A Whole New Language

I now know words which I wasn't aware of a month ago - and many of them sound strange.
I already knew anosmia - it sounds like a fear of watching Pointless, but is actually means loss of sense of smell,and I knew anorexia which is loss of appetite

But ageusia?  [pronounced age-you-seer] That one is loss of sense of taste. Anosmia and ageusia are now recognised symptoms of covid19. We were both aware that we couldn't taste things before they started mentioning it as a symptom. My mouth felt dry and horrid, and at one point Bob declared the cheese was 'way too salty' and put it back in the fridge. He subsequently tasted it again and declared it fine- it was his taste buds at fault. I'm happy to report that we are both enjoying our food again! In fact I think we are appreciating smell and taste even more, having experienced the temporary loss.

Then there is syncope [sin-co-pay] who sounds like she should be the Greek Goddess of Jazz. But this medical term, usually known as fainting, is a loss of consciousness and muscle strength characterized by a fast onset, short duration, and spontaneous recovery. This is another recognised symptom. Bob had it, I didn't.
And finally I learned fomites  [foe-mitt-tees] which are any inanimate objects that, when contaminated with or exposed to infectious agents [such as pathogenic bacteria, or viruses], can transfer disease to a new host. These can be clothes, masks, utensils, books, bedding, skin cells...

WFH is working from home  [it is not Wash F****in Hands]
And well done Emily Maitlis, on Wednesday evening's Newsnight 
speaking out about the words used by many politicians at this time

Maitlis described the platitudes [being used ] as“misleading”, saying that the myth of the virus as a social “leveller” had to be debunked. She said. “The language around Covid-19 has sometimes felt trite and misleading. You do not survive the illness through fortitude and strength of character, whatever the prime minister’s colleagues will tell us and the disease is not a great leveller – the consequences of which everyone, rich or poor, suffers the same. This is a myth which needs debunking. Coronavirus has exposed the gulf between the lives  of those struggling to make ends meet and the wealthy"

Read the whole piece here. I think it is excellent.