Leaving Abidjan for Paris

Before I left, I was finally able to visit the Musée des Civilisations de Côte d'Ivoire.  It had a small, but very good collection of objects, and, although I wasn't able to photograph items directly, I managed to take a few furtive photos. I went with the Director and her son, David, and we, fortunately, went early.  We had hardly been there fifteen minutes when school groups started to descend in force...

There were small exhibits from digs showing artifacts from prehistoric (Neolithic) times,  exhibits on the development of currency, the social life and customs in the various language groups and tribes, including masks and fetish figurines, information on the social and local power structures within the various ethnic groups, and some on the colonial period, including that of the ivory trade.  Much was devoted to the several dominant ethnic groups, and I was fascinated to learn that some tribes had a patrilineal succession while others were matrilineal. 

Below was a wall citing Krou proverbs along with a literal translation in French and a parallel French equivalent. There were proverbs from all four of the major language groups found in the country.

To the left are some of the traditional objects of power belonging to the Akan ruler.



Below are some of the textiles and articles of adornment, primarily worn for ceremonial occasions such as weddings, funerals or religious ceremonies.

 

 

 As you can see, it started to become crowded, with older and older students as the morning wore on.  Here a group of them stand around an exhibit of Akan proverbs, translated into French. Each proverb here is taken from a different Akan language found in the Côte d'Ivoire. Akan is a family of languages, like the Gur, Mande and Krou language families also found in the Côte d'Ivoire, where there are some 78 languages spoken. SIL was instrumental in helping commit some of these languages to writing, by developing an alphabet, analyzing the grammar and language structure, and helping document them, so it was nice having this acknowledged in the museum by devoted space to the proverbs of these various language groups written in the language of origin.

Saturday evening I celebrated my birthday again when was treated to pizza at a nice Italian restaurant, La DolceVita. The food was good, and a small glass of limoncello was on the house.

I was ridiculously early for my 12:50 a.m. flight, but fortunately did not have to wait outside the terminal or even in the outside waiting area. All went very smoothly despite my inability  to ever un catch 40 winks on any flight, no matter how tired I am...

My friend Judy, who was to join me in Paris, decided to change her plans.  This is probably a wise decision as the Covid-19 is only going to get worse, as it has been daily.  The best information I have currently read on the subject to date came from a Facebook posting by a friend which read : 

Dear Colleagues,
As some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources.

The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.

Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves.:

1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.

2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.b

3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip - do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.

4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.

5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.

6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home's entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can't immediately wash your hands.

7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!

What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:

1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas. Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land on are infectious for about a week on average - everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.

2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you - it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth - it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.

3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.

4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY "cold-like" symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.

I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it. Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available.

I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share this email. Good luck to all of us! Jim

James Robb, MD FCAP

Actually updates to this include stay away from anti-inflammatory drugs, get plenty of fresh air and sunlight, and the anti-malarial prophylaxic chloroquine has possible inhibiting properties...

The two things that bother me about this virus is the length of time it stays alive on surfaces, and the fact that it is lung-specific.  It is very difficult not touching your face, and, as he says, the average person does it unconsciously some 90 times a day! I can better understand now why the elderly are so susceptible.

My first thought was to do a portion of the Voie de Vézelay, as Paris was becoming less inviting because of the Coronavirus, but the Prime Minister of France changed everything Saturday saying that in an attempt to contain the pandemic, most non-essential public places like bars, restaurants, cafés, night-clubs, theatres, etc. were to be shut down at midnight, and only grocery stores, pharmacies, tabacs, gas stations, and the like, would remain open. Well that settles that.  Staying in my tiny apartment for two weeks vegetating is not exactly my idea of fun, so I when I get there I may see if I can shorten my stay without too much of a penalty.  I, unfortunately, cannot do it online...

Paris is proving to be a somewhat deserted place with most commerce shuttered. I was happy to learn, however that the bakery/pâtisserie across the street from me is open, and the do serve coffee and tea at informal tables...  However, the French  President Emmanuel Macron, will be addressing the the country again tonight, likely with more enhanced measures...