of the ReDS Death: Social scientists have been tracking the effect of increased mask-wearing in public places. Others have commented on the use of the mask as a fashion statement, a way to present a different identity, or what sociologists call an alternate "presentation of self." This, some say, is leading to new ways to bond with others publicly and privately.
On the other hand, the effectiveness of security cameras (which are especially prevalent in the UK and the urban US) has been seriously compromised by the widespread use of masks. There's more info here.
I just want your extra time and your .... kiss: It had to happen. A new group is offering advice on romance, love, and sex in a time of ReDS. Dating, courtship, and hooking up aren't what they used to be in the old days. I know some people who like advice on how to move in for that first kiss ... a moment that can be awkward ... when you're both wearing masks.
It's all in the game: Musicians and gamers are uniting for the "ReDS Console Benefit Concert," using game technology to provide songs for ReDS patients (including therapeutic music that encourages breathing or movement exercises).
ReDS Blues: Speaking of ReDS and music, a Medical Zone Administrator in the hard-hit American South has heard and re-recorded this mysterious blues tune that he claims to have learned from an unidentified street musician. The lyrics are a cryptic blend of African mythology, European spirituality, and some other unidentifiable images. Authorities are said to have become 'curious' about the tune and the possibility that it carries an encoded message ...
Get ready for an exciting week in Quarantine. We expect some new and dramatic developments. Keep superstructing ...