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Cliff Lumsdon Park, Sept. 24, 2020. Jaan Pill photo

I first became attuned to the coronavirus epidemic when I listened to a memorable “This American Life” podcast about the pandemic as it took hold in Wuhan, China.

Thereafter I’ve followed with interest online reports, some of which I’ve posted to this website, about the unfolding crisis that was underway early in 2020 in northern Italy.

As I will highlight at a subsequent post, I recently met with some high school friends for an outdoor, socially-distanced picnic at Cliff Lumsdon Park at the Lake Ontario shoreline in New Toronto in south Etobicoke.

Cliff Lumsdon Park, Sept. 24, 2020. Jaan Pill photo

Among the things we discussed was that it may be a while until we meet again for such a get together in Toronto, as the coronavirus outlook for that city is not promising. I anticipate I will be hunkering down in Stratford for some time aside from occasional trips to the Toronto Public Library to pick up and drop off books.

The science-based understanding of what COVID-19 entails, and how best to ensure protection from infection, has been evolving, as more information becomes known through public health and epidemiological studies.

From what I can gather, limiting social interactions outside of family bubbles is currently very much the name of the game, for those of us who are able (or are willing, because we have the capacity to respect the science) to engage in such restrictions.

A Sept. 25, 2020 Healthy Debate opinion article, entitled “No more politics. Scientific leadership urgently needed as second wave emerges,” highlights the current state of affairs in Ontario.

An excerpt reads: “Separation between political interests and the pandemic response has been lost.”